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Ali ibn Abi Talib was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Ali contributed significantly to Islam in its early years and was likely the first male to accept the teachings of Muhammad. Ali is accorded an almost legendary place in Islam as a paragon of virtues, a fount of wisdom, and a fearless but magnanimous warrior. In Shia Islam Ali is regarded as the foremost companion of Muhammad and his rightful successor through divinely-ordained designation at the Ghadir Khumm.
When Muhammad died in 632 CE, Ali had his own claims to leadership but eventually accepted the temporal rule of the first three caliphs in the interest of Muslim unity. The three caliphs are viewed in Shia Islam as illegitimate rulers and usurpers of Ali's rights. Ali himself succeeded to the caliphate in 656 but his rule was immediately challenged by multiple pretenders and he was assassinated in 661.
In Shia belief, Ali inherited Muhammad's political and religious authority, even before his ascension to the caliphate in 656. In Shia theology, Ali also inherited the esoteric knowledge of Muhammad. Ali is thus viewed, after Muhammad, as the sole authoritative source of (esoteric) guidance and the interpreter, par excellence, of the Quran, the central religious text of Islam. Shia Muslims also believe that Ali, as with Muhammad, was divinely protected from sins. Ali's words and deeds are therefore considered a model for the Shia community and a source for their religious injunctions.