Coordinates	32°42′34.58″N97°21′46.16″N
name
title	Commander of the Faithful (Amir al-Mu'minin)
reign	656-661
othertitles	Father of Hasan (Arabic: ''Abu al-Hasan'') Father of Dust/Soil (Arabic: ''Abu Turab'') Murtadha ("One Who Is Chosen and Contented") Lion of God (Arabic: ''Asad-ullah'') Lion (Arabic: ''Haydar'')First Alī
full name	Ali ibn Abu Talib
othertitles	Father of Hasan (Arabic: ''Abu al-Hasan'') Father of Dust/Soil (Arabic: ''Abu Turab'') Murtadha ("One Who Is Chosen and Contented") Lion of God (Arabic: ''Asad-ullah'') Lion (Arabic: ''Haydar'')First ʿAlī
predecessor	Uthman Ibn Affan (as Sunni Islam Caliph); Muhammad (as Shi'a Imam)
successor	Hasan
spouse 1	Fatimah
spouse 2	Fatima bint Hizam al-Qilabiyya ("Ummu l-Banin")
issue	HasanHusaynZaynab (See:Descendants of Ali ibn Abi Talib)
royal house	Ahl al-BaytBanu Hashim
father	Abu Talib
mother	Fatima bint Asad
birth date	October 23, 598,March 17, 599 or March 17, 600
birth place	Mecca
death date	January 28, 661
death place	Kufa
place of burial	Imam Ali Mosque, Najaf, Iraq }}

(, ; 13^{th Rajab, 24 BH–21st Ramaḍān, 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661) was 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. Sunni Muslims consider Ali the fourth and final of the ''Rashidun'' (rightly guided Caliphs), while Shi'a Muslims regard Ali as the first Imam and consider him and his descendants the rightful successors to Muhammad, all of which are members of the ''Ahl al-Bayt'', the household of Muhammad. This disagreement split the ''Ummah'' (Muslim community) into the Sunni and Shi'a branches.}

Muslim sources, especially Shi'a ones, state that during Muhammad's time, Ali was the only person born in the Kaaba sanctuary in Mecca, the holiest place in Islam. His father was Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib and his mother was Fatima bint Asad, but he was raised in the household of Muhammad, who himself was raised by Abu Talib, Muhammad's uncle. When Muhammad reported receiving a divine revelation, Ali was the first male to accept his message, dedicating his life to the cause of Islam.

Ali migrated to Medina shortly after Muhammad did. Once there Muhammad told Ali that God had ordered Muhammad to give his daughter, Fatimah, to Ali in marriage. For the ten years that Muhammad led the community in Medina, Ali was extremely active in his service, leading parties of warriors on battles, and carrying messages and orders. Ali took part in the early caravan raids from Mecca and later in almost all the battles fought by the nascent Muslim community.

Ali was appointed Caliph by the Companions of Muhammad (the ''Sahaba'') in Medina after the assassination of the third caliph, Uthman ibn Affan.

In Muslim culture, Ali is respected for his courage, knowledge, belief, honesty, unbending devotion to Islam, deep loyalty to Muhammad, equal treatment of all Muslims and generosity in forgiving his defeated enemies, and therefore is central to mystical traditions in Islam such as Sufism. Ali retains his stature as an authority on Qur'anic exegesis, Islamic jurisprudence and religious thought. Ali holds a high position in almost all Sufi orders which trace their lineage through him to Muhammad. Ali's influence has been important throughout Islamic history.

In Mecca

Birth and childhood

Ali's father Abu Talib ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib was the custodian of the Kaaba and a sheikh of the Banu Hashim, an important branch of the powerful Quraysh tribe. He was also an uncle of Muhammad. Ali's mother, Fatima bint Asad, also belonged to Banu Hashim, making Ali a descendant of Ishmael, the son of Ibrahim or Abraham.

Many sources, especially Shia ones, attest that during Mohammad's time Ali was born inside the Kaaba in the city of Mecca, where he stayed with his mother for three days. According to a tradition, Muhammad was the first person whom Ali saw as he took the newborn in his hands. Muhammad named him Ali, meaning "the exalted one".

Muhammad had a close relationship with Ali's parents. When Muhammad was orphaned and later lost his grandfather Abdul Muttalib, Ali's father took him into his house. Ali was born two or three years after Muhammad married Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. When Ali was five or six years old, a famine occurred in and around Mecca, affecting the economic conditions of Ali's father, who had a large family to support. Muhammad took Ali into his home to raise him.

Acceptance of Islam

The second period of Ali's life begins in 610 when he declared Islam at age 10 and ends with the Hijra of Muhammad to Medina in 622. When Muhammad reported that he had received a divine revelation, Ali, then only about ten years old, believed him and professed to Islam. According to Ibn Ishaq and some other authorities, Ali was the first male to embrace Islam. Tabari adds other traditions making the similar claim of being the first Muslim in relation to Zayd or Abu Bakr. Some historians and scholars believe Ali's conversion is not worthy enough to consider him the first male Muslim because he was a child at the time.

Shia doctrine asserts that in keeping with Ali's divine mission, he accepted Islam before he took part in any pre-Islamic Meccan traditional religion rites, regarded by Muslims as polytheistic (see shirk) or paganistic. Hence the Shi'a say of Ali that his face is honored — that is, it was never sullied by prostrations before idols. The Sunnis also use the honorific ''Karam Allahu Wajhahu'', which means "God's Favor upon his Face."

The reason his acceptance is often not called a conversion, is because he was never an idol worshipper like the people of Mecca. He was known to have broken idols in the mold of Abraham and asked people why they worshipped something they made themselves. Ali's grandfather, it is acknowledged without controversy, along with some members of the Banu Hashim clan, were ''Hanifs'', followers of a monotheistic belief system, prior to the coming of Islam.

After declaration of Islam

For three years Muhammad invited people to Islam in secret, then he started inviting publicly. When, according to the Qur'an, he was commanded to invite his closer relatives to come to Islam he gathered the Banu Hashim clan in a ceremony.

According to al-Tabari, Ibn Athir and Abu al-Fida, Muhammad announced at invitational events that whoever assisted him in his invitation would become his brother, trustee and successor. Only Ali, who was thirteen or fourteen years old, stepped forward to help him. This invitation was repeated three times, but Ali was the only person who answered Muhammad. Upon Ali's constant and only answer to his call, Muhammad declared that Ali was his brother, inheritor and vice-regent and people must obey him. Most of the adults present were uncles of Ali and Muhammad, and Abu Lahab laughed at them and declared to Abu Talib that he must bow down to his own son, as Ali was now his Emir This event is known as the Hadith of Warning.

During the persecution of Muslims and boycott of the Banu Hashim in Mecca, Ali stood firmly in support of Muhammad.

Migration to Medina

In 622, the year of Muhammad's migration to Yathrib (now Medina), Ali risked his life by sleeping in Muhammad's bed to impersonate him and thwart an assassination plot so that Muhammad could escape in safety. This night is called ''Laylat al-Mabit''. According to some hadith, a verse was revealed about Ali concerning his sacrifice on the night of Hijra which says, "And among men is he who sells his ''nafs'' (self) in exchange for the pleasure of Allah"

Ali survived the plot, but risked his life again by staying in Mecca to carry out Muhammad's instructions: to restore to their owners all the goods and properties that had been entrusted to Muhammad for safekeeping. Ali then went to Medina with his mother, Muhammad's daughter Fatimah and two other women.

In Medina

During Muhammad's era

Ali was 22 or 23 years old when he migrated to Medina. When Muhammad was creating bonds of brotherhood among his companions, he selected Ali as his brother. For the ten years that Muhammad led the community in Medina, Ali was extremely active in his service as his secretary and deputy, serving in his armies, the bearer of his banner in every battle, leading parties of warriors on raids, and carrying messages and orders. As one of Muhammad's lieutenants, and later his son-in-law, Ali was a person of authority and standing in the Muslim community.

Family life

In 623, Muhammad told Ali that God ordered him to give his daughter Fatimah Zahra to Ali in marriage. Muhammad said to Fatimah: "I have married you to the dearest of my family to me." This family is glorified by Muhammad frequently and he declared them as his ''Ahl al-Bayt'' in events such as Mubahala and hadith like the Hadith of the Event of the Cloak. They were also glorified in the Qur'an in several cases such as "the verse of purification".

Ali had four children born to Fatimah, the only child of Muhammad to have surviving progeny. Their two sons (Hasan and Husain) were cited by Muhammad to be his own sons, honored numerous times in his lifetime and titled "the leaders of the youth of Jannah" (Heaven, the hereafter.)

At the beginning they were extremely poor. For several years after his marriage, Fatimah did all of the household work by herself. The shoulder on which she carried pitchers of water from the well was swollen and the hand with which she worked the handmill to grind corn were often covered with blisters. Fatimah vouched to take care of the household work, make dough, bake bread, and clean the house; in return, Ali vouched to take care of the outside work such as gathering firewood, and bringing food. Their circumstances were akin to many of the Muslims at the time and only improved following the Battle of Khaybar when the wealth of Khaybar was distributed among the poor. When the economic situations of the Muslims become better, Fatimah gained some maids but treated them like her family and performed the house duties with them.

Their marriage lasted until Fatimah's death ten years later. Although polygamy was permitted, Ali did not marry another woman while Fatimah was alive, and his marriage to her possesses a special spiritual significance for all Muslims because it is seen as the marriage between two great figures surrounding Muhammad. After Fatimah's death, Ali married other wives and fathered many children.

In battles

With the exception of the Battle of Tabouk, Ali took part in all battles and expeditions fought for Islam. As well as being the standard-bearer in those battles, Ali led parties of warriors on raids into enemy lands.

Ali first distinguished himself as a warrior in 624 at the Battle of Badr. He defeated the Umayyad champion Walid ibn Utba as well as many other Meccan soldiers. According to Muslim traditions Ali killed between twenty and thirty-five enemies in battle, most agreeing with twenty-seven.

Ali was prominent at the Battle of Uhud, as well as many other battles where he wielded a bifurcated sword known as Zulfiqar. He had the special role of protecting Muhammad when most of the Muslim army fled from the battle of Uhud and it was said "There is no brave youth except Ali and there is no sword which renders service except Zulfiqar." He was commander of the Muslim army in the Battle of Khaybar. Following this battle Mohammad gave Ali the name ''Asadullah'', which in Arabic means "Lion of Allah" or "Lion of God". Ali also defended Muhammad in the Battle of Hunayn in 630.

Missions for Islam

Muhammad designated Ali as one of the scribes who would write down the text of the Qur'an, which had been revealed to Muhammad during the previous two decades. As Islam began to spread throughout Arabia, Ali helped establish the new Islamic order. He was instructed to write down the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the peace treaty between Muhammad and the Quraysh in 628. Ali was so reliable and trustworthy that Muhammad asked him to carry the messages and declare the orders. In 630, Ali recited to a large gathering of pilgrims in Mecca a portion of the Qur'an that declared Muhammad and the Islamic community were no longer bound by agreements made earlier with Arab polytheists. During the Conquest of Mecca in 630, Muhammad asked Ali to guarantee that the conquest would be bloodless. He ordered Ali to break all the idols worshipped by the Banu Aus, Banu Khazraj, Tayy, and those in the Kaaba to purify it after its defilement by the polytheism of the pre-Islamic era. Ali was sent to Yemen one year later to spread the teachings of Islam. He was also charged with settling several disputes and putting down the uprisings of various tribes.

The incident of Mubahala

According to hadith collections, in 631 an Arab Christian envoy from Najran (currently in northern Yemen and partly in Saudi Arabia) came to Muhammad to argue which of the two parties erred in its doctrine concerning Jesus. After likening Jesus' miraculous birth to Adam's creation, Muhammad called them to ''mubahala'' (conversation), where each party should bring their knowledgeable men,women and children,and ask God to curse the lying party and their followers. Muhammad, to prove to them that he is a prophet, brought his daughter Fatimah,Ali ibn Abu Talib and his grandchildren Hasan and Husayn. He went to the Christians and said this is my family and covered himself and his family with a cloak. According to Muslim sources, when one of the Christian monks saw their faces, he advised his companions to withdraw from Mubahala for the sake of their lives and families. Thus the Christian monks vanished from the Mubahala place. Allameh Tabatabaei explains in ''Tafsir al-Mizan'' that the word "Our selves" in this verse

Ghadir Khumm

As Muhammad was returning from his last pilgrimage in 632, he made statements about Ali that are interpreted very differently by Sunnis and Shias. He halted the caravan at Ghadir Khumm, gathered the returning pilgrims for communal prayer and began to address them: {{bquote|O people, I am a human being. I am about to receive a message from my Lord and I, in response to Allah's call, (would bid good-bye to you), but I am leaving among you two weighty things: the one being the Book of Allah(Qur'an) in which there is right guidance and light, so hold fast to the Book of Allah and adhere to it. He exhorted (us) (to hold fast) to the Book of Allah and then said: The second are the members of my household I remind you (of your duties) to the members of my family.}}

This quote is confirmed by both Shi’a and Sunni, but they interpret the quote differently.

Some Sunni and all Shi'a sources report that then he called ''Ali ibn Abu Talib'' to his sides, took his hand and raised it up declaring {{bquote|For whoever I am a Mawla of, then Ali is his Mawla.}}

Shia's regard these statements as constituting the investiture of Ali as the successor of Muhammad and as the first Imam; by contrast, Sunnis take them only as an expression of Muhammad's closeness to Ali and of his wish that Ali, as his cousin and son-in-law, inherit his family responsibilities upon his death. Many Sufis also interpret the episode as the transfer of Muhammad's spiritual power and authority to Ali, whom they regard as the wali par excellence.

On the basis of this hadith, Ali later insisted on his religious authority superior to that of Abu Bakr and Umar.

Succession to Muhammad

After uniting the Arabian tribes into a single Muslim religious polity in the last years of his life, Muhammad's death in 632 signalled disagreement over who would succeed him as leader of the Muslim community. While Ali and the rest of Muhammad's close family were washing his body for burial, at a gathering attended by a small group of Muslims at Saqifah, a close companion of Muhammad named Abu Bakr was nominated for the leadership of the community. Others added their support and Abu Bakr was made the first caliph. The choice of Abu Bakr disputed by some of the Muhammad's companions, who held that Ali had been designated his successor by Muhammad himself.

Later when Fatimah and Ali sought aid from the Companions in the matter of his right to the caliphate, they answered, O daughter of the Messenger of God! We have given our allegiance to Abu Bakr. If Ali had come to us before this, we would certainly not have abandoned him. Ali said, 'Was it fitting that we should wrangle over the caliphate even before the Prophet was buried?'

Following his election to the caliphate, Abu Bakr and Umar with a few other companions headed to Fatimah's house to force Ali and his supporters who had gathered there give their allegiance to Abu Bakr. Then, it is alleged that Umar threatened to set the house on fire unless they came out and swore allegiance with Abu Bakr. Fatimah, in support of her husband, started a commotion and threatened to "uncover her hair", at which Abu Bakr relented and withdrew. Ali is reported to have repeatedly said that had there been forty men with him he would have resisted.

Ali himself was firmly convinced of his legitimacy for caliphate based on his close kinship with Muhammad, his intimate association and his knowledge of Islam and his merits in serving its cause. He told Abu Bakr that his delay in pledging allegiance (''bay'ah'') as caliph was based on his belief of his own prior title. Ali did not change his mind when he finally pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr and then to Umar and to Uthman but had done so for the sake of the unity of Islam, at a time when it was clear that the Muslims had turned away from him. Ali also believed that he could fulfill his role of Imam'ate without this fighting .

According to Shi'a historical reports, Ali maintained his right to the caliphate and said:

Inheritance

After Muhammad died, his daughter Fatimah asked Abu Bakr to turn over their property, the lands of Fadak and Khaybar. Abu Bakr refused and told her that prophets did not have any legacy and that Fadak belonged to the Muslim community. Abu Bakr said to her, "Allah's Apostle said, we do not have heirs, whatever we leave is Sadaqa." Together with Umm Ayman, Ali testified to the fact that Muhammad granted it to Fatimah Zahra, when Abu Bakr requested her to summon witnesses for her claim. Fatimah became angry and stopped speaking to Abu Bakr, and continued assuming that attitude until she died.

After Fatima's death Ali again claimed her inheritance during Umar's era, but was denied with the same argument. Umar, the caliph who was famous as Umar Sanni (second Umar), did restore the estates in Medina to sons of ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, as representatives of Muhammad's clan, the Banu Hashim. The properties in Khaybar and Fadak were retained as state property.

Life after Muhammad

Another part of Ali's life started in 632 after death of Muhammad and lasted until assassination of Uthman Ibn Affan, the third caliph in 656. During these years, Ali neither took part in any battle or conquest. nor did he assume any executive position. He withdrew from political affairs, especially after the death of his wife, Fatima Zahra. He used his time to serve his family and worked as a farmer. Ali dug a lot of wells and planted gardens near Medina and endowed them for public use. These wells are known today as ''Abar Ali'' ("Ali's wells").

Ali compiled a complete version of the Qur'an, ''mus'haf'', six months after the death of Muhammad. The volume was completed and carried by camel to show to other people of Medina. The order of this ''mus'haf'' differed from that which was gathered later during the Uthmanic era. This book was rejected by several people when he showed it to them. Despite this, Ali made no resistance against ''standardized mus'haf''.

Ali and the Rashidun Caliphs

Ali did not give his oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr until some time after the death of his wife, Fatimah. Ali participated in the funeral of Abu Bakr but did not participate in the Ridda Wars.

He pledged allegiance to the second caliph Umar ibn Khattab and helped him as a trusted advisor. Umar particularly relied upon Ali as the Chief Judge of Medina. He also advised Umar to set Hijra as the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Umar used Ali's suggestions in political issues as well as religious ones.

Ali was one of the electoral council to choose the third caliph which was appointed by Umar. Although Ali was one of the two major candidates, but the council's arrangement was against him. Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas and Abdur Rahman bin Awf who were cousins, were naturally inclined to support Uthman, who was Abdur Rahman's brother-in-law. In addition, Umar gave the casting vote to Abdur Rahman. Abdur Rahman offered the caliphate to Ali on the condition that he should rule in accordance with the Quran, the example set by Muhammad, and the precedents established by the first two caliphs. Ali rejected the third condition while Uthman accepted it. According to Ibn Abi al-Hadid's Comments on the Peak of Eloquence Ali insisted on his prominence there, but most of the electors supported Uthman and Ali was reluctantly urged to accept him

Siege of Uthman

Uthman Ibn Affan, expressed generosity toward his kin, Banu Abd-Shams, who seemed to dominate him and his supposed arrogant mistreatment toward several of the earliest companions such as Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, Abd-Allah ibn Mas'ud and Ammar ibn Yasir provoked outrage among some groups of people. Dissatisfaction and resistance openly arose since 650-651 throughout most of the empire. The dissatisfaction with his rule and the governments appointed by him was not restricted to the provinces outside Arabia. When Uthman's kin, especially Marwan, gained control over him, the noble companions including most of the members of elector council, turned against him or at least withdrew their support putting pressure on the caliph to mend his ways and reduce the influence of his assertive kin.

At this time, Ali had acted as a restraining influence on Uthman without directly opposing him. On several occasions Ali disagreed with Uthman in the application of the Hudud; he had publicly shown sympathy for Abu Dharr al-Ghifari and had spoken strongly in the defense of Ammar ibn Yasir. He conveyed to Uthman the criticisms of other Companions and acted on Uthman's behalf as negotiator with the provincial opposition who had come to Medina; because of this some mistrust between Ali and Uthman's family seems to have arisen. Finally he tried to mitigate the severity of the siege by his insistence that Uthman should be allowed water.

There is controversy among historians about the relationship between Ali and Uthman. Although pledging allegiance to Uthman, Ali disagreed with some of his policies. In particular, he clashed with Uthman on the question of religious law. He insisted that religious punishment had to be done in several cases such as Ubayd Allah ibn Umar and Walid ibn Uqba. In 650 during pilgrimage, he confronted Uthman with reproaches for his change of the prayer ritual. When Uthman declared that he would take whatever he needed from the fey', Ali exclaimed that in that case the caliph would be prevented by force. Ali endeavored to protect companions from maltreatment by the caliph such as Ibn Mas'ud. Therefore, some historians consider Ali one the leading members of Uthman's opposition, if not the main one.But Wilferd Madelung rejects their judgment due to the fact that Ali did not have the Quraysh's support to be elected as a caliph. According to him, there is even no evidence that Ali had close relations with rebels who supported his caliphate or directed their actions. Some other sources say Ali had acted as a restraining influence on Uthman without directly opposing him. However Madelung narrates Marwan told Zayn al-Abidin, the grandson of Ali, that

No one [among the Islamic nobility] was more temperate toward our master than your master.

Caliphate

thumb|350px|Domains of Rashidun empire under [[Rashidun|four caliphs. The divided phase relates to Ali caliphate. ]]

Election as Caliph

Ali was caliph between 656 and 661, during one of the more turbulent periods in Muslim history, which also coincided with the First Fitna.

Uthman's assassination meant that rebels had to select a new caliph. This met with difficulties since the rebels were divided into several groups comprising the ''Muhajirun'', ''Ansar'', Egyptians, Kufans and Basntes. There were three candidates: Ali, Talhah and al-Zubayr. First the rebels approached Ali, requesting him to accept being the caliph. Some of Muhammad's companions tried to persuade Ali in accepting the office, but he turned down the offer, suggesting to be a counselor instead of a chief.

Talhah, Zubayr and other companions also refused the rebels' offer of the caliphate. Therefore, the rebels warned the inhabitants of Medina to select a caliph within one day, or they would apply drastic action. In order to resolve the deadlock, the Muslims gathered in the Mosque of the Prophet on June 18, 656 to appoint the caliph. Initially Ali refused to accept simply because his most vigorous supporters were rebels. However, when some notable companions of Muhammad, in addition to the residents of Medina urged him to accept the offer, he finally agreed. According to Abu Mekhnaf's narration, Talhah was the first prominent companion who gave his pledge to Ali, but other narrations claimed otherwise, stating they were forced to give their pledge. Also, Talhah and Zubayr later claimed they supported him reluctantly. Regardless, Ali refuted these claims, insisting they recognized him as caliph voluntarily. Wilferd Madelung believes that force did not urge people to give their pledge and they pledged publicly in the mosque.

While the overwhelming majority of Madina's population as well as many of the rebels gave their pledge, some important figures or tribes did not do so. The Umayyads, kinsmen of Uthman, fled to the Levant or remained in their houses, later refusing Ali's legitimacy. Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas was absent and Abdullah ibn Umar abstained from offering his allegiance, but both of them assured Ali that they would not act against him. Muawiyah I, the kinsman of Uthman and governor of the Levant refused to submit to Ali's orders; he was the only governor to do so.

When he was appointed caliph, Ali stated to the citizens of Medina that Muslim polity had come to be plagued by dissension and discord; he desired to purge Islam of any evil. He advised the populace to behave as true Muslims, warning that he would tolerate no sedition and those who were found guilty of subversive activities would be dealt with harshly. Ali recovered the land granted by Uthman and swore to recover anything that elites had acquired before his election. Ali opposed the centralization of capital control over provincial revenues, favoring an equal distribution of taxes and booty amongst the Muslim citizens; He distributed the entire revenue of the treasury among them. Ali refrained from nepotism, including with his brother Aqeel ibn Abi Talib. This was an indication to Muslims of his policy of offering equality to Muslims who served Islam in its early years and to the Muslims who played a role in the later conquests.

Ali succeeded in forming a broad coalition especially after the Battle of Bassorah. His policy of equal distribution of taxes and booty gained the support of Muhammad's companions especially the Ansar who were subordinated by the Quraysh leadership after Muhammad, the traditional tribal leaders, and the Qurra or Qur'an reciters that sought pious Islamic leadership. The successful formation of this diverse coalition seems to be due to Ali's charismatic character. This diverse coalition became known as ''Shi'a Ali'', meaning "party" or "faction of Ali". However according to Shia, as well as non-Shia reports, the majority of those who supported Ali after his election as caliph, were shia politically, not religiously. Although at this time there were many who counted as political Shia, few of them believed Ali's religious leadership.

First Fitna

A'isha, Talhah, Al-Zubayr and Umayyad especially Muawiyah I wanted to take revenge for Uthman's death and punish the rioters who had killed him. They attacked Ali for not punishing the rebels and murderers of Uthman. However some historians believe that they use this issue to seek their political ambitions because they found Ali's caliphate against their own benefit. On the other hand, the rebels maintained that Uthman had been justly killed, for not governing according to Quran and Sunnah, hence no vengeance was to be invoked. Historians disagree on Ali's position. Some say the caliphate was a gift of the rebels and Ali did not have enough force to control or punish them,

Under such circumstances, a schism took place which led to the first civil war in Muslim history. Some Muslims, known as Uthmanis, considered Uthman a rightful and just Imam (Islamic leader) till the end, who had been unlawfully killed. Thus his position was in abeyance until he had been avenged and a new caliph elected. In their view Ali was the Imam of error leading a party of infidels. Some others, who knows as party of Ali, believed Uthman had fallen into error, he had forfeited the caliphate and been lawfully executed for his refusal to mend his way or step down, thus Ali was the just and true Imam and his opponents are infidels. This civil war created permanent divisions within the Muslim community regarding who had the legitimate right to occupy the caliphate.

The First Fitna, 656–661, followed the assassination of Uthman, continued during the caliphate of Ali, and was ended by Muawiyah's assumption of the caliphate. This civil war (often called the ''Fitna'') is regretted as the end of the early unity of the Islamic ummah (nation). Ali was first opposed by a faction led by Talhah, Al-Zubayr and Muhammad's wife, Aisha bint Abu Bakr. This group, known as "the disobedient ones" (''Nakithin'') by their enemies, gathered in Mecca then moved to Basra with the expectation of finding the necessary forces and resources to mobilize people of Iraq. The rebels occupied Basra, killing many people. They refused Ali's offer of obedience and pledge of allegiance. The two sides met at the Battle of Bassorah (Battle of the Camel) in 656, where Ali emerged victorious.

Ali appointed Ibn Abbas governor of Basra and moved his capital to Kufa, the Muslim garrison city in Iraq. Kufa was in the middle of Islamic land and had strategic position.

Later he was challenged by Muawiyah I, the governor of Levant and the cousin of Uthman, who refused Ali's demands for allegiance and called for revenge for Uthman. Ali opened negotiations hoping to regain his allegiance, but Muawiyah insisted on Levant autonomy under his rule. Muawiyah replied by mobilizing his Levantine supporters and refusing to pay homage to Ali on the pretext that his contingent had not participated in his election. The two armies encamped themselves at Siffin for more than one hundred days, most of the time being spent in negotiations. Although, Ali exchanged several letters with Muawiyah, he was unable to dismiss the latter, nor persuade him to pledge allegiance. Skirmishes between the parties led to the Battle of Siffin in 657. After a week of combat was followed by a violent battle known as ''laylat al-harir'' (the night of clamor), Muawiyah's army were on the point of being routed when Amr ibn al-Aas advised Muawiyah to have his soldiers hoist ''mus'haf'' (either parchments inscribed with verses of the Qur'an, or complete copies of it) on their spearheads in order to cause disagreement and confusion in Ali's army. Ali saw through the stratagem, but only a minority wanted to pursue the fight.

The two armies finally agreed to settle the matter of who should be Caliph by arbitration. The refusal of the largest bloc in Ali's army to fight was the decisive factor in his acceptance of the arbitration. The question as to whether the arbiter would represent Ali or the Kufans caused a further split in Ali's army. Ash'ath ibn Qays and some others rejected Ali's nominees, 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas and Malik al-Ashtar, and insisted on Abu Musa Ash'ari, who was opposed by Ali, since he had earlier prevented people from supporting him. Finally, Ali was urged to accept Abu Musa. Some of Ali's supporters, later were known as Kharijites (schismatics), opposed arbitration and rebelled and Ali had to fight with them in the Battle of Nahrawan. The arbitration resulted in the dissolution of Ali's coalition and some have opined that this was Muawiyah's intention.

In the following years Muawiyah's army invaded and plundered cities of Iraq, which Ali's governors could not prevent and people did not support him to fight with them. Muawiyah overpowered Egypt, Hijaz, Yemen and other areas. In the last year of Ali's caliphate, the mood in Kufa and Basra changed in his favor as Muawiyah's vicious conduct of the war revealed the nature of his reign. However the people's attitude toward Ali was deeply differed. Just a small minority of them believed that Ali was the best Muslim after Muhammad(صلی الله علیھ وآلہ وسلم ) and the only one entitled to rule them, while the majority supported him due to their distrust and opposition to Muawiyah.

Policies

What shows Ali's policies and ideas of governing is his instruction to Malik al-Ashtar, when appointed by him as governor of Egypt. This instruction which is considered by many Muslims and even non-Muslims as the ideal constitution for Islamic governance involved detailed description of duties and rights of the ruler and various functionaries of the state and the main classes of society at that time.

Ali wrote in his instruction to Malik al-Ashtar:

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Since the majority of Ali's subjects were nomads and peasants, he was concerned with agriculture. He instructed to Malik to give more attention to development of the land than to the collection of the tax, because tax can only be obtained by the development of the land and whoever demands tax without developing the land ruins the country and destroys the people.

Death

On the 19th of Ramadan, while worshipping in the Great Mosque of Kufa, Ali was attacked by the Khawarij Abd-al-Rahman ibn Muljam. Ali ordered his sons not to attack the Kharijites, instead stipulating that if he survived, ibn Muljam would be pardoned whereas if he died, ibn Muljam should be given only one equal hit (regardless of whether or not he dies from the hit).

The wound Ali received by ibn Muljam's poison-coated sword while prostrating in the Fajr prayer resulted in his death in Kufa a few days later on 28 February 661 (21 Ramadan 40 A.H). Thus, Hasan fulfilled Qisas and gave equal punishment to ibn Muljam upon Ali's death.

Burial

According to Al-Shaykh Al-Mufid, Ali did not want his grave to be desecrated by his enemies and consequently asked his friends and family to bury him secretly. This secret gravesite was revealed later during the Abbasid caliphate by Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, his descendant and the sixth Shia Imam. Most Shi'as accept that Ali is buried at the Tomb of Imam Ali in the Imam Ali Mosque at what is now the city of Najaf, which grew around the mosque and shrine called Masjid Ali.

However another story, usually maintained by some Afghans, notes that his body was taken and buried in the Afghan city of Mazar-E-Sharif at the famous Blue Mosque or Rawze-e-Sharif.

Aftermath

After Ali's death, Kufi Muslims pledged allegiance to his eldest son Hasan without dispute, as Ali on many occasions had declared that just ''Ahl al-Bayt'' of Muhammad (صلی الله علیھ وآلہ وسلم ) were entitled to rule the Muslim community. At this time, Muawiyah held both the Levant and Egypt and, as commander of the largest force in the Muslim Empire, had declared himself caliph and marched his army into Iraq, the seat of Hasan's caliphate.

War ensued during which Muawiyah gradually subverted the generals and commanders of Hasan's army with large sums of money and deceiving promises until the army rebelled against him. Finally, Hasan was forced to make peace and to yield the caliphate to Muawiyah. In this way Muawiyah captured the Islamic caliphate and in every way possible placed the severest pressure upon Ali's family and his Shi'a. Regular public cursing of Imam Ali in the congregational prayers remained a vital institution which was not abolished until 60 years later by Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz. Muawiyah also established the Umayyad caliphate which was a centralized monarchy.

Madelung writes:

Umayyad highhandedness, misrule and repression were gradually to turn the minority of Ali's admirers into a majority. In the memory of later generations Ali became the ideal Commander of the Faithful. In face of the fake Umayyad claim to legitimate sovereignty in Islam as God's Vice-regents on earth, and in view of Umayyad treachery, arbitrary and divisive government, and vindictive retribution, they came to appreciate his [Ali's] honesty, his unbending devotion to the reign of Islam, his deep personal loyalties, his equal treatment of all his supporters, and his generosity in forgiving his defeated enemies.

Knowledge

name	Ali
venerated in	Islam
influences	Prophets of Islam
influenced	Sunni and Shia Muslims as well as Sufi saints
major works	''Supplications of Ali''''Divan-e-Ali''''Way of Eloquence'' }}

Ali is respected not only as a warrior and leader, but as a writer and religious authority. Numerous range of disciplines from theology and exegesis to calligraphy and numerology, from law and mysticism to Arabic grammar and Rhetoric regarded as having been first adumbrated by Ali. According to Hadith which is narrated by Shia and Sufis, Muhammad(صلی الله علیھ وآلہ وسلم ) told about him "I'm the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate..." Muslims regard Ali as a major authority on Islam. Ali himself gives this testimony:

Not a single verse of the Qur'an descended upon (was revealed to) the Messenger of God which he did not proceed to dictate to me and make me recite. I would write it with my own hand, and he would instruct me as to its ''tafsir'' (the literal explanation) and the ''ta'wil'' (the spiritual exegesis), the ''nasikh'' (the verse which abrogates) and the ''mansukh'' (the abrogated verse), the ''muhkam'' and the ''mutashabih'' (the fixed and the ambiguous), the particular and the general...

According to Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Ali is credited with having established Islamic theology and his quotations contain the first rational proofs among Muslims of the Unity of God. Ibn Abi al-Hadid has quoted

As for theosophy and dealing with matters of divinity, it was not an Arab art. Nothing of the sort had been circulated among their distinguished figures or those of lower ranks. This art was the exclusive preserve of Greece whose sages were its only expounders. The first one among Arabs to deal with it was Ali.

In later Islamic philosophy, especially in the teachings of Mulla Sadra and his followers, like Allameh Tabatabaei, Ali's sayings and sermons were increasingly regarded as central sources of metaphysical knowledge, or divine philosophy. Members of Sadra's school regard Ali as the supreme metaphysician of Islam.; According to Henry Corbin, the ''Nahj al-Balagha'' may be regarded as one of the most important sources of doctrines professed by Shia thinkers especially after 1500AD. Its influence can be sensed in the logical co-ordination of terms, the deduction of correct conclusions, and the creation of certain technical terms in Arabic which entered the literary and philosophical language independently of the translation into Arabic of Greek texts.

Ali was also a great scholar of Arabic literature and pioneered in the field of Arabic grammar and rhetoric. Numerous short sayings of Ali have become part of general Islamic culture and are quoted as aphorisms and proverbs in daily life. They have also become the basis of literary works or have been integrated into poetic verse in many languages. Already in the 8th century, literary authorities such as 'Abd al-Hamid ibn Yahya al-'Amiri pointed to the unparalleled eloquence of Ali's sermons and sayings, as did al-Jahiz in the following century. Even staffs in the Divan of Umayyad recited Ali's sermons to improve their eloquence. Of course, ''Peak of Eloquence'' (''Nahj al-Balagha'') is an extract of Ali's quotations from a literal viewpoint as its compiler mentioned in the preface. While there are many other quotations, prayers (Du'as), sermons and letters in other literal, historic and religious books.

In addition, some hidden or occult sciences such as ''jafr'', Islamic numerology, the science of the symbolic significance of the letters of the Arabic alphabet, are said to have been established by Ali through his having studied the texts of al-Jafr and al-Jamia.

Works

The compilation of sermons, lectures and quotations attributed to Ali are compiled in the form of several books. ''Nahj al-Balagha'' (Way of Eloquence) contains eloquent sermons, letters and quotations attributed to Ali which is compiled by ash-Sharif ar-Radi(d. 1015). Reza Shah Kazemi states: "Despite ongoing questions about the authenticity of the text, recent scholarship suggests that most of the material in it can in fact be attributed to Ali" and in support of this he makes reference to an article by Mokhtar Jebli. This book has a prominent position in Arabic literature. It is also considered an important intellectual, political and religious work in Islam. ''Masadir Nahj al-Balagha wa asaniduh'' written by al-Sayyid ‘Abd al-Zahra' al-Husayni al-Khatib introduces some of these sources. Also ''Nahj al-sa'adah fi mustadrak Nahj al-balaghah'' by Muhammad Baqir al-Mahmudi represents all of Ali's extant speeches, sermons, decrees, epistles, prayers, and sayings have been collected. It includes the Nahj al-balagha and other discourses which were not incorporated by ash-Sharif ar-Radi or were not available to him. Apparently, except for some of the aphorisms, the original sources of all the contents of the Nahj al-balagha have been determined. There are several ''Comments on the Peak of Eloquence'' by Sunnis and Shias such as Comments of Ibn Abi al-Hadid and comments of Muhammad Abduh. ''Supplications (Du'a)'', translated by William Chittick ''Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim'' (Exalted aphorisms and Pearls of Speech) which is compiled by Abd al-Wahid Amidi(d. 1116) consists of over ten thounsads short sayings of Ali ''Nuzhat al-Absar va Mahasin al-Asar'', Ali's sermons which has compiled by Ali ibn Muhammad Tabari Mamtiri ''Divan-i Ali ibn Abi Talib'' (poems which are attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib)

Descendants

Ali initially married Fatimah, who is his most beloved wife. After she died, he got married again. He had four children with Fatimah, Hasan ibn Ali, Husayn ibn Ali, Zaynab bint Ali and Umm Kulthum bint Ali. His other well-known sons were al-Abbas ibn Ali born to Fatima binte Hizam (Um al-Banin) and Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah. Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah is Ali's son from another wife from Hanifa clan of Central Arabia named Khawla bint Ja'far.

Hasan, born in 625 AD, was the second Shia Imam and he also occupied the outward function of caliph for about six months. In the year 50 A.H., he was poisoned and killed by a member of his own household who, as has been accounted by historians, had been motivated by Mu'awiyah.

Husayn, born in 626 AD, was the third Shia Imam. He lived under severe conditions of suppression and persecution by Mu'awiyah. On the tenth day of Muharram, of the year 680, he lined up before the army of caliph with his small band of followers and nearly all of them were killed in the Battle of Karbala. The anniversary of his death is called the Day of Ashura and it is a day of mourning and religious observance for Shi'a Muslims. In this battle some of Ali's other sons were killed. Al-Tabari has mentioned their names in his history. Al-Abbas ibn Ali, the holder of Husayn's standard, Ja'far, Abdallah and Uthman, the four sons born to Fatima binte Hizam. Muhammad and Abu Bakr. The death of the last one is doubtful. Some historians have added the names of Ali's others sons who were killed in Karbala, including Ibrahim, Umar and Abdallah ibn al-Asqar.

His daughter Zaynab—who was in Karbala—was captured by Yazid's army and later played a great role in revealing what happened to Husayn and his followers.

Ali's descendants by Fatimah are known as ''sharifs'', ''sayeds'' or ''sayyids''. These are honorific titles in Arabic, ''sharif'' meaning 'noble' and ''sayed'' or ''sayyid'' meaning 'lord' or 'sir'. As Muhammad's only descendants, they are respected by both Sunni and Shi'a, though the Shi'as place much more emphasis and value on the distinction.

Views

Muslim views

Except for Muhammad, there is no one in Islamic history about whom as much has been written in Islamic languages as Ali. Ali is revered and honored by all Muslims. Having been one of the first Muslims and foremost Ulema (Islamic scholars), he was extremely knowledgeable in matters of religious belief and Islamic jurisprudence, as well as in the history of the Muslim community. He was known for his bravery and courage. Muslims honor Muhammad, Ali, and other pious Muslims and add pious interjections after their names.

Shi'a

The Shi'a regard Ali as the most important figure after Muhammad. According to them, Muhammad suggested on various occasions during his lifetime that Ali should be the leader of Muslims after his death. This is supported by numerous Hadiths which have been narrated by both Sunnis and Shias, including Hadith of the pond of Khumm, Hadith of the two weighty things, Hadith of the pen and paper, Hadith of the Cloak, Hadith of position, Hadith of the invitation of the close families, and Hadith of the Twelve Successors.

According to this view, Ali as the successor of Muhammad not only ruled over the community in justice, but also interpreted the Sharia Law and its esoteric meaning. Hence he was regarded as being free from error and sin (infallible), and appointed by God by divine decree (nass) through Muhammad. Ali is known as "perfect man" (''al-insan al-kamil'') similar to Muhammad according to Shia viewpoint.

Shia pilgrims usually go to Mashad Ali in Najaf for Ziyarat, pray there and read "Ziyarat Amin Allah" or other ''Ziyaratnamehs''. Under the Safavid Empire, his grave became the focus of much devoted attention, exemplified in the pilgrimage made by Shah Ismail I to Najaf and Karbala.

Sunni

Sunni Muslims regard Ali with great respect as one of the Ahl al-Bayt and the last of the Rashidun caliphs, as well as one of the most influential and respected leaders in Islam. Also, he is one of the ''Al-Asharatu Mubashsharun'', the Ten Companions of Muhammad whom the Prophet of Islam promised Paradise.

Sufi

Almost all Sufi orders trace their lineage to Muhammad through Ali, an exception being Naqshbandi, who go through Abu Bakr. Even in this order, there is Ja'far al-Sadiq, the great great grandson of Ali. Sufis believe that Ali inherited from Muhammad the saintly power ''wilayah'' that makes the spiritual journey to God possible. Sufis recite ''Manqabat'' Ali in the praise of Ali (Maula Ali), after ''Hamd'' and ''Naat'' in their ''Qawwali''.

As a deity

Some groups such as the Alawis believe that Ali is a deity in his own right or he was God incarnate. They are described as ''ghulat'' (Ar: غُلاة) "exaggerators" by the vast majority of Islamic scholars. These groups have, in traditional Islamic thought, left Islam due to their exaggeration of a human being's praiseworthy traits. Ali is recorded in some traditions as having forbidden those who sought to worship him in his own lifetime.

Non-Muslim views

Person !! Quote
Edward Gibbon (British 18th century historian)	The zeal and virtue of Ali were never outstripped by any recent proselyte. He united the qualifications of a poet, a soldier, and a saint; his wisdom still breathes in a collection of moral and religious sayings; and every antagonist,in the combats of the tongue or of the sword, was subdued by his eloquence and valour. From the first hour of his mission to the last rites of his funeral, the apostle was never forsaken by a generous friend, whom he delighted to name his brother, his vicegerent, and the faithful Aaron of a second Moses.
Washington Irving (American author and essayist)	He was of the noblest branch of the noble race of Koreish. He possessed the three qualities most prized by Arabs: courage, eloquence, and munificence. His intrepid spirit had gained him from the prophet the appellation of The Lion of God, specimens of his eloquence remain in some verses and sayings preserved among the Arabs; and his munificence was manifested in sharing among others, every Friday, what remained in the treasury. Of his magnanimity, we have given repeated instances; his noble scorn of everything false and mean, and the absence in his conduct of everything like selfish intrigue.
Thomas Carlyle (Scottish historian, critic, and sociological writer)	As for this young Ali, one cannot but like him. A noble-minded creature, as he shows himself, now and always afterwards; full of affection, of fiery daring. Something chivalrous in him; brave as a lion; yet with a grace, a truth and affection worthy of Christian knighthood
William Muir	Sir William Muir (Scottish scholar and statesman)	Endowed with a clear intellect, warm in affection, and confiding in friendship, he was from the boyhood devoted heart and soul to the Prophet. Simple, quiet, and unambitious, when in after days he obtained the rule of half of the Moslem world, it was rather thrust upon him than sought
Henry Stubbe	Dr. Henry Stubbe (Classicist, polemicist, physician, and philosopher)	He had a contempt of the world, its glory and pomp, he feared God much, gave many alms, was just in all his actions, humble and affable; of an exceeding quick wit and of an ingenuity that was not common, he was exceedingly learned, not in those sciences that terminate in speculations but those which extend to practice
Simon Ockley (British Orientalist and Professor of Arabic at the University of Cambridge)	One thing particularly deserving to be noticed is that his mother was delivered of him at Mecca, in the very temple itself; which never happened to any one else.

However, Henri Lammens held a negative view of Ali.

The poet Khalil Gibran said of him: "In my view, ʿAlī was the first Arab to have contact with and converse with the universal soul. He died a martyr of his greatness, he died while prayer was between his two lips. The Arabs did not realise his value until appeared among their Persian neighbors some who knew the difference between gems and gravels."

Historiography

The primary sources for scholarship on the life of Ali are the Qur'an and the Hadith, as well as other texts of early Islamic history. The extensive secondary sources include, in addition to works by Sunni and Shī‘a Muslims, writings by Christian Arabs, Hindus, and other non-Muslims from the Middle East and Asia and a few works by modern Western scholars. However, many of the early Islamic sources are colored to some extent by a positive or negative bias towards Ali.

There had been a common tendency among the earlier western scholars against these narrations and reports gathered in later periods due to their tendency towards later Sunni and Shī‘a partisan positions; such scholars regarding them as later fabrications. This leads them to regard certain reported events as inauthentic or irrelevant. Leone Caetani considered the attribution of historical reports to Ibn Abbas and Aisha as mostly fictitious while proffering accounts reported without ''isnad'' by the early compilers of history like Ibn Ishaq. Wilferd Madelung has rejected the stance of indiscriminately dismissing everything not included in "early sources" and in this approach tendentious alone is no evidence for late origin. According to him, Caetani's approach is inconsistent. Madelung and some later historians do not reject the narrations which have been complied in later periods and try to judge them in the context of history and on the basis of their compatibility with the events and figures

Until the rise of the Abbasid Caliphate, few books were written and most of the reports had been oral. The most notable work previous to this period is ''The Book of Sulaym ibn Qays'', written by Sulaym ibn Qays, a companion of Ali who lived before the Abbasid. When paper was introduced to Muslim society, numerous monographs were written between 750 and 950 AD. According to Robinson, at least twenty-one separate monographs have been composed on the Battle of Siffin. Abi Mikhnaf is one of the most renowned writers of this period who tried to gather all of the reports. 9th and 10th century historians collected, selected and arranged the available narrations. However, most of these monographs do not exist anymore except for a few which have been used in later works such as History of the Prophets and Kings by Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (d.932).

Shi'a of Iraq actively participated in writing monographs but most of those works have been lost. On the other hand, in the 8th and 9th century Ali's descendants such as Muhammad al Baqir and Jafar as Sadiq narrated his quotations and reports which have been gathered in Shia hadith books. The later Shia works written after the 10th century AD are about biographies of The Fourteen Infallibles and Twelve Imams. The earliest surviving work and one of the most important works in this field is ''Kitab al-Irshad'' by Shaykh Mufid (d. 1022). The author has dedicated the first part of his book to a detailed account of Ali. There are also some books known as ''Manāqib'' which describe Ali's character from a religious viewpoint. Such works also constitute a kind of historiography.

See also

Wali

Shia Ali

‘Alawi

Alevi

List of Muslim reports

Ahl al-Bayt

Utbah ibn Ghazwan

Notes

References

(volume XV.) Translated by Liadain Sherrard, Philip Sherrard. | Translated by Seyyed Hossein Nasr.

Further reading

Original sources

(In Arabic)

Secondary sources

; Books volumes 6-17 are relevant. (in Arabic)

;Encyclopedia

External links

The Secret of Imam Ali's Force of Attraction

Ali ibn Abi Talib by I. K. Poonawala and E. Kohlberg in ''Encyclopædia Iranica''

Ali, article in ''Enyclopaedia Britannica Online''

;Some of his most famous sermons and letters

Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Nahjul Balagha

Order to Maalik al-Ashtar, governor of Egypt (UN Legal Committee, member states voted that the document should be considered as one of the sources of International Law.) The United Nation and Imam Ali’s Constitution

A advice ti his son Hasan ib Ali (This letter contains ethical advisement)

185 Sermon about the Oneness of Allah

The Last Will of Ali ibn Abi Talib

;Shī‘a biography

The Life of the Commander of the Faithful Ali b. Abu Talib by Shaykh Mufid in Kitab al-Irshad

Website devoted to the Life of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib

A Biographical Profile of Imam Ali (Archived 2009-10-25) by Syed Muhammad Askari Jafari

The Seerat Of Amir al-Mu'mineen (SA)

;Sunni biography

Online Biography by Witness-Pioneer

Biography from USC's MSA website

Ali ibn Abi Talib

Category:599 births Category:661 deaths Category:661 crimes Category:7th-century caliphs Category:Arab people Category:Alid dynasties Category:All articles with unsourced statements Category:Assassinated caliphs Category:Assassinated Shi'a imams Category:Converts to Islam Category:Family of Muhammad Category:Muslim generals Category:People from Mecca Category:Rashidun Category:Sahaba Category:Shi'a imams Category:Shi'a Islam Category:Sunni Islam Category:Twelver imams Category:Zaidi imams

af:Ali ang:Alī ar:علي بن أبي طالب an:Alí az:Əli bin Əbu Talib bn:আলী ইবন আবী তালিব be-x-old:Алі bs:Alija ibn Ebu-Talib bg:Али ибн Абу Талиб ca:Alí ibn Abi-Tàlib cs:Alí da:Ali de:ʿAlī ibn Abī Tālib dv:ޢަލީގެފާނު et:‘Alī ibn Abī Ţālib es:Ali Ibn Abi Talib eo:Ali ibn Abi Talib eu:Ali ibn Abi Talib fa:علی بن ابی‌طالب fr:Ali ibn Abi Talib fy:Aly ibn Abû Talyb gl:Ali ibn Abi Talib ko:알리 이븐 아비 탈리브 hi:अली इब्न अबू तालिब hr:Ali id:Ali bin Abi Thalib is:Alí ibn Abu Talib it:Ali ibn Abi Talib he:עלי בן אבי טאלב ka:ალი იბნ აბუ ტალიბი sw:Ali ibn Abu Talib ku:Hz. Elî la:Ali lv:Alī Ibn Abū Tālibs hu:Ali kalifa ml:അലി ബിൻ അബീത്വാലിബ്‌ mzn:علی ms:Ali bin Abi Talib nl:Ali ibn Abu Talib ja:アリー・イブン・アビー・ターリブ no:Ali ibn Abi Talib nn:Ali ibn Abi Talib uz:Ali pnb:علی ps:علي بن ابي طالب pl:Ali ibn Abi Talib pt:Ali ibn Abi Talib ro:Ali ru:Али ибн Абу Талиб sco:Ali sq:Ali Ibn Ebi Talib simple:Ali sd:علي so:Cali bin Abii Daalib R.C. ckb:عەلی کوڕی ئەبووتالیب sr:Алија sh:Alija fi:Ali ibn Abi Talib sv:Ali ibn Abi Talib ta:அலீ tt:Гали ибне Әбү Талиб te:అలీ ఇబ్న్ అబీ తాలిబ్ th:อะลีย์ บินอะบีฏอลิบ tg:Алӣ tr:Ali bin Ebu Talib udm:Али ибн Аби Талиб uk:Алі ібн Абі Таліб ur:علی ابن ابی طالب vi:Ali bin Abu Talib wa:Ali (calife) diq:Hz. Eli zh:阿里·本·阿比·塔利卜

Coordinates	32°42′34.58″N97°21′46.16″N
name	Will Smith
birth name	Willard Christopher Smith, Jr.
birth date	September 25, 1968
birth place	Wynnefield, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
other names	The Fresh Prince
occupation	Actor, rapper, film producer, record producer, television producer
years active	1985–present
spouse
children	Trey Smith Jaden SmithWillow Smith
website	http://www.willsmith.com/ }}

Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, film producer and rapper. He has enjoyed success in music, television and film. In April 2007, ''Newsweek'' called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood. Smith has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, two Academy Awards, and has won multiple Grammy Awards.

In the late 1980s, Smith achieved modest fame as a rapper under the name The Fresh Prince. In 1990, his popularity increased dramatically when he starred in the popular television series ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''. The show ran for nearly six years (1990–1996) on NBC and has been syndicated consistently on various networks since then. In the mid-1990s, Smith moved from television to film, and ultimately starred in numerous blockbuster films. He is the only actor to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office and the only one to have eight consecutive films in which he starred open at #1 spot in the domestic box office tally.

Fourteen of the 19 fiction films he has acted in have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of over $100 million, and four took in over $500 million in global box office receipts. As of 2011, his films have grossed $5.7 billion in global box office. His most financially successful films have been ''Bad Boys'', ''Bad Boys II'', ''Independence Day'', ''Men in Black'', ''Men in Black II'', ''I, Robot'', ''The Pursuit of Happyness'', ''I Am Legend'', ''Hancock'', ''Wild Wild West'', ''Enemy of the State'', ''Shark Tale'', ''Hitch'' and ''Seven Pounds''. He also earned critical praise for his performances in ''Six Degrees of Separation'', ''Ali'' and ''The Pursuit of Happyness'', receiving Best Actor Oscar nominations for the latter two.

Family and early life

Born and raised in West Philadelphia, Smith also spent time in Germantown in Northwest Philadelphia. His mother, Caroline (née Bright), was a school administrator who worked for the Philadelphia school board, and his father, Willard Christopher Smith, Sr., was a refrigeration engineer. He was raised Baptist. His parents separated when he was 13, and did not actually divorce until Smith was around 30.

It is untrue, though widely reported, that Smith turned down a scholarship to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); he never applied to the school, although he was admitted to a "pre-engineering program" there. According to Smith, "My mother, who worked for the School Board of Philadelphia, had a friend who was the admissions officer at MIT. I had pretty high SAT scores and they needed black kids, so I probably could have gotten in. But I had no intention of going to college."

Recording and acting career

Early work (1985–1995)

Smith started as the MC of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, with his childhood friend Jeffrey "DJ Jazzy Jeff" Townes as turntablist and producer as well as Ready Rock C (Clarence Holmes) as the human beat box. The trio was known for performing humorous, radio-friendly songs, most notably "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Summertime". They gained critical acclaim and won the first Grammy awarded in the Rap category (1988). He had a line in "Voices That Care", a 1991 Gulf War song by a celebrity group. Smith spent money freely during his early career and underpaid his income taxes. The Internal Revenue Service eventually assessed a $2.8 million tax debt against Smith, took many of his possessions, and garnished his income. Smith was nearly bankrupt in 1990 when the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'', around him. The show was successful and began his acting career. Smith set for himself the goal of becoming "the biggest movie star in the world," studying box office successes' common characteristics.

Breakthrough (1996–2000)

In 1996, Smith starred as part of an ensemble cast in Roland Emmerich's ''Independence Day''. The film was a massive blockbuster, becoming the second highest grossing film in history at the time and establishing Smith as a prime box office draw. In 1998, Smith starred with Gene Hackman in ''Enemy of the State''. Smith turned down the role of Neo in ''The Matrix'' in favor of ''Wild Wild West''. Despite the disappointment of ''Wild Wild West'', Smith has said that he harbors no regrets about his decision, asserting that Keanu Reeves's performance as Neo was superior to what he himself (Smith) would have achieved.

International success (2001–present)

In 2005, Smith was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for attending a record breaking three premieres in a 24-hour time span.

He has planned to star in a feature film remake of the television series ''It Takes a Thief''.

On December 10, 2007, Smith was recognized at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Smith left an imprint of his hands and feet outside the world renowned theater in front of many fans. Later that month, Smith starred in the film ''I Am Legend'', released December 14, 2007. Despite marginally positive reviews, its opening was the largest ever for a film released in the United States during December. Smith himself has said that he considers the film to be "aggressively unique". A reviewer said that the film's commercial success "cemented [Smith's] standing as the number one box office draw in Hollywood." On December 1, 2008, TV Guide reported that Smith has been selected as one of America’s top ten most fascinating people of 2008 for a Barbara Walters ABC special that aired on December 4, 2008.

Smith is currently developing a film entitled ''The Last Pharaoh'', in which he will star as Taharqa.

President Barack Obama has stated that if a film were to ever be made about his life, he would have Smith play his part, because "he has the ears". Obama stated that the two have discussed a possibility of a film based on the 2008 election, but this may not happen until the end of the Obama presidency.

He is currently filming ''Men in Black III'' for a 2012 release playing Agent J one of his more popular earlier roles, making this his first major starring role in four years.

On August 19, 2011, it was announced that Smith had returned to the studio with producer La Mar Edwards to make a new album. Edwards has worked with artists such as T.I., Chris Brown, and Game.

Personal life

Smith was raised by his parents in West Philadelphia. Smith credits his father's dedication when discussing his own involvement in the lives of his three children: "I look at my father and how he was able to keep four kids fed and clothed and still managed to find time to spend with us." Smith married Sheree Zampino in 1992. They had a son, Willard Christopher Smith III, also known as "Trey", but divorced in 1995. Trey appeared in his father's music video for the 1998 single "Just the Two of Us". Smith married actress Jada Pinkett in 1997 and practice an open marriage. Together they have had two children: Jaden Christopher Syre (born 1998), his co-star in ''The Pursuit of Happyness'', and Willow Camille Reign (born 2000), who appeared as his daughter in ''I Am Legend''. Along with his brother, Harry Smith, he owns Treyball Development Inc., a Beverly Hills-based company named after his first son. Smith and his family reside on Star Island in Miami Beach, Florida and in Los Angeles, Stockholm, Sweden and Philadelphia.

Smith was consistently listed in Fortune Magazine's "Richest 40" list of the forty wealthiest Americans under the age of 40. He donated $4,600 to the presidential campaign of Democrat Barack Obama. December 11, 2009, Smith and his wife hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, when Obama had won the prize.

Smith has said he has studied multiple religions, including Scientology, and he has said many complimentary things about Scientology and other faiths. Despite his praise of Scientology, Smith said "I just think a lot of the ideas in Scientology are brilliant and revolutionary and non-religious" and "Ninety-eight percent of the principles in Scientology are identical to the principles of the Bible.... I don't think that because the word someone uses for spirit is 'thetan' that the definition becomes any different." He has denied having joined the Church of Scientology, saying "I am a Christian. I am a student of all religions, and I respect all people and all paths." Smith gave $1.3 million to charities in 2007, of which $450,000 went to two Christian ministries, and $122,500 went to three Scientology organizations; the remaining beneficiaries included "a Los Angeles mosque, other Christian-based schools and churches, and [...] the Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Center in Israel". Smith and his wife have also founded a private elementary school in Calabasas, California, the New Village Leadership Academy, which has attracted controversy and speculation over its use of Study Technology, a teaching methodology developed by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.

Discography

With DJ Jazzy Jeff

''Rock the House'' (1987)

''He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper'' (1988)

''And in This Corner...'' (1989)

''Homebase'' (1991)

''Code Red'' (1993)

Solo

''Big Willie Style'' (1997)

''Willennium'' (1999)

''Born to Reign'' (2002)

''Lost and Found'' (2005)

Filmography

! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
	''Saturday Morning Videos''	Host	TV
''ABC Afterschool Special'' – "The Perfect Date"	Hawker	TV
''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''		TV (1990–1996)
		Fresh Prince	TV, Cameo, episode 18 "I'm with the Band"
''Where the Day Takes You''	Manny
		Tea Cake Walters
	Paul
1995		Detective Mike Lowrey
1996		Captain Steven "Steve" Hiller, USMC	MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss
			MTV Movie Award for Best FightMTV Movie Award for Best Song From a Movie
''Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child''	Pinocchio	TV Series;Episode 14 of Season 2 which aired on April 13, 1997.Episode also starred Chris Rock and Della Reese
1998		Robert Clayton Dean	Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
	''Torrance Rises''		Cameo
''Wild Wild West''	Captain James "Jim" West
	''Welcome to Hollywood''	Himself
''The Legend of Bagger Vance''	Bagger Vance	Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
2001		Muhammad Ali	MTV Movie Award for Best PerformanceNominated—Academy Award for Best ActorNominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best ActorNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture DramaNominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
	''Men in Black II''		BET Awards
Girlfriend by [[B2K	Himself	Music video
	''Bad Boys II''	Detective Mike Lowrey	Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
''All of Us''	Johnny	TV, 3 episodes (2003–2004); Creator/Executive Producer
	''A Closer Walk''	Narrator	Documentary
	Himself	Uncredited Cameo
''American Chopper''	Himself	TV, Cameo
	Detective Del Spooner	ProducerNominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
''The Seat Filler''		Executive Producer; Independent Film
''Shark Tale''	Oscar	Voice
	''There's a God on the Mic''		Documentary
	Alex "Hitch" Hitchens	ProducerNominated—BET Awards
2006	''[[The Pursuit of Happyness''	Chris Gardner
2007		Dr. Robert Neville
		John Hancock	ProducerNominated – Saturn Award for Best Actor
''Lakeview Terrace''		Producer
		Producer
''Seven Pounds''	Ben Thomas	Producer
2010			Producer
			''Post-production''
''Men in Black III''		''Filming''
2013	''The Last Pharaoh''	Taharqa	''Pre-production''

Box office grosses

! Year	! Title	! Budget	! U.S. gross	! Worldwide gross
1992	''Where the Day Takes You''		$390,152	$390,152
		$44,942,695	$104,942,695
	$6,284,090	$6,284,090
1995		$23m	$65,647,413	$141,247,413
1996		$75m	$306,169,255	$817,400,878
1997			$250,690,539	$587,790,539
1998		$111,549,836	$250,649,836
1999	''Wild Wild West''	$170m	$113,805,681	$222,105,681
2000	''The Legend of Bagger Vance''	$80m	$30,695,227	$39,235,486
2001		$107m	$58,183,966	$84,383,966
2002	''Men in Black II''	$140m	$190,418,803	$441,818,803
2003	''Bad Boys II''	$60m	$138,540,870	$272,940,870
		$120m	$144,801,023	$348,601,023
''Shark Tale''	$75m	$161,192,000	$367,192,000
2005		$70m	$177,784,257	$366,784,257
2006	''The Pursuit of Happyness''	$55m	$162,586,036	$306,086,036
2007			$256,393,010	$585,055,701
		$227,946,274	$624,346,274
''Seven Pounds''	$55m	$69,369,933	$166,617,328

References

Further reading

External links

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Coordinates	32°42′34.58″N97°21′46.16″N
Name	Sajjad Ali سجادعلی
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Sajjad Ali
Citizenship	Pakistani
Alias	Sajjad Bhai, Gagi bhai
Birth date	August 24, 1966
Origin	Karachi, Pakistan
Instrument	Vocals
Genre	PopRockClassical
Occupation	Singer-songwriterMusician
Years active	1979–present
label	EMI-Pakistan, Sound Master
Associated acts	Lucky Ali Waqar Ali
spouse	Noreen Sajjad }}

Sajjad Ali (; born 24 August 1966 in Karachi) is a Pakistani semi-classical, pop singer, film actor, director and producer. He is trained in classical singing.

Early life and education

His father, Shafqat Hussain (Sajan), was a Pakistani film actor and also a cricketer. Before Sajjad was born, he appeared for the first time in a film, ''Badal Aur Bijli'' in 1973. Sajjad did his F.A from National Art's College, because of which, his father, Hussain started teaching music to him with his classical collections. During Sajjad's training, Hussain played music from classical artists such as Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustaad Barkat Ali Khan and Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan.

Career

Music

Sajjad's first classical hit album, 'Master Sajjad Sings Memorable Classics' was released in 1979 by EMI-Pakistan. The musicians were Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali and Amanat Ali Khan, while most of the songs were written by Hasrat Mohani, Momin and others.

Sajjad made his television debut in a program, ''Aap Janab'' by Athar Shah Khan. After this, he appeared in ''Rung Barangi Duniya'' by musician Sohail Rana. He also performed in a program ''Rag Rung'' in 1980 at the age of 14, however on the 25th anniversary of PTV's stage show, called Silver Jubilee by Shoaib Mansoor, Sajjad got real fame through the song, ''Banwari Chakori'', originally sung by Noor Jehan. On November 26, 1983, during a show, Sajjad sung the songs, ''Lagi Ray Lagay Lagan Yehe Dil Mein'' and ''Bawari Chakuri''.

He produced ''Babia 93'', ''Chief Saab'' and ''Sohni Lag Di''.

thumb|left|Sajjad Ali performs at the launch of a U.S. sponsored music video to promote health awareness about mothers and newborns. His brother Waqar Ali is also in the music industry. Sajjad along with his brother, wrote lyrics for most of the songs in his albums, while lyricists, Sabir Zafar, Mohammad Nasir, Nadeem Asad, and Ali Moin have also wrote some songs.

In July 2006, Sajjad released a single called ''Chal Rein De'', a more classical song. On 3 September 2006, he released another single in a totally different genre with the help of Meloscience Corp. The song is known as ''Sajjad-Ali Sinsym Flight'', and it is an experimental, jazzy, Sufi beat. In late April 2008, Sajjad released his album, ''Chahar Balish'', which contained new tracks as well as some previous tracks such as ''Chal Rein De''.

On 25 March 2010, Sajjad joined U.S. to promote "Life". He performed at the launch of a new music video produced by the Pakistan Initiative for Mothers and Newborns (PAIMAN), a U.S. assistance program.

Two new compositions of Sajjad Ali from the film ''Bol'' by Shoaib Mansoor were released by Tips music on 22 May 2011 in India and on 30 May 2011 by Fire Records in Pakistan. He is also appearing in the second episode of ''Coke Studio'' with his song "Kir Kir", which will be broadcast on the major television channels across Pakistan on 5 June 2011.

Films and television

Sajjad directed his first telefilm, ''Love Letter'' in 1989, and then his first full length motion picture, ''Aik Aur Love Story'' in 1998. Before that, he also performed as an actor and a singer in a film, ''Munda Tera Deewana'' which was directed by Zahoor Husain Gillani. Sajjad has also sang songs for drama serials, ''Teri Yaad'' in drama serial ''Thori Khushi Thora Ghum'' (which was onair on ''PTV''), ''Na Boloon Gi'' in ''Na Tum Jano Na Hum Janain'' (''ARY Digital'') and ''Sunn Leyna'' in ''Sunn Leyna'' ( ''ARY Digital'' ). His brother, Waqar Ali also helped him during the making of these songs as he is credited too.

Sajjad is appearing with his new songs in Shoaib Mansoor's upcoming film ''Bol'' which is releasing on June 24, 2011 as announced on the official website. Sajjad has confirmed that this song have been recorded in his own studio in Dubai and by the name of Din Pareshan hai, having two versions, according to sajjad ali this song is different from the song in his album Chahar Balish which has also the same title.

Critical acclaim

Musician, A.R. Rahman has described Sajjad as the original crossover. : "From the realm of the classical, he metamorphosed into one of the brightest lights of Pakistani pop.Always striking the right note, and never missing a beat, even the most hardened purist has to give Sajjad his due. This man can breathe life in a Ghazal even as he puts the V back into verve. He is one of the very few singers in Pakistan who seems a complete singer. As far as skill is concerned I feel nobody compares to Sajjad Ali. He is simply too good at everything he chooses to create."

Hans Raj Hans had said:"If I were to be born again, I'd like to be born as Sajjad Ali"

Personal life

Sajjad married his first cousin in 1989. Sajjad has four children from Noreen, two sons and two daughters. Nowadays, he is settled in Ajman, United Arab Emirates with his family.

Discography

Albums

{|class="wikitable" style="width:98%; font-size:90%; background=#ffffff;" |- ! Title!! Tracks listing!! Released !! Label |- | align="center" | Master Sajjad Sings Memorable Classics | align="left" | # 1. Aaye Na Balam, آۓ نہ بالم

2. Yaad Piya Ki Aaye, یاد پیا کی آۓ

3. Nainan More Taras Rahe Hain, نینا مورے ترس رہے ہیں

4. Tori Tirchi Najarya Kay Baan, توری ترچھی نجریا کے بان

5. Maran Mithon Galri, مارن مٹھون گالڑی

6. Bajuband Khul Khul Jaye, باجو بند کھل جاۓ

7. Baghoon Main Paday Jhoolay, باغوں میں پڑے جھولے

8. Dekh To Dil, دیکھ تو دل

9. Jin Ke Hontoon Pay, جن کے ہونٹوں پے

10. Chaltay Ho To Chaman, چلتے ہو تو چمن

11. Chupkay Chupkay Raat Din, چپکے چپکے رات دن

12. Nawek Andaz Jidhar, ناوک انداذ | align="center" | 1979 | align="center" | EMI-PAKISTAN TC-EMCP-5114 |- | align="center" | Goldies Not Oldies | align="left" | # 1. Nahin Mila, نہیں ملا

2. Zindagi Hai, ذندگی ہے دھواں

3. Kya Saman Hai, کیا سماء ہے

4. Aatey Rahain, آتی رہی ہوائیں

5. Teri Yaad, تیری یاد ستاۓ

6. Chala Main Wahan, چلا میں وہاں

7. Pyar Ki Rahoon, پیار کی راہوں

8. Bahoon Main, باہوں میں آجا

9. Na Janain, نا جانیں میں کہاں کھو گیا ہوں

10. Tum Ho Jahan, بم ہو جہاں

11. Bewafa tou, بیوفا تو

12. Meray Dil Main, میرے دل میں | align="center" | 1987 | align="center" | EMI-PAKISTAN TC-CEMCP-5783 |- | align="center" | Love Letter | align="left" | # 1. Aik Baat Purani, ایک بات پرانی

2. Jal Pari, جل پری

3. Tum Narazz Ho, تم ناراض ہو

4. Nahin Mila, نہی ملا

5. Be Wafa, بیوفا

6. Gaate Rahen, گاتے رہیں

7. Khirki Main Woh(Vicky), کھڑکی میں وہ آ گئ(وکی)

8. Yeh Baat, یہ بات

9. Ruksana, رخسانہ

10. Love Letter, لو لیٹر

11. Kahan Kahan, کہاں کہاں ڈھونڈا نہیں

12. Daman Lagian, دامن لگیاں مولا | align="center" | 1990 | align="center" | EMI-PAKISTAN TC-CEMCP-6030 |- | align="center" | Silver Jubilee Star Sajjad Ali | align="left" | # 1. Jaa ray uur ja ray panchi, جا رے' اڑ جا رے پنچھی

2. Bolay ray papiha, بولے رے پاپیہہ

3. Sanwaray Sanwaray, سانورے'سانورے

4. A ree aa raay piya bin, اے ری آرے پیا بن

5. Pawan dewani, پون دیوانی

6. A reھ pawan, اے ری پون

7. Nindia na aay, نندیا نہ آۓ

8. Moray nainaan sawan, مورے نینا ساون

9. Poocho na kaisay, ''''''پوچھو نہ کیسے

10. Baiyan na, بیاں نہ

11. Aab kay na sawan barsay, اب کے نہ ساون برسے

12. Hai jia roay, ہاۓ جیا روۓ

13. Rena beeti jai, رینا بیتی جاۓ

14. Chanda ray, چندا رے

15. Piya mein to hoi banwari, پیا میں تو ہوئی بانوری

16.Akhiyan sang aakhian, اکھی ین سنگ اکھیاں

17.Nainoon mein badra chaay, نینوں میں بدرا چھاۓ | align="center" | - | align="center" | Universal Recording Company URC- |- | align="center" | Sajjad Ali In Gold Sartaj Geet Vol-2 |align="left" | Not Available | align="center" | - | align="center" | PMC-1930 |- | align="center" | Golden Jubilee-2 Sajjad Ali Vol-2 | align="left" | Not Available | align="center" | - | align="center" | PMC-1930 |- | align="center" | Golden Jubilee-84 Sajjad Ali | align="left" | Not Available | align="center" | - | align="center" | - |- | align="center" | Sajjad Ali Humaira Channa Vol-3 | align="left" | Not Available | align="center" | - | align="center" | - |- | align="center" | Diamond Jubilee |align="left" | Not Available | align="center" | - | align="center" | ARC GOLD ARC-1960 |- | align="center" | Remix Sajjad Ali |align="left" | Not Available | align="center" | - | align="center" | PMC GOLD PMC-3879 |- | align="center" | Sajjad Ali Vol-1 |align="left" | Not Available | align="center" | 1985 | align="center" | SONIC ENTERPRISES |- | align="center" | Sajjad Ali Vol-2 |align="left" | Not Available | align="center" | 1986 | align="center" | SONIC ENTERPRISES |- | align="center" | Wachan | align="left" | # 1. Wachan,

2. Tony Ki Party,

3. Saath Saath,

4. Kia Saman Hai,

5. Yeh Kaisay Sehr Main,

6. Kehkashan,

7. Chalo Chaltay Hain,

8. Dil Layna,

9. Teri Yaad Satay,

10. Jaab Koe Mushkil,

11. Kya Saman Hai(Reno),

12. Poora Dukh Aur Adha Chand | align="center" | 1990 | align="center" | SRC-1021 |- | align="center" | Babia 93 | align="left" | # 1. Babia,

2. Chal Uddja,

3. Kuch Larrkiyan,

4. Bolo Bolo,

5. Pani ki Chadaron se,

6. Rap,

7. Neeli Neeli,

8. Teetli Jaisa Pyar,

9. Aisa Laga,

10. Boliyann,

11. Bolo Bolo Ali Ali | align="center" | 1993 | align="center" | Sound Master SM-100 |- | align="center" | Chief Saab | align="left" | # 1. Chief Sab,

2. Mahiwal,

3. Bul Bul,

4. Yaad,

5. Naraz ,

6. Rikshay ,

7. IM Back ,

8. Mano,

9. Ali Ali,

10. Tum ,

11. Mehndi | align="center" | 1995 | align="center" | Sound Master SM-240 |- | align="center" | Moody | align="left" | # 1. Mood,

2. Chal Jhooti,

3. Jal Peri,

4. Naraz,

5. Aysa Laga,

6. Neeli Neeli,

7. Aab Kay Hum,

8. Daman Lagian Maula |align="center" | 1996 | align="center" | Sound Master SM-400 |- | align="center" | Munda tera dewana |align="left" | Not Available | align="center" | 1996 | align="center" | SOUND MASTER SM-281 |- | align="center" | Aik Aur Love Story | align="left" | # 1. Jhulay Laal,

2. Bhegay Mausam,

3. Kya Samaan Hai,

4. Patta bata Do,

5. Sohni Lag Di,

6. Lari Ada,

7. Marina Marina,

8. Dua Karo,

9. Pyaar Hai,

10. Theme | align="center" | 1998 | align="center" | Sound Master SM-600 |- | align="center" | Sohni Lag Di | align="left" | # 1. Sohni Lag Di,

2. Larri Adda,

3. Jadoo (Remix),

4. Mahiwal,

5. Chief Saab,

6. Chal Jhoothi,

7. Mood Nahi Hai,

8. Chal Ud Ja,

9. Naraz,

10. Tum Say Pyar | align="center" | 1999 | align="center" | SOUND MASTER SM-612 |- | align="center" | Cinderella | align="left" | # 1. Album Intro,

2. Cinderella,

3. Layan Layan,

4. Pahle Saal,

5. Payar Hai,

6. Sanwar De,

7. Sayane,

8. Tasvirain,

9. Toota Sapna (Aisa Laga Remix),

10. Wachan,

11. Paniyon Mein | align="center" | 2003 | align="center" | Sound Master SM-656 |- | align="center" | Teri Yaad | align="left" | # 1. Teri Yaad | align="center" | 2004 | align="center" | Sound Master SM- |- | align="center" | Koi to baat hoo... | align="left" | # 1. Baghon Mein Pade Jhole,

2. Bane They Dost Dil Dukhane,

3. Har Zulam Tera Yaad Hai,

4. Jawani Zindagani Hai,

5. Koi To Baat Ho Aisi,

6. Mehkashi To Aazab Hoti Hai,

7. Meray Aangan Ko Ujalon Se,

8. Mujh Se Khushiyaan Le,

9. Saqiya Ek Nazar Kafi Hai,

10. Tum Aa Gay Ho To,

11. Woh Aaake Baithe They Pal | align="center" | 2002 | align="center" | PMC GOLD-44227 |- | align="center" | Sajjad's Rangeen | align="left" | # 1. Koi Nahee,

2. Is Tarha,

3. Maaf Kia,

4. Na Bolloon Gi,

5. Chaad De,

6. Jeenay Do,

7. Yeh Zindagi,

8. Cheete Cheete,

9. Pehlay Saal,

10. Tasveerain,

11. Wachan | align="center" | 2005 | align="center" | Sound Master SM-747 |- | align="center" | Best of sajjad ali Collection 2 | align="left" | # 1. Cinderella,

2. Layan Layan,

3. Pata Bata Do,

4. Sohni Lagdi,

5. Lari Adda,

6. Yaad Tu,

7. Mahiwal,

8. Mehndi,

9. Bul Bul,

10. Mood,

11. Chal Jhooti,

12. Babia,

13. Panyuoon Main | align="center" | 2003 | align="center" | Sound Master SM-692 |- | align="center" | Chal Rein De | align="left" | # 1. Chal Rein De,

2. Sun Lay Na,

3. Koe Naheen,

4. Teri Yaad,

5. Pehlay Saal,

6. Panyuoon Main,

7. Iss Terha,

8. IM Back,

9. Tesverain,

10. Aisa Laga,

11. Pehlay saal,

12. Maaf Kia,

13. Na Boloon Gi | align="center" | 2006 | align="center" | Sound Master SM-786 |- | align="center" | Chahar Balish | align="left" | # 1. Pekar,

2. Rang Laga,

3. Gaddiye,

4. Katna Nai,

5. Nai Thakda,

6. Dil Pareshaan Hai,

7. Kia Naam Doon,

8. Chal Rein De,

9. Gaddiye (Club mix) | align="center" | 2008 | align="center" | Sound Master SM-786 |}

Hit singles

''Babia''

''Chal Urrja''

''Kuch Larrkiyan Mujhe''

''Chief Saab''

''Mahiwal''

''Tasvirain''

''Jadoo''

''Jhullay Lal''

''Chal Jhooti''

''Dua Karo''

''Pyar Hai''

''Lari Adda''

''Paniyon Mein''

''Sohni Lag Di''

''Cinderella''

''Teri Yaad''

''Aisa Laga''

''Koi Nahin''

''Na Boloon Gi (Rangeen)''

''Chal Rein De'' (July 2006)

''Pekar'' (2008)

''Din Pareshan Hai'' (2011)

''KirKir KirKir'' (2011)

Filmography

As Composer

''Bol (2011)

''Mujhe Chand Chahiye (2000)

''Aik Aur Love Story'' (1999)

''Love Letter'' (1990)

As Director

''Aik Aur Love Story'' (1999)

''Love Letter''(1989)

As Actor

''Aik Aur Love Story'' (1999)

''Munda Tera Deewana'' (1996)

''Love Letter'' (1989)

References

External links

Sajjad Ali fanclub on facebook

Sajjad Ali fanclub on youtube

Sajjad Ali official facebook page

Sajjad Ali official Youtube channel

Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:Pakistani film actors Category:Pakistani film directors Category:Pakistani film producers Category:Pakistani film singers Category:Pakistani pop singers Category:Pakistani Shi'a Muslims Category:People from Karachi Category:Coke Studio artists

ur:سجاد علی

Coordinates	32°42′34.58″N97°21′46.16″N
Name	Sam Cooke
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Samuel Cook
Alias	Dale Cook
Born	January 22, 1931Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S.
Origin	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	December 11, 1964Los Angeles, California, U.S. Interred: Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California
Genre	R&B;, soul, gospel, pop
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, entrepreneur
Instrument	Vocals, piano, guitar
Years active	1950–1964
Label	Specialty, Keen, RCA
Associated acts	The Soul StirrersBobby WomackJohnnie Taylor }}

Samuel Cook, best known under the stage name Sam Cooke, (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964), was an American gospel, R&B;, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his vocal abilities and influence on the modern world of music. His contribution in pioneering Soul music led to the rise of Aretha Franklin, Bobby Womack, Al Green, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and popularizing the likes of Otis Redding and James Brown.

Cooke had 29 top-40 hits in the U.S. between 1957 and 1964. Major hits like "You Send Me", "A Change Is Gonna Come", "Cupid", "Chain Gang", "Wonderful World", and "Bring It on Home to Me" are some of his most popular songs. Cooke was also among the first modern black performers and composers to attend to the business side of his musical career. He founded both a record label and a publishing company as an extension of his careers as a singer and composer. He also took an active part in the American Civil Rights Movement.

On December 11, 1964, Cooke was fatally shot by the manager of the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 33. At the time, the courts ruled that Cooke was drunk and distressed, and that the manager had killed Cooke in what was later ruled a justifiable homicide. Since that time, the circumstances of his death have been widely questioned.

Early life and career

Cooke was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He later added an "e" onto the end of his name, though the reason for this is disputed. He was one of eight children of Annie Mae and the Reverend Charles Cook, a Baptist minister. He had a brother, L.C., who some years later would become a member of the doo-wop band Johnny Keyes and the Magnificents. The family moved to Chicago in 1933. Cooke attended Wendell Phillips Academy High School in Chicago, the same school that Nat "King" Cole had attended a few years earlier.

Cooke began his career singing gospel with his siblings in a group called ''The Singing Children''. He first became known as lead singer with the Highway QC's as a teenager. In 1950, Cooke replaced gospel tenor R.H. Harris as lead singer of the landmark gospel group The Soul Stirrers. Under Cooke's leadership, the group signed with Specialty Records and recorded the hits "Peace in the Valley", "How Far Am I From Canaan?", "Jesus Paid the Debt", and "One More River", among many other gospel songs.

Crossover pop success

His first pop single, "Lovable" (1956), was released under the alias "Dale Cook" in order not to alienate his gospel fan base (he sang with the Soul Stirrers until 1957); there was a considerable stigma against gospel singers performing secular music. However, it fooled no one - Cooke's unique and distinctive vocals were easily recognized. Art Rupe, head of Specialty Records, the label of the Soul Stirrers, gave his blessing for Cooke to record secular music under his real name, but he was unhappy about the type of music Cooke and producer Bumps Blackwell were making. Rupe expected Cooke's secular music to be similar to that of another Specialty Records artist, Little Richard. When Rupe walked in on a recording session and heard Cooke covering Gershwin, he was quite upset. After an argument between Rupe and Blackwell, Cooke and Blackwell left the label.

In 1957, Cooke appeared on ABC's ''The Guy Mitchell Show''. That same year, he signed with Keen Records. His first release "You Send Me", (the B-side of a reworking of George Gershwin's "Summertime") spent six weeks at #1 on the Billboard R&B; chart. The song also had mainstream success, spending three weeks at #1 on the Billboard pop chart.

In 1961, Cooke started his own record label, SAR Records, with J.W. Alexander and his manager, Roy Crain. The label soon included The Simms Twins, The Valentinos, Bobby Womack, and Johnnie Taylor. Cooke then created a publishing imprint and management firm, then left Keen to sign with RCA Victor. One of his first RCA singles was the hit "Chain Gang". It reached #2 on the Billboard pop chart and was followed by more hits, including "Sad Mood", "Bring it on Home to Me" (with Lou Rawls on backing vocals), "Another Saturday Night" and "Twistin' the Night Away".

Like most R&B; artists of his time, Cooke focused on singles; in all he had twenty-nine top-40 hits on the pop charts, and more on the R&B; charts. In spite of this, he released a well received blues-inflected LP in 1963, ''Night Beat'', and his most critically acclaimed studio album ''Ain't That Good News'', which featured five singles, in 1964.

Loss of son

In 1963, Cooke's 18 month old son, Vincent, wandered away from his mother's supervision and drowned in their front yard pool while Sam was away from the home. With their marriage already in trouble largely due to extramarital affairs by both Sam and his wife, Barbara, the distance between them deepened as Sam blamed Barbara for their son's death. Cooke retreated into a deep depression, and asked that no one wear black to the child's funeral. He found his escape in out-of-town performances, which he agreed to at every opportunity.

Death

Cooke died at the age of thirty-three on December 11, 1964, at the Hacienda Motel at 9137 South Figueroa Street in Los Angeles, California. Bertha Franklin, manager of the motel, told police that she shot and killed Cooke in self-defense because he had attacked her. Police found Cooke's body in Franklin's apartment-office, clad only in a sports jacket and shoes, but no shirt, pants or underwear. The shooting was ultimately ruled a justifiable homicide. His funeral was held in Chicago at A.R Leak Funeral Home, where thousands of fans had lined up for over four city blocks to view his body. Cooke was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

Some posthumous releases followed, many of which became hits, including "A Change Is Gonna Come", an early protest song that is generally regarded as his greatest composition. After Cooke's death, his widow, Barbara, married Bobby Womack. Cooke's daughter, Linda, later married Bobby's brother, Cecil.

Controversy

The details of the case involving Cooke's death are still in dispute. The official police record states that Cooke was shot dead by Bertha Franklin, manager of the Hacienda Motel, where Cooke had checked in earlier that evening. Franklin claimed that Cooke had broken into the manager's office-apartment in a rage, wearing nothing but a shoe and a sports coat demanding to know the whereabouts of a woman who had accompanied him to the hotel. Franklin said that the woman was not in the office and that she told Cooke this, but the enraged Cooke did not believe her and violently grabbed her, demanding again to know the woman's whereabouts. According to Franklin, she grappled with Cooke, the two of them fell to the floor, and she then got up and ran to retrieve her gun. She said that she then fired at Cooke, in self-defense, because she feared for her life. Cooke was struck once in the torso, and according to Franklin, he exclaimed, "Lady, you shot me," before mounting a last charge at her. She said that she beat him over his head with a broomstick before he finally fell, mortally wounded by the gunshot.

According to Franklin and the motel's owner, Evelyn Carr (whose last name is identified by some sources as ''Card'', rather than ''Carr''), they had been on the telephone together at the time of the incident. Thus, Carr claimed to have overheard Cooke's intrusion and the ensuing conflict and gunshots. Carr called the police to request that they go to the motel, informing them that she believed a shooting had occurred.

A coroner's inquest was convened to investigate the incident. The woman who had accompanied Cooke to the motel was identified as Elisa Boyer, who had also called the police that night shortly before Carr. Boyer had called the police from a telephone booth near the motel, telling them she had just escaped being kidnapped.

Boyer told the police that she had first met Cooke earlier that night and had spent the evening in his company. She claimed that after they left a local nightclub together, she had repeatedly requested that he take her home, but he instead took her against her will to the Hacienda Motel. She claimed that once in one of the motel's rooms, Cooke physically forced her onto the bed and that she was certain he was going to rape her. According to Boyer, when Cooke stepped into the bathroom for a moment, she quickly grabbed her clothes and ran from the room. She claimed that in her haste, she had also scooped up most of Cooke's clothing by mistake. She said that she ran first to the manager's office and knocked on the door seeking help. However, she said that the manager took too long in responding, so, fearing Cooke would soon be coming after her, she fled the motel altogether before the manager ever opened the door. She claimed she then put her own clothing back on, hid Cooke's clothing, and went to the telephone booth from which she called police.

Boyer's story is the only account of what happened between the two that night; however, her story has long been called into question. Inconsistencies between her version of events and details reported by other witnesses, as well as circumstantial evidence (e.g., thousands in cash that Cooke was reportedly carrying was never recovered, and Boyer was soon after arrested for prostitution), invited speculation that Boyer may have gone willingly to the motel with Cooke, then slipped out of the room with Cooke's clothing in order to rob him, rather than to escape an attempted rape.

Such questions were ultimately deemed beyond the scope of the inquest, whose purpose was to establish the circumstances of Franklin's role in the shooting, not to determine precisely what had transpired between Cooke and Boyer preceding the event. Boyer's leaving the motel room with almost all of Cooke's clothing, regardless of exactly why she did so, combined with the fact that tests showed Cooke was inebriated at the time, provided what inquest jurors deemed a plausible explanation for Cooke's bizarre behavior and state of dress, as reported by Franklin and Carr. This explanation, in conjunction with the fact that Carr's testimony corroborated Franklin's version of events, and the fact that police officials testified that both Boyer and Franklin had passed lie detector tests, was enough to convince the coroner's jury to accept Franklin's explanation, and return a verdict of justifiable homicide. With that verdict, authorities officially closed the case on Cooke's death.

Some of Cooke's family and supporters, however, have rejected Boyer's version of events, as well as those given by Franklin and Carr. They believe that there was a conspiracy to murder Cooke and that the murder took place in some manner entirely different from the three official accounts. In her autobiography, ''Rage to Survive'', singer Etta James claimed that she viewed Cooke's body in the funeral home and that the injuries she observed were well beyond what could be explained by the official account of Franklin alone having fought with Cooke. James described Cooke as having been so badly beaten that his head was nearly separated from his shoulders, his hands were broken and crushed, and his nose mangled.

No concrete evidence supporting a conspiracy theory has been presented to date.

Legacy and cultural impact

The song "A Change Is Gonna Come" was played upon the death of Malcolm X, and was featured in Spike Lee's film ''Malcolm X''. It also serves as title for a season six episode of ''The West Wing'' in which James Taylor performs a version of the song.

Rapper Tupac Shakur references Cooke in a line of the song "Thugz Mansion", and Nas references him in the song "We Major" with Kanye West. The Roots' song "Stay Cool" suggests, "I got the soul of a young Sam Cooke." The Irish rock-group Jetplane Landing have a song named "Sam Cooke". Canadian punk band The Riptides pay homage to Cooke in "Change Gonna Come". Steve Perry makes reference to Cooke's tragic death in "Captured by the Moment".

The Night Beats, a band from Seattle Washington, claim to have borrowed their name from Cooke's album ''Night Beat''.

He is once again mentioned by Nas on the song "Blunt Ashes". The rapper talks about the marriage between Bobby Womack and Sam Cooke's widow, suggesting Cooke’s discontent with the affair in the afterlife.

Rock star Rod Stewart once revealed to VH-1 that as a teen in the UK, he would lock himself in his room and spend hours studying Cooke's vocal phrasings.

A fictional version of Cooke (portrayed by Paul Mooney) appeared briefly in the 1978 film, ''The Buddy Holly Story'', leaving the stage at the Apollo Theater before Buddy and The Crickets went on. After being featured prominently in the 1985 film ''Witness'', the song "Wonderful World" gained further exposure. "Wonderful World" was featured in one of two concurrently running Levi's Jeans commercials in 1985 and became a hit in the United Kingdom because of this, reaching #2 in re-release. Two of Cooke's songs, "Cupid" and "Twistin' the Night Away" were also prominently featured in the 1987 movie, ''Innerspace''. Other movies that featured his music are ''Animal House'' ("Wonderful World" and "Twistin' the Night Away"), ''An American Werewolf in London'', and ''Cadence'' ("Chain Gang").

Cooke's songs "Bring It on Home to Me" and "A Change is Gonna Come" were both featured in the 2001 film ''Ali''. The opening scene of the movie consisted of a live reenactment of "Bring It on Home to Me". Al Green's cover of "A Change Is Gonna Come" is featured during the death scene of Malcolm X.

Alternative rock band The Wallflowers song "Sleepwalker" from their 2000 album (Breach) featured the lyric "Cupid don't draw back your bow/Sam Cooke didn't know what I know." The words are a reference to Cooke's song, "Cupid".

John Cougar Mellencamp's song "Ain't Even Done With the Night" contains the line "You got your hands in my back pockets, and Sam Cooke's singin' on the radio."

R. Kelly performed "A Change Gonna Come", during the Ladies Make Some Noise Tour in September 2009 in New York City.

Colin Meloy of The Decemberists released a tour-only EP entitled ''Colin Meloy Sings Sam Cooke''. The album was released to accompany his 2008 solo tour, and features five cover songs. "Cupid", "Summertime", "Thats Where Its At", "Good Times", and "Bring it on Home to Me".

The song was featured in Tyler Perry's 2007 film Daddy's Little Girls.

Matt Embree frequently covers "Bring It On Home" at RX Bandits live shows.

Posthumous honors

Shortly following his passing, Motown Records released ''We Remember Sam Cooke'', a collection of Cooke covers recorded by The Supremes.

In 1986, Cooke was inducted as a charter member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1999, Cooke was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked him #16 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". In 2008, Cooke was named the fourth "Greatest Singer of All Time" by ''Rolling Stone''.

Discography

Further reading

''Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke'' by Peter Guralnick (2005) ISBN 0-316-37794-5

''Our Uncle Sam: The Sam Cooke Story from His Family's Perspective'' by Erik Greene (2005) ISBN 1-412-06498-8

''You Send Me: The Life and Times of Sam Cooke'' by Daniel Wolff, S. R. Crain, Clifton White, and G. David Tenenbaum (1995) ISBN 0-688-12403-8

References

External links

SongsofSamCooke.com

Sam Cooke (ABKCO Homepage)

Rosco Gordon interview

History of Rock and Roll: Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke in the Encyclopedia of Gratitude

Category:1931 births Category:1964 deaths Category:1964 crimes in the United States Category:African American singers Category:American gospel singers Category:American male singers Category:American soul musicians Category:Specialty Records artists Category:RCA Victor artists Category:African Americans' rights activists Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Category:Musicians from Chicago, Illinois Category:Deaths by firearm in California Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Category:Musicians from Mississippi Category:Murdered African-American people Category:Murdered musicians Category:People from Clarksdale, Mississippi Category:People from Chicago, Illinois Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees‎ Category:Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees

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David Elliot is a New Zealand illustrator, known internationally for his contributions to the ''Redwall'' fantasy series by British author, Brian Jacques. He has illustrated the last six ''Redwall'' books and also the Mossflower Anniversary Edition (with full-page illustrations). He also illustrated the second and third volumes of Jacques' ''Castaways of the Flying Dutchman'' series and American author, T. A. Barron's ''The Great Tree of Avalon'' series, beginning with ''Child of the Dark Prophecy''. Most recently he has provided illustrations for ''Time Magazine'' editor Jeffrey Kluger's first book for children, ''Nacky Patcher and the Curse of the Dry Land Boats'', due to be published in 2007.

Recent publications within New Zealand include illustrations for Janet Frame's only book for children, ''Mona Minim and the Smell of the Sun'' and also ''The Smell of Powder'', a book on New Zealand dueling, by Dr. Donald Kerr, both published in 2006. His most recent project is ''The Hunting of the Snark'', by Lewis Carroll (Private Press edition, with the University of Otago in Dunedin).

Biography

Elliot was born in 1952, in Ashburton, in the South Island of New Zealand. He has a Fine Arts Diploma in painting, from the University of Canterbury, in Christchurch, and is also a qualified school teacher. He currently resides in Dunedin.

External links

David Elliot's Website

Redwall Wikia lists David Elliot's Publications

Category:1946 births Category:Living people Category:University of Canterbury alumni Category:New Zealand artists