Ali

‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (/ˈɑːli, ɑːˈliː/; Arabic: علي ابن أبي طالب‎, translit. ʿAlī bin Abī Ṭālib‎, Arabic pronunciation: [ʕaliː bɪn ʔabiː t̪ˤaːlɪb]; 13 Rajab, 21 BH – 21 Ramadan, 40 AH; 15 September 601 – 29 January 661) was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic Nabi (Arabic: نَـبِي‎‎, Prophet) Muhammad, ruling over the Caliphate from 656 to 661 ACE, and was Imam of Shi‘ite from 632 to 661 ACE. Born to Abu Talib and Fatimah bint Asad, ‘Ali was the only person born in the sacred sanctuary of the Ka‘bah in Mecca, the holiest place in Islam, according to many classical Islamic sources, especially Shia ones. ‘Ali was the first young male who accepted Islam. After migrating to Medina, he married Muhammad's daughter Fatimah. Ali took part in the early caravan raids from Mecca and later in almost all the battles fought by the nascent Muslim community. He was appointed caliph by Muhammad's Companions (Sahaba) in 656, after Caliph Uthman ibn Affan was assassinated. ‘Ali's reign saw civil wars and in 661, he was attacked and assassinated by a Kharijite while praying in the Great Mosque of Kufa, dying two days later. ‘Ali is important to various Sunni and Shi‘ite denominations politically, legislatively and spiritually. The numerous biographical sources about Ali are often biased due to sectarianism, but they agree that he was a pious Muslim, devoted to the cause of Islam and a just ruler in accordance with the Qur’an and the Sunnah. While Sunnis consider Ali the fourth and final of the Rashidun (rightly guided) caliphs, Shi‘ites regard ‘Ali as the first Imam after Muhammad due to their interpretation of the events at Ghadir Khum