And yet there was still a very large and formidable contingent of Muslims whose unconditional support for Ali had not waned over the years. This faction consisted of members of the Ansar, the Banu Hashim, some prominent members of the Quraysh, a few leading Companions, and several large bodies of non Arab Muslims who together were loosely labeled Shi'atu Ali , the Party of Ali, or the Shi'ah
pg 135-136
In a sermon delievered a few years before his assassination, Ali remarked that "a virtuous man is recognized by the good that is said about him and the praises which God has destined him to receive from others". These were prescient words, for Ali may have died but he was not forgotten. For millions of Shi'ah throughout the world, Ali remains the model of Muslim piety: the light that illuminates the straight path to God. He is, in the words of Ali Shariati " the best in speech...the best in worship...the best in faith."
It is said this heroic vision of Ali that has been firmly planted in the hearts of those who refer to the person they believe to have been the sole successor to Muhammad not as the fourth Caliph, but as something else, something more.
Ali, the Shi'ah claim, was the first Imam: The Proof of God (His presence) on Earth.
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