”
[Surah al-Māidah: 54]
(1) Thus He mentioned the conduct of the apostates (2), that they will never harm Allah in the least, and those whom He will bring to replace them (3).
He then says:
“Your only ally is Allah, His Messenger, and those who believe—those who establish prayer, give zakat, and bow down.
Whoever takes Allah, His Messenger, and the believers as allies—surely it is Allah’s party that will prevail.”
[Surah al-Māidah: 55–56]
This passage thus describes the circumstances of those hypocrites who entered Islam, those who turn away from it, and the believers who remain steadfast upon it both outwardly and inwardly.
This context, together with the wording’s use of the plural form, gives anyone who reflects upon it (4) certain knowledge that he cannot possibly deny: the verse applies generally to all believers who possess these qualities. It is not restricted to any one individual—not Abū Bakr, Umar, Uthmān, Alī, or anyone else. These men, however, have the strongest claim among the ummah to be included within its scope.
The fourteenth response is that the expressions cited in the hadith are known to have been falsely ascribed to the Prophet—peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Alī is not the leader of all the righteous; rather, the leader of this ummah is the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings of Allah be upon him—(5). Nor is he the slayer of all the unbelievers. He killed only some of them, just as others killed some of them. Indeed, anyone among the combatants who has killed some unbelievers is likewise a slayer of some unbelievers.
Likewise, his words:
“Granted victory is whoever supports him; forsaken (6) is whoever forsakes him”
are contrary to