Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of Mohammed. He was born in 600 and died in 660. He was the first of his converts, and the bravest and most faithful of his adherents. He married Fatima, the daughter of the prophet, but after the death of Mohammed in 632 his claims to the caliphate were set aside in favour successively of Abu-Bekr, Omar, and Othman. On the assassination of Othman, in 656, he became caliph, and after a series of struggles with his opponents, including Ayesha, widow of Mohammed, finally lost his life by assassination at Kufa in 660. A Mohammedan schism arose after his death, and has produced two sects. One sect, called the Shiites, put Ali on a level with Mohammed, and do not acknowledge the three caliphs who preceded Ali. They are regarded as heretics by the other sect, called Sunnites. The Maxims and Hymns of Ali are yet extant. Research Ali
Caliph, or calif or khalif (vicegerent) is the name assumed by the successors of Mohammed in the government of the faithful and in the high-priesthood. Caliphate is therefore the name given to the empire of these princes which the Arabs founded in Asia, and enlarged, within a few centuries, to a dominion exceeding even the Roman empire in extent. The appellation of caliph has long ago been swallowed up in Shah, Sultan, Emir, and other titles peculiar to the East.
Mohammed having died without naming his successor, three rival parties appeared immediately after his death. The first was headed by Omar, a kinsman of the prophet, who demanded the election of Abu Bekr, Mohammed's father-in-law. The second party was headed by Ali, the husband of Fatima, the prophet's daughter, who declared for himself. The third party consisted of people of Medina, who demanded the election of one of themselves. Abu Bekr was chosen in 632, and prosecuting the conquest of Syria, he defeated the Byzantine emperor Heraclius and took Damascus. His successor, Omar, completed the conquest of Syria, took Jerusalem, subjugated Egypt, and defeated the Persians. He is said to have erected over 1500 mosques. He was succeeded by Othman, or Osman, who completed the conquest of Persia and other Eastern countries, extended his dominion in Africa, and took Cyprus and Rhodes. Othman was succeeded by Ali, who is regarded as the first legitimate possessor of the dignity by a numerous sect of Mohammedans, which gives him and his son, Hassan, almost equal honour with the prophet. During his reign a great schism divided the Mohammedans into two sects called the Sunnites and the Shiites, the former acknowledging the authority of all the caliphs, the latter acknowledging only Ali and his descendants.
Ali was murdered in 660, and his son Hassan in 661, when Moawiyah, the founder of the dynasty of the Ommiyades, became caliph, and transferred his capital from Medina to Damascus. His army continued the conquest of Northern Africa, and twice unsuccessfully attacked Constantinople (Istanbul). Carthage was taken in 698, after which the Mohammedans encountered no serious opposition in Northern Africa.
From the union of the Arabic and Berber races of Africa sprung the Moors of Saracenic history. The conquest of Spain immediately followed, Tarik, the lieutenant of the Saracen general, Musa, having totally defeated the King of the Goths. The caliphate now extended from the Oxus and Indus to the Atlantic. In 732 a great host of Islamic soldiers crossed the Pyrenees and invaded France, but were totally defeated at Tours by Charles Martel. In 755 the Mohammedan dominion split up into the Eastern and Western Caliphates, the western caliph having Spain, with his capital at Cordova; and the eastern including Northern Africa, with the capital at Bagdad. The former was ruled by a series of Ommiyade caliphs; the latter by the dynasty of the Abbasides.
The most celebrated of the Abbaside caliphs of Bagdad was Haroun al Rashid (Aaron the Just), 786-808, under whom learning, science, and art were in a flourishing state. Subsequently the Islamic kingdom lost province after province, and the temporal authority of the caliph of Bagdad was destroyed. Numerous independent dynasties were set up, the most important of which was that of the Fatimites, founded by an African Saracen who claimed descent from Fatima the daughter of the prophet.
This dynasty conquered Sicily and several parts of Italy, Egypt, and Palestine. It came to an end in 1171. In 1031 the Western Caliphate ceased, and the Saracenic dominions in Spain was broken up into several small states. The most brilliant period of the Western Caliphate was in the 9th and 10th centuries, when literature, science, and art were in more flourishing condition than anywhere else in Europe. The Eastern Caliphate lingered on until 1258, when Bagdad was taken and sacked by the Mongols. Research Caliph
Fatima Bint Mohammed The Prophet was the daughter of the prophetMohammed and his first wife, Khadija. She was born in 606 at Mecca and died in 632. She married her cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib and by him had two sons, Hasan and Husain, who were the only male perpetuators of Mohammed's family. Shiah Muslims believe that Fatima is divine and believe that one of her descendants will return to earth to rule as the divine Mahdi, and hold her in a similar role to the Catholic Virgin Mary. Research Fatima
The Fatimite Dynasty was a line of caliphs claiming descent from Fatima, the favourite daughter of Muhammed, and of Ali her cousin, to whom she was married. In the year 909 Abu-Muhammed Obeidalla, giving himself out as the grandson of Fatima, endeavoured to pass himself off as the Mahdi or Messiah predicted by the Koran. Denounced as an impostor by the reigning caliph of Bagdad he fled into Egypt, became caliph of Tunis, and soon conquered all Northern Africa from the Straits of Gibraltar to the borders of Egypt. His son wrested Egypt from the Abbasides in 970 and founded Cairo. The Fatimite dynasty was extinguished on the death of Adhed, the fourteenthcaliph, and a new line began with Saladin. Research Fatimite Dynasty
In Syrian Arab mythology, Fatima is the great goddess of the moon and fate. The source of the Sun and the virgin Queen of Heaven. She is represented as the Tree of Paradise. Research Fatima
In Islam, the hand of Fatima represents the hand of God, divine power, providence and generosity. The thumb is the Prophet and the fingers are his four companions, the first his daughter the lady Fatima, second Ali her husband, third and fourth are Hasan and Husain, their sons. The
hand of Fatima is believed to ward off the evil eye, and is a powerful symbol today in Islam. Research Hand of Fatima
Fatima is a village in Portugal. In 1917 three young children claimed to see a vision of a lady at the village, which was subsequently held to be an appearance of the Catholic Virgin Mary and a basilica was constructed in 1928, being consecrated in 1953. The first national pilgrimage to Fatima took place in 1927, and in 1967 the Pope, Paul VI, attended to say Mass and pray for peace. Research Fatima
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Aga Khan
