Who Is Imam Ali?
There is no figure in Islamic history — after the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) himself — who shaped the Bohra community’s theology, spirituality, and identity more than Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS). He is:
- The first male to accept Islam — at approximately age 10, in the household of the Prophet himself
- The Wasi (Executor) of the Prophet — his designated successor in religious authority
- The husband of Maulatona Fatema al-Zahra (AS)
- The father of Imam Hasan (2nd Imam), Imam Husain (3rd Imam), Sayyida Zainab, and Umm Kulthum
- The Asas (Foundation) of the Prophet’s ta’wil in Fatimid Ismaili doctrine
- The first Imam of the Shia — the first in the unbroken line of Imams that reaches to the present day
His birthday, 13 Rajab, is celebrated by the Bohra community. His martyrdom, 21 Ramadan, is commemorated — falling in the blessed nights of Ramadan.
The One Born Inside the Kaaba
Imam Ali (AS) was born in Mecca on the 13th of Rajab, approximately 600 CE. He holds the singular distinction of being the only person in Islamic history to have been born inside the Kaaba — the House of Allah in Mecca. When his mother Fatima bint Asad approached the Kaaba on the verge of labor, the wall of the Kaaba opened to receive her, and she gave birth inside the sacred enclosure.
His father was Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib — the uncle of the Prophet (SAW) who spent decades protecting the Prophet from the Quraysh. When Abu Talib faced financial hardship, the Prophet took the young Ali into his household and raised him as his own. They were, in the deepest sense, a family — and they remained so until the very end.
His childhood name was Haydar (Lion). The Prophet named him Ali — the Exalted One.
First Believer
When the Prophet (SAW) received the first revelation in the Cave of Hira and began calling people to Islam secretly, the very first to answer was Sayyida Khadija (AS), his wife. The second was the young Ali (AS). He is thus the first male Muslim in history — a distinction he bore with pride throughout his life.
He grew up entirely within the prophetic household, never prostrating to an idol, never taking part in the pre-Islamic practices of the Quraysh. His Islam was therefore the most organically formed — not a conversion from something, but a life lived from the very beginning within the light of prophethood.
The Night of the Hijra — Laylat al-Mabit
In 622 CE, when the Quraysh plotted to assassinate the Prophet on the night before the Hijra (migration) to Medina, it was Imam Ali (AS) who slept in the Prophet’s bed to serve as a decoy — knowing that the assassins would kill whoever was in that bed.
He wrapped himself in the Prophet’s green cloak and lay down. The Quraysh surrounded the house through the night. When they burst in at dawn, they found Ali. The Prophet had already left safely for Medina.
This act of self-sacrifice — lying in the bed of the Prophet with assassins circling the house — is among the most celebrated moments in Islamic history. The Quran revealed immediately after:
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَشرِي نَفسَهُ ابتِغَاءَ مَرضَاتِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ رَءُوفٌ بِالعِبَادِ (Quran 2:207)
“And among the people is one who sells himself seeking the pleasure of Allah — and Allah is most kind to His servants.”
Classical commentators identify this verse as revealed about Ali (AS) on this night.
Gates and Swords
Two sayings of the Prophet define Imam Ali’s role in the transmission of knowledge and the defense of truth:
أَنَا مَدِينَةُ الْعِلْمِ وَعَلِيٌّ بَابُهَا “I am the City of Knowledge, and Ali is its Gate.”
لَا فَتَى إِلَّا عَلِيٌّ وَلَا سَيفَ إِلَّا ذُو الفِقَار “There is no youth like Ali, and there is no sword like Dhul Fiqar.”
Dhul Fiqar — the two-pointed sword — is the legendary weapon of Imam Ali, given to him by the Prophet at the Battle of Uhud. It became the symbol of his courage and his justice. Its image appears in Bohra and Shia art and architecture across the world.
At the Battle of Khaybar — the fortress of the Jewish tribe that had turned against the Muslims — no one could breach its defenses. The Prophet announced:
“Tomorrow I will give the flag to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and whom Allah and His Messenger love — he will not flee, and Allah will grant victory through him.”
The next morning, he called for Ali, who was suffering from an eye ailment. The Prophet placed his saliva on Ali’s eyes (they were healed) and handed him the flag. Ali then went forward and uprooted the gate of the Khaybar fortress with his bare hands, using it as a shield — a feat that remains legendary in Islamic history.
Ghadir Khumm — The Moment of Designation
After the Farewell Pilgrimage (Hajjat al-Wada’) in 10 AH, on the 18th of Dhul Hijjah, the Prophet (SAW) stopped the entire caravan — perhaps 100,000 pilgrims — at a watering place called Ghadir Khumm near Juhfa.
He commanded that a makeshift platform be constructed from camel saddles and delivered a lengthy sermon. He then took the hand of Imam Ali (AS) and raised it, and proclaimed:
مَن كُنتُ مَولَاهُ فَعَلِيٌّ مَولَاه اللَّهُمَّ وَالِ مَن وَالَاهُ وَعَادِ مَن عَادَاهُ
“Whoever I am his master (mawla), Ali is his master. O Allah, befriend those who befriend him, and oppose those who oppose him.”
This event — the Ghadir Declaration — is the single most important moment in Shia and Ismaili history. It is the explicit designation of Imam Ali as the rightful successor to the Prophet in the presence of the entire Muslim community. The 18th of Dhul Hijjah is celebrated as Eid al-Ghadir — one of the most joyful occasions in the Bohra calendar.
In Bohra Adhan, the Shia Shahada is recited as a third declaration after the main two: Ashhadu anna Aliyyan Waliyullah — I bear witness that Ali is the Friend/Guardian of Allah.
The Caliphate and the Wars
After the death of the Prophet (SAW), the caliphate was disputed. Imam Ali (AS) waited 25 years — through the caliphates of Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman — before the community at last turned to him in 35 AH. He accepted the caliphate and moved the capital of the Islamic world to Kufa.
His caliphate (35-40 AH) was marked by three major conflicts:
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The Battle of the Camel (36 AH): Against Aisha (the Prophet’s wife), Talha, and Zubair at Basra. Imam Ali (AS) won decisively. He treated the defeated with extraordinary mercy — releasing prisoners, forbidding looting, and personally ensuring Aisha was safely escorted back to Medina.
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The Battle of Siffin (37 AH): Against Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, the governor of Syria who refused to accept Imam Ali’s authority and demanded that Ali hand over those responsible for the killing of Uthman. The battle was long and inconclusive; it ended with an arbitration agreement that Muawiyah ultimately manipulated to his advantage.
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The Battle of Nahrawan (38 AH): Against the Kharijites — those who had originally supported Ali but then turned against him when he agreed to arbitration, declaring lā ḥukma illā lillāh (“there is no judgment but Allah’s”) and accusing Ali of unbelief. The battle was decisive but produced an ongoing movement of Kharijite violence against the Muslim community.
His Martyrdom — 21 Ramadan
On the 19th of Ramadan, 40 AH, Imam Ali (AS) went to the Great Mosque of Kufa for the Fajr prayer. A Kharijite named Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam struck him on the head with a sword poisoned with the most lethal poison known at the time.
Imam Ali (AS) lingered for two days. He died on the 21st of Ramadan — a date that falls in the sacred last ten days of Ramadan, in the blessed nights that include Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power). His martyrdom on this night means that 21st Ramadan is observed by Bohras as a night of mourning — the death of the Ameer al-Mumineen, the Lion of Allah.
He is buried in Najaf, Iraq — the city that grew around his shrine and is now one of the holiest cities in the Islamic world. The Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf draws millions of pilgrims each year.
He requested that his burial place not be revealed, fearing that the enemies of the Ahl al-Bayt would desecrate his grave. For a period, the grave was secret. The Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (6th Imam) later revealed it openly.
His Wisdom — Nahj al-Balagha
Imam Ali (AS) was not only a warrior and a ruler — he was a scholar, a philosopher, a poet, and a spiritual master of the highest order. His speeches, letters, and short aphorisms were compiled by Sharif al-Radi in the 10th century CE under the title Nahj al-Balagha (The Peak of Eloquence) — one of the greatest works of Arabic literature ever produced, alongside the Quran.
From Nahj al-Balagha:
“Ask me before you lose me — for I know the paths of the heaven more than I know the paths of the earth.”
“The tongue of the wise man lies behind his heart, and the heart of the fool lies behind his tongue.”
“Be a helper to the oppressed and an opponent to the oppressor.”
“Whoever sets himself up as a leader of the people must begin by educating himself before educating others.”
The Asas — In Bohra Ta’wil
In the Fatimid Ismaili ta’wil (esoteric interpretation) that is the inheritance of the Bohra community, Imam Ali (AS) occupies a role of cosmic theological significance.
The Prophet (SAW) is the Natiq — the Speaker of the divine Word, who brings the revealed Law (shariah) to humanity. Imam Ali is the Asas — the Foundation — who opens the inner meaning (ta’wil) of that Word. While the Prophet speaks the Law, the Imam reveals its spirit.
This means that the entire tradition of ta’wil — of unlocking the deeper layers of Quranic meaning — flows from Imam Ali through the successive Imams down to the Dais. The Bohra tradition of learning and spiritual interpretation traces directly back to him.
Living With His Memory
Every day, the Bohra mumin names him in prayer:
أَشهَدُ أَنَّ مَولَانَا عَلِيًّا وَصِيُّهُ وَوَزِيرُهُ “I bear witness that our Mawla Ali is his (the Prophet’s) wasi and his minister.”
His name appears in every adhan. His birth is celebrated on 13 Rajab. His martyrdom is mourned on 21 Ramadan. His designation is celebrated on 18 Dhul Hijjah at Eid al-Ghadir. The sword that bears his name — Dhul Fiqar — is a symbol of truth and justice that no enemy could ultimately overcome.
The prayer at his shrine in Najaf echoes across centuries:
السَّلَامُ عَلَيكَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤمِنِينَ السَّلَامُ عَلَيكَ يَا وَلِيَّ اللَّهِ السَّلَامُ عَلَيكَ يَا حُجَّةَ اللَّهِ عَلَى خَلقِهِ
Peace be upon you, O Commander of the Faithful. Peace be upon you, O Friend of Allah. Peace be upon you, O Proof of Allah upon His creation.
اللَّهُمَّ ارزُقنَا مَحَبَّتَهُ وَوِلَايَتَهُ وَشَفَاعَتَهُ يَومَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُون O Allah, grant us his love, his wilayat, and his intercession on the Day when neither wealth nor children will avail.