"By the God of the Kaaba, I have gained salvation": A Retrospective on the Final Hours of the World’s First Oppressed

Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), was wounded at the Mosque of Kufa at dawn on the 19th of the holy month of Ramadan in the year 40 AH, following a conspiracy by the Khawarij at the hands of Ibn Muljam al-Muradi. He subsequently attained martyrdom on the night of the 21st of Ramadan.

A group of Khawarij gathered following the Hajj pilgrimage, where three individuals ultimately pledged to assassinate Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), Muawiya, and Amr ibn al-As. Ibn Muljam undertook the commitment to assassinate Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him). On the night of the 19th of Ramadan, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) was a guest at the home of his daughter, Umm Kulthum.

The State of Amir al-Muminin

On the night of the 19th of the holy month of Ramadan, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) repeatedly exited and re-entered the house, looking toward the sky. In a state of supplication and lamentation, he recited Surah al-Yasin and said: “O Allah, bless me with death.” He then recited: “Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we shall return,” while frequently repeating the dhikr: “There is no power nor strength except in Allah, the Most High, the Almighty.” He also recited numerous salutations (Salawat) and sought divine forgiveness .

Ibn Shahr Ashub and others have narrated: “His Eminence remained awake throughout that night and, contrary to his usual habit, did not go out for the night prayer.” It is also narrated that during that night, His Eminence remained awake, looking at the sky, and stating: “By Allah, I do not lie, nor have I been lied to; this is the night in which I was promised martyrdom.”(1)

A Request from the Father

It is narrated by Umm Kulthum, the daughter of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him): “When the night of the 19th of Ramadan arrived, my father came home and stood for prayer. I prepared a tray for his Iftar containing two loaves of barley bread, a bowl of milk, and a quantity of ground salt.

When he finished his prayer and observed the tray, he wept and said: ‘My daughter, have you prepared two side dishes for me on a single tray? Do you not know that I follow my brother and cousin, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)? My daughter, whoever has finer food and clothing in this world will face a longer standing before Allah on the day Resurrection. My daughter, for that which is lawful in this world, there is an accounting; and for that which is unlawful, there is punishment”.

Then, he reminded her of the asceticism and simple lifestyle of the Seal of Prophets (PBUH) and said: ‘By God, I shall not break my fast until you take away one of these two dishes.’ So, I took away the bowl of milk, and he consumed a small portion of barley bread with salt. He then offered praise and thanks to God, rose, and stood for prayer. He remained continuously engaged in bowing and prostrating, supplicating before the Almighty.

Afterward, Umm Kulthum said: ‘O father, why are you awake tonight, and what is the reason for your restlessness?'”

His Eminence replied: “In the morning, I shall be martyred.”

His daughter suggested: “Tell Ja’dah (the son of Hubayrah, whose mother was Umm Hani, the sister of Amir al-Muminin [peace be upon him]) to go to the mosque and lead the prayer in your place.”

Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him)stated: “There is no escaping the divine decree,” and prepared himself to depart for the mosque.(2)

The Cries of the Waterfowl

As dawn approached, Ibn Nabah, the muezzin of His Eminence, came out and recited Adhan. Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him)rose to go to the mosque. Upon reaching the door of the house, several ducks—contrary to their usual behavior-approached him, flapping their wings and crying out. Some attempted to drive them away, but His Eminence stated: “Leave them be, for they are crying out, and after me, there shall be lamentations.”

Umm Kulthum (or according to one report, Imam Hasan [peace be upon him]) asked: “O father, why do you interpret this as an ill omen?”

Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him)replied: “I do not interpret it as an ill omen, but my heart bears witness that I shall be slain; these were words of truth that flowed from my tongue.”

He then gave instructions to Umm Kulthum to take care of the ducks, stating: “O my daughter, do not neglect them; for they are voiceless and unable to speak. Whenever they are hungry or thirsty, feed them and give them water; otherwise, release them so they may go and eat from the plants of the earth.”

When he reached the door, the hook of the door caught his belt, causing it to come loose from his waist. His Eminence tightened the belt firmly and recited two verses of poetry.

The historian Amin Mas’udi stated that the door of his house was made from the trunk of a palm tree and would not open easily; opening it had become difficult. Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him)removed the door from its place, set it aside, cleared his path, closed the door firmly, and recited these two verses:

The essence of the verses is: “O Ali, fasten your belt for death, for death will surely meet you; do not show distress when death settles in your abode; and be not deceived by the world even if it accords with you, for just as time has made you laugh, it shall also make you weep.”

He then said: “O Allah, bless me with death and make my meeting with You auspicious.”

Upon hearing these words, Umm Kulthum cried out in lamentation. Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) followed his father outside. When he reached him, he said: “I wish to be with you.”

Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him)replied: “I adjure you by the right I have over you that you must return.”

Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) returned to the house, and both he and Umm Kulthum remained sorrowful and grieved due to the state and the words they had witnessed from their noble father.(3)

Amir al-Muminin’s (peace be upon him)Final Adhan

Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) entered the mosque, but the lamps were extinguished. His Eminence performed several rukas of prayer in the darkness and engaged in post-prayer supplications for a time. He then ascended to the roof of the mosque and recited the Adhan. When His Eminence called the Adhan, there was no house in Kufa but that his voice reached it. He then descended from the minaret while reciting Salawat, and thereafter recited these few verses:

‘Clear the way for the believer who strives in the cause of God, who worships none but the One, and awakens the people for the mosques.’

Awakening Ibn Muljam

Then he went to the mosque courtyard while calling out ‘Prayer, Prayer!’ and awakening the sleepers for the prayer. The accursed Ibn Muljam had been awake all that night, contemplating the grave deed he intended to commit. As Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) was awakening the sleepers, he [Ibn Muljam] was among them, lying on his stomach and concealing his poisoned sword beneath his clothes. When Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) reached him, he said: ‘Rise for prayer and do not sleep in this manner, for this is the sleep of devils; sleep on your right side, which is the sleep of believers; or on your left side, which is the sleep of the wise; or on your back, which is the sleep of prophets.’

Then he added: ‘You intend to do something whose time is near, a deed from which the heavens might almost burst, the earth split asunder, and the mountains fall in ruin. I could tell you what you have hidden under your garment.’ He then passed by him, went to the mihrab (prayer niche), and stood for prayer.

“By the God of the Kaaba, I have gained salvation”

Even though Ibn Muljam had heard that the most wretched of the Ummah would kill Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), and had sometimes said to Qatam, ‘I fear I might be that person and yet not achieve my desire,’ he spent the night until dawn contemplating this momentous act. Finally, the flood of his wretchedness swept away all diverse thoughts, and he solidified his resolve to kill Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him).He positioned himself by the pillar near the mihrab, while Wardan and Shubaib lurked in a corner.

When the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) raised his head from the first prostration of the first rak’ah, Shubaib attacked first with the intent to kill him, shouting: “Judgment belongs to Allah, O Ali, not to you or your companions; judgment is reserved for Allah, and you cannot judge and delegate the matter of religion to the governance of the two arbiters.” He drew his sword, but it struck the arch and missed its mark.

Following him, Ibn Muljam stepped forward and drew his sword. Uttering these words, he brought the sword down upon the crown of Amir al-Muminin’s (peace be upon him)head. The blow landed exactly on the previous wound inflicted by Amr ibn Abd Wudd (one of the slain leaders of the Quraysh in the Battle of Khandaq) and split the Imam’s head.

Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) cried out: “In the name of Allah, by Allah, and upon the creed of the Messenger of Allah; By the God of the Kaaba, I have gained salvation”!(6)

Identification of the Assassin

Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) shouted: “The son of the Jewess, Ibn Muljam, has killed me; seize him!”

Upon hearing the voice of His Eminence, those in the mosque apprehended that accursed man. A clamor arose, and the people were overcome with distress. They rushed toward the mihrab and found His Eminence fallen, his noble head split open. He was picking up dust and placing it upon the wound while reciting this verse:

مِنْها خَلَقْناكُمْ وَ فِيها نُعِيدُكُمْ وَ مِنْها نُخْرِجُكُمْ تارَةً أُخْرى؛

“From the earth We created you, and into it We will return you, and from it We will bring you forth once again.” (7)

The Fulfillment of the Promise of Allah and Prophet

The people saw that the blood from his head was flowing onto his noble beard, which was dyed with his blood. Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) stated: “This is what Allah and His Messenger promised us; the command of Allah has arrived, and the words of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his famliy) have come true.” (8)

The Call of Gabriel

Gabriel called out between the heavens and the earth such that the people heard him, saying:

“By Allah, the pillars of guidance have collapsed; the stars of the knowledge of Prophethood have been obscured; the signs of piety have been obliterated; the Firmest Handle (al-Urwah al-Wuthqa) of Allah has been severed. The cousin of Muhammad al-Mustafa (peace be upon him and his family) has been killed. The Chosen Successor, Ali al-Murtada, has been killed. He was martyred by the most wretched of the wretched.” (9)

Events Following the Assault

When Umm Kulthum heard Gabriel’s call announcing the martyrdom of the Master, she struck her face, rent her garment, and cried out: “O my father! O Ali! O Muhammad!”

The Hasanein (Imams Hasan and Hussain, peace be upon them) ran from the house toward the mosque. They saw the people lamenting and crying out: “O Imam! O Commander of the Faithful! By Allah, the worshipful Imam and mujahid, who never prostrated to idols and was the most similar person to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), has been martyred.”

When Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) entered the mosque, he raised a cry of lamentation for his father and said: “I wish I had died and not seen this day.”

As he approached the mihrab, he saw his noble father fallen while Abu Ja’dah and a group of companions and Ansar were present, intending to raise His Eminence so that he might lead the people in prayer, but he lacked the strength. Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) then appointed Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) to lead the prayer in his place. His Eminence performed his prayer sitting down, leaning to the left and right due to the intensity of the pain. When Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) finished the prayer, he took his father’s head into his lap and said: “O father! My back is broken; how can I see you in this state?”

“The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) opened his eyes and said: ‘O my son! From this day forward, your father shall know no pain or suffering. Behold, your grandfather Muhammad al-Mustafa ((peace be upon him and his family), your grandmother Khadijah al-Kubra ((peace be upon her)), your mother Fatimah (peace be upon her), and the maidens of Paradise are present, awaiting your father. Rejoice and cease your weeping, for your tears have made the angels of heaven weep.’

They bound the wound on his head tightly with Amir al-Muminin’s (peace be upon him)own cloak and carried him from the mihrab to the center of the mosque. The news of the Commander of the Faithful’s martyrdom spread throughout the city of Kufa. Men and women rushed toward the mosque, where they saw Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) with his head resting in the lap of Imam Hasan (peace be upon him). Despite the wound being bound tightly, blood continued to flow, and his blessed face had turned from pale yellow to white. He gazed toward the heavens, his blessed tongue occupied with the glorification and sanctification of God, saying:

‘O God, I ask of You the company of the Prophets and the Successors, and the highest stations of the Paradise .’

When he lost consciousness, Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) wept, and as the drops of his tears fell upon his noble father’s face, the Imam regained consciousness. He opened his eyes and said: ‘O my son! Why do you weep and lament? After me, you shall be martyred by the poison of oppression, and your brother Hussain by the edge of the sword; and both of you shall be reunited with your grandfather, your father, and your mother.'”(10)

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