—by the people of Syria at the battle of Ṣiffīn—while ʿAmmār was aligned with ʿAlī and the Iraqis, as will be clarified and detailed in its proper place. Indeed, ʿAlī had a stronger claim to leadership than Muʿāwiyah. Yet calling Muʿāwiyah’s supporters “rebels” does not entail declaring them unbelievers, as the ignorant among the deviant Shīʿah sect and others try to do. For although they were, in fact, a rebellious party, they acted on their own ijtihād in engaging in battle; and not every mujtahid reaches the correct verdict—when he is right he earns two rewards, and when he errs he still earns one.

Whoever adds to this ḥadīth—after the words, “the rebellious faction will kill you”—the phrase, “May Allah deprive them of my intercession on the Day of Resurrection,” has forged a lie against the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, for he never uttered it; it is found in no reliably transmitted chain. Allah knows best.

As for his statement, “He will invite them to Paradise while they invite him to the Fire,” the meaning is that ʿAmmār and his companions were calling the Syrians to harmony and a unified word, whereas the Syrians sought to seize authority from the one who was more entitled to it and to leave people split, each region with an independent leader. Such an approach inevitably leads to fragmentation and discord in the ummah; this is the necessary outcome of their stance and springs from the path they followed, even if they did not intend it. Allah knows best.

A fuller treatment of these matters will come, if Allah wills, when we reach the account of Ṣiffīn in this book—by His power, gracious support, and success. Our concern here is simply the story of the construction of the Prophet’s Mosque—upon its Builder be the finest blessings and peace.

Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Bayhaqī said in Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwah (1): Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥāfiẓ dictated to us; Abū Bakr ibn Isḥāq narrated to us; ʿUbayd ibn Sharīk informed us; Naʿīm ibn Ḥammād narrated to us; ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Mubārak told us; Ḥashraj ibn Nubātah, from Saʿīd ibn Jumhān, from Safīnah, the freedman of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, said:

[When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ built the mosque] Abū Bakr came with a stone and placed it. Then ʿUthmān came with a stone and placed it. Then ʿUmar came with a stone and placed it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “These are the custodians of authority after me.”

He also transmitted it (1) through the chain of Yaḥyā ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd al-Ḥimmanī, from Ḥashraj, from Saʿīd, from Safīnah, who said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ built the mosque he laid a stone, then said, “Let Abū Bakr lay a stone next to mine; then let ʿUmar lay his stone next to Abū Bakr’s; then let ʿUthmān lay his stone next to ʿUmar’s.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then said, “These are the caliphs who will succeed me.”

This wording of the ḥadīth is extremely unusual.

What is widely known, however, is the report recorded by Imām Aḥmad (2) from Abū al-Naḍr, from Ḥashraj ibn Nubātah al-ʿAbsī; and by Bahz and Zayd ibn Ḥubbāb; and by ʿAbd al-Ṣamad and Ḥammād ibn Salamah—both from Saʿīd ibn Jumhān—from Safīnah, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, “The caliphate will last thirty years; after that will come kingship.” Safīnah then said, “Count them: the caliphate of Abū Bakr was two years, that of ʿUmar ten years, that of ʿUthmān twelve years, and that of ʿAlī six years.”