Ali ibn Abi Talib
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Ali ibn Abi Talib (عَلِيّ ٱبْن أَبِي طَالِب) was Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, and was the fourth of the "four rightly guided caliphs". The Shia, emphasizing his status as a member of the prophet's family or "household" (ahl al-bayt), consider him the first Imam and rightful successor to Muhammad.
| Ali ibn Abi Talib | |
| Born | 601 Mecca |
|---|---|
| Died | 661 Kufa |
| Occupation | 4th Caliph |
| Term | 656-661 |
| Predecessor | Uthmaan |
| Successor | Mu'awiyah |
| Spouse | Fatimah bint Muhammad Umamah bint Zainab Umma al-Banin Leila bint Masoud Asma bint Umays Khawlah bint Ja'afar al-Sahba' bint Rabi'ah |
| Children | al-Hasan al-Husayn Zaynab Umm Kulthum Muhsin Muhammad Abbas Ruqaya Abdullah Hilal 'Awn |
| Parents | Abu Talib ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib (father) Fatimah bint Asad (mother) Muhammad ibn Abdullah (cousin) |
The First Fitna (civil war)
Ali was one of the first of Muhammad's contemporaries to accept Islam, had great repute amongst Muhammad's followers, but was ultimately assassinated by a group called the Kharijites during the civil war that erupted upon his ascension to the seat of the caliph. This group of Kharijites were not from among Ali's primary opposition as a caliph (this being Mu'awiyah's supporters), but were rather defectors who had once sided with Ali against Mu'awiyah.
Hadiths and traditions descriptive of and attributed to Ali are among the most contested between Sunni and Shi'ite sources, as both had and continue to have political and theological stake in the matter.