it is said, “So-and-so mentioned it,” is known to be the position of that imam. The rest of his followers have also transmitted it, and they are a great multitude who transmit his position through mass transmission.

These books contain issues on which certain adherents of the school held a solitary view and over which they disagreed. Generally, however, what they present is the position adopted by the school. As for al-Bukhārī and Muslim, hadith scholars agree on the great majority of what they contain. These scholars pay closer attention to the Messenger’s wording, preserve it more precisely, and know it better than the imams’ followers do the wording of their imams. Hadith scholars also understand the Messenger’s intent [in his words] (1) better than the imams’ followers understand the intent of their imams; and disagreement among them (2) over this is less than the disagreement among the imams’ followers over the positions of their imams.

Out of ignorance, the Rāfidah imagine that if they accept what appears in a single copy of such material and attribute al-Siddīq’s virtues to Alī, this will escape the notice of the scholars through whom Allah has preserved the Reminder.

Fourth:

It may be said: What has been established among the people through mass transmission is that the one who fought those who had apostatized was Abū Bakr al-Siddīq—may Allah be pleased with him. He fought Musaylima the Liar, who claimed prophethood, together with his followers, the Banū Hanīfa and the people of al-Yamāma.

It has been said that they numbered around 100,000 or more (3). He also fought Tulayha al-Asadī, who had claimed prophethood in Najd and was followed by those whom Allah willed from among Asad, Tamīm, and Ghatafān. Sajāh—a woman whom Musaylima the Liar married—claimed prophethood. Thus the male liar married the female liar.