There was no name dearer to ʿAli than his nickname Abu Turab (the father of dust). He used to feel happy whenever he was called by this name. Once Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to the house of Fatima but did not find ʿAli in the house. So he asked "Where is your cousin?" She replied, "There was something (a quarrel) between me and him whereupon he got angry with me and went out without having a midday nap in my house." Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked a person to look for him. That person came, and said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! He (Ali) is sleeping in the mosque." So Messenger of Allah ﷺ went there and found him lying. His upper body cover had fallen off to one side of his body, and so he was covered with dust. Messenger of Allah ﷺ started cleaning the dust from him, saying, "Get up, O Abu Turab! Get up, Abu Turab!" (See Hadith No. 432, Vol 1)  

مَا كَانَ لِعَلِيٍّ اسْمٌ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَبِي تُرَابٍ وَإِنْ كَانَ لَيَفْرَحُ بِهِ إِذَا دُعِيَ بِهَا جَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَيْتَ فَاطِمَةَ عَلَيْهَا السَّلاَمُ فَلَمْ يَجِدْ عَلِيًّا فِي الْبَيْتِ فَقَالَ أَيْنَ ابْنُ عَمِّكِ فَقَالَتْ كَانَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ شَىْءٌ فَغَاضَبَنِي فَخَرَجَ فَلَمْ يَقِلْ عِنْدِي فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لإِنْسَانٍ انْظُرْ أَيْنَ هُوَ فَجَاءَ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هُوَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ رَاقِدٌ فَجَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهْوَ مُضْطَجِعٌ قَدْ سَقَطَ رِدَاؤُهُ عَنْ شِقِّهِ فَأَصَابَهُ تُرَابٌ فَجَعَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَمْسَحُهُ عَنْهُ وَهْوَ يَقُولُ قُمْ أَبَا تُرَابٍ قُمْ أَبَا تُرَابٍ  

If you do not agree to it (at least) say: May Allah curse Abu Turab. Sahl said: There was no name dearer to ʿAli than Abu Turab (for it was given to him by the Prophet himself) and he felt delighted when he was called by this name. He (the governor) said to him: Narrate to us the story of his being named as Abu Turab. He said: Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to the house of Fatima and he did not find ʿAli in the house; whereupon he said: Where is your uncle's son? She said: (There cropped up something) between me and him which had annoyed him with me. He went out and did not rest here. Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked a person to find out where he was. He came and said: Messenger of Allah, he is sleeping in the mosque. Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to him and found him lying in the mosque and saw that his mantle had slipped from his back and his back was covered with dust and Messenger of Allah ﷺ began to wipe it away from him (from the body of Hadrat ʿAli) saying: Get up, covered with dust (Abu Turab); get up, covered with dust.  

اسْتُعْمِلَ عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ آلِ مَرْوَانَ قَالَ فَدَعَا سَهْلَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ فَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَشْتِمَ عَلِيًّا قَالَ فَأَبَى سَهْلٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَمَّا إِذْ أَبَيْتَ فَقُلْ لَعَنَ اللَّهُ أَبَا التُّرَابِ فَقَالَ سَهْلٌ مَا كَانَ لِعَلِيٍّ اسْمٌ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَبِي التُّرَابِ وَإِنْ كَانَ لَيَفْرَحُ إِذَا دُعِيَ بِهَا فَقَالَ لَهُ أَخْبِرْنَا عَنْ قِصَّتِهِ لِمَ سُمِّيَ أَبَا تُرَابٍ قَالَ جَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَيْتَ فَاطِمَةَ فَلَمْ يَجِدْ عَلِيًّا فِي الْبَيْتِ فَقَالَ أَيْنَ ابْنُ عَمِّكِ فَقَالَتْ كَانَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ شَىْءٌ فَغَاضَبَنِي فَخَرَجَ فَلَمْ يَقِلْ عِنْدِي فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لإِنْسَانٍ انْظُرْ أَيْنَ هُوَ فَجَاءَ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هُوَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ رَاقِدٌ فَجَاءَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ مُضْطَجِعٌ قَدْ سَقَطَ رِدَاؤُهُ عَنْ شِقِّهِ فَأَصَابَهُ تُرَابٌ فَجَعَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَمْسَحُهُ عَنْهُ وَيَقُولُ قُمْ أَبَا التُّرَابِ قُمْ أَبَا التُّرَابِ  

There was no name dearer to ʿAli than his nickname Abu Turab (the father of dust). He used to feel happy whenever he was called by this name. Once Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to the house of Fatima but did not find ʿAli in the house. So he asked "Where is your cousin?" She replied, "There was something (a quarrel) between me and him whereupon he got angry with me and went out without having a midday nap in my house." Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked a person to look for him. That person came, and said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! He (Ali) is sleeping in the mosque." So Messenger of Allah ﷺ went there and found him lying. His upper body cover had fallen off to one side of his body, and so he was covered with dust. Messenger of Allah ﷺ started cleaning the dust from him, saying, "Get up, O Abu Turab! Get up, Abu Turab!" (See Hadith No. 432, Vol 1) (Using translation from Bukhārī 6280)   

سَهْلٌ مَا كَانَ لِعَلِيٍّ ؓ اسْمٌ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَبِي تُرَابٍ وَإِنْ كَانَ لَيَفْرَحُ إِذَا دُعِيَ بِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَخْبِرْنَا عَنْ قِصَّتِهِ لِمَ سُمِّيَ أَبَا تُرَابٍ؟ قَالَ جَاءَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بَيْتَ فَاطِمَةَ فَلَمْ يَجِدْ عَلِيًّا ؓ فِي الْبَيْتِ فَقَالَ لَهَا أَيْنَ ابْنُ عَمِّكِ؟ فَقَالَتْ كَانَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ شَيْءٌ فَغَاضَبَنِي فَخَرَجَ وَلَمْ يَقِلْ عِنْدِي فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لِإِنْسَانٍ انْظُرْ أَيْنَ هُوَ فَجَاءَ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ هُوَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ رَاقِدٌ فَجَاءَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ مُضْطَجِعٌ قَدْ سَقَطَ رِدَاؤُهُ عَنْ شِقِّهِ فَأَصَابَهُ تُرَابٌ فَجَعَلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَمْسَحُهُ عَنْهُ وَيَقُولُ قُمْ أَبَا تُرَابٍ قُمْ أَبَا تُرَابٍ