Opposing the Imām: The Legacy of the Nawāṣib in Islamic literature

Islam’s fourth caliph, ʿAlī, can be considered one of the most revered figures in Islamic history. His nearly universal portrayal in Muslim literature as a pious authority obscures centuries of contestation and the eventual rehabilitation of his character. In this book, Nebil Husayn examines the enduring legacy of the nawāṣib, early Muslims who disliked ʿAlī and his descendants. The nawāṣib  participated in politics and discussions on religion at least until the ninth century. However, their virtual disappearance in Muslim societies has led many to ignore their existence and the subtle ways in which their views subsequently affected Islamic historiography and theology. By surveying medieval Muslim literature across multiple genres and traditions including the Sunnī, Muʿtazilī, and Ibāḍī, Husayn reconstructs the claims and arguments of the nawāṣib and illuminates the methods that Sunnī scholars employed to gradually rehabilitate the image of ʿAlī from a villainous character to a righteous one.