As for Ahl al-Sunnah, they can demonstrate the falsity of the Kharijites’ position through many proofs. Those proofs, however, apply equally to all three men and establish their faith, whereas the Rāfidīs impugn them. The Rāfidīs therefore cannot establish any proof against the Kharijites that ʿAlī died as a believer. Rather, any proof they advance can be challenged in a way that invalidates it according to their own principles, for their foundational principle is corrupt.

This description was not exclusive to ʿAlī. Others also love Allah and His Messenger, and Allah and His Messenger love them. What is distinctive here is that he was personally attested to (1) as possessing this quality, just as the Prophet testified that each of the Ten would be in Paradise, testified that Thābit ibn Qays would be in Paradise, and testified that ʿAbd Allāh Himār loved Allah and His Messenger (2), even though he had had him flogged several times as a prescribed punishment.

The claim, “This indicates that no one else possessed this quality,” admits of two answers.

The first is that, even if this were conceded, the Prophet said:

“I shall certainly give the banner to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and whom Allah and His Messenger love. Allah will grant victory at his hands.”

It was this combination of qualities that was distinctive to him—namely, that this particular victory was achieved at his hands. Yet the fact that this specific victory was achieved at his hands does not entail that he was superior to everyone else, much less that he alone was entitled to the imamate.

The second answer is that we do not concede that this entails exclusivity. It is just as if one were to say, “I shall certainly give this money to a poor man, or to a righteous man; today I shall certainly summon a sick, righteous man; or I shall certainly give (3) this banner to a brave man,” and so forth—there would not