‘Alī (or possibly Mas‘ūd) (Persian: شمسالدین محمد بن علی) (d. 1166) was a poet born in Samarqand or its vicinity.
According to one theory, the name is said to have arisen because of his violent passion for a needle-maker's apprentice under whose influence he supposedly took up the twin crafts of needle making and poetry.
According to his own claim, he was a scion of the family of Salman the Persian,[1] a famous companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
He was also remarkably well read, and that his knowledge of Christianity and Manichaeism was exceptional, while his frequent use of Turkic words shows his broad language skills.
[1] He did not hesitate to include lewd and insulting remarks in his satire, for which he had many a down-to-earth metaphor and turn of phrase.