50. Ahmad bin Hanbal distorted a narration in which Prophet (ﷺ) replaced Abu Bakr with Ali Ibn Abi Talib (as) for propagation of a quranic chapter.

Ahmad bin Sho’uaib Al-Nasa’i (Died 303 AH) narrated via his own chain a lengthy narration and it it following is written :

وبعث أبا بكر بسورة التوبة وبعث علياً خلفه، فأخذها منه فقال: لا يذهب بها رجل إلا رجل هو مني، وأنا منه

Prophet (ﷺ) send Abu Bakr with Surah Al-Tawbah and then sent Ali Ibn Abi Talib (as) afte him and said : No one should do this except for that person who from me and I am from him.

Sunan Al-Kubra – Al-Nasa’i // Volume 10 // Page 351 // Number 8553 // Edn. Dar Al-Tasil Riyadh Saudi Arabia.

Now same narration with same chain was narrated by Ahmad bin Hanbal (Died 241 AH) and Al-Hakin Neysaburi (Died 405 AH), They replaced the name of Abu Bakr by word “ فلان (Someone)“. because this narration revealed thar Ali (as) was more close to Prophet (ﷺ) than Abu Bakr. 

Musnad ‘ Ahmad bin Hanbal // Volume 5 // 178 – 179 // Number 3061 // Edn. Risalah Al-Alamiyyah Beriut Lebanon.

Kitab Fadhail u Sahabah – Ahmad bin Hanbal // Volume 2 // Page 849 – 850 // Number 1168 // Edn. Dar Ibn Jawzi Riyadh Saudi Arabia. 

Mustradak Ala Sahihain – Hakim // Volume 5 // Page 339 – 340 // Number 4710 // Edn. Dar Al-Tasil Riyadh Saudi Arabia.