ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (Arabic: علي بن أبي طالب‎; c. 600 – c. 28 January 661)was a cousin, son-in-law and companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He ruled as the fourth rightly guided caliph from 656 until his assassination in 661. He is also one of the central figures in Shia Islam, being