Early Life: The First Male Muslim
‘Ali ibn Abi Talib was born ca. 600 CE in Mecca, the son of Abu Talib (the Prophet’s uncle who raised him after the death of his parents). He grew up in the Prophet’s household — the Prophet had taken him in as a child to ease Abu Talib’s burden.
The first Muslim: There is broad agreement across Islamic traditions that ‘Ali was the first male to accept Islam — as a child/young man, in the Prophet’s own household. The famous description: Khadija was the first Muslim (adult, female), ‘Ali was the first (child/youth, male), Abu Bakr was the first (free adult male) outside the household.
The night of the Hijra: When the Quraysh planned to assassinate the Prophet during the Hijra (migration to Medina), ‘Ali volunteered to sleep in the Prophet’s bed — risking his life so the assassins would believe the Prophet was still there.
See also: Nubuwwa, Ahl Al Bayt
At the Prophet’s Side
Badr and the early battles: ‘Ali was among the most courageous fighters in the early battles of Islam. At Badr, Uhud, Khandaq (the Trench), Khaybar, and Hunayn, he bore the standard of Islam and fought in single combat.
The bearer of the standard: At Khaybar, the Prophet said: “Tomorrow I will give the flag to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and Allah and His Messenger love him. Through him, Allah will grant victory.” Everyone hoped it would be them. The next morning the Prophet called ‘Ali (who had been suffering from eye disease) and cured his eyes, then gave him the standard. — Bukhari, Muslim
“I am the city of knowledge”: The Prophet (SAW): “Ana madinat al-‘ilm wa ‘Aliyyun babuha, fa man arada al-madinata fal-ya’tiha min babiha.” (I am the city of knowledge and ‘Ali is its gate; whoever wishes to enter the city, let them come through its gate.) — Tirmidhi, Hakim (authenticated by many hadith scholars)
The Mubahala verse (3:61): When the Christians of Najran came to debate with the Prophet, the divine revealed: “Whoever argues with you about [Jesus] after the knowledge that has come to you — say, ‘Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then supplicate earnestly and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars.’” (3:61) The Prophet brought ‘Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn — the five of the Ahl al-Kisa’. The Christians, seeing their spiritual luminosity, declined the mubahala.
See also: Imamah, Fatima Al Zahra, Misaq The Covenant
Ghadir Khumm — The Appointment
The most pivotal event of ‘Ali’s life, and the foundational event of the Ismaili understanding of Imamah:
The context: On 18 Dhu al-Hijja 10 AH, the Prophet was returning from his Farewell Hajj with tens of thousands of pilgrims. At a pond called Ghadir Khumm (between Mecca and Medina), the Prophet stopped and gathered all the pilgrims for an address.
The sermon: The Prophet said: “O People! Reflect on the Quran and understand its verses. Look into its clear verses and do not follow its ambiguous parts… O People! I am leaving among you the Two Weighty Things: the Book of Allah and my ‘Itrat [progeny/Ahl al-Bayt]. Do not go ahead of them or you will be destroyed, and do not lag behind them or you will be destroyed.”
The declaration: The Prophet then took ‘Ali’s hand and raised it, saying: “Man kuntu mawlahu fa ‘Aliyyun mawlahu.” (For whoever I am their mawla, ‘Ali is their mawla.) The Prophet then prayed: “O Allah, befriend whoever befriends him and be hostile to whoever is hostile to him, and help whoever helps him and forsake whoever forsakes him.”
The Quranic verse: “O Messenger, announce what has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message.” (5:67) — Narrated to have been revealed just before the Ghadir declaration, as a divine command to make this appointment.
The confirmation: Immediately after: “This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (5:3) — both the perfection of the deen and the completion of the prophetic mission were accomplished at Ghadir.
See also: Bayah And Walayah, Understanding Walayah, Wali Al Asr
‘Ali’s Caliphate (35-40 AH / 656-661 CE)
After the assassinations of ‘Uthman (644 CE), the community turned to ‘Ali. His caliphate was marked by civil war:
Jamal (Battle of the Camel, 656 CE): ‘A’isha, Talha, and Zubayr raised an army challenging ‘Ali’s authority. ‘Ali defeated them at Basra; ‘A’isha was escorted back to Medina with full honor.
Siffin (657 CE): Mu’awiya ibn Abi Sufyan (Governor of Syria) refused to give bay’a to ‘Ali. The battle of Siffin was inconclusive — arbitration was agreed but manipulated against ‘Ali by Mu’awiya’s faction.
The Kharijite challenge: Following Siffin, a faction of ‘Ali’s own army broke away — the first Kharijites — declaring that both ‘Ali and Mu’awiya had sinned by agreeing to human arbitration. ‘Ali defeated them at Nahrawan (658 CE). A surviving Kharijite assassinated ‘Ali while he was praying Fajr in the mosque of Kufa on 19 Ramadan 40 AH (January 661 CE).
See also: Karbala, Imamah, Dai Al Mutlaq Institution
‘Ali’s Wisdom and Writings
‘Ali is second only to the Prophet in the Islamic tradition as a source of wisdom, legal judgment, and eloquence. His collected sayings, sermons, and letters are gathered in Nahj al-Balagha (The Peak of Eloquence) — compiled by Sharif al-Radi in the 10th century CE. It is among the most beautiful and philosophically profound books in Arabic literature.
Selected sayings from Nahj al-Balagha:
- “The value of a person is in what they know.”
- “Do not be ashamed of giving a little, for to refuse is to give less.”
- “He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare; he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere.”
- “Knowledge is power and it can command obedience; a man of knowledge during his lifetime can make people obey and follow him and he is praised and venerated after his death.”
See also: Akhlaq, Tafakkur, Understanding Walayah
See also: Imamah, Ahl Al Bayt, Wali Al Asr, Fatima Al Zahra, Karbala, Bayah And Walayah, Understanding Walayah, Misaq The Covenant, Nubuwwa