Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

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One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Subject: Hazrat Ali

Brother Burhan, AssalamOAlaikum

I have a lot of questions to ask, and I will over time, InshaAllah.For now, can you describe the circumstances around Hazrat Ali'smurder? Who, Why, How, etc.?

Wassalam

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Answer:

Hadrat Ali’s  (r.a.)  Murder

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person,  no grave, no prophet,  no imam,  no dai,  nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

After the murder of Hadrat Uthman, and the subsequent battles of Jamal and Siffin,  the muslim world was in a dis-array and there arose many a difference in the political landscape of Islam.   Hadrat Ali (r.a.) was always on the side of the Truth, and most of the noble companions stood by him during these trying times in the Muslim Ummah.  The muslim empire had become very big, and some of the new-muslims who converted during the era of expansion just did not have the training and ‘taqwa’ as was cultivated in those noble companions who sacrificed everything they possessed, in the noble company of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Muawiya revolted against the appointment of Khalifa of Hadrat Ali, and the subsequent battle of Siffin followed, which by an art of trickery Muawiya averted defeat and no proper decision was made.   During this time, a group amongst the muslims emerged in Kufa, who were later termed the ‘Kharijites’.  These misguided muslims were absolute extremists, and started revolting and reviling all the companions of the Messenger of Allah (saws), including Hadrat Ali (r.a.), Hadrat Uthman (r.a.), etc. and termed them all as (we seek refuge in Allah from saying this) non-muslims!  Hadrat Ali waged war against these enemies of Islam, and was victorious in the subsequent Battle of Nahrwaan.

Among these group of Kharijites, three of them gathered in the Sacred House in Makkah and devised a plan to murder Hadrat Ali, Muawiya, and Amr ibn Al Aaas.  They decided to kill all three of them on the appointed day at the same time, and thus each of them traveled to the respective places.   One traveled to Shaam to kill Muawiya, one traveled to Misr to kill Amr ibn Al Aas, and one traveled to Kufa to kill Hadrat Ali (r.a.).

The Kharijite who traveled to Kufa to kill Hadrat Ali (r.a.) was Abdur-Rahmaan ibn-Muljim (may Allah’s curse be upon him).  When Hadrat Ali (r.a.) came to lead the fajr congregation, ibn-Muljim struck Hadrat Ali with a sword dipped in poison.   Hadrat Ali (r.a.) was seriously injured, and Allah honored and chose Hadrat Ali as a martyr a couple of days later.   Ibn-Muljim, was subsequently arrested by the believers and later sentenced and put to death for the murder of Hadrat Ali (r.a.).

In Misr, Amr ibn Al Aas, did not come to lead the fajr prayers on that day,  and the person who came to lead the prayer was killed by the Kharijite.   And in Shaam, Muawiya was struck and injured by the attack,  but survived and did not die.

This is a basic summary of what happened regarding the martyrdom of Hadrat Ali (r.a.)

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother in Islam,

Burhan