AlÄ« ibn AbÄ« ṬÄlib ([color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Arabic[/color]: علي بن أبي طالب, [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Transliteration[/color]: Ê¿AlÄ« ibn AbÄ« ṬÄlib, Arabic pronunciation: [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][ʕæliË ibn ʔæbiË t̪ˤæËlib][/color]; 13th [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Rajab[/color], 24[color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]BH[/color] – 21st [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Ramaá¸Än[/color], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600[color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][2][/color] or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661[color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][4][/color]). The son of [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Abu Talib[/color],[color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][5][/color]Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Islamic prophet[/color] [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Muhammad[/color], ruling over the [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Islamic Caliphate[/color] from 656 to 661,[color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][5][/color] and was the first male convert to Islam.[color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][6][/color][color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][7][/color] [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Sunnis[/color] consider Ali the fourth and final of the [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Rashidun[/color] (rightly guided [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Caliphs[/color]), while [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Shias[/color] regard Ali as the first [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Imam[/color] and consider him and his descendants the [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]rightful successors to Muhammad[/color], all of which are members of the [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Ahl al-Bayt[/color], the household of Muhammad. This disagreement split the [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Ummah[/color] (Muslim community) into the Sunni and Shia branches.[color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][1][/color]
[/size]Muslim sources, especially Shia ones, state that Ali was the only person born in the [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Kaaba[/color] sanctuary in [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Mecca[/color], the holiest place in Islam.[color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][1][/color] His father was [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Abu Talib[/color] and his mother was [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Fatima bint Asad[/color],[color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][1][/color] but he was raised in the household of Muhammad, who himself was raised by [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Abu Talib[/color], Muhammad's uncle, and Ali's father. When Muhammad reported receiving a [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]divine revelation[/color], Ali was the first male to accept his message, dedicating his life to the cause of Islam.[color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][4][/color][color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][8][/color][color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][9][/color][color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][10][/color]
[/size]Ali [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]migrated[/color] to [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Medina[/color] shortly after Muhammad did. Once there Muhammad told Ali that God had ordered Muhammad to give his daughter, [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Fatimah[/color], to Ali in marriage.[color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][1][/color] For the ten years that Muhammad led the community in Medina, Ali was extremely active in his service, leading parties of warriors on battles, and carrying messages and orders. Ali took part in the early [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]caravan raids[/color] from [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Mecca[/color]and later in almost all the battles fought by the nascent Muslim community.
[/size]Ali was appointed [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Caliph[/color] by the Companions of Muhammad (the [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Sahaba[/color]) in Medina after the assassination of the third caliph, [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Uthman ibn Affan[/color].[color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][11][/color][color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][12][/color] He encountered defiance and [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]civil war[/color] during his reign. In 661, Ali was attacked one morning while worshipping in the mosque of [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Kufa[/color], and died a few days later.[color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][13][/color][color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][14][/color][color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][15][/color]
[/size]In [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Muslim culture[/color], Ali is respected for his courage, knowledge, belief, honesty, unbending devotion to Islam, deep loyalty to Muhammad, equal treatment of all Muslims and generosity in forgiving his defeated enemies, and therefore is central to mystical traditions in Islam such as [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Sufism[/color]. Ali retains his stature as an authority on [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Quranic exegesis[/color], [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Islamic jurisprudence[/color] and religious thought.[color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][16][/color] Ali holds a high position in almost all [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Sufi orders[/color] which trace their lineage through him to Muhammad. Ali's influence has been important throughout [color=rgb(11, 0, 128)]Islamic history[/color].[color=rgb(11, 0, 128)][1][/color]