Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam
Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam عبد الرحمن بن ملجم | |
|---|---|
 The assassination of Ali in a modern painting. | |
| Born | |
| Died | 31 January 661 |
| Conviction | Murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims | Ali ibn Abi Talib |
| Date | January 661 |
| Killed | 1 |
| Weapon | Poisoned sword |
Abd al-Rahman ibn Amr ibn Muljam al-Muradi (Arabic: عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَن ابْنُ عَمْرِو ابْنُ مُلْجَم الْمُرَادِيّ), known as Ibn Muljam, was a 7th-century Kharijite assassin. He is primarily known for the assassination of ‘Alī ibn Abi Talib, the fourth Rashidun caliph and first Shia Imam. Following the attack, Ibn Muljam was captured and subsequently executed in Kufa by Ali's eldest son, Hasan ibn Ali.
Early life and settlement in Egypt
According to the historian Al-Dhahabi, Ibn Muljam participated in the Muslim conquest of Egypt and was a member of the Egyptian cavalry. Settling in Fustat among the Arab nobility, he was noted for his religious devotion, having memorized the Quran and studied Islamic jurisprudence. During the caliphate of Umar, the caliph instructed Amr ibn al-As to provide Ibn Muljam with a residence near the mosque to facilitate his teaching of the Quran and law. This residence was located directly adjacent to the house of Abd al-Rahman ibn Udays.[2] Ibn Muljam later moved to Kufa, where he initially became a follower of Ali ibn Abi Talib and fought at the Battle of Siffin before defecting to the Kharijites.[3]
Background and conspiracy
There were numerous defections from Ali's camp in the aftermath of the Battle of Siffin. A majority of these defectors gathered under one banner and came to be known as the Kharijites. A number of them met in Mecca and discussed the 659 Battle of Nahrawan, which took place as a consequence of Siffin, wherein most of their men were eradicated while facing Ali's army. They concocted a plot to assassinate three prominent Muslim personalities: Amr ibn Bakr al-Tamimi was to kill Amr ibn al-As, al-Hujjaj al-Tamimi was to kill Mu'awiya ibn Abu Sufyan and ibn Muljam was tasked to kill the caliph, Ali. The assassination attempts were to occur simultaneously as the three Muslims came to lead morning prayer in their respective cities of Fustat, Damascus and Kufa. The method was to come out of the prayer ranks and strike the targets with a sword dipped in poison.[4]
Amr ibn Bakr al-Tamimi’s assassination attempt on Amr ibn al-As failed on the 22 of January, when he killed Amr's stand-in for the Friday prayers, Kharija ibn Hudhafa, mistaking the latter for his target.[5][6] When the Kharijite was apprehended and brought before him, Amr ibn al-As exclaimed "You wanted me, but God wanted Kharija!" and he personally executed him.[6]
Assassination of Ali and execution
On 26 January 661, while Ali was praying in the Great Mosque of Kufa, Ibn Muljam struck him with a poison-coated sword.[7] Athir bin Amr as-Sakuni, a leading physician, treated Ali; however, Ali died from his injuries on 28 January.[8]
Three days later, Ali's son, Hasan ibn Ali, personally performed the execution of Ibn Muljam.
See also
- Kharijite Rebellions against Ali
- Battle of Nahrawan
References
Citations
- ^ Center, Sana'a (5 October 2020). "Marib's Tribes Hold the Line Against the Houthi Assault". Sana'a Center For Strategic Studies. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
- ^ Al-Dhahabi, Shams al-Din (1982). al-Arna'ut, Shu'ayb (ed.). Siyar A'lam al-Nubala' [Biographies of Noble Figures] (in Arabic). Vol. 28 (Supplement). Beirut: Mu'assasat al-Risalah. p. 287.
- ^ Al-Dhahabi, Shams al-Din (1982). al-Arna'ut, Shu'ayb (ed.). Siyar A'lam al-Nubala' [Biographies of Noble Figures] (in Arabic). Vol. 28 (Supplement). Beirut: Mu'assasat al-Risalah. p. 287.
- ^ Cook, David (15 January 2007). Martyrdom in Islam. Cambridge University Press. pp. 54–55. ISBN 978-0521615518.
- ^ Wensinck 1960, p. 451.
- ^ a b Hawting 1996, pp. 223–224.
- ^ Tabatabai 1977, p. 192
- ^ As-Sallabi, Ali Muhammad. Biography of Ali Ibn Abi Talib. Darussalam Publishers.
Sources
- Hawting, G. R., ed. (1996). The History of al-Ṭabarī, Volume XVII: The First Civil War: From the Battle of Siffīn to the Death of ʿAlī, A.D. 656–661/A.H. 36–40. SUNY Series in Near Eastern Studies. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-2393-6.
- Tabatabai, Muhammad Husayn (1977). Shi'ite Islam. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-87395-390-0.
- Wensinck, A. J. (1960). "ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ al-Sahmī". In Gibb, H. A. R.; Kramers, J. H.; Lévi-Provençal, E.; Schacht, J.; Lewis, B. & Pellat, Ch. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume I: A–B. Leiden: E. J. Brill. p. 451. OCLC 495469456.
- Kelsay, John (1993). Islam and War: A Study in Comparative Ethics. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 978-0-664-25302-8.
- Madelung, Wilferd (1998). The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-64696-3.