Assassination of Ali

The assassination of Ali ibn Abi Talib, fourth caliph and first Shia Imam, while praying at the Great Mosque of Kufa in 661 CE. Struck on the head with a poisoned sword by a Kharijite named Ibn Muljam during the dawn prayer on the 19th of Ramadan, Ali died two days later on the 21st. His death ended the era of the Rashidun (Rightly Guided) Caliphs and opened the way for Muawiyah’s Umayyad dynasty. Ali was buried at Najaf, which became one of Shia Islam’s holiest sites. Shia Muslims commemorate the anniversary with mourning rituals.