The Prophet's Heir

The life and legacy of one of Mohammad’s closest confidants and Islam’s patron saint: Ali ibn Abi Talib

The Prophet's Heir is praised by Reza Aslan, author of Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, as “The best biography of Ali I’ve ever read.” Dr. Akbar Ahmed of AlBilad also notes, “For Muslims, this book is a must, for non-Muslims, it is essential reading in order to understand the correct history and true spirit of Islam.”

Ali ibn Abi Talib is arguably the single most important spiritual and intellectual authority in Islam after Prophet Mohammad. Through his teachings and leadership as the fourth caliph, Ali nourished Islam. However, Muslims remain divided on whether he was supposed to be Mohammad’s political successor, making him a polarizing figure in Islamic history.

Hassan Abbas provides a nuanced, compelling portrait of this towering yet divisive figure and the origins of sectarian division within Islam. He reveals how, after Mohammad, Ali assumed the spiritual mantle of Islam to spearhead the movement that the prophet had led. While Ali’s teachings about wisdom, justice, and selflessness continue to be cherished by both Shia and Sunni Muslims, his pluralist ideas have been buried under sectarian agendas and power politics.

Today, Abbas argues, Ali’s legacy and message stand against those of ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban.