Islam's fourth caliph, Ali, can be considered one of the most revered figures in Islamic history. Examining the enduring legacy of the nawasib, early Muslims who were hostile to the ascendancy of Ali and his descendants, this study reveals a period of contestation and the eventual rehabilitation of Ali's reputation in Sunni Islam.

Nebil Husayn is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Miami where his research considers the development of Islamic theology, historiography and debates on the caliphate. Husayn obtained his Ph.D. in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University.

Introduction; 1. 'Ali: A Contested Legacy; 2. The Umayyads and the 'Uthmanis; 3. The Mu'tazili: al-Jahiz; 4. The Ibadi: al-Warjalani; 5. The Sunni: Ibn Taymiyya; 6. The Rehabilitation of 'Ali in Sunni Hadith and Historiography; Afterword; Chapter 1 Appendix: Anti-'Alid Statements in Historical Literature; Chapter 2 Appendix: Reports about the Umayyads and the 'Uthmanis; Chapter 5 Appendix: Ibn Taymiyya's Minhaj al-sunna.