Blood squirted from Hazrat Ali’s forehead in several jets, and he exclaimed: “By the Lord of the Kaaba, I am successful!”
I have derived all ‘historical reports related to ‘Maqtal-e-Imam Ali Ibne Abi Talib’(Murder of Imam Ali Ibne Abi Talib A.S) from the book compiled by Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Ubaid ibn sufyan ibn Abi al-Dunya, Abu bakar, Baghdadi, known by his epithet of Ibn Abi al-Dunya (AH 207/8–281, 823–894 CE). Ibn Abi al-Dunya in his compiled book major reports have taken from the books having same title written by Lut ibn Yahya ibn Sa’id ibn Mikhnaf al-Azdi(AH 157) and Naṣr b. Muzāḥim b. Sayyār (Yasār) al-ʿAṭṭār al-Minqari(AH 212). Both are authentic and oldest sources about the early history of Islam. On 19th Ramdan-ul-Mubarak when 40 years have been passed the ‘Migration of the Holy Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina, It was Abdur Rahman Ibne Muljam the bitter cursed person on the earth attacked Ali Ibne Abi Talib A.S, when he is offering the Fajar Prayer in the Grand Mosque of the Kufa. He was wounded by ibn Muljam’s poison-coated sword while prostrating during the Fajr prayer. Blood squirted from Hazrat Ali’s forehead in several jets, and he exclaimed:
“By the Lord of the Kaaba, I am successful!”
Imam Ali Ibne Abi Talib A.S is that personality of Islam, who always kept the flag of truth and right high, never allowed to be lowered it in such a stormy time when milk was being called ‘Black’ and the Honey was being called bitter. How great was the tragedy of Imam Ali Ibne Abi Talib (A.S), The person who was called by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (A.S) ‘the Distributor of Paradise and the Hell among the community, was declared ‘Apostate’ by a section of the Muslims, which was called Kharijite (Excluded from Muslim community). The Person through which Islam and Muslim community got the victory and with whom love was declared a ‘sign of faith’ and with home hatred was declared ‘hypocrisy’ such personality was alleged with ‘lust for government” from another section of Muslim community. Can there be a person in Islam more oppressed than Ali Ibn Abi Talib A.S? He himself saw such bitter days, when all blessings and praising made by the Holy Prophet about him were being denied. Even under the dirty propaganda of Syrian Rebellion group led by Muawiya Ibne Abi Sufiyan, many people in the city of Kufa denied the famous story of Ghadeer-i-Khum and renowned saying of the Holy Prophet A.S, ‘”He whose mawla I am, Ali is his mawla.”. Imam Ali gathered the people of the city of Kufa in a courtyard of grand mosque and said,’ “For the sake of Allah, I ask those who have met the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his family, and have heard his remarks on the Day of Ghadir al-Khumm, to stand up and testify what they had heard!”[ Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd, Sharḥ Nahj al-balāgha, vol. 4, p. 74). The story of al-Ruhba took place in 35/655, that is, at the beginning of the caliphate of Imam Ali (A.S). For according to the hadith by Ya’la b. Murra, Amir al-Mu’minin (a) made these remarks when he arrived in Kufa. (Ḥusaynī Tihrānī, Imām Shināsī, vol. 9, p. 41). In Waq’ah Siffin compiled by Nasar Bin Muzahim has described this story from different reporters. His reports demonstrate that denial of Hadis-i-Ghadeer was not only made by people of the city of Kufa but Imam Ali faced such denial in the country side areas situated around the Kufa city, so according to Nasar bin Muzahim, Imam Ali would gather the people in courtyard of the village and ask the First Migrants and the Helpers to report what they had observed and seen at the place of Ghadeer-i-Khum and asked them for the sake of God, describe the Hadees-i-Ghadeer-i-Khum. (Imam Ali visited many villages along with the companions from the Migrants and the Helpers who were witness of the gathering at Ghadeer-i-Khum).
It was 39 AH, in fact this year was proved full of extreme pain and miseries not only for Imam Ali A.S but for his true followers. Rebellious forces of Syria in that tragic year started big terrorist activities in Iraq, Hijaz, Egypt. They slaughtered hundreds of the people and didn’t spare non-combatant people (today we call them innocent civilian citizen, not armed). First Malik Al-Ashtar, the most committed and one of the biggest committed Shia’ of Imam Ali A.S was murdered in Najran by deception and then Muhammad bin Abi Bakar was killed brutally in Egypt. The people of Syria would say, “We cut the both shoulders of Ali Ibne Abi Talib, first was Ammar Yasir, who was killed by us in the battle of Siffin. Other was Malik Ashtar, who was poisoned to death in Najran by the order of our ruler”. Nasar bin Muzahim has written in his book ‘Waq’ah Siffin’: When the news of murder of Malik Ashtar was arrived in Kufa, Imam Ali Ibne Abi Talib A.S went to the house of Malik Ashtar, he saw women crying and weeping aloud and reciting stanzas reminding the bravery of Malik Ashtar, Imam Ali Ibne Abi Talib also wept while remembering Malik Ashtar. People never saw Ali Ibne Abi Talib A.S even smiling after the martyrdom of Malik Ashtar.
It was as if Imam Ali’s heart was like this: Dardan di mari dili Udas Hai (bearing pain my heart is so sad today).
Abu Arakah Al-Thaqafi was companion of the Holy Prophet and among the close comrades of Imam Ali A.S. He remained alive till the reign of the Yazid the cursed. He described an event: Says, I offered the Morning- prayer after Ali Ibne Abi Talib. He twisted his hands after praying, as if in a little pain, until the sun appeared on the wall of the Mosque of Kufa, which was slightly smaller than today. Then he turned his hand to the other side and then started to say, ‘By God, whatever I have seen in the time of the Holy Prophet, nothing like that is found today’, Arakah says we had not seen him laughing after martyrdom of Malik Ashtar and in next day in the Morning-Prayer Ibne Muljim the cursed hit him with his poison-coated sword.
The event which Abu Arakah has described, perhaps happened in the last day before attack on Imam Ali in 40 AH. So, we can say it was 18th Ramadan of 40 Ah when Abu Arakah had offered Morning-Prayer and heard him what we have mentioned above.
It has been reported in a Narration that in last days of his life Imam Ali Ibne Abi Talib A.S would recite such poetic verses:
“Don’t reveal your secret to anyone but yourself- There is always an advice for every advisor. For I have seen seduced ones who do not let man be fine.”
Abū ‘Abd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī, who was very famous big worshiper (Abid), Abstainer from sins (Zahid) and would regular offer the Pre-Morning Prayer (Tuhajad), says: In 40 AH Imam Ali Ibne Abi Talib had revealed to him that he had seen Muhammad the last Prophet in his dream. Imam Ali had complained in front of Muhammad (A.S) about his Ummah(community), how they had turned to me all its enmities and rivalries. Over that He asked me to read this prayer: “O Allah, give me for them those who are better than them, and give them for me, which are very bad”.
Kathir says that on 18th Ramadan Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (may Allah have mercy on him) went out to offer Night-prayer (Isha), so we found him on the way. On the way, the ducks surrounded him and looked at his face and started shouting in a very painful voice. When we wanted to push them aside to silence them, Imam Ali said, “They are reciting Noah”.
Four years of few months of the Caliphate for Imam Ali, in fact were going to increase his loneliness, detachment, Isolation, Alienation and his sadness. His character assassination was put on climax.
you were accused of putting all the debris of what happened in Madina on 35 AH which resulted in the martyrdom of Hazrat Usman Ibn Affan – The responsibility of the Battle of Jamal, the Battle of Nehruan and the Battle of Safin were all thrown on him. He was blamed for losing the lives of millions of Muslims during the civil war. Syrian under revolt, Old Meccan Elite, Elite Arab Tribes living in Kufa and Bedouin Arab tribes’ majority of them inclined to Kharjite all had started to blame Imam Ali Ibne Abi Talib.
Every day he had to face new allegations and propaganda. His superior status among the Migrant and the Helpers was denied again and again. His superiority in accepting the Islam was denied.
Imam Ali Ibne Abi Talib was facing serious challenges and he was busy day and night to combat those challenges. He was confronting with a coordinated network having agenda of setting up the monarchy based on lust, on personal profits, trickery on one side, and organized dirty and false propaganda on the other hand. He was not convinced of buying the people’s conscience by bribery. He was not convinced of suppressing the dissenting non armed people by the sword.
When People of Medina were taking general oath of allegiance with Ali Ibne Abi Talib, at that occasion, Abdullah bin Umar refused to do so, Old Meccan Elite followed the same line. He didn’t force anyone. Same dealing he dealt with people of mecca. There were many renowned people in Basra, Kufa, Iran and other areas under control of him, didn’t came to take the oath. Some of them who remained silent while sitting at their home, many were those, who are critiques of him. Imam Ali A.S didn’t force them, never used power against them.
Imam Ali Ibne Abi Talib (A.S) had shown the most patience and endurance in the case of Kharijites (Excluded from the Muslim Community) who declared not only him but his followers (Shias’) as apostles. Kharijites were those who had abolished the sacredness of the lives, property of all those Muslims, who didn’t accept their views. Even they didn’t care of the First and last of the Migrants and the Helpers from the companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (A.S). Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (peace be upon him) did not start a war against the Kharijites (Khawarij (until they revolted, took up the armed against the followers of Imam Ali Ibne Abi Talib , even they committed murder of renowned companion of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) Abdullah bin Khubab and his pregnant wife. After crushing them in the battle of Nahrawan ) (Safar 38 AH) , Imam Ali then allowed Kharajites to settle in Kufa. We find in a Hadith that Kharijites resettled in Kufa after the worst defeat in the battle of Nahrwan would not offer prayers behind the Imam Ali.bin Abi talib (A, S). Some time they would condemn Imam Ali’s decision to accept mediation between, two warring groups.
Nobody had imagined that one day would come, when Imam Ali Ibne Abi Talib(A.S) would feel to obligatory the explanation about his relation with the Holy Prophet, with Allah and even with Quran. Nobody had imagined even that one day would come there, when the rebellions against him would start to present the term ‘Deen-i-Ali’ as opposite the term of ‘Deen-i-Muhammad’. Propaganda against Ali Ibne Abi Talib was so severe in the people Damascus of Syria, when news of murder of Imam Ali was arrived there and when they were told that Imam Ali Ibne Abi Talib was attacked by a prominent Kharijite Abdur-Rahman Ibne Muljim at the time when Ali Ibne Abi Talib had offering the prayer and in condition of fasting, they seemed taken aback and would ask question each other, Whether Ali Ibne Abi Talib would offer the prayers.(Continued)
Muhammad Aamir Hussaini is Multan based senior Journalist from Sufi Sunni Muslim family, author of many books.
