Ali ibn Abi Talib

Ali ibn Abi Talib was Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, an early Muslim leader and the fourth caliph. Shia Muslims regard him as Muhammad’s rightful successor and the first Imam.

Muhammad: Muhammad was the religious, political, and military leader who founded Islam in seventh-century Arabia. Ali was Muhammad’s cousin, son-in-law, close companion, and successor in Shia belief.
Succession to Muhammad: Succession to Muhammad concerns who should lead the Muslim community after his death in 632. Disagreement over Ali’s claim shaped competing understandings of legitimate leadership.
Imamate in Shia Islam: Imamate in Shia Islam is the doctrine that divinely guided leaders from Muhammad’s family hold religious authority. Ali is the first Imam in major Shia traditions.
Assassination of Ali: Ali was fatally wounded by the Kharijite Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam in 661 in Kufa. His death ended his caliphate and became a turning point in early Islamic history.
Fatimah: Fatimah was Muhammad’s daughter and the wife of Ali ibn Abi Talib. Her marriage to Ali linked two branches of Muhammad’s family.
Ghadir Khumm: Ghadir Khumm is the site of Muhammad’s sermon, interpreted differently by Sunni and Shia Muslims. Shia accounts treat Muhammad’s declaration there as an appointment of Ali.
Caliphate: A caliphate is a form of Islamic governance led by a caliph, understood as a successor to Muhammad’s political leadership. Ali ruled as the fourth caliph, though traditions differ on the meaning of that office.
Kufa: Kufa is a city in Iraq founded in the seventh century and an early center of Muslim political life. Ali made Kufa his capital during his caliphate.
Hasan ibn Ali: Hasan ibn Ali was Ali’s son and the second Imam in Twelver Shia Islam. As Ali’s eldest surviving son, Hasan inherited leadership claims after his death.
Saqifah: Saqifah was the gathering where some Muslims selected Abu Bakr as leader after Muhammad’s death. The gathering established the caliphate before Ali’s supporters had pledged allegiance.

Linked from 29 pages