people’s impurities. Some of the early Muslims said:

“Love for Abū Bakr and Umar is faith; hatred of them is hypocrisy.”

The Musnad and Sunan collections report that when al-Abbās complained to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about the cold treatment some people showed them, he said:

“By Him in whose hand is my soul, they will not enter Paradise until they love you for my sake.”

It is also reported in the Sahīh that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Allah chose the descendants of Ishmael; He chose Banū Kināna from the descendants of Ishmael; He chose Quraysh from Kināna; He chose Banū Hāshim from Quraysh; and He chose me from Banū Hāshim.”

When civil strife erupted with the killing of Uthmān and the subsequent division of the Muslim community, some who loved Uthmān and went to excess in their devotion to him turned against Alī—may Allah be pleased with him. Such were many of the people of Syria who, at that time, reviled Alī—may Allah be pleased with him—and hated him. Likewise, some who loved Alī—may Allah be pleased with him—and went to excess in their devotion to him turned against Uthmān—may Allah be pleased with him. Such were many of the people of Iraq who hated and reviled Uthmān—may Allah be pleased with him. Their religious innovation subsequently grew more extreme, until they reviled Abū Bakr and Umar—may Allah be pleased with them both—and the affliction they caused then intensified.

The Sunnah is to love both Uthmān and Alī, and to give Abū Bakr and Umar precedence over them—may Allah be pleased