Ali digambarkan sebagai seorang pria tampan bertubuh besar dan berkulit putih, dengan rambut berwarna hitam, janggut panjang, dan kepala botak yang ditutup dengan topi. Dia diriwayatkan sangat saleh dan dikatakan sering [[Salat]], lalu di kalangan [[Suni]] dia kemudian dikenal dengan nama "as-Sajjid" (artinya orang yang biasa bersujud).<ref>{{harvnb|Zetterstéen|1960|p=381}}; {{harvnb|Ibn Khallikan|1843|pp=216, 219, 220}}; {{harvnb|Yarshater|1985–2007|loc=v. 39: p. 54}}.</ref>
Ali reportedlydilaporkan fatheredmenjadi upwardsayah ofdari twentylebih maledari childrendua duringpuluh hisanak staylaki-laki atselama dia tinggal di Humayma.{{sfn|Ibn Khallikan|1843|p=220}} His most prominent son was [[Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Abdallah|Muhammad]], who became one of the leading figures of the Abbasid cause and the father of the future caliphs al-Saffah and al-Mansur. Other of his offspring, including [[Isa ibn Ali|Isa]],<ref name="Tabari28">{{harvnb|Yarshater|1985–2007|loc=v. 28: p. 56}}.</ref> [[Dawud ibn Ali|Dawud]],{{sfn|Yarshater|1985–2007|loc=v. 27: p. 195}} [[Sulayman ibn Ali al-Hashimi|Sulayman]],<ref name="Tabari28" /> [[Abd al-Samad ibn Ali|Abd al-Samad]],<ref name="Tabari27" /> [[Salih ibn Ali|Salih]],<ref name="Tabari27">{{harvnb|Yarshater|1985–2007|loc=v. 27: p. 150}}.</ref> [[Imsa'il ibn Ali|Isma'il]],<ref name="Tabari27" /> and [[Abdallah ibn Ali|Abdallah]],<ref name="Tabari27" /> were active participants in the Abbasid Revolution, and several of them continued to play a prominent role in the first decades of the [[Abbasid Caliphate]].
