Were the conspirators who created fitnah and murdered Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA) Muslims or Kharijites?

 

Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA) was the fourth Caliph, a cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) (husband of Hazrat Fatimah [RA]), and a distinguished companion in Islamic history. He was a symbol of justice, religious devotion, and bravery, and a vast source of Islamic knowledge and jurisprudence.

When and how was Hazrat Ali (RA) martyred?

On the 17th of Ramadan in the year 40 Hijri (661 CE), during the Fajr prayer in the mosque of Kufa, a man influenced by the Kharijite ideology named Ibn Muljam attacked him with a poisoned sword. Due to this fatal injury, he passed away two days later.

Who killed him?

A man named Abdur Rahman ibn Muljam, who considered himself strictly religious and identified with the Kharijite sect, assassinated Hazrat Ali (RA). He believed that the deaths of three leaders — Ali (RA), Muawiyah (RA), and Amr ibn al-As — would bring benefit to Islam. Viewing this as a religious duty, he carried out the murder.

Why was Hazrat Ali (RA) killed?

The root causes of this assassination were political conflict and distorted religious beliefs. The Kharijites believed that Hazrat Ali (RA), by agreeing to arbitration (tahkim) with Muawiyah (RA), had allowed human judgment to override Allah's, which they considered disbelief (kufr). This flawed interpretation led them to revolt against him.

The Kharijites declared Ali (RA) a disbeliever and assassinated him on that basis. Ironically, most of those who rebelled against him were memorizers of the Qur’an (huffaz). They had long beards and visible prayer marks on their foreheads from excessive prostration. Their leader, Abdullah ibn Wahb al-Rasibi, was so devoted to worship that the skin on his body had dried out from continuous prostration. The Kharijites who conspired to kill Ali (RA) deliberately waited for the month of Ramadan, believing that killing a disbeliever during this holy month would earn them greater reward.

A woman named Qitam bint Shajnah, known for her beauty, told Ibn Muljam: “If you want to marry me, you must first kill Ali.” This woman also spent her days and nights in the mosque in constant worship and devotion.  At one point, Ibn Muljam told his companion Shabib: “Do you seek prosperity in this world and the Hereafter? If so, you must kill Ali.” While striking Hazrat Ali (RA) with his sword, Ibn Muljam was loudly reciting verses of the Qur’an. As he attacked, he said: “No ruling belongs to anyone except Allah. O Ali! You have no right, and neither do your followers.”

At that moment, he was reciting Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 207: “And among the people is he who sells himself, seeking the pleasure of Allah. And Allah is kind to His servants.”

Perspective from the Qur’an and Hadith:

• The Qur’an clearly declares: “Whoever kills a person [unjustly]... it is as if he had killed all mankind.”(Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:32)
• The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) foretold: “O Ali, you will be with the truth, and a misguided group will fight against you.”

Conclusion:

The primary tactic of the Kharijites was to claim themselves as the best Muslims while declaring everyone else as disbelievers or deviants. This mindset, sadly, still exists today. After the Battle of Nahrawan, when Hazrat Ali (RA) defeated the Kharijites, his soldiers said: “O Commander of the Faithful! Praise be to Allah who has eradicated the Kharijites.”

But Hazrat Ali (RA) responded: “Never! By Allah, they still exist in the backs of men and the wombs of women. Whenever they emerge, they will cause mischief and spread fitnah against whoever they encounter.”This prophecy of Hazrat Ali (RA) remains visible even in our time.