The point here is that the true import of what these heretics say (1) amounts to negating the Creator and denying the reality of prophethood, the Resurrection, and revealed laws. They profess allegiance to Alī and claim that he held these doctrines, just as the Qadariyya, Jahmiyya, and Rāfida likewise claim that he held their respective positions. They further claim that these doctrines were derived from him. All of this is false—a lie against Alī, may Allah be pleased with him.

(Chapter)

The Rāfidi said (2):

“The science of Quranic exegesis is attributed to him, for Ibn Abbās was his pupil in that field. Ibn Abbās said, ‘The Commander of the Faithful spoke to me, from the beginning of the night until its end, about the interpretation of the letter bāʾ in the formula “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.”’”

The response is as follows: First, where is the established chain of transmission substantiating this report from Ibn Abbās? Anyone who cites transmitted reports as evidence must at least provide the chain by which the report’s authenticity may be established. Otherwise, reports merely recorded in books may not be adduced as evidence, especially when it is known that much of such material is false (3).

Second, hadith scholars know that this is a lie, for this report attributed to Ibn Abbās is a fabrication against him and has no known chain of transmission. Rather, only