[Section: The Rāfidī’s ninth argument concerning the Messenger’s preparation of Usāma’s army, which included Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, and ʿUthmān, and its refutation]

Section

The Rāfidī (1) said:

“Ninth: The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said, ‘Prepare Usāma’s army,’ and repeatedly ordered [its dispatch] (2). Among its members were Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, and ʿUthmān, but he did not dispatch the Commander of the Faithful, because he wished (3) to prevent them from seizing (4) the caliphate after him. Yet they did not comply (5) with his command.”

The response has several aspects:

First: We demand proof of the report’s authenticity. It is not transmitted through any known chain of transmission, nor has any scholar of transmitted reports declared it authentic. It is well known that transmitted reports may only be used as evidence once their authenticity has been established by proof; otherwise, anyone could say whatever he wished.

Second: This is a lie, by the consensus of the scholars of transmitted reports. Neither Abū Bakr nor ʿUthmān was in Usāma’s army. It has only been said that ʿUmar was in it (6). It is established through mass transmission that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—appointed Abū Bakr to lead the prayers until the Prophet’s death. Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—led the dawn prayer on the day of the Prophet’s death, and the Prophet had drawn back