Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam

Abd al-Rahman ibn Amr ibn Muljam al-Muradi (Arabic: عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَن ابْنُ عَمْرِو ابْنُ مُلْجَم الْمُرَادِيّ, romanized: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Muljam al-Murādī), commonly known simply as Ibn Muljam, was a Kharijite dissident known primarily for assassinating ‘Alī ibn Abi Talib, the fourth caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate and the first Imam of the Shia Imamate.

Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam
The assassination of Ali in a modern painting.
Born	Land of Murad, Marib, Yemen[1]
Died	31 January 661 Kufa, Rashidun Caliphate
Conviction	Murder
Criminal penalty	Death
Details
Victims	Ali ibn Abi Talib
Date	January 661 (661-01)
Killed	1
Weapon	Poisoned sword

After the death of Ali ibn Abi Talib his first son Hasan Ibn Ali caught Ibn Muljam and executed him in Kufa, the same location where Ali-Ibn Talib was assassinated.

Assassination plot

There were numerous defections from Ali's camp in the aftermath of the Battle of Siffin. A majority of these defectors gathered under one banner and came to be known as the Kharijites. A number of them met in Mecca and discussed the 659 Battle of Nahrawan, which took place as a consequence of Siffin, wherein most of their men were eradicated while facing Ali's army. They concocted a plot to assassinate three prominent Muslim personalities: Amr ibn Bakr al-Tamimi was to kill Amr ibn al-As, al-Hujjaj al-Tamimi was to kill Mu'awiya ibn Abu Sufyan and ibn Muljam was tasked to kill the caliph, Ali. The assassination attempts were to occur simultaneously as the three Muslims came to lead morning prayer in their respective cities of Fustat, Damascus and Kufa. The method was to come out of the prayer ranks and strike the targets with a sword dipped in poison.^{[2][additional citation(s) needed]}

On 22 January of that year, Amr escaped an assassination attempt by the Kharijite Zadawayh or Amr ibn Bakr, who killed Amr's stand-in for the Friday prayers, Kharija ibn Hudhafa, mistaking the latter for Amr.^[3][4] When the Kharijite was apprehended and brought before him, Amr proclaimed "You wanted me, but God wanted Kharija!" and he personally executed him.^[4]

Assassination of Ali and execution

Main article: Assassination of Ali

On 26 January 661, while Ali was praying in the Great Mosque of Kufa, Ibn Muljam struck him with a poison-coated sword.^[5] Athir bin Amr as-Sakuni, a leading physician, treated Ali; however, Ali died from his injuries on 28 January.^[6]

Three days later, Ali's son, Hasan ibn Ali, personally performed the execution of Ibn Muljam.