Abū Turāb () or ''Father of Dust'', is a title attributed to
Ali ibn Abi Talib
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...
, the fourth Muslim
Caliph
A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...
, who is seen by twelver Imamiyah
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
as the first of their 12 Imams. According to authentic narrations the title "Abu Turab"
Kunya (Arabic) was given to Ali ibn Abi Talib by Prophet
Muhammad, when he found Ali sleeping while covered with dust.
The narration is present in Sahih Muslim Vol. 1.
Ali bin Abi Talib was sleeping in a Mosque (Masjid) and his clothing was covered with dust, then Prophet Muhammad entered the Mosque and saw Ali lying asleep, and the Prophet said twice, "Get up, Abu Turab." The title "Abu Turab" recalls this moment.
Abu Turab means "Father of Soil/Dust". There is a verse in Quran that says,' Indeed, We have warned you of a near punishment on the Day when a man will observe what his hands have put forth and the disbeliever will say, "Oh, I wish that I were dust!" '
According to Vaglieri this title might have been given to him by his enemies, and fictitious narrations have emerged in the following centuries to give this title an honorable appearance.
The earliest non-islamic source where this nickname for ʿAli b. Abī Ṭālib appears is in George of Reshʿaina in 680 AD.
[Robert Hoyland, Seeing Islam as Others Saw it, pg. 141]
References
Works cited
*{{EI2 , last=Vaglieri , first=L. Veccia , authorlink=Laura Veccia Vaglieri , title=ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib , volume=1 , pages=381–386
See also
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Ali
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Ali in Muslim culture
In Islamic history, Ali is the second most influential person about whom as much has been written in islamic languages after Mohammad. Ali is widely revered and honored by Muslims. Almost every Sufi order traces its origin to Muhammad through ...
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Shia view of Ali
Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and a member of the '' Ahl al-Bayt''. According to Shias, Ali was the first Imam who is believed to be the rightful successor to Muhammad, divinely appointed successors of ...
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Sunni view of Ali
Sunni Muslims hold Ali in high respect as one of the Ahl al-Bayt, a foremost authority on the Qur'an and Islamic law, and as one of the four Rightly Guided Caliphs. Sunnis consider Ali the fourth and final of the caliphs, unlike Shia Muslims w ...
Arabic words and phrases
Ali