him and grant him peace—an exceptionally close relationship. They were among those most closely attached to him, most constant in his company, nearest to him, and most intimately connected to him. He was related to every one of them by marriage. He was never known to disparage or curse them; rather, he was known to love and praise them.

Accordingly, either they remained upright, outwardly and inwardly, both during his lifetime and after his death, or they were otherwise, either during his lifetime or after his death. If they were not upright despite such intimacy with him, one of two conclusions necessarily follows: either he did not know their true condition, or he compromised with them. Either conclusion constitutes a most serious attack upon the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—as it has been said:

“If you did not know, that is a calamity;
But if you did know, the calamity is greater.”

If they deviated after having been upright, this would mean that Allah had forsaken the Messenger in the case of the elect of his ummah and the leading members of his Companions. The one who had been informed of what would happen thereafter—where, then, was his knowledge of it? And where was his care for the ummah, to ensure that someone of this kind would not be placed in charge of its affairs? How could the foremost of the closest followers of one who had been promised that his religion would prevail over all religion be apostates?

This and similar claims are among the gravest aspersions the Rāfidīs cast upon the Messenger. Mālik and others said:

“These Rāfidīs seek only to impugn the Messenger, so that someone may say: ‘He was an evil man with evil companions. Had he been a righteous man, his companions would have been righteous.’”

For this reason, the scholars said: “Rāfidism is an insidious implant of heresy and was founded upon it.”

Another line of argument is to say: The compelling factors in Ali’s favor—if he were the rightful claimant—