[Surah al-Tawbah: 5]

Thus, He made letting them go on their way conditional upon faith, establishing prayer, and paying zakat.

The reports concerning these people indicate that some had (1) collected zakat, then returned it to its owners when news of the Prophet’s death—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—reached them, while others were waiting to see what would happen. After al-Siddīq fought these people over zakat, the officials responsible for its collection during the Prophet’s lifetime—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and others began collecting and distributing it just as they had during his lifetime.

“Al-Siddīq wrote a document concerning zakat for those whom he appointed, saying:

‘In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful. This is the obligation of zakat prescribed by the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and which he commanded.’”

All Muslim scholars follow this document and others like it. He took none of the zakat for himself, nor did he appoint any of his relatives to office. Neither he nor Umar did so, unlike Uthmān and Ali, both of whom appointed their relatives.

If al-Siddīq and al-Fārūq may be criticized on the grounds that they fought to collect wealth, then such criticism would be more applicable to others. If defending Uthmān and Ali is therefore obligatory, defending Abū Bakr and Umar is even more so.

Ali fights to secure obedience to himself and to exercise authority over lives and property; how, then, can this be regarded as