maintain the Sacred Mosque.’ Another said, ‘Striving in Allah’s cause is better than what you have said.’ Umar rebuked them and said, ‘Do not raise your voices beside the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.’ It was Friday. ‘But once I have performed the Friday prayer, I shall go in to him and ask him for a ruling concerning the matter over which you disagree.’
Then Allah Most High revealed:
‘Do you regard providing water to the pilgrims and maintaining the Sacred Mosque as equal to the deeds of one who believes in Allah and the Last Day and strives in Allah’s cause?’—to the end of the verse.” (1)
[Sūrat al-Tawbah: 19]
Muslim narrated it (2).
This hadith shows that Alī’s position—whereby he deemed striving in Allah’s cause superior to custodianship of the Kaaba and providing water to the pilgrims—was sounder than the position of those who deemed custodianship and providing water superior, and that Alī knew the truth concerning this matter better than those who disputed it with him. This is correct.
Umar was in accord with his Lord on several matters: he would say something, and the Quran would be revealed in agreement with him.
“He said to the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—‘If only you were to take the Station of Abraham as a place of prayer.’ Then the following was revealed:
‘Take the Station of Abraham as a place of prayer.’
[Sūrat al-Baqarah: 125]
He also said, ‘Righteous and wicked men alike enter upon your wives. If only you instructed them to be veiled.’ Then the verse of the veil was revealed.
And he said:
‘Perhaps, if he divorces you, his Lord will grant him in exchange wives better than you—Muslim, believing, devoutly obedient, and repentant,’
and it was revealed likewise.” (3)
There are other examples of the same kind. All of this is established in the Sahih. This is more significant than confirming that Alī was right on a single issue.
As for superiority by virtue of faith, emigration, and striving in Allah’s cause, this applies to all the Companions who believed, emigrated, and strove. Thus, there is no distinction here that belonged exclusively to Alī, such that it could be said that this was established for no one else.