Ali’s faith is even stronger evidence of theirs. Any line of argument (1) used to impugn them can be answered (2) just as an impugnment of Ali can be answered—and with even greater reason. Thus, the Rāfidī who impugns them while displaying partisan zeal for Ali has no case, just like the Jews and Christians who seek (3) to affirm the prophethood of Moses and Jesus while impugning the prophethood of Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. For this reason, a Rāfidī cannot present a conclusive argument against the Nasibis who hate Ali or impugn his faith, including the Kharijites and others.

If they ask him:

“By what means did you know that Ali was a believer or an ally of Allah Most High (4)?”

If he answers:

“Through mass-transmitted reports of his Islam and good deeds,”

he is told:

“The same reports exist concerning Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and other Companions of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Indeed, the mass-transmitted reports concerning the good deeds of these men—reports free from any countervailing evidence—are stronger than the mass-transmitted reports of comparable deeds concerning Ali.”

If he says:

“Through the Quran, which establishes Ali’s faith,”

he is told:

“The Quran establishes this only through general designations, as in His statement:

‘Allah was certainly pleased with the believers’

[Surah al-Fath: 18]

and similar verses. Yet you exclude the leading Companions [from that] (5), so excluding a single individual is easier.”

If he says:

“Through the hadiths attesting to his merits, or through the Quran having been revealed (6) concerning him,”

he is told:

“The hadiths concerning those men are more numerous and sounder, yet you have impugned them (7).”