and in the biographical works (siyar) as well; yet the point of reference in this ḥadith is that he instructed them to invite the people to Islam and to make clear to them what rights of Allah become binding upon them once they accept it.

Among the benefits derived from this narration are the following:

• The manifestation of a prophetic sign: when the Prophet ﷺ spat into ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib’s eyes, they were healed so completely that it was as if he had never felt any pain.

• A second sign appears in his statement, “Allah will grant victory at his hands.” This was knowledge of the unseen, and events unfolded exactly as he foretold.

• It shows that banners should be raised in jihad—standards—so that every contingent is distinguished by its own banner, as has already been indicated.

• It encourages a person to seek out good deeds and strive to be the first to perform them. The Companions, as the text repeatedly says, “spent their night yadūkun laylatahum,” meaning they busied themselves through the entire night—“laylatahum” is in the accusative as an adverb of time—trying to discover who would be chosen.

• A person may receive something that never crossed his mind, while one who expected to obtain it may be deprived. ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, may Allah be pleased with him, was suffering from an eye ailment and I do not think it ever occurred to him that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would give him the banner—yet he was the one who received it. Such is Allah’s bounty; He bestows it upon whom He wills, and Allah is the One who grants success.