It is narrated from Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Layla that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred on Friday, the night of the 17th of the blessed month of Ramadan, in the year 40 AH. The period of his caliphate was five years less three months. He was martyred by Abd al-Rahman bin Muljam al-Muradi, and at the time of his martyrdom he was sixty-three or sixty-four years old.

It is narrated from Abu Bakr bin Abi Shaybah that Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) remained caliph for five years and was martyred in the fortieth year after the Hijrah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), when he was sixty-three years old. He was struck (and fatally wounded) on Friday, the 21st of the blessed month of Ramadan; he passed away on Sunday and was buried in Kufah.

It is narrated from Abu Sinan al-Du'ali that he visited Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) during an illness of his. He says: I said to him: O Commander of the Believers! We were very worried and fearful for you in this illness of yours. He said: "But by Allah, I had no fear for my life from it, because I heard the truthful and believed Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'You will indeed be struck here and here (and he pointed to his two temples), until blood flows from them and your beard is dyed with it, and the one who does this will be the most wretched of people, just as the one who hamstrung the she-camel was the most wretched of the people of Thamud.'" This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Bukhari, but the two Shaykhs did not record it.