Ali was assassinated by Ibn Muljam, a Kharijite from Egypt. Ibn Muljam was of Himyar paternally, but was counted among the Murad due to his maternal kinship, and allied with the Bani Jabala of Kindah. He had entered Kufa with the aim of killing Ali to avenge the Kharijite leaders at Al-Nahrawan.
In Kufa, he encountered a group of people from Taym al-Ribab tribe who were mourning ten of their tribemates killed at Nahrawan by Ali’s army. Among them was a woman named Quttaam. According to cleric Ali al-Sallabi, on seeing Quttaam, he “lost his senses” and “forgot the assignment” for which he was roaming, and proposed to her. Quttaam said that she would marry him if he could “heal” her by giving her three thousand dinars, a chanteuse, a male slave and the death of Ali. Quttaam wanted revenge too as her father and brother had been killed by Ali’s forces at Al-Nahrawan. Ibn Muljam persuaded a man called Shubayb to assist him in killing Ali.:79 Besides Shablb ibn Bujra, Wardan ibn al-Mujalid also were Ibn Muljam’s accomplice. The conspirators stationed themselves opposite the door from which Ali would enter the Mosque.
On Friday, 19 (or 17) Ramadan, Ali entered Kufa mosque to perform the morning prayer. Ibn Muljam wounded Ali on the “crown of his head” by a poisoned sword after Ali had recited verses from the Sura al-Anbiya as part of the worship, or when he was entering the mosque. Shablb’s sword did not hit Ali and instead “hit the wooden frame of the door or the arch.” He fled and was caught near the gates of Kinda by ‘Uwaymir’, but could finally escape through the crowd. Wardan ran away to his home and was killed there by a relative, “‘Abd Allah b. Najaba b. Ubayd, after confessing his involvement.” Ibn Muljam was caught by the Hashimite al-Mughlra ibn Nawfal ibn al-Harith.
Ali ordered that if he died from the wound, Ibn Muljam had to be executed in retaliation. Ali died two days later on 21 Ramadan 40/30 January 661 (or 19 Ramadan 40/28 January 661) at the age of 62 or 63,and Ibn Muljam was killed in retaliation (Qisas) by Hasan ibn Ali, in accordance with Ali’s instruction
