Ali ibn Abu Talib was a man who was a bit below average height, with a dark complexion, and large, dark eyes. He had a thick, wide beard on his handsome face; his teeth would appear when he smiled. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) nicknamed him "Abu Turab" (Father of the Soil); in addition to this, he had other nicknames such as "al-Murtadha" and "Asad- Allah al-Galib". Since he did not worship idols when he was a child, he would later be called, "Karram-Allah wajhah". 

Virtually all sources - Sunni and Shiite alike - are  in agreement that Ali had the highest status among Muslims in the era of the expansion of Islam in terms of moral and intellectual properties such as knowledge, wisdom, taqwa ("God-consciousness" or piety), sincerity, altruism, compassion, bravery and heroism, as well as being one of those who knew the Quran and the sunnah (practices of the Prophet) of the Prophet Muhammad best at that time. On the other hand, Ali was also an important figure in Islamic mysticism (tasawwuf - Sufism); for this reason, he has been respected and given a special place in Sufi literature, particularly in Turkish cultural history. In spite of all this, it is relatively difficult to know this historical figure and personality, his characteristics and his virtues well; there are many different (and conflicting) narratives about some of his activities, as well as about the speeches attributed to him and his literary writings and poems. It is certain, however, that he was a devout Muslim and faithful to the Quran and the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, and that he wished to distance himself from worldly affairs; he was an idealist and a God-conscious believer who was very sensitive and compassionate. He was so compassionate that he shed many tears over the unfortunate events in Islamic history, such as the battles of Jamal, Siffin and Nahrawan, and he prayed to God for the salvation of his opponents.

However, the Shiite world has sometimes not found such qualities adequate, although they are recognized and celebrated by the Islamic community in general; they have insisted on attributing to him the title of Imamat (leadership), which constitutes the most important and essential element of the emergence of the Shiite as a separate group within the Muslims. Some also make use of the many legends, or sometimes even hadiths - most of which are not compatible with the principal teachings of the Quran or the Sunnah. According to some, Ali ibn Abu Talib was appointed by Prophet Muhammad himself on the command of Allah to be the leader (imam) and caliph of the Muslim community (ummah), and starting from the early years of his prophethood, Prophet Muhammad had many times either indicated or implied this to his followers. However, this idea, which is shared by many Shiites, is not only incompatible with the general principles of and legal reasoning in Islam, at the same time it goes against the view of the greater majority of the Islamic ummah, as well as historical facts.