Likewise, they invoke His words, “Upon such people are blessings from their Lord and mercy” (Al-Baqarah 157), claiming that this verse was revealed about ʿAlī when he was afflicted by the loss of Ḥamzah.

Explanation

Exalted is Allah the Magnificent! Which of the two suffered the greater calamity over Ḥamzah’s death—the Messenger ﷺ or ʿAlī? It was unquestionably the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Yet they maintain that ʿAlī was the one stricken by Ḥamzah’s death and that the verse pertains exclusively to him. By this fabrication and slander they portray ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as grieving for Ḥamzah more than the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did. By Allah, they have lied: the one most grievously affected by Ḥamzah’s death—without a shadow of doubt—was the Messenger ﷺ.

A similar claim, in some respects, is what many commentators relate concerning His statement, “the steadfast, the truthful, the devout, the spenders, and those who seek forgiveness before dawn” (Āl ʿImrān 17). They assert that “the steadfast” refers to the Messenger of Allah, “the truthful” to Abū Bakr, “the devout” to ʿUmar, “the spenders” to ʿUthmān, and “those who seek forgiveness” to ʿAlī.

Explanation

This is ignorance as well, for all these attributes can apply to a single person; dividing them up in that manner is incorrect. Moreover, among “the steadfast, the truthful, and the devout,” it appears that the rank of devout obedience is the highest. How, then, could the Messenger ﷺ be limited to the station of steadfastness, while another is placed at the station of truthfulness and yet another at the station of devout obedience? The Messenger ﷺ is the most exceptional of all who are characterized by these traits; he is the most steadfast—