Hazrat Ali: Icon of justice

Hazrat Ali, who was the first male to embrace Islam, is an example for Muslims with his sense of justice, decency and piousness, said an expert.

"Hazrat Ali was fair, ethical and pious at every stage of his life and treated everyone equally in his administration and always suggested this to those under his command," said Salih Şengezer, an expert at the Supreme Council of Religious Affairs in Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate.

"In addition, he showed great affection to the people, offered the state treasury to their service and did not neglect the rights of non-Muslims," Şengezer added.

Ali was also one of the pioneers of the companions of Prophet Muhammad and the Islamic world with his knowledge, he noted.

According to information compiled from Islamic historical sources by Anadolu Agency, Hazrat Ali (Ali ibn Abi Talib) was born in 600 in Mecca, Arabia (today in Saudi Arabia).

Ali's father was Prophet Muhammad's uncle, Abu Talib, and his mother was Fatimah bint Asad.

Due to a famine that broke out in Mecca, Prophet Muhammad took Ali under his protection to ease the burden of his uncle and Ali lived with him from the age of five until the Hijra -- the migration of the Prophet and his followers from Mecca to Medina.

Ali was married to the prophet's daughter Fatimah in the last month of the second year of the migration. Hasan, Husayn, Zainab and Umm Kulthum were born from this marriage. He did not marry another woman until Fatimah's death.

He showed great heroism by joining the Prophet in battles such as the Battle of Uhud and the Battle of Badr.

He served as a clerk and scribe of the divine revelations to the Prophet and also wrote the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah.

After the third caliph Uthman was martyred, Ali ruled as the fourth caliph, and during his caliphate period, the battles of the Camel and Siffin occurred, which led to significant divisions among Muslims.

Hazrat Ali died after being attacked with a poisoned dagger in January of 661 in Kufa (now Najaf) and was buried there.