the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Those who criticized him were Kufans living during the time of al-Hajjāj and the revolt of Ibn al-Ash'ath. They were not Companions, nor were they known to be among the leading Successors, though some of them may have met Ibn Mas'ūd. Ibn Mas'ūd was not the regular imam in his day; rather, someone else was. Ibn Mas'ūd’s son was more likely than these unknown men to follow his father.

Those who objected to Abū Ubayda did so only because he departed from the practice to which they had become accustomed, even though that practice was contrary to the Prophetic Sunnah. This objection, however, did not come from the jurists.

This is shown by the fact that the most eminent jurist from whom Ibrāhīm al-Nakha'ī learned was Alqama, who died before the revolt of Ibn al-Ash'ath, during which Abū Ubayda ibn Abd Allah led the prayer. Alqama died in 61 or 62 AH, at the beginning of Yazīd’s rule, whereas the revolt of Ibn al-Ash'ath occurred during the rule of Abd al-Malik. The same applies to Masrūq: it is said that he too died before 70 AH. Similar reports were also given regarding both men, as was said regarding Masrūq and others like him.

It is thus clear that the leading jurists among the disciples of Abd Allah ibn Mas'ūd were not the ones who objected to this, although there are people [one of whom, upon hearing this unqualified statement, ascribes it to Ibrāhīm al-Nakha'ī, even though (he knows it)—namely, that it is well known that Alqama believed Ibrāhīm and men like him had objected to it], although they had seen