Chapter 1 identifies the phenomenon of anti-ʿAlid sentiment in its varied expressions in early Muslim political and intellectual history. The chapter also provides a framework for researchers to locate and contextualize anti-ʿAlid doctrines that appear in later Sunnī and Ibāḍī historiography. It identifies six distinct positions on ʿAlī held by Muslims and arranges these doctrines on a spectrum from the ardently pro-ʿAlid to the radically anti-ʿAlid to enable readers to interpret literary depictions of ʿAlī and situate authors who engaged in theological discussions about ʿAlī across sectarian boundaries and multiple centuries.