2678. Muḥammad ibn ʿUthmān ibn Muḥammad al-Kātib narrated to us; he said: Abū al-Ḥasan Muḥammad ibn Nūḥ al-Jundaysābūrī narrated to us; he said: Hārūn ibn Isḥāq narrated to us; he said: Saʿīd ibn Manṣūr narrated to us; he said: Shihāb ibn Khirāsh narrated to us; he said: Ḥajjāj ibn Dīnār related to me, from Abū Maʿshar, from Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaʿī, from ʿAlqamah, who said—while striking his hand on the pulpit of Kūfah—:

“ʿAlī delivered a sermon to us from this pulpit. He spoke at length about whatever Allah willed him to mention, then said: ‘Behold, it has reached me that some people are giving me precedence over Abū Bakr and ʿUmar. Had I already issued a warning on this matter, I would have punished them, but I dislike to punish before giving notice. Whoever is brought to me after this gathering and is found to have said anything of that sort is a fabricator; upon him rests the penalty due to a liar.

Indeed, the best of people after the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, are Abū Bakr and ʿUmar. Love the one you love with moderation, for he may one day become the one you hate.’”