Ali

About

Ali ibn Abi Talib was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the first Shia Imam, and the fourth and last Rashidun caliph, serving from 656 CE until his assassination in 661. He is a prominent member of the Ahl al-Bayt and Ahl al-Kisa, and a participant in the Event of the mubahala. Born to Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib and Fatima bint Asad, Ali was raised in the house of his cousin Muhammad and was among the first to accept Islam. Both Shia and Sunni sources report that Ali was the only person born inside the Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam. Several verses of the Quran have been interpreted in Shia Islam as referring to Ali, with some of these interpretations also appearing in the works of Sunni commentators. They include the Verse of walaya, the Verse of Laylat al-mabit, and the Verse of Ikmal ad-Din. Numerous sayings of Muhammad highly praise Ali, including the Hadith of the Position, in which Muhammad compares the position of Ali to himself with the position of Aaron to Moses. Ali played a pivotal role in the early years of Islam when Muslims were severely persecuted in Mecca. He slept in Muhammad's bed, pretending to be Muhammad so that the assassins who had gathered outside the prophet's house would believe that he was still there. This allowed Muhammad to leave Mecca safely and begin his immigration to Medina. The event has been referred to in Quran 2:207, which both Shia and Sunni sources interpret as referring to Ali's willingness to sacrifice himself for Muhammad. After Muhammad's immigration, the prophet gave his beloved daughter Fatima to Ali in marriage and swore a pact of brotherhood with him, a distinction he granted to no one else but Ali. He participated in nearly all of Muhammad's battles against the polytheists and served as the prophet's secretary and deputy, as well as the flag-bearer of his army.

Source: Wikipedia