Ali

About Ali

Ali (601-661 CE) was a pivotal religious and political figure, recognized by MIT's Pantheon project at rank #135 for his immense global cultural impact. He is central to Islam as the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, and is revered by Shi'a Muslims as the first Imam. His life and subsequent succession struggles fundamentally shaped the course of Islamic history, leading to the major Sunni-Shi'a split that continues to define the religious and political landscape of the Middle East and beyond.

Despite this towering historical importance, Ali’s digital footprint in 2025 is comparatively modest. He garnered approximately 1.4 million annualized Wikipedia views this year. This places him in an overattention category (+3x gap), suggesting his visibility is higher relative to his modern online engagement than his historical rank might imply, though a quick comparison shows he receives significantly less attention than figures like Brigham Young (#947 importance) who registered 2.7 million views.

However, his declining engagement is notable: views dropped by 14.5% year-over-year, and his momentum from Q1 to Q3 2025 decreased by 22%, indicating a current trend of fading, albeit still significant, online interest relative to his foundational historical status.