Ali bin Abi Talib was the fourth caliph of Islam and the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He became a Muslim in his youth and supported the Prophet despite opposition from his relatives and tribe. He was married to the daughter of the Prophet and had two sons, Hasan and Husain. Ali was known to be courageous and the Prophet frequently chose Ali to represent him or act in his stead. It is in his time that we see the beginnings of a Sunni-Shia split, as the two sides were divide