Faḍl Abī Bakr - Ibn Taimiya - (13/1220)

and such as his statement—peace and blessings be upon him—about ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib (may Allah be pleased with him): “You are of me and I am of you.” The Prophet—peace be upon him—used the same wording for Julaybīb (may Allah be pleased with him), who had slain a number of the idolaters: “He is of me and I am of him.” He likewise said of the Ashʿarīs: “They are of me and I am of them.”

– No sound ḥadith grants ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib (may Allah be pleased with him) a distinctive merit that elevates him above Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him). Every report cited for that claim is either sound but not explicit, or explicit but not sound.

– Authentic ḥadiths have indeed been transmitted concerning the virtues of ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him). Among them are:

“You are of me and I am of you.”
“Your rank in relation to me is like that of Hārūn to Moses.”
“Tomorrow I shall give the banner to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and whom Allah and His Messenger love.”

These reports are both authentic and explicit regarding his excellence (may Allah be pleased with him), yet they do not establish that he is the most virtuous of all creation, for the same wording and comparable virtues are affirmed for other Companions besides him (may Allah be pleased with them all).

Numerous aḥādīth also speak to the merits of Abū Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), including many that single him out above the rest—proof that he is the best of this ummah after the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.

That said, may Allah bless our Prophet Muḥammad, his family, and all his Companions.

All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and ask His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils within ourselves and from our misdeeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can mislead; and whomever He leaves to stray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muḥammad is His servant and Messenger. O Allah, send Your blessings upon him, upon his rightly-guided Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.

To proceed:

وكقوله ﷺ في علي بن أبي طالب ﵁ ((أنت مني وأنا منك)) ، وهذه العبارة قد قالها ﷺ أيضا لجليبيب ﵁ الذي قتل عدة من الكفار: ((هذا مني وأنه منه)) ، وكذلك قال ﷺ للأشعريين: ((هم مني وأنا منهم)) . - لم يرد في حديث صحيح خصيصة لعلي بن أبي طالب ﵁ امتاز بها على أبي بكر الصديق ﵁ وكل ما ورد فيه إما صحيح غير صريح أو صريح غير صحيح. - وردت أحاديث صحيحة في مناقب علي ﵁ ومنها:- ١- ((أنت مني وأنا منك)) . ٢- ((أنت مني بمنزلة هارون من موسى)) . ٣- ((لأعطين الراية غدا رجلا يحب الله ورسوله، ويحبه الله ورسوله)) . فهذه الأحاديث صحيحة صريحة في فضله ﵁ لكنها لا تدل على أنه أفضل الخلق؛ فإنه ثبتت مثل هذه العبارة والفضائل لغيره من الصحابة سواه ﵃ أجمعين. وقد وردت أحاديث كثيرة في فضائل أبي بكر ﵁ ومنها ما امتاز بها على غيره وهي كثيرة، مما يدل على أنه أفضل هذه الأمة بعد رسول الله ﷺ. هذا - وصلى الله على نبينا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين. إن الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينه ونستغفره، ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا، من يهده الله فلا مضل له، ومن يضلل فلا هادي له، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله، وحده لا شريك له، وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله، اللهم صلِّ عليه وعلى صحبه الهداة المهتدين وعلى من تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدِّين. أما بعد: