When did Hazrat Ali (AS) shift the capital from Madina to Kufa?

1. 645 AD
2. 656 AD
3. 657 AD
4. 669 AD

Hazrat Ali (RA) shifted the Islamic capital from Madina to Kufa, Iraq, in 656 AD (approximately 36 AH). This strategic relocation occurred after the Battle of the Camel and was motivated by Kufa’s central location within the expanding Islamic empire, its loyal support base for Ali’s caliphate, and the need to address political challenges from Muawiyah in Syria. Kufa remained the capital throughout Ali’s caliphate and became a center of Islamic learning.