Ali ibn Abi Talib, Commemoration Days for

Ali ibn Abi Talib (c. 597–661), the son-in-law of Muhammad and the fourth caliph of the Muslim community, would be designated the first Imam in the lineage of leaders of the Shi’a Muslim community.
Ali’s career was somewhat suppressed after his father-in-law died. Though married to Muhammad’s daughter Fatima, he was passed over as the successor to lead the young community. He dutifully recognized the first three caliphs—Abu Bakr (d. 634), Umar ibn al-Khattab (d. 644), and Uthman ibn Affan (d. 656)—and finally was elected the fourth caliph, but only after Uthman’s murder. Ali was, in turn, assassinated in 661 after what proved a tumultuous reign.

Ali’s demonstrated courage in the midst of the battle at Badr (624) had won him many supporters, and later contributed to his hero-like status among the Shi’as. The Shi’a leadership concluded that he was the rightful successor to Muhammad, that he had been appointed by the Prophet, and that Ali’s commission was carried by his descandants. Angry at Ali’s murder, they became even more defiant enemies of the Sunni Muslims after the massacre of Ali’s son al-Husayn along with his companions at the Battle of Karbala (680).

As the Shi’a Muslims established themselves in what is now Iraq, they turned Ali’s shrine into a pilgrimage site. Today they celebrate his birthday (on the 13th day of the Muslim month of Rajab); the anniversary of his appointment by Muhammad to lead the Muslim community (the feast of Ghadir Khumm on the 18th day of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah); and his death (on the 21st day of the month of Ramadan). During these days, Shi’a Muslims will gather at the mosque and have a variety of activities that might include a communal feast, a program concerning the life of Imam Ali, reading from the Qur’an, and a time for prayer.

References
Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari. The History of al-Tabari. Translated by C. E. Bosworth et al. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1985. Hafri, S. H. M. The Origins and Early Development of Shia Islam. London: Longman, 1979. Madelung, Wilferd. The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1977. Shadhan, Ibn. One Hundred Virtues of Ali ibn Abi-Talib. Qum, Iran: Ansariyan Publications, 2006.

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