he forbade pecking like a crow (1). Thus, transmitting such a report about Alī demonstrates the ignorance of its transmitter (2). Moreover, it is authentically established (3) that Uthmān—may Allah be pleased with him—devoted the night to tahajjud and recited the Quran in a single rakʿah. His tahajjud and recitation of the Quran are therefore better known than those of anyone else.
Furthermore, his assertion that Alī ibn Abī Tālib (4) was the best of all creation after the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—is a bare claim that the majority of Muslims, past and present, dispute with him (5).
And as for his statement, “Allah made him the very self of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—(6), when He said, ‘ourselves and yourselves’ [Surah Āl Imrān: 61], and made him his brother (7),” the response is:
The report concerning the bond of brotherhood is false and fabricated (8), for the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—did not enter into a bond of brotherhood with anyone, nor did he establish brotherhood among the Emigrants themselves (9), nor between
(1) The hadith is narrated from Abd al-Rahmān ibn Shibl—may Allah be pleased with him—in Sunan Abī Dāwūd, 1/316 (Book of Prayer, chapter “The Prayer of One Who Does Not Straighten His Back during Bowing and Prostration”). Its wording is: “The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—forbade pecking like a crow, laying the forearms flat like a beast of prey, and a man making a particular place in the mosque his regular spot, as a camel does.” It is also found in Sunan al-Nasā'ī, 2/169 (Book of al-Tatbīq, chapter “The Prohibition of Pecking Like a Crow”); Sunan Ibn Mājah, 1/459 (Book of Establishing Prayer, chapter “What Has Been Narrated about Making a Place One’s Regular Spot…”); and Sunan al-Dārimī, 1/303 (Book of Prayer, chapter “The Prohibition of Laying the Forearms Flat and Pecking Like a Crow”). The hadith also appears in several places in al-Musnad, and al-Albānī graded it hasan in Sahīh al-Jāmi al-Saghīr, 6/70.
(2) (A) and (B): “its speaker.”
(3) Inna (“indeed”) is omitted in (A) and (B).
(4) (N) and (M): “Indeed, Alī—may Allah be pleased with him—…”
(5) (A) and (B): “dispute over it.”
(6) (N), (M), (W), (H), and (R): “the very self of His Messenger.”
(7) “And made him his brother” is omitted in (A) and (B).
(8) Ibn al-Mutahhar cited the fabricated hadith concerning the bond of brotherhood in detail at (K) 169 (M) 170 (M). Ibn Taymiyya gives a detailed response to his use of it as evidence later at (B [0–9] \ 9697).
(9) (A) and (B): min (“from”).