Allah guides to the truth. Is then the One who guides to the truth more worthy of being followed, or one who cannot find the way unless guided?’”
[Surah Yūnus: 35]

Thus, He began the passage with His words:

“Say, ‘Who provides for you from heaven and earth? Who controls hearing and sight? And who brings forth the living from the dead?’”

[Surah Yūnus: 31]

and continued through His words:

“Say, ‘Is there anyone among your partners who guides to the truth?’”

[Surah Yūnus: 35]

Furthermore, many people maintain that appointing the best-qualified person is obligatory if there is no overriding benefit [in] the appointment (1) of someone less qualified and no harm would result from appointing the best-qualified person.

These issues are examined by those who consider Ali superior to Abū Bakr [and Umar] (2), such as the Zaydīs and some of the Mu'tazilites, or by those who suspend judgment on the matter, as does one group of the Mu'tazilites.

As for Ahl al-Sunnah, they have no need to deny this premise; rather, in their view, al-Siddīq is the best member of the ummah. The point, however, is to show that the Rāfidīs, even when they state something true, are unable to substantiate it with sound evidence. This is because they have barred themselves from many avenues of knowledge and have consequently become incapable of demonstrating the truth—to the extent that it is [not] (3) possible for them to establish Ali’s faith against the Kharijites or his imamate against the Marwanids and those who fought him. The same general type of argument they invoke to establish this has been turned (4) against them, because, owing to the depth of their ignorance and their following of desires (6) without knowledge (7), they do not realize the contradictions and corruption necessarily entailed by their false (5) doctrines.