hypocrites entered through their gateway](1), and the Muslims’ enemies from among the polytheists and the People of the Book gained entry by following their path. With their aid, they seized control of the lands of [Islam, took the womenfolk captive, and seized] wealth; they shed inviolable blood, and, through their assistance, there befell the Ummah such corruption in religion and worldly life(2) [as none knows except the Lord of all worlds].
For this doctrine was originally devised by hypocritical heretics. During his lifetime, Ali, the Commander of the Faithful [may Allah be pleased with him](3), punished them: he burned one group of them(4) with fire and sought to put some others to death, but [they fled] from his keen-edged sword. He also threatened a mendacious group(6) with flogging(5), as is known(7) from the reports concerning him,(8) [for this has been mass-transmitted from him through numerous routes](8) (8): he declared from the pulpit of Kūfa, in a voice heard by all those present:
“The best of [this](9)
(1) A, L: “the hypocrites, because they . . .”; this is a textual corruption.
(2) A, L, B: “worldly life and religion.”
(3) “May Allah be pleased with him” is absent from N and M.
(4) M: “a group from among them.”
(5) A, L: “eternity,” which is an obvious textual corruption.
(6) “Mendacious”: thus in N, M, and L; A and B read “the Mughīriyya.” The Mughīriyya were the followers of al-Mughīra ibn Saʿīd al-Bajalī, who will be discussed later. The reading “mendacious” has been preferred because it accords with the context. Ibn al-Jawzī relates in *Talbīs Iblīs* (p. 101, 2nd ed., al-Matbaʿa al-Munīriyya, Cairo, 1368 AH) the following words of ʿAlī—may Allah be pleased with him: “Take heed! Whoever is brought before me saying, after this day [thus in the text; perhaps the correct wording is: ‘saying this hereafter.’ What is meant here is a statement impugning Abū Bakr and ʿUmar—may Allah be pleased with them both] shall incur the same penalty as a slanderer.” Ibn Taymiyya will relate this account below (Būlāq ed., 1/84), but he calls them the *Mufaddila*, meaning those who preferred ʿAlī over Abū Bakr and ʿUmar—may Allah be pleased with them all.
(7) N, M: “has been mass-transmitted.”
(8) The passage marked (8–8) is absent from N and M, with a blank space in its place.
(9) “This” is absent from N and M.