And these men are not superior to those who fought at Badr, those who pledged allegiance at al-Ridwān, or the earliest forerunners, except those whose early adherence to Islam gave them precedence, such as Hamzah and Ja‘far. These two—may Allah be pleased with them—were among the earliest forerunners. The same applies to ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Hārith, who was martyred at Badr.
Thus, the merits he mentions concerning Fātimah, al-Hasan, and al-Husayn do not support his argument. Indeed, they possess authentically established merits that this author has not mentioned. Instead, he has cited falsehoods, such as the hadith narrated by the chief preacher (1) of Khwārazm: when ‘Alī married Fātimah, Allah married her to him from above seven heavens; Gabriel delivered the wedding address, while Isrāfīl and Mīkā’īl were witnesses among seventy thousand angels.
This hadith is a fabricated lie, by the unanimous agreement of those versed in hadith. The same applies to the hadith he cites from Hudhayfah.
Second: If having relatives who believe is a merit, then Abū Bakr takes precedence in this merit. His father believed in the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—as everyone agrees, whereas Abū Tālib did not believe. His mother likewise believed in the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—as did his children and grandchildren. No other Companion had this distinction. Among Abū Bakr’s relatives—the descendants of Abū Quhāfah—not a single man or woman failed to believe in the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—married his daughter, and she was the most beloved of his wives. No Companion shared this distinction with him except ‘Umar, but Hafsah was not