These qualities are the Islamic criteria of distinctions for...

These qualities are the Islamic criteria of distinctions for the Holy Qur'an announces that God prefers the endeavors in His way to the inactive; that those who know and those who do not know are not equal and it announces that the noblest among people in the sight of God are their most righteous.

This makes it very clear that the Sunnites and the Shi’ites do not only agree on all Islamic principles stated in the Holy Qur'an or in the authentic hadiths of the Holy but also agree on the religious and the scholarly place of the Imam ‘Ali in Islam. Therefore when the Sunnites and Shi’ites differ they do so only politically; for they differ on the political-religious aspects rather than the Imam ‘Ali's religious and scholarly place in Islam.

While they agree that ‘Ali was a righteous Caliph who came to power through a popular election they disagree on whether he was in addition to this a Caliph by the Prophet's selection. Those who do not believe that the Prophet appointed ‘Ali as his successor think that the theory of the Prophet's selection of the Imam ‘Ali is a theory of inheritance of rule through blood relationship.

Those who believe that the Prophet selected the Imam as his successor say that the belief in the selection of the Imam ‘Ali by the Prophet is the opposite of the belief in the inheritance of rule. The Muslims also disagree on his political-religious role in the history of Islam as a statesman. While they agree on his adherence to the principle of absolute justice and his firmness in enforcement of the Islamic law in spirit and letter they disagree on the wisdom of such an inflexible attitude.

There is another important matter pertaining to his political-religious place in the Islamic history namely; his role in founding the Islamic State. This aspect was not mentioned clearly nor was it a subject of a serious discussion among the historians and scholars of history. Since the Muslims agree on the religious-scholarly place of the Imam it would be superfluous to discuss those aspects of the Imam's life.

This book therefore does not review the history of the Imam in details nor does it speak of his knowledge his eloquence or his wisdom. Nor does it discuss his piety and immaterialistic attitude nor does it speak of his unusual performance. Its discussion centers on the political-religious place of the Imam in Islam his spiritual relationship to the and his contribution in establishing the Islamic State and the spread of the Faith of Islam.