BOOK ON THE POSITION OF THE COMMANDER OF THE FAITHFUL, ALĪ IBN ABĪ TĀLIB—may Allah be pleased with him—TOWARD ABŪ BAKR, UMAR, AND UTHMĀN—may Allah be pleased with them all

Muhammad ibn al-Husayn—may Allah have mercy on him—said: To proceed: A questioner asked about the position of the Commander of the Faithful, Alī ibn Abī Tālib—may Allah be pleased with him—toward Abū Bakr, Umar, and Uthmān—may Allah be pleased with them. What standing did they have in his eyes? Did he follow their precedent during his own caliphate after theirs? Has anything concerning their virtues been preserved from him? Did he alter any aspect of their practice during his caliphate?

The questioner wished to learn enough about this to increase his love for all of them—may Allah be pleased with them—and for all the Companions—may Allah be pleased with them—as well as for all the Prophet’s wives, the Mothers of the Believers, and all the members of his household. I shall therefore answer his question briefly, if Allah wills. Allah alone grants success in attaining what is right in word and deed.

Know—may Allah have mercy on us and you—that the Companions, the Successors who followed them, and the imams of the Muslims who came after them preserved nothing from the Commander of the Faithful, Alī ibn Abī Tālib—may Allah be pleased with him—but his love for Abū Bakr, Umar, and Uthmān—may Allah be pleased with them—during their lifetimes and caliphates and after their deaths. During their caliphates, he listened to and obeyed them, loved them and was loved by them, and held them in great esteem,