[Section on the Rāfidī’s claim that, had Abū Bakr spent, Quranic verses would necessarily have been revealed concerning him as they were concerning ‘Alī—may Allah be pleased with them both—and its refutation]

Section

As for his statement (1): “Furthermore, had he spent, Quranic verses would necessarily have been revealed concerning him, just as ‘Has there come’ was revealed (2) concerning ‘Alī [Surah al-Insān: 1] (3).”

The response is as follows:

The claim that “Has there come” was revealed concerning ‘Alī is something that hadith scholars agree is a fabricated lie. Among Quranic commentators, it is mentioned only by those accustomed to including fabricated reports. The clear evidence that it is a lie is that the surah beginning “Has there come” is Meccan by common agreement: it was revealed before the Hijrah, before ‘Alī married Fātimah, and before al-Hasan and al-Husayn were born. This matter has been discussed at length elsewhere.

No Quranic verses were ever revealed specifically concerning ‘Alī’s spending, for he had no wealth. Rather, before the Hijrah he was supported by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. After the Hijrah, he would sometimes hire himself out, receiving one date for every bucket he drew. When he married Fātimah, he had nothing to offer as a dowry (4) except his coat of mail. What he spent on the wedding came solely from what he had obtained from the Battle of Badr.