Webinar: Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Qur’an

This presentation will explore Ali ibn Abi Talib’s relationship with the Qur’an and the legacy he left behind.

Ali ibn Abi Talib is one of the most important figures in the textual history of the Qur’an. In addition to being one of the Prophet’s scribes, he is reported to have played a key role in compiling the Qur’an into a single book shortly after the Prophet’s death. As the fourth caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib copied the Uthmanic codex and distributed it across Muslim lands. It is also reported that his codex contained Qur’anic exegesis in the margins, meaning he was the first exegete of the Qur’an. According to Muslim accounts, Ali ibn Abi Talib recorded, preached, interpreted, and embodied the Qur’an from a young age until his death, which occurred from wounds he sustained while reciting the Qur’an in prayer. Known for his profound reverence for the Qur’an, his archenemy, Muawiya, used the Qur’an against him during the Battle of Siffin, which indicates that even his enemies acknowledged his close bond with the Qur’an and sought to test it. Aside from the Prophet, perhaps no other figure in Islamic history had a life so deeply entwined with the Qur’an. Yet, his contributions are rarely highlighted in studies on the textual history of the Qur’an. This presentation will explore Ali ibn Abi Talib’s relationship with the Qur’an and the legacy he left behind.

Speaker: Dr. Seyfeddin Kara, Assistant Professor of Islamic Origins, University of Groningen

Moderator: Dr. Mohsen Goudarzi, Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies, Harvard Divinity School

Time: Monday, Oct 28th, 4pm EST

This is an online event. Registration is required:

Register Here.