1194 — And Abū Hafs Umar ibn Ayyūb al-Saqatī narrated to us, saying: al-Hasan ibn Arafa narrated to us, saying: Abū Muāwiya al-Darīr narrated to us, from Abū Bakr al-Hudhalī, from al-Hasan, who said:

Abd Allah ibn al-Kawwā and Qays ibn Ubād went to Ali ibn Abī Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) after he had finished fighting the Battle of the Camel. They asked him, “Tell us about this campaign of yours: was it based on a judgment you formed—when the Muslim community became divided and rival claims arose—that you had the greatest right of all people to this office? If this was your own judgment, we shall support you in it; but if it was an instruction entrusted to you by the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), then you are trusted and reliable in what you report from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).”

Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) then recited the testimony of faith—the people in those days would recite the testimony of faith before speaking—and said:

“As for my possessing an instruction from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), no, by Allah. Had I possessed such an instruction, I would not have left the clansman of Taym ibn Murrah or Ibn al-Khattāb upon his pulpit, even if I had possessed nothing but this hand of mine. But your Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is a prophet of mercy. He did not die suddenly, nor was he slain. He was ill for nights and days, and days and nights. Bilāl would come and notify him that it was time for prayer, and he would say, ‘Tell Abū Bakr ⦗1724⦘ to lead the people in prayer,’ although he knew I was there.

“When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) passed away, we considered our affairs and found that prayer was the chief support of Islam and the mainstay of the religion. We therefore chose for our worldly affairs the man whom the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had chosen for our religion, and we entrusted leadership to Abū Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). Abū Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) remained among us while our word was united and our affair was one. No two among us disagreed concerning him; none of us charged another with polytheism, nor did we disavow one another. By Allah, I accepted what he gave me, went on campaign whenever he sent me, and administered the prescribed penalties with this very hand before him.

“When death came to Abū Bakr, he entrusted the leadership to Umar (may Allah have mercy on him). Umar remained among us while our word was united and our affair was one. No two among us disagreed concerning him; none of us charged another with polytheism, nor did we disavow one another. By Allah, I accepted what he gave me, went on campaign whenever he sent me, and administered the prescribed penalties with this very hand before him.

“When death came to Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), he believed that if he appointed a successor and that successor committed a sin, that sin would inevitably follow Umar into his grave. He therefore excluded his son and household from the matter and placed it in the hands of six men from among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), one of whom was Abd al-Rahmān ibn Awf. He said, ‘Would you agree that I relinquish my share in it, on condition that I make the choice for the sake of Allah and His Messenger?’ He then bound us by a solemn covenant to hear and obey whomever he entrusted with authority over us. He placed his hand in Uthmān’s and pledged allegiance to him. I considered my position and found that my commitment to obedience had preceded my own pledge of allegiance, and that the covenant binding me to Uthmān was upon my neck. I therefore followed Uthmān (may Allah have mercy on him), obeying him until I had rendered him his full due.”