The Caliphate of Imam Ali

Trace the four years of Imam Ali’s caliphate through questions of allegiance, conflict and just governance. The opening lessons establish the preceding political setting, including Uthman’s administration and the opposition to it, before turning to allegiance to Imam Ali, his inaugural speech and his sermons.

The narrative follows changes in provincial leadership and the events leading to the Battle of the Camel. It then moves through the change of capital, the rise of the Umayyads, Siffin, arbitration and the Khawarij, concluding with Nahrawan and Imam Ali’s assassination. Political decisions and the course of the civil wars are examined together.