Sa‘d, although a righteous man, was not infallible. Rather, he had sins that Allah forgives, and the Muslims have indeed (1) known some of them. Yet he is one of the people of Paradise and among the first and foremost of the Ansar—may Allah be pleased with them and make them well pleased.

Thus, al-Shahrastānī’s assertion that the Ansar unanimously agreed to put Sa‘d ibn Ubādah forward is false by the consensus of those well versed in transmitted reports, and the authentic hadiths establish the contrary. Although he and others like him do not deliberately lie, they transmit from the books of those who report from people who do deliberately lie.

Likewise, the assertion that Ali was occupied with what the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—had instructed him to do, namely burying him, preparing his body, and remaining at his grave, is a manifest lie. It also contradicts their own claim, for the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was not buried until night; he was not buried during the day.

It has also been said that he was not buried until the following night. He did not instruct anyone to remain at his grave, nor did Ali remain there. Rather, he was buried in Aisha’s chamber, and Ali was not one of her mahrams.

How, then, could the Prophet have instructed him to remain at his grave when—according to their claim—he had commanded that Ali should be the imam after him? Nor was Ali alone occupied with preparing his body. Rather, Ali, al-Abbās, the sons of al-Abbās, the Prophet’s freedman Shuqrān, and some of the Ansar took part, while Abū Bakr, Umar, and others were present at the door of the chamber during his washing and preparation. They were not then with the Banū Sā‘idah. However, the sunnah is for the deceased’s family to take charge of him. His family therefore undertook his washing and delayed his burial so that the Muslims might pray over him (2), for they prayed over him individually, one after another,