The Prophet's Heir: The Life of Ali ibn Abi Talib by Hassan Abbas

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Prophet's Heir: The Life of Ali ibn Abi Talib by Hassan Abbas Melanie G. Raza (bio) The Prophet's Heir: The Life of Ali ibn Abi Talib by Hassan Abbas. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2021, 256 pp. The Prophet's Heir is authored by Hassan Abbas, Distinguished Professor of International Relations at the Near East South Asia Strategic Studies Centre at National Defense University and Senior Adviser of the Project on Shi'ism and Global Affairs at Harvard University's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. The book – consisting of an introduction, six chapters (i.e., the early and struggling years of Islam, Ali's rise, the Prophet's farewell and delegating spiritual guardianship, the succession politics and imperial Islam, Ali as Islam's fourth Caliph, and Ali's legacy), and a conclusion – presents a holistic biography of Ali ibn Abi Talib (599-661), the fourth Islamic Caliph and the first Shia Imam. As noted in the book, Islam starts with the Prophet and continues with Ali. If a student or scholar wants to learn more about the early Islamic community, the introduction would be imperative to their foundation. The book is not dense and easy to read, especially for someone with limited knowledge about Islam. Professor Abbas's writing style is powerful because he employs the perfect balance between reflection and narrative. The approachability of the text sets it apart from other biographies of Ali, most of which are translated from Arabic into English. This is the first English biography of Ali published by a Western academic press. Despite the political connotation of the word "heir" in the title, Abbas does not center his argument around succession. He portrays Ali as a man fashioned of his own merit and legacy due to his spiritual proximity to the Prophet. The relationship between the Prophet and Ali is defined in the familial sense of heir, as the continuation of the prophetic legacy passed down from father figure to son. When Abbas says Ali is the heir of the Prophet, he focuses on the image of Ali as the spiritual inheritor of the Prophet and his message. Throughout the book, Abbas circles back to the main idea: this image of spiritual superiority is guidance for humanity. Further, Abbas illustrates the perfect balance between establishing the unique relationship between the Prophet and Ali while also shaping Ali as his own personality. The book begins with the Prophet's revelation because, [End Page 86] according to him, the light of the Prophet and Ali are one and the same. He also cites the well-known hadith, "I and Ali are from the same light/Ana wa aliyun min nur-i wahidah." Thus, the layout of the book is crucial to supporting Abbas's argument that Ali's spiritual legacy is the extension of the Prophet's. Abbas writes, "His intent was to recreate the humanity that had been lost, to soften the hearts of" the early Islamic community (p. 3). Without any context, "his intent" could belong to either the Prophet or Ali. Abbas started this paragraph with an unspecified pronoun because he wants the reader to perceive the Prophet and Ali on the same spiritual path. It is as if the pages of The Prophet's Heir are whispering the key: the life of Ali began with and continued the prophetic message of Muhammad. While the field of Islamic academia and the subject of Ali is often focused on political quarrels over succession, Abbas takes a straightforward approach by focusing on the spiritual endeavors of Ali and drawing upon a multiplicity of sources. For example, when analyzing the circumstances surrounding the death of Ali's wife, Fatema Zahra, Abbas discusses both perspectives; "The Shia and Sunni have very different accounts, and it is important to understand both - as the two sides largely stick to their own facts" (p. 97). Abbas acknowledges both versions of history and the fact that Shia and Sunnis will not agree with each other but must accept that the other branch holds a different view. Although a Shia Muslim himself, Abbas presents the reality of early Islamic events with accuracy. Ali himself was a...