Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). He grew up in the Prophet's (ﷺ) own home, believed in him as a boy, and married his daughter Fatimah. Later he became the fourth caliph, the leader of the Muslims after the Prophet (ﷺ).
Muslims everywhere love and honour him. This guide is about his faith and his character, and what his journey can teach us today.
At a glance
- The Prophet's (ﷺ) cousin, raised in his home from a small boy.
- Among the very first to believe, when he was about ten years old.
- On the night of the Hijra he slept in the Prophet's (ﷺ) bed, then returned the things people had left in the Prophet's (ﷺ) safekeeping.
- The Prophet (ﷺ) spoke of him as a man who loves Allah (﷾) and His Messenger (ﷺ), and whom Allah (﷾) and His Messenger (ﷺ) love.
- Married to Fatimah, the Prophet's (ﷺ) daughter, in a simple home full of the remembrance of Allah (﷾).
- One of the scribes who wrote down the Qur'an, and a teacher of it all his life.
- c. 600
Born in Mecca, the son of Abu Talib, the Prophet's (ﷺ) uncle. Encyclopaedia Britannica
- c. 605
His father falls on hard times, and the Prophet (ﷺ) and Khadijah take him into their home. Encyclopaedia BritannicaIbn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad
- c. 610
The revelation begins. Ali, about ten years old, believes. Encyclopaedia BritannicaIbn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad
- 622
The Hijra. He sleeps in the Prophet's (ﷺ) bed, returns the trusts, and then joins the believers in Medina. Encyclopaedia BritannicaIbn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad
- After 622
He marries Fatimah, the Prophet's (ﷺ) daughter. Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 628
He writes down the peace treaty of Hudaybiyah. Encyclopaedia Britannica
- c. 628
At Khaybar the Prophet (ﷺ) speaks of him as a man who loves Allah (﷾) and His Messenger (ﷺ), and whom they love. Sahih al-Bukhari 4210Sahih al-Bukhari 3702
- 630
The Prophet (ﷺ) tells him he is to him as Aaron was to Moses, except that there is no prophet after him. Sahih al-Bukhari 4416Sahih Muslim 2404
- 631
He is sent to Yemen to teach Islam. Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 656–661
The fourth caliph. He dies in 661, in the month of Ramadan. Encyclopaedia Britannica
Dates are in the Common Era. Early dates are approximate.
A boy in the Prophet's (ﷺ) home
Ali was born in Mecca around the year 600. His father, Abu Talib, was the uncle who had raised the Prophet (ﷺ) as an orphan. When Ali was still a small child, his father fell on hard times. The Prophet (ﷺ) and his wife Khadijah took Ali into their home and brought him up. Now the Prophet (ﷺ) was caring for the son of the man who had once cared for him. Encyclopaedia BritannicaIbn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad
So when the revelation began in 610, Ali was right there. He was about ten years old, and he believed. He was among the very first people to accept Islam. The early biography says he would slip out with the Prophet (ﷺ) to the valleys outside Mecca to pray in secret. Ibn Ishaq, The Life of MuhammadEncyclopaedia Britannica
When his father, Abu Talib, learned of his son's faith, he did not stop him. He told Ali to stay close to his cousin, because he would only lead him to what is good. In the hard years that followed, Ali stayed at the Prophet's (ﷺ) side, and spent what he had helping the poorer believers. Encyclopaedia BritannicaIbn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad
The night he slept in the Prophet's (ﷺ) bed
In 622 the leaders of Mecca plotted to kill the Prophet (ﷺ). Allah (﷾) gave him permission to leave for Medina. That is the Hijra, which means emigration. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked Ali to sleep in his bed that night, wrapped in his cloak, while he slipped away. Encyclopaedia BritannicaIbn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad
Ali lay down in the place of danger, trusting Allah (﷾). When the plotters came into the house, they found Ali instead of the Prophet (ﷺ), and they left him unharmed. The Qur'an speaks of that night: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Remember how the Unbelievers plotted against thee, to keep thee in bonds, or slay thee, or get thee out (of thy home). They plot and plan, and Allah too plans; but the best of planners is Allah.
Ali had one more task. Even people who rejected the Prophet's (ﷺ) message trusted him so much that they left their valuables with him for safekeeping. The early biography says Ali stayed behind in Mecca for three days, returning everything to its owners. Only then did he set out to join the believers in Medina. Ibn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad
Loved by Allah (﷾) and His Messenger (ﷺ)
Years later, at Khaybar, the Prophet (ﷺ) said that the next day he would give the banner to a man. The banner was a sign of great trust. He said this man loves Allah (﷾) and His Messenger (ﷺ), and that Allah (﷾) and His Messenger (ﷺ) love him. The companions spent the whole night wondering who it would be, and each of them hoped it would be him. Sahih al-Bukhari 4210Sahih Muslim 2406
In the morning the Prophet (ﷺ) asked for Ali. Ali was unwell with sore eyes, and had nearly been left behind. The Prophet (ﷺ) prayed for him, his eyes were healed as if nothing had been wrong, and the banner was given to him. Sahih al-Bukhari 4210Sahih al-Bukhari 3702
Then the Prophet (ﷺ) gave him a lesson for every believer. He told him to go calmly, to invite the people to Islam, and to teach them what they owe to Allah (﷾). If Allah (﷾) guided even one person through him, that would be better for him than the finest red camels. Those camels were the most prized wealth of the Arabs. Sahih al-Bukhari 4210Sahih al-Bukhari 3701
As Aaron was to Moses
Once, when the Prophet (ﷺ) set out on the long journey to Tabuk, he left Ali behind in Medina. Ali was sad. He did not want to stay behind while the Prophet (ﷺ) travelled without him. Sahih al-Bukhari 4416
The Prophet (ﷺ) comforted him. Would he not be pleased to be to him as Aaron was to Moses, except that there would be no prophet after him? Aaron was Moses' brother, who stood beside him. Every Muslim treasures these words as a great honour for Ali. And in the same breath the Prophet (ﷺ) made clear what every Muslim believes: he is the last of the prophets. Sahih al-Bukhari 4416Sahih al-Bukhari 3706Sahih Muslim 2404Qur’an 33:40
A home built on remembrance
In Medina, Ali married Fatimah, the Prophet's (ﷺ) daughter. Their home was poor and simple. Fatimah ground the grain by hand with a stone mill, and her hands became sore. She went to ask her father for a servant to help her. Encyclopaedia BritannicaSahih al-Bukhari 3705Sahih Muslim 2727
That night the Prophet (ﷺ) came to their house after they had gone to bed. He told them to stay where they were, and sat down between them. He offered them something better than a servant. When they went to bed, they should say Subhan Allah (glory be to Allah (﷾)) thirty-three times. They should say Alhamdulillah (all praise is for Allah (﷾)) thirty-three times. And they should say Allahu akbar (Allah (﷾) is the greatest) thirty-four times. Ali said that after that he never once stopped doing it. Sahih al-Bukhari 3705Sahih al-Bukhari 5361Sahih al-Bukhari 5362
for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.
One day the Prophet (ﷺ) went looking for Ali and found him asleep in the mosque, his side covered in dust. The Prophet (ﷺ) began brushing the dust off him, calling him Abu Turab, "father of dust", and telling him to get up. Of all his names, this was the one Ali loved most. Sahih al-Bukhari 441Sahih al-Bukhari 6280
Allah (﷾) blessed Ali and Fatimah with sons, al-Hasan and al-Husayn. The Prophet (ﷺ) loved his grandsons dearly: he was seen carrying al-Hasan on his shoulder, asking Allah (﷾) to love the boy as he loved him. Encyclopaedia BritannicaSahih al-Bukhari 3749
A life of knowledge
Ali was one of the scribes the Prophet (ﷺ) chose to write down the Qur'an as it was revealed. He wrote down the peace treaty of Hudaybiyah, and the Prophet (ﷺ) sent him to Yemen to teach the people Islam. Encyclopaedia Britannica
All his life, Ali gave much of his time to studying and teaching the Qur'an, and people often came to him for advice. He was a wise teacher. He told those who taught others to speak to people in a way they can understand. That way, nobody would reject what Allah (﷾) and His Messenger (ﷺ) said just because it was explained badly. Encyclopaedia BritannicaSahih al-Bukhari 127
In 656 Ali became the fourth khalifah (caliph), which means successor: not a new prophet, but a leader who follows the Prophet's (ﷺ) way. In the month of Ramadan in 661 he was struck down while at prayer in the mosque of Kufa, and he died two days later. He had given his life to Allah (﷾) from the time he was a boy. Encyclopaedia Britannica
What we can learn
Ali believed as a boy, kept the trusts placed with him, and loved Allah (﷾) and His Messenger (ﷺ).
- It is never too early to believe. Ali gave his heart to Allah (﷾) as a boy, and never turned back.
- Keep your trusts. Even on the most dangerous night, he made sure everything was returned to its owners.
- Love Allah (﷾) and His Messenger (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) honoured Ali as a man who loves Allah (﷾) and His Messenger (ﷺ), and whom they love.
- Guiding one person is worth more than any wealth. Invite people to Islam calmly and kindly.
- Remember Allah (﷾) and find rest. A simple home full of remembrance had what no servant could give.
- Teach so people understand. Knowledge is for sharing, in words that open hearts.