Muslim in his Sahīh through more than one chain of transmission, and al-Bukhari also narrated it, though in many copies he did not cite it in full(1).

As for the interpretation advanced by those who claimed that Alī and his companions killed him and that the rebellious faction was the one seeking vengeance for Uthmān’s blood, this is one of those patently unsound interpretations whose falsity is evident to laymen and specialists alike. The hadith is established in both Sahīhs. Ahmad ibn Hanbal and other leading scholars authenticated it. Although it has been related that he deemed it weak, the latter of his two positions was to authenticate it(2).

Yaqūb ibn Shayba said in his Musnad [in the section on the Meccans](3), under the Musnad of Ammār ibn Yāsir, when mentioning the reports concerning Ammār:

“I heard Ahmad ibn Hanbal being asked about the Prophet’s—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—hadith concerning Ammār:

‘The rebellious faction will kill you.’

Ahmad replied, ‘The rebellious faction killed him(4), just as the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said.’ He also said, ‘There is more than one authentic hadith from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—on this matter.’ He was unwilling to say anything beyond that.

Al-Bukhari said in his Sahīh:

1(5). “Musaddad narrated to us: Abd al-Azīz ibn [al-Mukhtār](6) narrated to us: Khālid al-Hadhdhā narrated to us from Ikrima, who said: