[Section: The Rāfidī’s sixth argument—Abū Bakr’s statement, “Relieve me, for I am not the best of you”—and the response to it]

Section

The Rāfidī said (1):

“Sixth: Abū Bakr’s statement, ‘Relieve me, for I am not the best of you (2).’ Had he been an imam, it would not have been permissible for him to request release from office.”

The response is:

First, the authenticity of this report should have been established. Not everything reported is authentic, and criticism based on an unauthenticated report is not valid.

Second, if this statement is authentically reported from Abū Bakr, it cannot be challenged merely by someone asserting, ‘An imam may not request release from office.’ This is a bare claim without evidence. Why would he not be permitted to request release from office, if he did indeed say this? Indeed, if he said it, we would have (3) neither a consensus nor a scriptural text establishing the contrary, so there would be no need to declare categorically that it is invalid. If he did not say it, then there is no harm in declaring such a statement forbidden.

But to affirm that al-Siddīq said it and then criticize him for it on the basis of a mere assertion is the speech of someone who does not care what he says.

It may also be said: This (4) indicates his lack of desire for office, his scrupulousness concerning it, and his fear of Allah lest he fail to discharge its duties. This contradicts the Rāfidīs’ claim that he sought leadership and coveted office.