1831 — Abū Muhammad Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Nājiya informed us. He said: Ahmad ibn Mansūr al-Marwazī narrated to us.

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1832 — Abū Bakr Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Wāsitī also narrated to me. He said: Ahmad ibn Mansūr al-Marwazī, known as Ibn Zāj, narrated to us. He said: Ahmad ibn Musab al-Marwazī narrated to me. He said: Umar ibn Abī al-Haytham ibn Khālid al-Qurashī narrated to us, from Abd al-Malik ibn Umayr, from Usayd ibn Safwān, who had met the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him.

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1833 — Umar ibn Ayyūb al-Saqatī also narrated to me. He said: al-Hasan ibn Arafa narrated to us. He said: Yahyā ibn Masūd narrated to us. He said: Abū Hafs al-Abdī narrated to me, from Abd al-Malik ibn Umayr, from Usayd ibn Safwān, a Companion of the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—who said:

When Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—passed away and his body was covered, Medina resounded with weeping just as it had on the day the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—passed away. Ali ibn Abī Tālib—may Allah be pleased with him—came weeping and hastening forward, proclaiming, “We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return,” and saying, “Today, the caliphate inherited from prophethood has come to an end.”

He reached the door of the house in which Abū Bakr lay, his body covered, and said:

“May Allah have mercy upon you, Abū Bakr. You were the Messenger of Allah’s—peace and blessings be upon him—intimate companion, trusted friend, source of comfort, confidant, and the keeper of his secrets and counsel. You were the first of the people to embrace Islam, the sincerest of them in faith, the firmest of them in certainty, the most fearful of Allah—Mighty and Majestic—the greatest of them in service to Allah’s religion, the most protective of His Messenger, the most devoted to Islam, the greatest source of security for his Companions, the finest in companionship, the most abundant in virtues, the foremost in meritorious deeds, the highest in rank, the closest in standing, and the person who most resembled the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—in guidance, dignity, mercy, and excellence. You held the noblest position, were the most honored in his sight, and were the most trusted by him. May Allah reward you with goodness on behalf of Islam and His Messenger.

“You were to him like hearing and sight. You believed the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—when the people rejected him, and so Allah ⦗2344⦘—Mighty and Majestic—named you al-Siddīq (the steadfast affirmer of truth) in His Revelation. He said in His Book: ‘The one who came with the truth’ [al-Zumar 39:33]—Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him—and ‘believed in it’ [al-Zumar 39:33]—Abū Bakr.

“You supported him with your wealth when others withheld theirs. You stood beside him amid hardships when others held back from him, and accompanied him through adversity with the finest companionship. You were his companion in the cave, the one upon whom tranquility descended, and his fellow traveler during the migration. You succeeded him in Allah’s religion—Mighty and Majestic—and over his community in the finest manner when the people apostatized. You then rose to the task as no successor of a prophet had done: you advanced when your companions faltered, stepped forward when they submitted helplessly, and remained strong when they grew weak. You adhered to the path of the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—and were truly his successor, unchallenged and unshaken, despite the hypocrites, to the humiliation of the unbelievers, against the wishes of the envious, despite the wickedness of the sinners, and to the fury of the transgressors.

“You undertook the task when they lost courage, spoke when they stammered, and proceeded by a light when they stood still. They followed you and were guided. How soft-spoken you were among them, yet how far above them you stood! You spoke the least, yet your speech was the soundest. You were the most given to silence, yet the most eloquent in expression; the most discerning in counsel, the bravest in spirit, the most knowledgeable of affairs, and the noblest in deeds.

“By Allah, you were a leader of the religion—the first to champion it when people recoiled from it and the last to forsake it when they were put to trial. By Allah, you were a compassionate father to the believers when they became your dependents. You bore burdens they were too weak to carry, tended what they neglected, and preserved what they squandered. You knew what they did not know, exerted yourself when they became submissive, rose above when they panicked, and remained patient when they despaired. You attained the outcomes they sought, and through your judgment they returned to sound guidance, gained victory, and attained what they had never expected.

“You were a torrent of punishment against the unbelievers, but mercy, comfort, and a fortress for the believers. You took up its mantle, won its bounty ⦗2345⦘ and carried off its virtues. Your heart never swerved, nor did it become cowardly. By Allah, you were like a mountain: gales could not move you and violent storms could not dislodge you. You were, as the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said, ‘the person who conferred the greatest favor upon him through his companionship.’ You were also as the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said: ‘Weak in body, yet strong in upholding Allah’s command; humble within yourself, yet great in Allah’s sight; venerable in the eyes of the people and exalted in their hearts.’

“No one could find any fault in you, no critic had grounds to disparage you, no one could hope to exploit you, and you showed no partiality to any creature. The weak and humiliated person was strong in your sight until you secured his right for him, while the strong and powerful person was weak and humbled in your sight until you took from him what was rightfully due. Near and distant were equal before you in this regard. The person closest to you was the one most obedient to Allah—Blessed and Exalted—and most mindful of Him.

“Your way was truth, sincerity, and gentleness. Your word was judgment and final decision; your conduct was forbearance and resolve; and your counsel was knowledge and determination. You departed after the path had been made plain, hardship had been eased, fires had been extinguished, the religion had been set aright through you, faith had grown strong, Islam and the Muslims had become firmly established, and Allah’s command had prevailed, though the unbelievers detested it.

“You dispelled the darkness from them, and they saw clearly. By Allah, you outstripped others by a vast distance and left those after you an immensely difficult standard to match. You achieved a manifest triumph through goodness. You were too great for tears alone; the loss of you was momentous in heaven, and your calamity crushed all humankind. We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return. We accept Allah’s decree and submit the matter to Him.

“By Allah, after the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—the Muslims will never again suffer the loss of anyone like you. You were a source of might, protection, and refuge for the religion; a supporting host and fortress for the believers; and severity, stifling distress, and fury against the hypocrites. May Allah unite you with your Prophet, neither deprive us of the reward for bearing your loss nor allow us to stray after you. We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.”

The people remained silent until Ali—may Allah be pleased with him—had finished speaking. They then wept until their voices rose, and said, “You have spoken the truth, O son-in-law of the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him.” ⦗2346⦘

Muhammad ibn al-Husayn—may Allah have mercy upon him—said:

I have related what has reached us of the praises expressed by the Commander of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abī Tālib—may Allah be pleased with him—concerning Abū Bakr and Umar—may Allah be pleased with them both—while Uthmān, alongside them, was indeed wrongfully killed, may Allah be pleased with him, and of the lofty esteem in which Ali held them. This is sufficient for anyone who reasons and discerningly considers everything we have previously mentioned.

Anyone for whom Allah the Generous intends good, and who discerns this, will know that Abū Bakr, Umar, Uthmān, and Ali—may Allah be pleased with them all—are as Allah—Mighty and Majestic—said:

“We shall remove whatever rancor is in their breasts. As brothers, they will be upon couches facing one another.” [al-Hijr 15:47]

He will also know that these chosen Companions of our Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—are those concerning whom Allah—Mighty and Majestic—said:

“The foremost—the first of the Emigrants and the Helpers—and those who followed them with excellence: Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they shall remain forever. That is the supreme triumph.” [al-Tawba 9:100]

The same applies to all his Companions. Allah—Mighty and Majestic—guaranteed to the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—that He would not disgrace him on their account, and that on the Day of Resurrection He would perfect their light, forgive them, and have mercy upon them. Allah—Mighty and Majestic—said:

“On the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet or those who believed with him, their light will stream ahead of them and on their right. They will say, ‘Our Lord, perfect our light for us and forgive us. You are indeed capable of all things.’” [al-Tahrīm 66:8]

He—Mighty and Majestic—also said:

“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those with him are stern against the unbelievers and compassionate among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating, seeking bounty from Allah and His pleasure. Their mark is seen ⦗2347⦘ upon their faces from the effect of prostration. That is their description in the Torah. Their description in the Gospel is that of a crop which sends forth its shoot, strengthens it, grows stout, and stands firmly upon its stalk, delighting the sowers, so that through them He may enrage the unbelievers. Allah has promised those among them who believe and perform righteous deeds forgiveness and a magnificent reward.” [al-Fath 48:29]

Muhammad ibn al-Husayn—may Allah have mercy upon him—said:

We seek refuge in Allah from anyone whose heart harbors fury toward any of these men, any member of the Messenger of Allah’s household—peace and blessings be upon him—or any of his wives. Rather, through our love for them all, we hope to receive mercy and forgiveness from Allah the Generous, if Allah wills.