him and grant him peace—he would rule according to the rulings issued by Abū Bakr and Umar. This is established through the report of Ibn Uyaynah, from Abd Allah ibn Abī Yazīd, from Ibn Abbās.
Anyone familiar with Ibn Abbās knows that he preferred Abū Bakr and Umar over Alī—may Allah be pleased with him.
Moreover, the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—chose not to write the document, and there was no dispute about that. Had he persisted in wishing to write it, no one could have prevented him.
Disputes of this kind—and indeed far greater ones—occurred while he was in good health. What occurred between the people of Qubā and others was far more serious than this, to the point that the following was revealed concerning it:
“If two groups of believers fight one another, then make peace between them.”
[Surah al-Hujurāt: 9]
Yet it is reported that they fought one another with palm branches and sandals (1).
It is part of the ignorance of the Rāfidah that they claim the document was intended to appoint Alī as caliph. This has no support whatsoever in the account, nor [in]
(1) This is reported in a hadith from Anas—may Allah be pleased with him—in al-Bukhārī, 3/183 (Book of Peacemaking, first chapter). Its wording is: Anas—may Allah be pleased with him—said: “The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was asked, ‘Would you go to Abd Allah ibn Ubayy?’ The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—set out to see him, riding a donkey, while the Muslims walked alongside him across saline ground. When the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—reached him, he said, ‘Keep away from me! By Allah, the stench of your donkey has offended me.’ One of the Ansār replied, ‘By Allah, the donkey of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—smells better than you.’ A man from Abd Allah’s people became angry on his behalf and insulted the Ansārī. The companions of each man then became angry on his behalf, and they struck one another with palm branches, their hands, and sandals. We were informed that the following verse was revealed concerning them: ‘If two groups of believers fight one another, make peace between them.’” The hadith is also found in Muslim, 3/1424 (Book of Jihad and Military Expeditions, chapter “The Prophet’s Call to Allah and His Patience in the Face of the Hypocrites’ Abuse”); al-Musnad (al-Halabī ed.), 3/157, 219. See also Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr, 7/353–354.