Imam Ali’s Rejection of the Seerah of the Two Shaykhs and 12 Questions for Ahl al-Sunnah!
Hafiz Ibn Hajar states about Imam Ali (peace be upon him):
He was one of those whom Umar appointed to the Shura (council for caliphate), and Abdul-Rahman bin Awf offered the caliphate to him with certain conditions. Some of these conditions Imam Ali (peace be upon him) rejected (i.e., he rejected the seerah of Abu Bakr and Umar), upon which Abdul-Rahman turned to Uthman, who accepted the conditions.
Reference: Al-Isabah, Vol. 4, p. 465
Ibn Hajar did not specify the conditions that Imam Ali (peace be upon him) rejected, but they are mentioned in hadiths and historical sources.
Ibn Shabah al-Namiri narrates with a sound chain that Nafi’, quoting Abdullah ibn Umar, states:
Abdul-Rahman bin Awf called Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and said:
“We take a pledge from you that you will follow the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of the Messenger, and the seerah of the two caliphs (Abu Bakr and Umar).” Imam Ali (peace be upon him) responded: “I will act according to my knowledge and strength (from Allah).” He then called Uthman and said the same to him as he had said to Ali. Uthman replied: “Yes (I accept these conditions),” and he took the oath of allegiance.
Then Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “You have given him a gift for a lifetime.”
ليس هذا أول يوم تظاهرتم فيه علينا
This is not the first day that you have conspired against us.
He then recited the verse from Surah Yusuf (12:18):
And Allah is my helper against what you claim.
By Allah, you gave Uthman the caliphate only because he will return it to you.
Tareekh al-Madina by Ibn Shabah, Vol. 3, p. 924 & Tareekh al-Tabari, Vol. 4, p. 233, Dar al-Ma’arif edition
This narration is authentic, and I present a brief investigation of its narrators and their reliability:
-
Muhammad ibn Ja’far ibn Abi Kathir (from the men of Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). Al-Dhahabi declared him trustworthy in Al-Kashif (Vol. 2, p. 162) and Ibn Hajar in Taqreeb al-Tahdheeb (Vol. 2, p. 62).
-
Musa ibn Uqbah (reliable, a jurist, and an expert in military expeditions). Ibn Hajar said he is trustworthy and a prominent figure in the field of maghazi (military campaigns). Taqreeb al-Tahdheeb (Vol. 2, p. 226).
-
Nafi’ (reliable and agreed upon by scholars).
-
Abdullah ibn Umar (Sahabi).
Conclusions Derived from This Narrative:
-
Abdul-Rahman bin Awf demanded that Imam Ali (peace be upon him) act according to “the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of the Messenger, and the seerah of the two caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar,” even though the seerah of the Shaykhs is not a fundamental principle of Shari’ah, and there is no command in the Qur’an or Sunnah to follow their actions.
-
Imam Ali (peace be upon him) responded: “I will act according to my knowledge and strength.” If, as some claim, Imam Ali (peace be upon him) loved and was content with the Shaykhs, he would have agreed to follow their seerah. So why did Imam Ali (peace be upon him) refuse to say yes and reject their seerah?
-
Were not both of these caliphs the best of the companions of the Prophet? Did they not follow the Prophet’s methodology?
-
If this was the case, then why did Imam Ali (peace be upon him) reject their methodology and seerah?
-
If their (Abu Bakr and Umar’s) seerah was in accordance with the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet, then why did Imam Ali (peace be upon him) reject this condition?
-
Does this mean their seerah was not in line with the Book and Sunnah?
-
Imam Ali’s words: “This is not the first day you have conspired against us”—does this suggest that the Shaykhs and the companions were involved in continuous conspiracies against him and his family? And did Imam Ali (peace be upon him) not consider himself more deserving of the caliphate than them?
-
Does this not imply that despite his peace-making, Imam Ali (peace be upon him) considered himself more deserving than both of them, as narrated in Sahih Bukhari, where it is mentioned that Imam Ali (peace be upon him) made peace six months after the Prophet’s passing?
-
Undoubtedly, Imam Ali’s (peace be upon him) rejection of the seerah of the Shaykhs and his pointing out of their conspiracies raises many questions about the methodology of the caliphs.
-
Would someone, in the view of Ahl al-Sunnah, be deserving of blame or criticism if they rejected or denied the seerah of the Shaykhs in following Imam Ali (peace be upon him)?
-
And if we consider the case of the third caliph, Uthman ibn Affan, we find that Imam Ali (peace be upon him) appointed those who had rebelled and killed Uthman as governors of Islamic territories, such as Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr and Malik al-Ashtar.
(Note: The involvement of Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr in Uthman’s killing is confirmed with a sound chain of narration.)
- While the jurists argue that retribution should have been taken from these killers, Imam Ali (peace be upon him) showed no concern for Uthman’s blood and appointed the killers as governors of different regions without any retribution.
These are valid questions that demand answers, especially when some try to portray a better image of the caliphs and prove their love and affection for Imam Ali (peace be upon him).