My question is whether calling Ali "Imam Ali" is a shibboleth that reveals that someone is a Shiite or not. I know the basic historical-political and doctrinal differences, including the imamate and the Shia belief that Ali was to be the temporal and spiritual leader of the Islamic community after the death of Muhammad. I assumed, then, that only Shiites would refer to him as "Imam Ali" and that Sunnis would just call him "Ali" or maybe "Caliph Ali." However, today I heard a non-Shiite scholar referring to him as Imam Ali, hence my question. Do non-Shia call him Imam Ali, too? When I search for "Imam Ali" online it seems that all the results are from Shia sources. Thank you in advance.
Asked by Maomé Paulo Costa Salazar
(51 rep)
Mar 5, 2019, 11:28 PM
Last activity: Mar 14, 2022, 12:32 PM
Last activity: Mar 14, 2022, 12:32 PM