Ali ibn Abi Talib was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from 656 to 661, as well as the first Shia imam. Born to Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib and Fatima bint Asad, a young Ali was raised by his elder cousin Muhammad and was among the first to accept his teachings.
Calligraphic panel bearing Ali's name at the Hagia Sophia
Gouache illustration of Ali (centre) and his sons, Hasan and Husayn, 1838, by an unknown painter
Ali in an illustrated copy of the Turkish epic Siyer-i nebi
Muhammad and Ali, a folio from the fifteenth century Iranian epic Khavarannama
Muhammad was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monotheistic teachings of Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. He is believed to be the Seal of the Prophets within Islam, with the Quran as well as his teachings and practices forming the basis for Islamic religious belief.
"Muhammad, the Messenger of God" inscribed on the gates of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina
Two folios of the Birmingham Quran manuscript, an early manuscript written in Hijazi script likely dated within Muhammad's lifetime between c. 568–645
An early manuscript of Ibn Hisham's al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, believed to have been transmitted by his students shortly after his death in 833
An early manuscript of the Muwatta of Malik ibn Anas, dated within his lifetime in c. 780
