Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam
ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn Muljam al-Murādiyy (Arabic: عبدالرحمن بن ملجم المرادي) was a Khariji known for assassinating Ali, the fourth Caliph of Islam.
Ibn Moljam al-Morādi | |
|---|---|
| Died | 661 |
| Criminal charge | Murder |
| Penalty | Execution |
| Details | |
| Victims | Ali ibn Abi Talib |
| Date | January 661 |
| Killed | 1 |
| Weapon | Poisoned Sword |
Assassination plot
A number of the Kharijites met in Mecca and discussed the 659 Battle of Nahrawan, at which hundreds of their comrades were killed by forces of Ali, after their defection from Ali's army. They agreed to assassinate three of the leaders of Islam: ibn Muljam was to kill Ali, al-Hujjaj al-Tamimi was to kill Mu'awiya, and Amr ibn Bakr al-Tamimi was to kill 'Amr ibn al-'As. The assassination attempts were to occur simultaneously as the three leaders came to lead morning prayer in their respective cities of Kufa, Damascus and Fustat. The method was to come out of the prayer ranks and strike the targets with a sword dipped in poison.[1] On 22 January of that year, Amr escaped an assassination attempt by the Kharijite Zadawayh or Amr ibn Bakr, who killed Amr's stand-in for the Friday prayers, Kharija ibn Hudhafa, mistaking the latter for Amr.[2][3] When the Kharijite was apprehended and brought before him, Amr proclaimed "You wanted me, but God wanted Kharija!" and he personally executed him.[3]
Assassination of Ali
On January 26, 661, while praying in the Great Mosque of Kufa, Ali was attacked by Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam. He was wounded by ibn Muljam's poison-coated sword while prostrating during the Fajr prayer.[4] Medical treatment for Ali was undertaken by Atheer bin Amr As-Sakooni, a leading physician; however, Ali succumbed to his injuries on January 28, 661.[5]
Three days later Ali's son, Hasan ibn Ali, personally performed the execution of Ibn Muljam.[6][7]
References
Citations
- Cook, David (January 15, 2007). Martyrdom in Islam. Cambridge University Press. pp. 54–55. ISBN 978-0521615518.
- Wensinck 1960, p. 451.
- Hawting 1996, pp. 223–224.
- Tabatabai 1977, p. 192
- As-Sallabi, Ali Muhammad. Biography of Ali Ibn Abi Talib. Darussalam Publishers.
- "The End Of Ibn Muljim And His Cohorts". Maaref-foundation.com. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
- "Death of Ali". Ismaili.net. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
Cited 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, New Edition, Volume I: A–B. Leiden: E. J. Brill. p. 451. OCLC 495469456.
Further reading
- 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.