young Ali stood up and announced that he was ready to help and support the Prophet. His bravery and courage gave hope to the Prophet and shamed all the prominent leaders who had gathered at the Prophet’s house. As it happens, Ali never failed to live up to his promise to stand by the Prophet. He remained at the Prophet’s side both at times of hardship and joy; success and sorrow. When in the year 622, the Quraysh decided to assassinate Muhammad, Ali volunteered to stay in the Prophet’s house so that the Prophet could slip out of Makkah without a trace, in the company of his friend Abu Bakr, and travel to Madinah. When the Makkans eventually entered the Prophet’s house they were surprised to find young Ali sleeping in Muhammad’s bed. After returning all the goods the people had entrusted to the Prophet for safekeeping, Ali set off for Madinah and joined him there.
Short in height, of muscular build, highly energetic and blessed with a well-proportioned body frame, Ali was also known to have been frighteningly quick. He is famous in the annals of Islam as an indomitable warrior who outsmarted his opponents on the battlefield with ease. In the year 627, when the Muslims of Madinah were forced to dig trenches around the city to avert an imminent Makkan invasion, Abdwud, the famous warrior of Arabia, managed to cross the trench and challenged the Muslims to fight him one-to-one. No one dared to accept the challenge except Ali. He grabbed his favourite double-edged sword (dhul fiqar) and confronted the most accomplished fighter in the land. Within minutes, Abdwud realised that he had at last met his match. Soon the most famous fighter of Arabia found himself lying on the floor while the victorious Ali walked into the ranks of the Muslims in humility. Such fearless bravery and accomplishments on the battlefield soon established his reputation as one of the most successful warriors of Arabia, earning him the honorific title of asadullah or the ‘lion of God’ from none other than the Prophet himself.
Ali was not only a distinguished fighter and athlete, but also a man of profound wisdom and great learning. He was considered to be one of the most learned companions of the Prophet Muhammad. In addition to being an outstanding jurist-consult, a master of Arabic language and an accomplished orator, Ali knew the entire Qur’an by heart and was one of a few companions who had composed collections of hadith (Prophetic traditions) during the Prophet’s own lifetime. Moreover, Ali is widely considered to be a pioneer of tasawwuf, or Islamic mysticism. As it happens, the majority of the prominent Sufi Orders (tariqah) trace their spiritual affiliation directly to the Prophet through Ali. Indeed, Ali became so famous for his prodigious learning and scholarship that the Prophet once remarked that he (the Prophet) was the city of knowledge, while Ali was its gate. Caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar both regularly consulted Ali on all important legal issues of the day before issuing religious edicts (fatawa). Ali’s estimation in the sight of Caliph Umar was second-to-none when it came to juristic matters. He used to say, “Ali is the greatest jurist and judge among all of us”. Ali and Caliph Abu Bakr were undoubtedly two of the most insightful Muslims after the Prophet himself.
When Caliph Uthman was brutally assassinated by a group of insurgents in 656 at the ripe old age of eighty, the unity of the Muslim world was shattered. Sheer commotion and hysteria soon spread across Madinah. It was at this critical period in Islamic history that Ali became the fourth Caliph of Islam. Like his predecessors, he assumed the office of Caliphate with some trepidation because he considered it to be a trust from God and a position of tremendous responsibility. After becoming Caliph he immediately encountered difficulties, facing stiff opposition from rival groups. He found himself caught between a rock and a hard place, as one group demanded that the murderers of Caliph Uthman be immediately apprehended and punished for their heinous crime, while the insurgents continued to wreak havoc within the Islamic State. Another group allied themselves with the Caliph and they became known as the shi’at Ali or the ‘partisans of Ali’. This group not only supported him, they later developed their own theological views and political objectives. As a result, Shi’ism – as opposed to mainstream Sunnism – became a separate political and theological strand within Islam. At the same time, the khawarij (or the ‘dissenters’) emerged as a political splinter group; they considered all other groups except themselves to be heretical and misguided. Despite the brewing tribal rivalry and political factionalism, Caliph Ali tried to work with all the different groups in order to maintain Islamic unity and solidarity; he knew he could not afford to make a mistake at such a critical moment in Islamic history.
Being an acclaimed jurist, Caliph Ali understood more than anyone else the need to apprehend and punish the murderers of Caliph Uthman, but it was not possible to achieve this straight away given the prevailing chaos and disorder within the Islamic State. Caliph Ali’s first and foremost priority was to re-establish a sense of civility and order across Madinah before he could focus his attention on other pressing issues. To make matters worse, the insurgents who were responsible for the murder of Caliph Uthman went underground, and it would have required a thorough investigation in order to identify and apprehend the culprits. A serious miscalculation by the Caliph at this stage would have allowed the insurgents to sow the seeds of further chaos and disorder within the Islamic State. Caliph Ali’s polished diplomatic skills, coupled with his vast knowledge and understanding of Islam, enabled him to negotiate his way through all the political twists and turns. And, as always, his utmost priority was the welfare of his people and the unity of the Muslim ummah (global Islamic community).
No other person could have traversed such a complex and difficult path at such a critical period in Islamic history than the exemplary Caliph Ali. Using his polished negotiating skills and profound grasp of Islamic teachings, he was able to avert an all-out war in the Islamic State on more than one ocassion. When the situation inside Madinah eventually became intolerable, he moved his heartquarters to Kufah. He took this brave decision to prevent Madinah, the city of the Prophet, from becoming a battleground, thus frustrating the insurgents who were determined to turn this sacred city into a war zone. As a truly great champion of Islam, Ali fought tooth and nail to prevent the Muslims from fighting against each other; so much so that he even agreed to sign a truce with his most inveterate enemies in order to prevent war. He preferred to suffer personal humiliation rather than see innocent Muslims lose their lives and livelihood. His love, kindness and generosity turned him into a potent symbol of goodness and rectitude. Even those who disagreed with him never failed to admire his sincerity and wisdom. According to the historians, Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan – who was governor of Syria during the Caliphate of Ali and the leader of those who insisted that the Caliph should identify and apprehend the murderers of Uthman – once asked Dirar ibn Damrah al-Kinani, who was one of his close aides, to comment on Caliph Ali’s character, morals and ability. Dirar responded:
‘He was a man of strong will-power and determination. He always gave a just judgement, and was a fountain of knowledge. His speech was full of wisdom. He hated the pleasure of this world and loved the darkness of night to cry before God. His dress was most simple and he liked simple meals. He lived like a common man and when anybody would put a question before him, he replied with utmost politeness. Whenever we asked him to wait for us he waited like common man. Although he was very near to us because of his high morals, we were afraid of him sometimes of his grandeur and eminence due to his nearness to God. He always respected a pious man and a scholar. He was nearest to the poor. He never allowed a powerful man to take advantage of his power. The weak were never disappointed of his justice. I bear witness that in many a battle he would wake up during the night and take hold of his beard and start to cry and weep before God as though he was in a state of commotion and exclaim: “O world! Do not try to betray me. I have left you long ago. Do not have any desire for me. I hate you. Your age is short and your end is long, and the way is full of danger…”’
On hearing this, Muawiyah apparently wept until his beard was wet and confirmed that Dirar’s description of the qualities and attributes of Caliph Ali was true. During his turbulent reign as Caliph, Ali faced relentless opposition from various factions within the Islamic State. He not only reasoned with his opponents; he also pleaded with them to set their differences aside. He took military action only when all other options for resolving the conflicts were exhausted. By his very nature, Caliph Ali was a man of peace and harmony; indeed, he hated taking military action against fellow Muslims. But when his opponents were determined
