Ali was the fourth rightly-guided Caliph, the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic Prophet Mohammad. Ali's father Abi Talib was from an important branch of the powerful Quraysh tribe called Banu Hashim, where he was the custodian of the Ka'bah. It is said that Ali was born inside the Ka'bah itself in the city of Mecca sometime around 600. Abu Talib was the one who took the prophet Mohammed into his house when he was orphaned and after he lost his grandfather. When a famine occurred in and around Mecca the economic conditions of Ali's father, who had a large family to support, got affected causing him to fall into debt. When Ali was five or six years old the prophet Mohammad took him into his home to raise him, establishing a strong bond between …show more content…
Not only was he the prophet's cousin but also son-in-law, where he married his daughter Fatima who bore him al Hassan and al Husayn, the prophet's beloved grandsons. During the lifetime of Fatima Ali took no other wife until her death ten years after their marriage, where he married other wives and fathered a total of 27 children. Of his sons, only three, al-Ḥassan, al-Ḥusayn, and Muḥammad Ibn al-Ḥanafiyya, played a historical role, and five in all left descendants. He was admired by many for his bravery and courage in the battlefield, in a number of the military expeditions in the defense of the early Muslim community, and as being the standard-bearer in those battles. He was also known for his piety, his profound knowledge of the Qurʾān and the sunna, for being reliable and trustworthy, and was one of those who stoutly defended the …show more content…
He ruled after Uthman's murder (the third Caliph) in 656 but was accused by many for being involved in his death. Although Ali was not directly involved some of his supporters were amongst the rebels, and he was the most obvious beneficiary of Uthman's death. Mu'awiya, governor of Syria and cousin of Uthman, accused Ali of complicity with the murderers and refused to pay homage to him. At the battle of Siffin Mu'awiya was outnumbered and had asked for arbitration. Ali's acceptance for the arbitration caused some to think that his agreement was a form of going against God's plan for him and accepting it was actually a sin against God, by substituting the judgment of men for His prescription. Certain individuals had protested against recourse to arbitration demanding that that it was absolutely improper to apply to men for a decision that's already been decided by God, demanding that it was Ali's duty to continue to fight against Mu'awiya. Those individuals then left Ali's camp and became his enemies and were known as al Khawarij, or those who left. When Ali failed to regain the Khawarij's allegiance after declaring that he would take the field again against Muʿawiya, he attacked them at Nahrawan. A Kharijite named Abd al-Raḥman Ibn Muld̲j̲am al-Muradi, in revenge