the seven, the seven to the four, and the four to the one. Others expand or reduce these figures, names, and ranks; they have several versions of the tale. Some even maintain that a green leaf descends from the sky onto the Kaʿbah bearing the name of the ghawth of the age and the name of al-Khidr—according to those among them who claim that al-Khidr is a rank and that every era has its own Khidr; on this point they hold two opinions. All of this is false, with no foundation whatsoever in the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of His Messenger; none of the early generations of the ummah, its leading scholars, or the eminent shaykhs of the past who merit emulation ever affirmed it. It is well known that our master, the Messenger of the Lord of all worlds, together with Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmān, and ‘Alī (may Allah be pleased with them), were the best of creation in their time, and they resided in Madinah, not in Mecca.