and Umar, Uthman, and Ali, but no one before him had narrated those sermons from any of them through a known chain of transmission, we would know with certainty that they were fabrications. These sermons contain many things that we know (1) with certainty are contradicted by what is authentically established from Ali.

In the present discussion, we are not required to demonstrate that this is false. It is enough for us to demand proof that the report is authentic, for Allah has not required His creatures to believe something for whose truth no evidence (2) has been established. Indeed, imposing such an obligation is held to be impossible by consensus—especially according to the view that it is impossible to impose what lies beyond one’s capacity, for this would be among the gravest instances of imposing what lies beyond one’s capacity.

How, then, could anyone substantiate Ali’s claim to the caliphate by means of such an account (3), reported from him during the fourth century, when those who fabricated lies (4) against him had become numerous and had come to possess a government that accepted from them (5) whatever they said, whether true or false, while no one among them demanded proof that their reports were authentic? This answer is our mainstay regarding the true state of the matter and our accountability before Allah Most High.

Then we say (6): Grant that Ali did say this. Why do you say (7) that he meant, “I am an [infallible] (8) Imam who was explicitly designated”? Why could he not have meant, “I was more entitled to it than others,” because he believed himself to be better and more entitled than they were? In that case, he would not (9) have been reporting something about which he deliberately lied; rather, he would have been expressing his independent judgment, and independent judgment may be correct or mistaken.