قال ابن سعد: بويع علي بالخلافة في صباح اليوم الذي تلا مقتل عثمان في المدينة. وبايعه جميع الصحابة الذين كانوا حاضرين، رضي الله عنهم.

Ibn Sacd said: cAli was pledged allegiance as khalifah the morning after the killing of cUthman in Madinah. All of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, who were there pledged allegiance.

يُقال إنّ طلحةَ والزبيرَ بايعا على كراهةٍ وإكراهٍ. ثم ذهبا إلى مكةَ، وكانت عائشةُ، رضي الله عنها، هناك. فأخذاها وسارا بها إلى البصرةِ طالبَينِ القصاصَ بدمِ عثمانَ. فبلغ ذلك عليًّا، فسار إلى العراقِ، ولقيَ بالبصرةِ طلحةَ والزبيرَ وعائشةَ ومن كان معهم، وذلك ما يُعرف بوقعةِ الجمل، وكانت في جمادى الآخرةِ من سنةِ ستٍّ وثلاثين للهجرةِ. قُتل فيها طلحةُ والزبيرُ وغيرهما، وبلغ عدد القتلى ثلاثةَ عشرَ ألفًا. وأقام عليٌّ بالبصرةِ خمسةَ عشرَ ليلةً، ثم سار إلى الكوفةِ.

It is said that Talhah and az-Zubayr pledged allegiance with displeasure and unwillingly. Then they went to Makkah, and cA’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, was there. They took her and went with her to Basra seeking retaliation for the blood of cUthman. That reached cAli so he went to Iraq and at Basra met Talhah, az-Zubayr, CA’ ishah and whoever was with them, which is known as the Battle of the Camel, and which occurred in Jumada al-Akhirah of the year 36 AH. Talhah, az-Zubayr and others were killed there, the dead reaching thirteen thousand. cAli spent fifteen nights at Basra and then he went to Kufa.

ثُمَّ خَرَجَ مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ وَمَنْ مَعَهُ بِالشَّامِ عَلَيْهِ، فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ عَلِيًّا فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ، فَالْتَقَيَا بِصِفِّينَ فِي صَفَرٍ سَنَةَ سَبْعٍ وَثَلَاثِينَ لِلْهِجْرَةِ. فَاسْتَمَرَّ الْقِتَالُ هُنَاكَ أَيَّامًا، حَتَّى رَفَعَ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ الْمَصَاحِفَ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى مَا فِيهَا، وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ مَكِيدَةً مِنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ. فَكَرِهَ النَّاسُ الْحَرْبَ، وَدَعَا بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا إِلَى التَّحْكِيمِ، وَوَلَّوْا حَكَمَيْنِ: فَعَيَّنَ عَلِيٌّ أَبَا مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيَّ، وَعَيَّنَ مُعَاوِيَةُ عَمْرَو بْنَ الْعَاصِ. وَكَتَبَا بَيْنَهُمَا كِتَابًا عَلَى أَنْ يَلْتَقِيَا فِي أَوَّلِ السَّنَةِ بِأَذْرُحَ، لِيَنْظُرَا فِي أَمْرِ الْأُمَّةِ بِجِدٍّ. ثُمَّ تَفَرَّقَ النَّاسُ، فَرَجَعَ مُعَاوِيَةُ إِلَى الشَّامِ، وَرَجَعَ عَلِيٌّ إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ.

Then Mucawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan and those with him in Syria came out against him. That reached cAli and he went out to meet him. They met at Siffin in Safr of the year 37 AH. The fighting continued there for some days, until the people of Syria raised the mushafs calling to that which is in them, which was a trick of cAmr ibn al-cAs. People hated the war and they called each other to negotiate and appointed two arbiters. cAli appointed Abu Musa al-Ashcari and Mucawiyah appointed cAmr ibn al-cAs. They signed a decree between them that they should meet at the beginning of the year at al-Adhruh where they would consider seriously the command of the ummah. People separated, Mucawiyah returning to Syria and cAli to Kufa.

ثم خرج عليه الخوارج (وهم الذين انشقوا، ومعنى الخوارج: «الذين يخرجون») من أصحابه ومن كان معه، وقالوا: «لا حكم إلا لله»، وعسكروا في حروراء. فأرسل إليهم ابن عباس، فناظرهم وأقنعهم، فرجع كثير منهم. وثبتت جماعة منهم، فذهبوا إلى النهروان، وقطعوا الطريق. فذهب إليهم علي هناك، فقتلهم في النهروان، وقتل ذا الثدية.12

Then (a group known as) the Khawarij (the seceders - literally ‘those who go out’) from among his companions and those with him, went out against him. They said, ‘There is no judgement but (that) of Allah’, and they set up a military camp at Harura’. He sent Ibn cAbbas to them, who argued with them and convinced them, so that many of them returned. A group of them stayed firm, went to an-Nahrawan and obstructed the roadway. cAli went to them there and killed them at an-Nahrawan, killing Dhu’th-Thudayyah.12

ذو الثدیة، أي صاحب الثدي الصغير، وهو رجل أخبر النبي ﷺ أنه سيكون من الخوارج.

12 Literally, ‘the possessor of the little breast’, a man who had been foretold to be among the Khawarij by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

في ذلك العام، عام ثمانية وثلاثين من الهجرة.

That was in the year 38 AH.

اجتمع الناس في أذرح في شعبان من هذا العام، ومنهم سعد بن أبي وقاص، وابن عمر، وغيرهما من الصحابة. وأذِن عمرو لأبي موسى الأشعري أن يتقدّم أولاً، وذلك حيلةٌ كان قد دبّرها.

People gathered in al-Adhruh in Shacban of this year, among them Sacd ibn Abi Waqqas, Ibn cUmar and other Companions. cAmr allowed Abu Musa al-Ashcari to go first, as a trick he had devised.

فَتَكَلَّمَ (أَبُو مُوسَى) وَعَزَلَ عَلِيًّا عَنِ الْخِلَافَةِ. ثُمَّ تَكَلَّمَ عَمْرٌو فَأَقَرَّ مُعَاوِيَةَ فِي مَنْصِبِهِ وَبَايَعَهُ. وَافْتَرَقَ النَّاسُ بِسَبَبِ ذَلِكَ. وَاشْتَدَّ خِلَافُ عَلِيٍّ مَعَ أَصْحَابِهِ حَتَّى أَخَذَ يَعَضُّ عَلَى أَصَابِعِهِ قَائِلًا: «أُعْصَى وَيُطَاعُ مُعَاوِيَةُ؟!». وَبَادَرَ ثَلَاثَةٌ مِنَ الْخَوَارِجِ إِلَى التَّنْفِيذِ: عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مُلْجَمٍ الْمُرَادِيُّ، وَالْبَرَكُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ التَّمِيمِيُّ، وَعَمْرُو بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ التَّمِيمِيُّ. فَاجْتَمَعُوا بِمَكَّةَ وَتَعَاهَدُوا فِيمَا بَيْنَهُمْ أَنْ يَقْتُلُوا هُمْ الثَّلَاثَةَ: عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، وَمُعَاوِيَةَ بْنَ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، وَعَمْرَو بْنَ الْعَاصِ، وَأَنْ يُرِيحُوا الْعِبَادَ مِنْهُمْ. فَقَالَ ابْنُ مُلْجَمٍ: «أَنَا أَكْفِيكُمْ عَلِيًّا». وَقَالَ الْبَرَكُ: «أَنَا أَكْفِيكُمْ مُعَاوِيَةَ». وَقَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ: «أَنَا أَكْفِيكُمْ عَمْرَو بْنَ الْعَاصِ». وَتَعَاهَدُوا عَلَى ذَلِكَ فِي لَيْلَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ، إِمَّا لِإِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ أَوْ لِسَبْعَ عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً مَضَتْ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ، ثُمَّ تَوَجَّهَ كُلٌّ مِنْهُمْ إِلَى الْبَلَدِ الَّذِي فِيهِ مَنْ أَرَادَ قَتْلَهُ. فَذَهَبَ ابْنُ مُلْجَمٍ إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ، فَلَقِيَ أَصْحَابَهُ مِنَ الْخَوَارِجِ، وَأَخْبَرَهُمْ سِرًّا بِمَا عَزَمُوا عَلَيْهِ.

He (Abu Musa) spoke and removed cAli from office. Then cAmr spoke and confirmed Mucawiyah in office and pledged allegiance to him. People split up over this. cAli disagreed with his companions to such an extent that he began to bite his fingers saying, ‘I am disobeyed and Mucawiyah is obeyed?’ Three men of the Khawarij hastened to act: cAbd ar-Rahman ibn Muljam al-Muradi, al-Burk ibn cAbdullah at-Tamimi and ‘Amr ibn Bukayr at-Tamimi. They gathered in Makkah and made a covenant with each other that they three would kill: cAli ibn Abi Talib, Mucawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan and cAmr ibn al-cAs, and that they would give the slaves (of Allah) rest from them. Ibn Muljam said, ‘I will take cAli for you.’ Al-Burk said, ‘I will take Mucawiyah for you.’ cAmr ibn Bukayr said, ‘I will suffice you for cAmr ibn al-cAs.’ They made a covenant on that one night, either the eleventh or the seventeenth of Ramadan, and then each of them directed himself to the land in which his intended victim was. Ibn Muljam went to Kufa, met his companions of the Khawarij and told them secretly of what they intended to do.

في الليلة التي تسبق جمعة السابع عشر من رمضان من سنة أربعين للهجرة، استيقظ علي قبل الفجر. فقال لابنه الحسن: «في هذه الليلة رأيت رسول الله ﷺ، فقلت: يا رسول الله، ما لقيت من أمتك من الشدة واللدد! فقال لي: ادعُ الله عليهم. فقلت: اللهم أبدلني بهم خيرًا لي منهم، وأبدلهم بي شرًّا لهم مني». ثم دخل عليّ المؤذن ابن الضبّاح وقال: «الصلاة». فخرج علي من الباب وهو ينادي: «أيها الناس، الصلاة، الصلاة!». فاعترضه ابن ملجم، فضربه بالسيف، فأصاب أعلى جبهته فوصل إلى الدماغ. فاندفع الناس نحوه من كل جانب، فأُمسك وقُيّد. وبقي علي يومي الجمعة والسبت، ومات ليلة الأحد. فغسّله الحسن والحسين وعبد الله بن جعفر، وصلّى عليه الحسن، ثم دُفن ليلًا في دار الإمارة بالكوفة. ثم قُطعت بعد ذلك أطراف ابن ملجم، وأُدخل في سلة من قصب، فأُحرق بالنار.

On the night preceding the Jumucah of the seventeenth of Ramadan of the year 40 AH, cAli woke up before dawn. He said to his son al-Hasan, ‘This night I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, and I said, “Messenger of Allah, what distress and argumentation I have received from your ummah\” He said to me, “Supplicate Allah against them.” I said, “O Allah, give me in exchange for them what is better for me than they are, and give them in exchange for me what is worse for them than I am.’” Then the mu’adhdhin Ibn adh-Dhabbah came in to cAli and said, ‘The prayer.’ cAli went out the door crying out, ‘People, the prayer, the prayer!’ Ibn Muljam stood before him, struck him with the sword, and it hit the top of his forehead reaching the brain. People rushed upon him from every side, and he was held and bound. cAli lingered for the Jumufah and Saturday, and died the night before Sunday. Al-Hasan, al-Hussein and “Abdullah ibn Jacfar washed his body, al-Hasan led the prayer over him, then he was buried in the house of the Amirate in Kufa at night. Later they cut off the limbs of Ibn Muljam, he was put in a reed basket, and they burnt him in a fire.

جميع ما تقدّم هو كلام ابن سعد، وقد لخّص هذه الأحداث والمعارك تلخيصًا حسنًا، ولم يُطِل فيها كما أطال غيره، وهذا أليق بهذا المقام. وقال ﷺ: «إذا ذُكِر أصحابي فأمسكوا» وقال: «يكفي أصحابي (ذِكر) قتلهم». وفي المستدرك أن السدي قال: افتُتن عبد الرحمن بن ملجم افتتانًا شديدًا بامرأة من الخوارج تُدعى قطام، فتزوّجها وأصدقها ثلاثة آلاف درهم وقتلَ عليٍّ. قال الفرزدق في ذلك:

All of the above are the words of Ibn Sacd. He summarised all of these events and battles excellently well, and he didn’t expand on them greatly as others did. This is more befitting to this occasion. He said, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ‘When my companions are mentioned, restrain yourselves (from speaking)’, and he said, ‘It is sufficient for my Companions (to mention) their killing.’ There is in al-Mustadrak that as-Suddi said: cAbd ar-Rahman ibn Muljam fell passionately in love with a woman of the Khawarij called Qatam, and he married her and gave her as a dowry three thousand dirhams and the killing of cAli. Al-Farazdaq said about that:

«لَمْ أَرَ مَهْرًا أَرْسَلَتْهُ مُعْتَقَةٌ قَطُّ، مِثْلَ مَهْرِ قَطَامٍ، مِنَ الرِّقِّ وَالدَّوَابِّ:»

‘I have not seen a dowry sent by a liberally generous one, Like the dowry of Qatam, of human beings (slaves) and beasts:

ثلاثة آلاف، وعبدٌ، وأَمَةٌ، وضربةُ علیٍّ بالسيف الماضي.

Three thousand, a slave, a maidservant And the striking of cAli with the penetrating sword.

لَا مَهْرَ أَغْلَى مِنْ عَلِيٍّ وَإِنْ كَانَ غَالِيًا، وَلَا قَتْلَ إِلَّا وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ مِنْ قَتْلِ ابْنِ مُلْجَمٍ. قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ: كَانَ قَبْرُ عَلِيٍّ مُخْفًى لِئَلَّا تَنْبِشَهُ الْخَوَارِجُ. وَقَالَ شَرِيكٌ: حَمَلَهُ ابْنُهُ الْحَسَنُ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ. قَالَ الْمُبَرِّدُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَبِيبٍ: أَوَّلُ مَنْ نُقِلَ مِنْ قَبْرٍ إِلَى قَبْرٍ هُوَ عَلِيٌّ، رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ.

There is no dowry dearer than cAli even if it were very expensive, And no assassination but that it is less than the assassination by Ibn Muljam.’ Abu Bakr ibn cAyyash said: The grave of cAli was concealed so that the Khawarij would not dig up his body; and Sharik said: His son al-Hasan carried him to Madinah. Al-Mubarrad said from Muhammad ibn Habib: The first to be transferred from one grave to another was cAli, may Allah be pleased with him.

روى ابنُ عساكر عن سعيد بن عبد العزيز أنه قال: لما قُتل عليُّ بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه حملوه ليدفنوه مع النبي ﷺ، فبينما هم يسيرون به ليلاً إذ شرد الجملُ الذي كان عليه، فلم يدرِ أحدٌ أين ذهب، ولم يستطيعوا اللحاق به. ولهذا يقول أهلُ العراق: "إنه في السحاب". وقال آخرون: "وصل الجملُ إلى أرض طيّئ، فأخذوه ودفنوه هناك". وكان عليٌّ حين قُتل ابنَ ثلاثٍ وستين سنة، وقيل: ابنَ أربعٍ وستين، وخمسٍ وستين، وسبعٍ وخمسين، وثمانٍ وخمسين. وكان له تسع عشرة من الإماء.

Ibn cAsakir narrated that Sacid ibn cAbd al-cAziz said: When cAli ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, was killed, they carried him to bury him with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. While they were journeying with him at night, the camel on which he was bolted. No-one knew where it had gone, and they couldn’t overtake it. For that reason the people of Iraq say, ‘He is in the clouds.’ Others say, ‘The camel arrived in the lands of Tayy, where they took him and buried him.’ When cAli was killed he was sixty-three years old. It has been said that he was sixty-four, sixty-five, fifty-seven and fifty-eight. He had nineteen women slaves.