Ali ibn Abi Talib
Fourth Rashidun caliph
Ali ibn Abi Talib was a cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, and the fourth caliph of Islam.
For Sunni Muslims, he is the last of the "rightly guided" caliphs; for Shia Muslims, he is the first imam and Muhammad's rightful immediate successor.
His assassination in 661 CE and the question of succession created the foundational split between Sunni and Shia Islam.
The name Ali remains among the most common in the Muslim world.
- Shia IslamMuslim denomination following Ali
- JusticeFormal address for judges
- CaliphateIslamic successor-state realm
- ImamateState ruled by imam
- Twelver ShiaShiites recognizing twelve imams
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