neither over Abū Bakr’s precedence over those who came after him and the validity of his imamate, nor over Umar’s precedence and the validity of his imamate, nor over Uthmān’s precedence and the validity of his imamate, nor over (1) Ali’s ranking first after these three.
Nor, among the Companions after them (2), was anyone superior to him. After Uthmān’s caliphate, no Muslim faction disputed that no one in Ali’s army was superior to Ali. No recognized faction preferred Talha and al-Zubayr over him, let alone Muāwiya.
Although they nevertheless fought him because of a doubt that arose in their minds, they did not do so on the basis that someone else was superior to him or was the imam rather than him. Neither Talha nor al-Zubayr ever claimed the title of ruler, nor did anyone pledge allegiance to either of them on that basis.
Many Muslims—most of those in Medina—pledged allegiance to Ali as Commander of the Faithful. No one pledged allegiance to Talha or al-Zubayr on that basis; neither of them sought it or called people to himself. They—may Allah be pleased with them both—were too virtuous and too eminent in standing to do such a thing.
Likewise, no one pledged allegiance to Muāwiya as imam when Uthmān died, nor did anyone pledge allegiance to him as imam while he was fighting Ali. He did not style himself Commander of the Faithful, no one called him that, and Muāwiya did not claim the right to rule before the judgment of the two arbitrators (3).
Throughout his caliphate, Ali called himself Commander of the Faithful, and the Muslims who were with him