Mavani adds that Ali, in fact, considered himself as the designated successor of Muhammad through a divine decree at the Event of the Ghadir Khumm. However, Mavani also speculates that, had Muslims withheld their support, Ali would have not sought the title of Caliph by force. Who was supposed to be the first caliph?
Full Answer
Was Muhammad Ali the first caliph?
Although Ali was regarded, during the lifetime of Muhammad, as his initial successor, it would be 25 years before he was recognized with the title of Caliph (successor). Like the rest of his household, Shias claim that Ali is infallible and sinless and is one of The Fourteen Infallibles of the household of Muhammed.
Who is Ali in Islam?
Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and a member of the Ahl al-Bayt. Shias regard Ali as the first Imam and consider him, along with his descendants, to be one of the divinely appointed successors of Muhammad who are claimed by the Shia the only legitimate religious and political leaders of the Muslim community.
Who was Muhammad's cousin Ali?
Ali, the son-in-law and cousin of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, was the caliph between 656 and 661 CE, a trying period in Muslim history, coinciding with the first Muslim civil war. He reigned over the Rashidun empire which extended from Central Asia in the east to North Africa in the west.
Why is Muhammad Ali important to Shia Islam?
where Ali is buried. Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and a member of the Ahl al-Bayt. According to Shias, Ali was the first Imam who is believed to be the rightful successor to Muhammad, divinely appointed successors of Muhammad who are claimed by the Shias.
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Is Ali the first caliph?
ʿAlī, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, was the fourth caliph and first imam (in Shiʿism) of the Muslim ummah (community). A faction of the ummah asserted that he and his descendants (known as Ahl al-Bayt) were the only rightful successors to Muhammad.
How was Ali different from the other caliphs?
During his caliphate, he evidently laid claim to a divine religious authority to interpret the Quran and Sunnah, in order to meet the needs of a rapidly-changing caliphate. This distinguished Ali from his predecessors who saw themselves merely as the administrators of the divine law.
How was Ali chosen as a caliph?
The tie-breaker vote was given to Ibn Awf, who offered the caliphate to Ali on the condition that he should rule in accordance with the Qur'an, the sunna, and the precedents established by the first two caliphs. Ali rejected the third condition whereas Uthman accepted it.
Why did Abu Bakr became the first caliph?
On Muhammad's death (June 8, 632), the Muslims of Medina resolved the crisis of succession by accepting Abū Bakr as the first khalīfat rasūl Allāh (“deputy [or successor] of the Prophet of God,” or caliph).
What did Prophet Muhammad say about Ali?
According to both traditions, Muhammad said that ʿAlī was his inheritor and brother and that whoever accepted the Prophet as his mawlā (“master” or “trusted friend” but also, contradictorily, “client” or “protegé”) also should accept ʿAlī as his mawlā.
Who was first Khalifa in Islam?
Abu BakrAbu Bakr, the first caliph, ruled for two years. He was able to keep the Islamic world together but not all was well. As soon as he was appointed caliph, some Arab tribes who had only been part of the community because of Muhammad pulled out of the political coalition.
Did Prophet Muhammad chose Ali as his successor?
Appointment of Ali The view advanced by the Shia is that Muhammad announced his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, as his rightful successor shortly before his death at the Event of Ghadir Khumm and also earlier in his prophetic mission at the Event of Dhul Asheera.
Which caliph was the most important in the history of Islam?
Abu BakrAbu Bakr was given the title of caliph (successor of the Prophet), and he also received the sincere support of another senior and respected companion of Muhammad, Umar, who would in time become his successor. Abu Bakr (r. 632-634 CE) proved himself a competent leader.
Who was the first caliph after the death of Muhammad?
Abu BakrAfter the death of the Prophet Muhammad, a debate ensued over who should take his place as leader of the faith. Most of the prominent Muslims of Medina claimed that Muhammad had named no successor and elected Abu Bakr, the Prophet's closest advisor and companion, as the first caliph (successor).
Which Sahabi was mentioned in the Quran?
Zayd ibn Harithah He is the only companion of Muhammad whose name appears in the Quran.
Which caliph was the most important in the history of Islam?
Abu BakrAbu Bakr was given the title of caliph (successor of the Prophet), and he also received the sincere support of another senior and respected companion of Muhammad, Umar, who would in time become his successor. Abu Bakr (r. 632-634 CE) proved himself a competent leader.
What did the first four caliphs have in common?
The Four Caliphs were the first four leaders of Islam that succeeded the Prophet Muhammad. They are sometimes called the "Rightly Guided" Caliphs because each of them learned about Islam directly from Muhammad. They also served as Muhammad's closest friends and advisors during the early years of Islam.
When was Ali a caliph?
Ali ibn Abi Talib, or simply Ali, (l. 601-661 CE) was among the first Muslims, a cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad (l. 570-632 CE), and later reigned as the fourth Caliph of Islam from 656 CE to 661 CE, when he was murdered.
How did Shia and Sunni split?
A disagreement over succession after Mohammed's death in 632 split Muslims into Islam's two main sects, Sunni and Shia.
Who recognized the caliph's authority?
ʿAlī recognized the caliph’s authority, according to Shiʿi sources, but remained neutral between ʿUthmān’s supporters and his opponents. ʿAlī even sent his own sons to protect ʿUthmān’s house when he was in danger of being attacked.
Who was considered for the caliphate after the death of Umar?
After the death of ʿUmar in 644, ʿAlī was considered for the caliphate along with five other eminent members of the community. One of them, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf, withdrew but asked that he be trusted with choosing the next caliph, a request that was granted.
Why did the Quraysh turn against Muhammad?
Many members of the Quraysh turned against him because he defended the rights of the Hashimites, a clan of the Quraysh to which Muhammad had belonged . He was also accused of failing to pursue the murderers of his predecessor and of purging ʿUthmān’s supporters from office.
Who was the fourth caliph?
When ʿUthmān was murdered in 656 by those who considered him weak and who accused him of nepotism, ʿAlī admonished his children for not having defended ʿUthmān’s house properly. ʿAlī himself was then chosen as the fourth and last of the rightly guided caliphs.
Who were the two senior companions of Muhammad?
Before he could act, however, he had to deal with the rebellion of two senior companions, Talḥah and Zubayr. Joined by ʿĀʾishah, daughter of Abū Bakr and third wife of Muhammad, the two had marched upon Basra and captured it. ʿAlī assembled an army in Kufa, which became his capital, and met the rebels in 656 at the Battle of the Camel.
Who took charge of Muhammad's funeral?
ʿAlī and the first caliphs. Upon the death of the Prophet in 632, ʿAlī and Muhammad’s family took charge of the arrangements for his funeral. At the same time, discussions began concerning who should succeed Muhammad. Both the anṣār, the people of Medina who had embraced Islam, and the muhājirūn, those from Mecca who had migrated to Medina, ...
What was the only major split in Islam?
The question of his right to the caliphate (the political-religious structure comprising the community of Muslims and its territories that emerged after the death of Muhammad) resulted in the only major split in Islam, into the Sunni and Shiʿi branches. Top Questions.
Who was the second person to accept Islam?
At age 10, ʿAlī became the second person to accept Islam, after Khadījah, according to tradition. From then, he was a dedicated servant of the early Muslim ummah (community).
What happened in 622?
Muhammad, knowing that his enemies were plotting to assassinate him, asked ʿAlī to take his place and sleep in his bed; Muhammad then left Mecca secretly with Abū Bakr and reached Medina safely several days later (his arrival marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar). When the plotters entered Muhammad’s house with drawn daggers, they were deeply surprised to find ʿAlī, whom they did not harm. ʿAlī waited for instructions and left sometime later with Muhammad’s family. He arrived safely in Qubā on the outskirts of Yathrib, which soon became known as Mādinat al-Nabi (“City of the Prophet”) or simply Medina, on the instructions of the Prophet. According to some sources, he was one of the first of the Meccan followers of Muhammad to arrive in Medina.
What are the primary sources of Islamic history?
The primary sources for scholarship on the life of ʿAlī are the Hadith and the sīrah literature (accounts of the Prophet Muhammad’s life), as well as other biographical sources and texts of early Islamic history. The extensive secondary sources include, in addition to works by Sunni and Shiʿi Muslims, writings by Christian Arabs, Hindus, and other non-Muslims from the Middle East and Asia and a few works by modern Western scholars. However, many of the early Islamic sources are coloured to some extent by a bias, whether positive or negative, toward ʿAlī.
Where did Muhammad arrive in Medina?
He arrived safely in Qubā on the outskirts of Yathrib, which soon became known as Mādinat al-Nabi (“City of the Prophet”) or simply Medina, on the instructions of the Prophet. According to some sources, he was one of the first of the Meccan followers of Muhammad to arrive in Medina. ʿAlī. Quick Facts. born.
Who was Muhammad's cousin?
ʿAlī, Muhammad ’s cousin and son-in-law, was the fourth caliph and first imam (in Shiʿism) of the Muslim ummah (community). A faction of the ummah asserted that he and his descendants (known as Ahl al-Bayt) were the only rightful successors to Muhammad. This faction is known as the Shiʿah, short for shīʿat ʿAlī (”ʿAlī’s faction”).
Who is the father of dust?
They include Abū al-Ḥasan (“Father of Ḥasan” [the name of his oldest son]), Abū Turāb (“Father of Dust”), Murtaḍā (“One Who Is Chosen and Contented”), Asad Allāh (“Lion of God”), Ḥaydar (“Lion”), and—specifically among the Shiʿah—Amīr al-Muʾminīn (“Prince of the Faithful”) and Mawlāy-i Muttaqiyān (“Master of the God-Fearing”).
What was Ali's faction?
Those of this camp formed a faction called the Kharijites. Additionally, Ali was also opposed by Aisha, the wife of Muhammad. The opposition led to a civil war against the caliph. The war ended in 661 AD when Ali was assassinated.
How important were the Rashidun caliphs?
Whatever the theological importance of the Rashidun caliphs for Islam, it is undeniable that the rule of the first four caliphs are very important for the history of Islam. The thirty years during when they ruled were filled with political intrigue, corruption, assassination, and civil war but also impressive military conquests and the formation ...
How long did Abu Bakr rule?
Abu Bakr, the first caliph, ruled for two years. He was able to keep the Islamic world together but not all was well. As soon as he was appointed caliph, some Arab tribes who had only been part of the community because of Muhammad pulled out of the political coalition. This forced Abu Bakr to go to war against them to bring them into submission. He insisted that they had not just submitted to Muhammad but to the Muslim community. By 633 AD, Abu Bakr had unified almost the entire Arabian Peninsula under his caliphate.
What battle did the Islamic caliphate win?
They also won a major victory against the Sasanians in 637 AD at the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah. By the end of the reign of Umar, the Islamic caliphate had conquered an empire stretching across Persia, Mesopotamia, North Africa, Palestine, and Syria.
What is the history of the Khirbat al-Minya?
Archaeologists from Mainz reveal new findings on the history of the early-Islamic caliphate palace Khirbat al-Minya. A drawing of Khālid ibn al-Walīd heading the Muslim Army during the battle of Yarmouk. ( Public Domain ) During this time , the expansion of the Muslim Empire was primarily political.
What was the expansion of the Muslim Empire?
During this time, the expansion of the Muslim Empire was primarily political. Christians and other non-Muslim religious groups such as Zoroastrians, Hindus, and Buddhists were not forced to convert and, as long as they paid tribute and didn’t revolt, they were allowed to live in peace for the most part.
When did Umar's reign end?
Despite Umar’s early victories, his reign came to an end anticlimactically when he was assassinated by a Persian in 644 AD.
What happened to Ali in the Great Mosque?
He encountered defiance and civil war ( First Fitna) during his reign. Tragically, while Ali was praying and bowing to God in the Great Mosque of Kufa, Abd-al-Rahman ibn Muljam, a Kharijite assassin, struck him with a poison-coated sword. Ali died on the 21st of Ramadan in the city of Kufa in 661 CE.
How old was Ali when he was given permission to be his own child?
When Ali was about six years of age, Muhammad was granted permission from his uncle Abu Talib to bring him up as his own child. For ten years, Ali stayed in Muhammad's care and became inseparable, taking on the character of Muhammad, going so far as to state;
How long did Muhammad's boycott last?
At this time, Muhammad arranged for some of his followers to emigrate to Ethiopia. The boycott lasted for three years. Ali stood firmly in support of Muhammad during the years of persecution of Muslims and the boycott of Banu Hashim in Mecca.
What is Nahj al Balagha?
Nahj al-Balagha is the most revered of them. It is considered by historians and scholars to be an important work in Islamic literature.
How long did Muhammad lead the community in Medina?
For the ten years that Muhammad led the community in Medina, Ali was extremely active in his service, leading parties of warriors on raids, and carrying messages and orders. With the exception of the Battle of Tabouk, Ali took part in all the battles fought for Islam during this time.
What is Ali's family?
In Arab culture it was a great honor for Ali that both of his parents belonged to the Banu Hashim. Ali was also one of descendants of Ishmael ( Isma'il) the son of Abraham ( Ibrahim ). During his childhood, Ali spent his first six years under his father's roof.
Why did Ali sleep in Muhammad's bed?
In 622 CE, the year of Muhammad's migration to Yathrib (now Medina), Ali risked his life by sleeping in Muhammad's bed to impersonate him and thwart an assassination plot, so that Muhammad could escape in safety. This night is called "Laylat Al-mabit".
Overview
Ali, the son-in-law and cousin of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, was the caliph between 656 and 661 CE, a trying period in Muslim history, coinciding with the first Muslim civil war. He reigned over the Rashidun empire which extended from Central Asia in the east to North Africa in the west. He became known as both a just and fair ruler. He died in 661.
Background
Ali frequently accused the third caliph Uthman (r. 644–656) of deviating from the Quran and Sunna, and he was joined in this criticism by most of the senior companions. Uthman was also widely accused of nepotism and corruption, and Ali is known to have protested Uthman's nepotism and his lavish gifts for his kinsmen. Ali also often protected outspoken companions, such as Abu Dharr and Ammar, against the caliph's wrath.
Election
In the aftermath of Uthman's murder, the potential candidates for the caliphate were Ali and Talha, though some suggest that Talha lacked popular support, and Ali was thus the obvious choice. After Uthman's murder, his tribesmen (the Umayyads) fled Medina, and the rebels and their Medinan allies thus controlled the city. While Talha enjoyed some support among the Egyptian rebels, Ali wa…
Ruling style
Ali was a close relative of Muhammad with a widely reported knowledge of Islam's roots. During his caliphate, he evidently laid claim to a divine religious authority to interpret the Quran and Sunnah, in order to meet the needs of a rapidly-changing caliphate. This distinguished Ali from his predecessors who saw themselves merely as the administrators of the divine law.
According to Madelung, the caliphate of Ali was characterized by his honesty, his unbending dev…
First Fitna
The first Muslim civil war, known also as the First Fitna, took place after the assassination of Uthman and continued throughout the reign of Ali, in which he fought the rebel forces in three major battles.
Muhammad's widow, A'isha bint Abi Bakr, and two of Muhammad's prominent companions, namely, Talha ibn Ubayd Allah and Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, opposed Ali's succession and gathered in
Assassination
In 661, on the nineteenth of Ramadan, while Ali was praying in the Great Mosque of Kufa, he was struck over the head with a poison-coated sword by the Kharijite Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam. Ali died two days later from his wound. The sources seem to be unanimous that Ali forbade his family from excessive punishments for Ibn Muljam and from shedding the blood of others. In the meantime, Ibn M…
Footnotes
1. ^ Veccia Vaglieri 2021a.
2. ^ Gleave 2021.
3. ^ Madelung 1997, p. 108.
4. ^ Momen 1985, p. 21.
5. ^ Madelung 1997, p. 87.
Further reading
• Ali ibn Abi Talib (1984). Nahj al-Balagha (Peak of Eloquence), compiled by ash-Sharif ar-Radi. Alhoda UK. ISBN 0-940368-43-9.
• Cleary, Thomas (1996). Living and Dying with Grace: Counsels of Hadrat Ali. Shambhala Publications, Incorporated. 1570622116.
• Gordagh, George (1956). Ali, The Voice of Human Justice. ISBN 0-941724-24-7.(in Arabic)