Zulfiqar "bifurcated" ( Dhū l-Fiqār) is the sword of the Islam

Islam

Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

ic leader Ali

Ali

' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...

. In Arabic

Arabic language

Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...

 the name is commonly transliterated as Dhu al-Fiqar, Thulfeqar, Dhulfiqar, Zoulfikar etc. The name Zulfiqar means which divides exactly in two parts.

Origin

In the battle of Uhad Ali was fighting and saving the prophet Mohammad. Due to the continuous attack and the power of Ali general swords were broken again and again. Mohammad prayed for Ali "O God you gave power to Ali now give the weapon yourself". The angel Gabriel appeared, bearing the sword Zulfiqar and uttering the following praise:
"Shah e mardan The leader of males
Sheir e Yazdan The Lion of God
Quwat e Parwar digar The Power of God
La Fatta illa Ali There is no Braveman in world but Ali
La Saif illa Zulfiqar" There is no Sword but Zulfiqar"

According to the Twelver Shia, Zulfiqar is currently in the possession of Imam AlQaim [Mahdi].

People

"Zulfiqar" and phonetic variations have been popular given names, as with former Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

i Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977, and prior to that, 4th President of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973. Bhutto was the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party — the largest and most influential political party in Pakistan— and served as its chairman until his...

. Variously spelled variations exist in modern language scripts.

Recent Usage

The last Shah of Iran

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...

 renamed the military order Portrait of the Commander of Faithful to Order of Zolfaghar.

During the Bosnian War

Bosnian War

The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...

, a Bosnian army

Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was the military force of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina established by the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992 following the outbreak of the Bosnian War...

's special unit was named "Zulfikar".

In 2010, The Islamic Republic of Iran revealed the attack boat dubbed the Zolfaghar, likening it to the sword as an unstoppable weapon of its time.

The Iranian Zulfiqar main battle tank

Main battle tank

A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...

 is also named after the sword.

Pakistan Navy

Pakistan Navy

The Pakistan Navy is the naval warfare/service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan's Navy is responsible for Pakistan's coastline along the Arabian Sea and the defense of important civilian harbors and military bases...

 also has launched a frigate class named after The Sword. The frigate Class is named as F-22P Zulfiquar class frigate.

See also

• Khanda
  Khanda (sword)
  The blade is usually broad and quite heavy and broadens from the hilt to the tip. The blade transforms into tip rather abruptly. The hilt has a small metal spike coming out in the opposite direction typical of the khanda...
  
  
• Firangi
  Firangi (sword)
  The firangi derived from the Arabic term for a Western European [a "Frank"]) was an Indian sword type which used blades manufactured in Western Europe and imported by the Portuguese, or made locally in imitation of European blades.-Physical characteristics:...
  
  
• Sabre
  Sabre
  The sabre or saber is a kind of backsword that usually has a curved, single-edged blade and a rather large hand guard, covering the knuckles of the hand as well as the thumb and forefinger...
  
  
• Pulwar
  Pulwar
  A pulwar is a single handed curved sword from Afghanistan and neighbouring regions of Pakistan and Northwestern India.-Characteristics:...
  
  
• Shamshir
  Shamshir
  A Shamshir also Shamsheer and Chimchir, is a type of sabre with a curve that is considered radical for a sword: 5 to 15 degrees from tip to tip. The name is derived from Persian شمشیر shamshīr, which means "sword"...
  
  
• Kilij
  Kilij
  A kilij is a type of saber used by the Turks throughout history starting from late Hsiung-nu period to Avar Empire and Göktürk Khaganate, Uyghur Khaganate, Seljuk Empire, Timurid Empire, Mamluk Empire, Ottoman Empire, and later Turkic Khanates of Central Asia...
  
  
• Saif
• Khanjar
  Khanjar
  The khanjar is the traditional dagger of Oman. It is similar to the Yemeni jambiya.The khanjar is curved and sharpened on both edges...
  
  
• Tatbir