Hazrat Ali Birth , Family and Biography:

Hazrat Ali (R.A) was the cousin and son-in-law of the last prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W). He ruled as the fourth caliph from 656 to 661. Ali was born inside the sacred place of Islam, the Kaaba in Mecca to Abu Talib and Fatimah bint Asad. He was the first male who accepted Islam. Ali sheltered Muhammad from an early age and took part in almost all the battles fought by the nascent Muslim community.

After migrating to Medina, He married Muhammad’s (P.B.U.H) daughter Fatima. He was appointed caliph by Muhammad’s (P.B.U.H) companions in 656, after Caliph Uthman ibn Affan was assassinate. Ali’s reign saw civil wars and in 661, he was attacked and assassinated by a Kharijite whilst praying in the Great Mosque of Kufa, being martyred two days later.

Ali is important to both Shia and Sunni, politically and spiritually. The numerous biographical sources about Ali are often biased according to sectarian lines, 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.

Ali had four children born to Fatima, the only child of Muhammad to have surviving progeny. Their two sons, Hasan and Husain, were cited by Muhammad to be his own sons, honored numerous times in his lifetime and titled “the leaders of the youth of Jannah (Heaven).

Ali and Fatima also had a third son, Mushin; however, he died as a result of a miscarriage when Ali and Fatima were attacked after Muhammad’s death. Fatima died shortly after the attack as well.

Their marriage lasted until Fatima’s death ten years later and was said to be full of love and friendliness. Ali is reported to have said about Fatima, “By Allah, I did never anger her or force her to do something (unwillingly) until Allah took her to the better world. She also did never anger me nor did she disobey me in anything at all. When I looked at her, my griefs and sorrows were relieved.

Although polygamy was permitted, Imam Ali did not marry another woman while Fatima was alive, and his marriage to her possesses a special spiritual significance for all Muslims because it is seen as the marriage between two great figures surrounding Muhammad.

According to a hadith which is narrated by Shia and Sufis, Muhammad told about him “I’m the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate …”.

The information about Imam Ali (A.S) taken from hazratali.co.uk