to turn away from it without Allah giving it someone better in his place.”

This hadith was recorded in al-Muwattaʾ through Hishām ibn Urwa, from his father: al-Muwattaʾ, 2/887 (The Book of Miscellaneous Matters, Chapter on Supplication for Medina and Its People).

The annotation states: “Abū Umar said: Ma'n ibn Īsā alone narrated it with a connected chain from Mālik, from Hishām, from his father, from Aisha.”

[This is likewise found in the two Sahih collections, narrated by Zayd ibn Thābit from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—who said: “It is Tayba (meaning Medina), and it expels men just as fire removes the dross of iron.” Another wording states: “It expels impurity just as fire removes the dross of silver.”] (1)

And were he to say, “Ali left it (2) and did not reside there as the caliphs before him had; therefore, the people did not unite behind him,” the answer would be that if a scholar exercising independent reasoning who is of lower standing than Ali is not subject to the warning, then Ali is even more deserving of not being subject to it because of his independent reasoning. The same answer applies concerning the departure of Aisha—may Allah be pleased with her. If a scholar exercising independent reasoning is mistaken, his error is forgiven by the Quran and Sunnah.

As for his statement, “She (3) went out amid a multitude of people to fight Ali, though he had committed no offense,” this is, first of all, a lie about her. She did not set out intending to fight, nor, likewise, was