ʿAlī was the son of Abū Ṭālib, Muhammad’s uncle and adopted guardian. After Abū Ṭālib became impoverished, young ʿAlī was taken in by Muhammad. At age 10, ʿAlī became the second person to accept Islam, after Khadījah, according to tradition. From then, he was a dedicated servant of the early Muslim ummah (community).
What was ʿAlī’s early life like?
How was ʿAlī influential?
ʿAlī, Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, was the fourth caliph and first imam (in Shiʿism) of the Muslim ummah (community). A faction of the ummah asserted that he and his descendants (known as Ahl al-Bayt) were the only rightful successors to Muhammad. This faction is known as the Shiʿah, short for shīʿat ʿAlī (”ʿAlī’s faction”).
