—of the steadfast, the truest of the truthful among all people, the foremost of the devout, and the most generous of those who give. He would bestow with the liberality of one who fears no poverty (1), and he would pass the night hungry (2). As for his seeking forgiveness, that alone is telling: he used to seek Allah’s pardon and repent to Him one hundred times each day (3). He would stand in prayer at night until his feet swelled and would say, “Shall I not be a grateful servant?” (4)

Likewise, some have said about His words, “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those who are with him” that it refers to Abu Bakr; “harsh against the disbelievers” to ʿUmar; “merciful among themselves” to ʿUthmān; and “you see them bowing and prostrating” (Al-Fath 29) to ʿAlī.

Explanation
This partition is not a Shīʿī exegesis, yet it is certainly a deficient one. They argue that “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and those who are with him” points to Abu Bakr because he accompanied the Prophet in the cave, as in His statement, “when he said to his companion, ‘Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us’” (Al-Tawbah 40). They link “harsh against the disbelievers” to ʿUmar, claiming he was the firmest of people in Allah’s cause; “merciful among themselves” to ʿUthmān, known for compassion, gentleness, and kindness; and “you see them bowing and prostrating” to ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, because he was among those who bowed and prostrated often. Yet ʿUthmān too was famed for spending the night in prayer and for lengthy vigils.

In short, this is mistaken: the phrase “those who are with him” encompasses all the Companions, and the attributes “harsh against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves, you see them bowing and prostrating” apply to them all.