Abd-al-Rahman ibn Muljam
Encyclopedia
Abd-al-Rahman ibn Muljam al-Sarimi Arabic:عبدالرحمن بن ملجم السريمي was the Kharijite
assassin
of Caliph
Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first cousin and son-in-law of the prophet Muhammad
.
that was fought in 659 by the Caliphate under Ali
and the Kharijites in Baghdad which resulted in Khariji defeat. One of the Kharijis said "If we just bought ourselves revenge for the honor of our deceased brothers". They agreed to assassinate three of the leaders of Islam: ibn Muljam was to kill Ali, and Alhujjaj Al Tamimi was to kill Muawiya, and Amr ibn Bakr Al Tamimi was to kill 'Amr ibn al-'As
. Ibn Muljam was to assassinate Ali in the morning of 18 Ramadan 40 AH, which would correspond to January 25 661, as Ali was coming out from Mosque performing Fajar Prayer.
, who imprisoned him.
Kharijites
Kharijites is a general term embracing various Muslims who, while initially supporting the authority of the final Rashidun Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib, the son-in-law and cousin of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, then later rejected his leadership...
assassin
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
of Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first cousin and son-in-law of the prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
.
The Plot of Ali's murder
A number of the Kharijites met in Mecca and remembered the Battle of NahrawanBattle of Nahrawan
The Battle of Nahrawan was a battle between Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Kharijites.After the unsatisfactory conclusion to the Battle of Siffin, Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib returned with his army back to Kufa on the 13th of Safar 37 A.H...
that was fought in 659 by the Caliphate under Ali
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
and the Kharijites in Baghdad which resulted in Khariji defeat. One of the Kharijis said "If we just bought ourselves revenge for the honor of our deceased brothers". They agreed to assassinate three of the leaders of Islam: ibn Muljam was to kill Ali, and Alhujjaj Al Tamimi was to kill Muawiya, and Amr ibn Bakr Al Tamimi was to kill 'Amr ibn al-'As
'Amr ibn al-'As
`Amr ibn al-`As was an Arab military commander who is most noted for leading the Muslim conquest of Egypt in 640. A contemporary of Muhammad, and one of the Sahaba , who rose quickly through the Muslim hierarchy following his conversion to Islam in the year 8 AH...
. Ibn Muljam was to assassinate Ali in the morning of 18 Ramadan 40 AH, which would correspond to January 25 661, as Ali was coming out from Mosque performing Fajar Prayer.
Assassination
While the other two did not succeed in achieving their end, ibn Muljam did succeed. He came to Kufa and waited till the 19th of Ramadan approached. On the 21th of Ramadan of the 40th Hijra ibn Muljam attacked and assassinated Ali. Ibn Muljam was arrested and handed over to Ali's son, Hasan ibn AliHasan ibn Ali
Al-Hasan ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib is an important figure in Islam, the son of Fatimah the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and of the fourth Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib. Hasan is a member of the Ahl al-Bayt and Ahl al-Kisa...
, who imprisoned him.