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This paper focuses on the figure of Alì, found along with Maometto and sowers of scandal and schism in Dante's Divina Commedia (Inferno 28). While early commentators on the poem variously identify Alì as a companion or disciple of Maometto's, or his heretical teacher, modern commentators identify him as 'Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, Muḥammad's cousin and son-in-law. Both explain his condemnation as due to a religious schism he caused: according to the former, Alì inspired or pursued the division of Christianity provoked by Maometto; according to the latter, he was responsible for the division of the Muslim community into Sunnites and Shi'ites. Nevertheless, these interpretations do not clarify why Alì is not condemned by Dante along with heresiarchs but rather alongside characters responsible for violent divisions within social and political contexts. An analysis of the sources on 'Alī and the Shī'a available in Europe up to the beginning of the 14th century shows that Dante, unlike his early commentators, relied on pseudo-historical biographies of Muḥammad in which the division between Sunnites and Shi'ites, ascribed to 'Alī, was interpreted as a political phenomenon concerning the dispute over authority and territorial control between Sunni Caliphs in the East and Shi'i imams in the West. By reading Inferno 28 from this perspective, through the social and political view expressed by Dante in the Monarchia, it is possible to infer that Dante considered Muḥammad as responsible for the subversion of the universal empire, and 'Alī as responsible for a further fragmentation of the imperial authority. ; This paper focuses on the figure of Alì, found along with Maometto and sowers of scandal and schism in Dante's Divina Commedia (Inferno 28). While early commentators on the poem variously identify Alì as a companion or disciple of Maometto's, or his heretical teacher, modern commentators identify him as 'Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, Muḥammad's cousin and son-in-law. Both explain his condemnation as due to a religious schism he caused: according to the former, Alì inspired or pursued the division of Christianity provoked by Maometto; according to the latter, he was responsible for the division of the Muslim community into Sunnites and Shi'ites. Nevertheless, these interpretations do not clarify why Alì is not condemned by Dante along with heresiarchs but rather alongside characters responsible for violent divisions within social and political contexts. An analysis of the sources on 'Alī and the Shī'a available in Europe up to the beginning of the 14th century shows that Dante, unlike his early commentators, relied on pseudo-historical biographies of Muḥammad in which the division between Sunnites and Shi'ites, ascribed to 'Alī, was interpreted as a political phenomenon concerning the dispute over authority and territorial control between Sunni Caliphs in the East and Shi'i imams in the West. By reading Inferno 28 from this perspective, through the social and political view expressed by Dante in the Monarchia, it is possible to infer that Dante considered Muḥammad as responsible for the subversion of the universal empire, and 'Alī as responsible for a further fragmentation of the imperial authority. ; Esta contribución estudia la figura de Alí, condenado junto a Maometto, como diseminadores de escándalo y de cisma en el Infierno de Dante. Mientras los comentadores antiguos han identificadao este personaje bien como un compañero o bien como un discípulo de Maometto, los comentadores modernos opinan que se trata de 'Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, primo y yerno de Muḥammad. En ambos casos, su condena es atribuida al cisma religioso que causó: según los comentaristas antiguos Alí habría inspirado o perseguido la división de la cristiandad provocada por Maometto; pero, según los modernos, habría sido considerado como responsable de la división de la comunidad islámica en Sunnitas y Sci'itas. Sin embargo, estas interpretaciones no dejan en claro por qué Dante no situó a Alí entre los heresiarcas sino entre personajes responsables de violentas divisiones en un contexto social y político. El análisis de las fuentes sobre 'Alī y la Shī'a difundidas en Europa hasta los inicios del siglo XIV, y esto se evidencia en Dante, muestra que en la biografía pseudo histórica de Muḥammad la división entre Sunnitas y Shi'itas atribuida a 'Alī había sido interpretada como un fenómeno relativo a la disputa sobre la autoridad y el control territorial entre los califas de oriente, Sunnitas, y los imam de occidente, Shi'itas. A partir de la lectura del canto XXVIII del Infierno según esta perspectiva, mediante la visión socio-política expresada por Dante en su Monarchia, se puede formular la hipótesis que Dante considerase a Muḥammad responsable de la subversión del imperio universal y a 'Alī de la ulterior fragmentación de la autoridad imperial. En consecuencia, los cismas que le son imputados a 'Alī y Muḥammad tendrían una dimensión social y política más que religiosa.

This paper focuses on the figure of Alì, found along with Maometto and sowers of scandal and schism in Dante's Divina Commedia (Inferno 28). While early commentators on the poem variously identify Alì as a companion or disciple of Maometto's, or his heretical teacher, modern commentators identify him as 'Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, Muḥammad's cousin and son-in-law. Both explain his condemnation as due to a religious schism he caused: according to the former, Alì inspired or pursued the division of Christianity provoked by Maometto; according to the latter, he was responsible for the division of the Muslim community into Sunnites and Shi'ites. Nevertheless, these interpretations do not clarify why Alì is not condemned by Dante along with heresiarchs but rather alongside characters responsible for violent divisions within social and political contexts. An analysis of the sources on 'Alī and the Shī'a available in Europe up to the beginning of the 14th century shows that Dante, unlike his early commentators, relied on pseudo-historical biographies of Muḥammad in which the division between Sunnites and Shi'ites, ascribed to 'Alī, was interpreted as a political phenomenon concerning the dispute over authority and territorial control between Sunni Caliphs in the East and Shi'i imams in the West. By reading Inferno 28 from this perspective, through the social and political view expressed by Dante in the Monarchia, it is possible to infer that Dante considered Muḥammad as responsible for the subversion of the universal empire, and 'Alī as responsible for a further fragmentation of the imperial authority. ; Esta contribución estudia la figura de Alí, condenado junto a Maometto, como diseminadores de escándalo y de cisma en el Infierno de Dante. Mientras los comentadores antiguos han identificadao este personaje bien como un compañero o bien como un discípulo de Maometto, los comentadores modernos opinan que se trata de 'Alī b. Abī Ṭālib, primo y yerno de Muḥammad. En ambos casos, su condena es atribuida al cisma religioso que causó: según los comentaristas antiguos Alí habría inspirado o perseguido la división de la cristiandad provocada por Maometto; pero, según los modernos, habría sido considerado como responsable de la división de la comunidad islámica en Sunnitas y Sci'itas. Sin embargo, estas interpretaciones no dejan en claro por qué Dante no situó a Alí entre los heresiarcas sino entre personajes responsables de violentas divisiones en un contexto social y político. El análisis de las fuentes sobre 'Alī y la Shī'a difundidas en Europa hasta los inicios del siglo XIV, y esto se evidencia en Dante, muestra que en la biografía pseudo histórica de Muḥammad la división entre Sunnitas y Shi'itas atribuida a 'Alī había sido interpretada como un fenómeno relativo a la disputa sobre la autoridad y el control territorial entre los califas de oriente, Sunnitas, y los imam de occidente, Shi'itas. A partir de la lectura del canto XXVIII del Infierno según esta perspectiva, mediante la visión socio-política expresada por Dante en su Monarchia, se puede formular la hipótesis que Dante considerase a Muḥammad responsable de la subversión del imperio universal y a 'Alī de la ulterior fragmentación de la autoridad imperial. En consecuencia, los cismas que le son imputados a 'Alī y Muḥammad tendrían una dimensión social y política más que religiosa.