Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam

Abd al-Rahman ibn Amr ibn Muljam al-Muradi (Arabic: عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَن ابْنُ عَمْرِو ابْنُ مُلْجَم الْمُرَادِيّ), known as Ibn Muljam, was a Kharijite member who assassinated Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the first Shia Imam and the fourth Rashidun caliph. Prior to his notoriety, Ibn Muljam participated in the Arab conquest of Egypt and settled in Fustat. He later relocated to Kufa in Iraq, initially supporting Ali and fighting alongside him at the Battle of Siffin before defecting to the Kharijites.

On 28 January 661 CE, equivalent to 19 Ramadan 40 AH, he assassinated Ali at the Great Mosque of Kufa, striking him over his head with a poison-coated sword while Ali was praying. Ali died of his wounds about two days later. Ibn Muljam had entered Kufa with the intention of killing Ali, in revenge for the Kharijites' defeat in the Battle of Nahrawan. He found two accomplices in Kufa, namely Shabib ibn Bujra and Wardan ibn al-Mujalid. Unlike Ibn Muljam, the swords of these two missed Ali and they fled, but were later caught and killed. Following the attack, Ibn Muljam was captured and subsequently executed in Kufa by Hasan, the eldest son of Ali.