and will say (1): ‘This is what You gave us; we have followed (2) what it contains.’”

It was also narrated (3) by Abū Saʿīd al-Ashajj. He said: Ibn Idrīs narrated to us from Layth, from Mujāhid, and he mentioned the report. Al-Muhāribī also narrated to us from Juwaybir, from al-Dahhāk, regarding “and believed in it.” He said: “All the believers.”

Ibn Abī Hātim said: My father narrated to us; Abū Sālih narrated to us; Muʿāwiyah ibn Sālih narrated to us, from ʿAlī ibn Abī Talhah, from Ibn ʿAbbās, regarding “and believed in it.” He said: “The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace (4).”

Second: This is contradicted by what is better known among the exegetes, namely that “the one who brought the truth” is Muhammad, while “the one who believed in it” is Abū Bakr. A group holds this view, and al-Tabarī cited it with his chain of transmission back to ʿAlī. He said (5): “Muhammad brought it, and Abū Bakr believed in it.”

In this connection, some have related an anecdote about Abū Bakr ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Jaʿfar, known as Ghulām Abī Bakr al-Khallāl. A questioner asked him about this verse, and he—or one of those present (6)—replied: “It was revealed concerning Abū Bakr.”

The questioner asked: “Was it not, rather, revealed concerning ʿAlī?”

Abū Bakr ibn Jaʿfar replied: “Read what follows it: ‘Those are the God-fearing’ [Surah al-Zumar: 33], down to His words (7), ‘so that Allah may absolve them of the worst they did’ [Surah al-Zumar: 35]—to the end of the verse.” The questioner was left speechless.

Third: It may be said that the wording of the verse is general and unrestricted and is not exclusive to Abū Bakr or ʿAlī,