Ali noble title Abu Turab
Names and titles
In the Islamic tradition, various names and titles have been attributed to Ali, some of which express his personal characteristics and some of which are taken from certain episodes of his life. Some of these titles are Abu al-Hasan (lit. 'father of Hasan, his oldest son'), Abu Turab (lit. 'father of the dust'), Murtaza (lit. 'one who is chosen and contented'), Asadullah (lit. 'lion of God'), Haydar (lit. 'lion'), and especially among the Shias, Amir al-Mu'minin (lit. 'prince of the faithful') and Mawla al-Mottaqin (lit. 'master of the God-fearing'). For example, the title Abu Turab might be a reference to when Muhammad entered the mosque and saw Ali sleeping covered by dust, and Muhammad told him, "O father of dust, get up." Veccia Vaglieri, however, suggests that this title was given to Ali by his enemies, and interpreted later as an honorific by invented accounts. Twelvers consider the title of Amir al-Mu'minin to be unique to Ali.
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