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Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib

599 CE – 661 CE

Retrace Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib's life across the map — 15 events in chronological order, from a cinematic flythrough to a full timeline.

Life journey

1. Battle of Badr624 CE
   The Battle of Badr or sometimes called The Raid of Badr, also referred to as The Day of the Criterion in the Qur'an and by Muslims, was fought on 13 March 624 CE, near the present-day city of Badr, Al Madinah Province in Saudi Arabia. Muhammad, commanding an army of his Sahaba, defeated an army of the Quraysh led by Amr ibn Hishām, better known among Muslims as Abu Jahl. The battle marked the beginning of the six-year war between Muhammad and his tribe. The Battle of Badr took place after five or six unsuccessful attempts by the Muslims to intercept and raid Meccan trade caravans between 623 and early 624 CE.
2. Muslim–Quraysh War624 CE
   The Muslim–Quraysh War was a 6-year military and religious conflict in the Arabian Peninsula between the early Muslims led by Muhammad on one side and the Arab pagan Quraysh tribe on the other. The war started in March 624 with the Battle of Badr, and concluded with the Conquest of Mecca.
3. Battle of Uhud625 CE
   The Battle of Uhud was fought between the early Muslims and the Quraysh during the Muslim–Quraysh wars in a valley north of Medina near Mount Uhud on Saturday, 23 March 625 AD.
4. Battle of the Trench627 CE
   The Battle of the Trench, also known as the Battle of Khandaq and the Battle of the Confederates, was part of the conflict between the Muslims and the Quraysh. The Quraysh advanced towards the Muslims, who defended themselves in Medina by digging a trench around their settlement at the suggestion of Salman the Persian. The battle took place in 627 and lasted around two weeks, resulting in five to six casualties reported by the Muslim, and three casualties amongst the Quraysh.
5. Battle of Khaybar628 CE
   The Battle of Khaybar was an armed confrontation between the early Muslims and the Jewish community of Khaybar in 628 CE. Khaybar, which is located approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) to the northwest of Medina, was home to a sizable community of Jewish tribes.
6. Siege of Ta'if630 CE
   The Siege of Ta'if took place in 630 CE, shortly after the Muslim victory at the battles of Hunayn and Autas that followed the conquest of Mecca. Seeking to consolidate control over the Hijaz, Muhammad marched with his forces to the fortified city of Ta'if, stronghold of the Thaqif tribe and a long-standing commercial rival of Mecca. Many of the surviving Hawazin warriors and their families had taken refuge there after their defeat at Hunayn, making Ta'if the next target of the Muslim campaign. The city, however, was heavily fortified, surrounded by strong walls and well supplied with provisions, and thus presented a far more difficult challenge than the open-field encounters at Hunayn and Autas.
7. Battle of Hunayn630 CE
   The Battle of Hunayn was a conflict between the Muslims of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the tribes of Qays in the aftermath of the conquest of Mecca. The battle took place in 8 AH in the Hunayn valley on the route from Mecca to Taif. The battle ultimately ended in a decisive victory for the Muslims, and it is one of the few battles mentioned by name in the Quran, where it appears in Surat at-Tawbah.
8. Conquest of Mecca630 CE
   The conquest of Mecca was a military campaign undertaken by Muhammad and his companions during the Muslim–Quraysh War. They led the early Muslims in an advance on the Quraysh-controlled city of Mecca in December 629 or January 630. The fall of the city to Muhammad formally marked the end of the conflict between his followers and the Quraysh tribal confederation.
9. Ridda Wars632 CE
   The Ridda Wars were a series of military campaigns launched by the first Rashidun caliph Abu Bakr against rebellious Arabian tribes, some of which were led by rival prophethood claimants. These wars began shortly after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in 632 and concluded the next year, with all battles won by the Rashidun Caliphate.
10. Battle of Badghis654 CE
    The Persian revolts against the Rashidun Caliphate were a series of uprisings and insurgencies across former Sasanian territories between 646 and 661 CE. Following the initial Muslim conquest of Persia, these rebellions represented a major challenge to the consolidation of Rashidun control over the territories of the former Sasanian Empire. The unrest was primarily driven by the marginalization of the Persian elite and economic discontent regarding the imposition of taxes such as the Jizya and Kharaj.
11. Battle of the Camel656 CE
    The Battle of the Camel, also known as the Battle of Basra took place in 656 CE outside of Basra in Iraq. It was fought between the partisans of Ali, commanded by the fourth Rashidun caliph Ali, against the rebelling Uthmaniyya led by Aisha, Talha, and Zubayr. Ali's loyalists consisted predominantly of Kufan and Medinan troops, while his opponents consisted of a coalition of Meccan and Basran forces. Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, while Aisha was a widow of Muhammad; Talha and Zubayr were both early converts to Islam and prominent companions. Ali emerged victorious from the battle; Talha was killed in the engagement, while Zubayr left the field before the fighting began and was later assassinated. Aisha was escorted back to Hejaz afterward. The triumvirate had revolted against Ali to avenge the assassination of the third Rashidun caliph Uthman, although Aisha and Talha are both known to have opposed him during his reign. The three also called for Ali's removal from office and for a Qurayshite council (shura), involving Talha and Zubayr, to appoint his successor.
12. Battle of Siffin657 CE
    The Battle of Siffin was fought in 657 CE between the Iraqi Arab forces of the fourth Rashidun caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Syrian Arab forces of the rebelling long-time governor of the Levant, Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan. The battle is named after its location Siffin on the banks of the Euphrates river. The fighting stopped after the Syrians called for arbitration when Ali's forces started to gain the upper hand, to which Ali reluctantly agreed under pressure from some of his troops. The arbitration process ended inconclusively in 658 though it strengthened the Syrians' support for Mu'awiya and his political position while weakening the authority of Ali and causing dissension among the Iraqis. The battle was part of the First Fitna and is considered a major step towards the establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate.
13. Mu'awiya I's Southern Campaigns658 CE
    The First Fitna was the first civil war in the Islamic community. It led to the end of the Rashidun Caliphate and the establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate. The civil war involved three main factions; the supporters of the fourth Rashidun caliph Ali, the Uthmaniyya, and the Kharijites, a faction of radical secessionists who broke away from Ali's camp following the arbitration at Siffin.
14. Battle of Nahrawan659 CE
    The Battle of Nahrawan was fought between the largely Kufan forces of the fourth Rashidun caliph Ali and the Kharijites in July 658 CE. The latter were a group of former allies of Ali during the First Fitna. They separated from him following the Battle of Siffin when Ali agreed to settle the conflict with Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, the long-time governor of the Levant, through arbitration, a move labeled by the group as against the Qur'an. After failed attempts to regain their loyalty and because of their rebellious and violent activities, Ali confronted the Kharijites near their headquarters by the Nahrawan Canal, near modern-day Baghdad. Of the 4,000 rebels, some 1,200 were won over with the promise of amnesty while the majority of the remaining 2,800 rebels were killed in the ensuing battle. Other sources put the casualties at 1500–1800.
15. assassination of Ali661 CE
    Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth Rashidun caliph and the first Shia Imam, was assassinated during the morning prayer on 28 January 661 CE, equivalent to 19 Ramadan 40 AH. He died of his wounds about two days after the Kharijite dissident Ibn Muljim struck him over his head with a poison-coated sword at the Great Mosque of Kufa, located in Kufa, Iraq. He was about sixty-two years of age at the time of his death.

Event data from Wikipedia/Wikidata (CC-BY-SA). Spotted a mistake? Email [email protected].