Ayyūb al-Sakhtiyānī and others: “Whoever gives Alī precedence over Uthmān has disparaged the Emigrants and the Ansār.”](1)

It is established in the two Sahih collections that Abd Allāh ibn Umar said:

“We used to rank people in merit during the lifetime of Allah’s Messenger—peace and blessings be upon him—as follows: Abū Bakr, then Umar, then Uthmān.”

Another wording states:

“Then we would leave the Companions of the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—without ranking any of them above the others.”(2)

This reports the position held by the Companions during the lifetime of the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—[that Abū Bakr was superior, followed by Umar and then Uthmān. It has also been related that this would reach the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—](3), and he would not object to it(4).

In that case, this ranking in merit is established by explicit textual evidence. Otherwise, it is established by the fact that it was openly maintained among the Emigrants and the Ansār during the Prophet’s lifetime—peace and blessings be upon him—without any objection, and by what became manifest when Umar died: they all pledged allegiance to Uthmān ibn Affān without enticement or intimidation, and not one of them objected to his accession.