According to the Shia school of thought ,the Prophet Muhammad's chosen successor was none other than Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib. Imam Ali is regarded as a complex composite of virtue both amongst Shia and Sunni Muslims. He is considered to be the founder of Islamic chivalry as well as mysticism, with all of the major Sufi Tariqas tracing their lineage to him, with the exception of the Naqshbandi who owe their origin to the first of the sunni Rashidun Caliphs, Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhafa. Though Ali was held in high regard by the early Muslim community, his tireless campaigning on behalf of those oppressed by the wealth of the Arabian tribal aristocracy was met with fierce opposition by the latter. This would culminate in his untimely assassination at the hands of a set of religious reactionaries known to history as the Khawarij. Though I certainly could not say that Imam Ali was a "Socialist" (as there were not yet anything resembling the capitalist mode of production in 7th century Arabia), I find in his teachings a moral resonance with those scientific criticisms of Capitalism articulated by the the likes of Marx and Engels. Anyway, Shia Muslim here. I was not at all consciously political until about a year ago, but it is without a doubt my faith that led me to embrace the struggle of my comrades, whatever their race, orientation, or creed may be. 😃 Also, anyone looking for a Shia equivalent of "Liberation Theology" should look into Red Shi'ism___ by Ali Shariati.