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Is it permissible to believe in the superiority of Ali ibn Abi Talib over Jesus, son of Mary, due to his birth in the Kaaba, whereas Mary, peace be upon her, was not permitted to give birth in Jerusalem? And if Ali's birth in the Kaaba is not authentic, does that mean that Hakim ibn Hizam and his mother are superior to Jesus, son of Mary, and his mother?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is neither sound in belief nor permissible in Islamic law to say that Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, is superior to Jesus, peace be upon him. Jesus is one of Allah's prophets and messengers and one of the 'Ulul-'Azm (Prophets of Strong Will). The prophets are unequivocally the best of creation, as indicated by the Qur'an, Sunnah, and scholarly consensus. The statement that Ali's birth took place inside the Kaaba is incorrect according to scholars, as Hakīm ibn Hizām is the only one who was born there, and what has been narrated about Ali's birth there is weak. Even if Ali had been born in the Kaaba, that would not make him superior to the three Caliphs before him, let alone the prophets. The correct view is that Ali is the best of the Companions after the three Caliphs.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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