'Abd Allah b. al-Imam 'Ali (a)
| 'Abd Allah b. al-Imam 'Ali (a) | |
|---|---|
 The mausoleum of the collective grave of the martyrs of Karbala in the shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a) | |
| Full Name | 'Abd Allah b. Ali b. Abi Talib |
| Companion of | Imam al-Husayn (a) |
| Teknonym | Abu Muhammad |
| Religious Affiliation | Imamiyya |
| Lineage | Banu Hashim |
| Wellknown Relatives | Umm al-Banin (mother), 'Abbas b. 'Ali (a) (brother) |
| Birth | 35/655 |
| Place(s) of Residence | Medina |
| Death/Martyrdom | 61/680 |
| Cause ofDeath/Martyrdom | Martyrdom in the Battle of Karbala |
| Burial Place | Karbala, Iraq |
| Activities | Participating in the Battle of Karbala |
ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib (Arabic: عبد الله بن علي بن أبي طالب) (b. 35/655 - d. 61/680) , one of the martyrs of Karbala, was the son of Imam Ali (a) and Fatima bt. Hizam (known as Umm al-Banin) and a brother of 'Abbas b. Ali (a). 'Abd Allah was 8 years younger than his brother 'Abbas (a), but he was older than his other brothers. Some sources said that he was the first among his brothers.
His Life
The name of 'Abd Allah b. al-Imam 'Ali (a) has also been mentioned in historical books as 'Abd Allah al-Akbar and 'Abd Allah al-Asghar with the kunya of Abu Muhammad. The name of his mother was Umm al-Banin bt. Hazam.
According to Abu l-Faraj, 'Abd Allah was martyred at the age of 25; however, some sources have said that he was 8 years younger than his brother Abbas (a) (who was martyred at the age of 34), but he was older than his other brothers. He lived with his father for 6 years and there is no more information about him before the Battle of 'Ashura.
| Family tree of Ahl al-Bayt (a) |
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Martyrdom
There is no doubt about his presence in Karbala and his martyrdom, as Ibn Sa'd, Ibn Qutayba, al-Tabari, Abu l-Faraj, al-Khwarazmi, al-Shaykh al-Tusi and others have counted him among the martyrs.
Some mentioned him the first martyr among his brothers. Also, there are reports mentioning that he was martyred after his brother Ja'far.
About the way he was martyred, it is reported that when the companions of Imam al-Husayn (a) and some of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) were martyred, Abbas (a) called 'Abd Allah and told him, "Go to the battlefield, so that I see your courage and take the pain of [losing] you a cause for my reward, because you do not have any children." 'Abd Allah accepted and while he was making a battle cry, attacked the enemy. In the battle with the army of 'Umar b. Sa'd, 'Abd Allah b. Ali killed some of them and was finally martyred.
Some sources have mentioned Hani b. Thubayt al-Hadrami as the murderer of 'Abd Allah b. Ali. They said that he struck 'Abd Allah on the head and martyred him. But, another report, mentions Khuli b. Yazid as the murderer of 'Abd Allah, who shot an arrow at 'Abd Allah, and then, a man from Banu Tamim from Aban b. Daram martyred him. They have mentioned the age of 'Abd Allah 25 years old upon his martyrdom. Abu l-Faraj believes that 'Abd Allah had no children. But, al-Tabari mentioned a person called 'Abbas b. Hasan b. 'Abd Allah b. Ali (a) who was a grandson of 'Abd Allah b. Ali (a).
His Name in Ziyarah al-Nahiya al-Muqaddasa
The name of 'Abd Allah b. Ali (a) has been mentioned in the Ziyarah al-Nahiya al-Muqaddasa and he has been praised.
References
- The material for this article is mainly taken from عبدالله بن علی بن ابی طالب in Farsi Wikishia.
