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Did Ali believe he was the successor?

  • Writer: Anonymous
    Anonymous
  • Apr 20, 2024
  • 11 min read

Updated: Jul 15

As we know, succession of the Prophet (saw) is one of the most important divides between Sunnis and Shi'as. While Shi'a believed it was via divine appointment, sunnis believe it was left to the affairs of the Muslims. This leads to an important inquiry: What did Imam Ali (as) himself believe regarding this matter? Did he see himself as the rightful successor to the Holy Prophet (saw)? Let us investigate some opposing proofs in this article, if God wills.

Did Ali (as) Reject the Caliphate, per Nahj al-Balagha?

In some sources of Islamic history, it is recorded that Amir al-Mu’minin (as) rejected the offer for the caliphate and opted for someone else to take his position instead. While various reasons have been suggested by some scholars to explain these words, the most compelling scholarly evaluation of this statement is that it is a fabrication attributed to Imam Ali (as), and unsubstantiated by any reliable evidence.

A common source often quoted to compel the Shi'a to accept this narration, ignorantly, is quoted from the famed compilation of al-Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 92, where it is attributed to Ali (as) that he said:

فقال عليّ: ‌دعوني، ‌والتَمِسوا ‌غيري…

Ali said: Leave me alone and choose someone other than me…

To the unfortunate surprise of our opponents who quote this passage, we remind them that al-Sharif al-Radi (may God sanctify his soul) did not compile his book with the intention of presenting only reliable sources. Rather, it was intended to gather literature and poetry. As a result, the sources mentioned therein cannot be considered binding evidence. The author does not even mention the chain of narrators for this report, and therefore, it cannot be quoted as if it provides any certainty for the Shi'a that Ali (as) truly uttered these words.

For scholarly reference, we cite Qabasat Min 'Ilm al-Rijal vol. 2, pg. 142 - 148 by al-Sayyid Muhammad Rida al-Sistani (may God preserve his life) where he says:

والحاصل أنه ليس كل ما هو في نهج البلاغة مما يقطع بثبوته عن الإمام (ع). نعم هو على الإجمال يتضمن خطبه وكلامه (سلام الله عليه). وبذلك يظهر الخدش فيما ذكره بعض المخالفين من أن نهج البلاغة قطعي الثبوت عند الشيعة فصار بصدد الاستدلال بما ورد فيه على خلافهم، فإن الكتاب الوحيد الذي هو قطعي الثبوت من أوله إلى آخره هو القرآن الكريم.

In conclusion: not everything found in Nahj al-Balagha can be affirmed with certainty to have been said by the Imam (peace be upon him). Yes, in general, it does contain his sermons and words. Thus, the flaw becomes clear in what some opponents have claimed, that Nahj al-Balagha is considered by the Shi'a to be entirely authentic, and so they attempt to use what is in it as evidence against them. The only book that is absolutely certain in its entirety, from beginning to end, is the Noble Qur’an.

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This dismisses the report's Hujjiyya (authority), as it is neither reliable nor dependable in any way. However, since we know the author quoted other sources, we can investigate alternative sources for this saying in order to examine its chain of transmission. This research was undertaken by the great Allamah al-Tustari (may God sanctify his soul), who concluded in his commentary work, Bahj al-Ṣaḥaba fi Sharḥ Nahj al-Balagha vol. 9, pg. 563 - 4:

الأصل في العنوان رواية سيف الذي قد عرفت في من فصل عثمان، أن رواياته كذب وافتعال، إما كلاً واما جزءاً، وإنه يدخل في كل شيء شيئا ويضع في مقابل أمر أمرا

The origin of this report traces back to Sayf b. Umar, who is widely known in the chapter concerning Uthman. His narrations are considered lies and fabrications, either in totality or partially. It is reported that he tends to embellish accounts, often adding details to everything, and he is known to fabricate stories when instructed to do so.

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Sayf b. 'Umar is a famous character that was known to fabricate reports to argue against the Shi'a, and we shall cover him in a moment. First we'd like to mention the origin of this source, which is found in the famous history work, Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 16, pg. 13 (Arabic). 

Al-Tabari narrates from the writings of a man named al-Sari, who transmits from Shu'ayb, who in turn narrates from Sayf, and finally from Talhah, who is attributed with narrating this incident directly.
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This report has been weakened by Sunni scholars, such as the famous examiner of Tarikh al-Tabari Muhammad b. Tahir in his Da'if Tarikh al-Tabari vol. 8, pg. 621 - 2, who in the footnote of this narration addressed the problems in this chain & its report, for it contradicts other more authentic reports.

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Who is Sayf b. Umar al-Tamimi?

He is a 9th-century Islamic historian and narrator, but controversial to researchers of all sects. Scholars of hadith and Islamic historiography, both within Sunni and Shi'a circles, have critiqued his reliability. His reports are often seen as biased or historically problematic, and many Islamic scholars have questioned the authenticity of his accounts. This is particularly true in the context of his narrations about events during the early years of Islam, where his stories sometimes include contradictions or questionable details.

The beloved Muhaqqiq of the Salafis, Al-Albani writes about him in his Silsilat al-Aḥadith al-Da'ifah vol. 14, pg. 1169 the following: 

قلت: وهذا إسناد ساقط بمرة، ‌المتهم ‌به: ‌سيف ‌بن ‌عمر: قال الذهبي في "المغني ": "متروك باتفاق ". وقال ابن حبان: " اتهم بالزندقة ". قلت: أدرك التابعين وقد اتهم. قال ابن حبان: " يروي الموضوعات "

I say: This narration is rejected immediately, the accused person in the chain is Sayf Ibn Umar. Al-Dhahabi said about him in Al-Mughni: There is an agreement on him being rejected. Ibn Hibban said: He is accused of Heresy. I say: He lived around the same time as the Taba'in and was accused. Ibn Hibban also said: He narrates fabrications.

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This is famous known to anyone who knows this narrator, that he is extremely weak and not to be trusted with narrating early Islamic history, especially when the narrative is aimed to argue against the Shi'a. Below are a list of several scholars weakening him:

What were the Real Views of Amir al-Mu’minin (as)?

Since we have established that Imam Ali (as) did not, in fact, reject the caliphate when it was offered to him, we shall now demonstrate how, in reality, he spoke about his right and entitlement to the caliphate instead.

We would first like to mention a Shi'ah source that correctly demonstrates his view, which can be found in several works, such as in al-Shaykh al-Mufid's (may God be pleased with him) al-Amali:

سمعت أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام يخطب الناس فقال في خطبته: والله لقد بايع الناس أبا بكر وأنا أولى الناس بهم مني بقميصي هذا، فكظمت غيظي، وانتظرت أمر ربي، وألصقت كلكلي بالأرض

By Allah, people gave allegiance to Abu Bakr while I was worthiest of them all, together with the attire of mine. But I swallowed my anger, and waited for my Sustainer’s will, keeping my chest low to the ground (i.e. adopting a low profile).

This narration attests to a clear testimony of Ali (as) belief that he was the worthiest and most entitled to become the khalifah; the right should have been his. However, because the people had rejected him, he did not seek to persuade them further and thus remained silent. The reasoning for this is more suitable to be discussed in another article, but this follows the tradition of Prophet Ibrahim (as), who left his people after they continuously rejected his call for monotheism.

وَأَعْتَزِلُكُمْ وَمَا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَأَدْعُوا رَبِّى عَسَىٰٓ أَلَّآ أَكُونَ بِدُعَآءِ رَبِّى شَقِيًّا

"For now I will leave you and the idols you all pray to, and I will pray to my Lord and trust that my prayer will not be in vain." [19:48]

What is especially interesting, is the fact that his narration is present in the Sunni corpus too, despite efforts maintained to censor such reports by their scholars. The uncensored version of this report can be read from the famed work, Ansab al-Ashraf by al-Baladhuri, vol. 2, pg. 402:

حَدَّثَنِي رَوْحُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُؤْمِنِ، عَنْ أَبِي عوانة، عن خالد الحذاء عن عبد الرحمان بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ:
أَنَّ عَلِيًّا أَتَاهُمْ عَائِدًا فقال: ما لقي أحد من هَذِه الأُمَّةَ مَا لَقِيتُ، تُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ‌وَأَنَا ‌أَحَقُّ ‌النَّاسِ ‌بِهَذَا ‌الأَمْرِ، فَبَايَعَ النَّاسُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَاسْتَخْلَفَ عُمَرَ فَبَايَعْتُ وَرَضِيتُ وَسَلَّمْتُ، ثُمَّ بَايَعَ النَّاسُ عُثْمَانَ فَبَايَعْتُ وَسَلَّمْتُ وَرَضِيتُ، وَهُمُ الآنَ يَمِيلُونَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ مُعَاوِيَةَ.
Narrated by Ruḥ b. Abd al-Mu’min from Abi Awanah from Khalid al-Khaza'ī from ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Abi Bakrah that Ali (as) would repeat:

"No one in this Ummah faced what I faced. The Prophet (saw) passed away, and I am the most deserving of it (the caliphate). But the people gave bay'ah to Aba Bakr. Then he gave it to Umar, and I surrendered and gave bay'ah. Then the people gave bay'ah to Uthman, and I surrendered and gave bay'ah. And now people are comparing me to Mu'awiyah."

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This report mirrors the Shi'a narration, where Ali (as) clearly entitles himself to this issue (amr), referring to the caliphate as he speaks about the matter following the death of the Prophet (saw). The narrators are also all well-known and have been given tawthiq (authentication) by Sunni scholars. Khalid, the narrator above, narrates from Abdul-Rahman b. Abi Bakra in Sahih al-Bukhari 1912, showing the chain to be reliable as well as connected.

This same narration was mentioned but censored by Abdallah ibn Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal in his important work Kitab al-Sunnah vol. 1, pg. 563, H. 1316:

حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي وَعُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْقَوَارِيرِيُّ، وَهَذَا لَفْظُ حَدِيثِ أَبِي قَالَا: حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ أَبُو بَكْرٍ، نا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ خَالِدٍ الْحَذَّاءِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ:
أَنَّ عَلِيًّا رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَتَاهُمْ عَائِدًا وَمَعَهُ عَمَّارٌ فَذَكَرَ شَيْئًا فَقَالَ عَمَّارٌ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. فَقَالَ: " اسْكُتْ فَوَاللَّهِ لَأَكُونَنَّ مَعَ اللَّهِ عَلَى مَنْ كَانَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: «مَا لَقِيَ أَحَدٌ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ مَا لَقِيتُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تُوُفِّيَ فَذَكَرَ شَيْئًا فَبَايَعَ النَّاسُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَبَايَعْتُ وَسَلَّمْتُ وَرَضِيتُ
ثُمَّ تُوُفِّيَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَذَكَرَ كَلِمَةً فَاسْتَخْلَفَ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ فَبَايَعْتُ وَسَلَّمْتُ وَرَضِيتُ، ثُمَّ تُوُفِّيَ عُمَرُ فَجَعَلَ الْأَمْرَ إِلَى هَؤُلَاءِ الرَّهْطِ السِّتَّةِ فَبَايَعَ النَّاسُ عُثْمَانَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَبَايَعْتُ وَسَلَّمْتُ وَرَضِيتُ، ثُمَّ هُمُ الْيَوْمَ يَمِيلُونَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ مُعَاوِيَةَ»
My father and ʿUbayd Allāh b. ʿUmar al-Qawārīrī narrated to me, and this is the wording of my father's narration. They said: Yahya b. Ḥammād Abū Bakr narrated to us, from Abū ʿAwanah, from Khalid al-Ḥadhdhāʾ, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Abī Bakrah:

Ali (ra) came to them as a visitor, and with him was Ammar. He mentioned something, and Ammar said, "O Amir al-Mu’minin." Ali (ra) replied: "Be quiet! By Allah, I will be with Allah on the side of the one who was [right]." Then he said: "No one from this Ummah has faced what I have faced. The Messenger of Allah (saw) passed away, and then the people gave bay'ah to Abu Bakr (ra). I gave bay'ah, submitted, and was pleased.

Then Abu Bakr passed away, and he mentioned a word, and he appointed Umar (ra). I gave bay'ah, submitted, and was pleased. Then Umar passed away, and he entrusted the matter to these six men. The people gave bay'ah to Uthman (ra), and I gave bay'ah, submitted, and was pleased. And now they are comparing me to Mu'awiyah."

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This narration is similar to what we have presented earlier, with the difference of a censorship game being played. We are not surprised, however, as Sunni scholarship has long relied on their ability to censor reports in order to conceal the fact that the Ahl al-Bayt (as) did not agree with their beliefs or views. It is very clear that the insincerity of their scholars reveals their inability to address the factual reality of Imam Ali's (as) belief that he was meant to be the khalifah.

The son of Ahmad b. Hanbal followed in the footsteps of his father and concealed the truth of this report. This is because he knew it would present a problem; otherwise, he wouldn't have censored it. What is more important is the reliability of this hadith, which was affirmed by the editor in the footnote, who stated that all the narrators are reliable. Once again, we have another authentic chain to prove that Imam Ali (as) uttered these words.

The last source we shall mention comes by way of Muhammad b. Isma'il al-Bukhari, the author of the Sahih, who mentions in his Tarikh al-Kabir vol. 1, pg. 530 the following:

مُحَمَّد بْن عميرة النخعي، ‌قَالَ ‌لي ‌يحيى ‌بْن ‌سُلَيْمَان حدثني مُحَمَّد قَالَ نا شريك عَنْ عَبْد الملك بْن عمير عَنْ عَبْد الرَّحْمَن بْن أَبِي بكرة قَالَ:
لما قدم علي البصرة قَالَ لي استأذن لي يريد زياد فاستأذنت فأذن له فدكر ما لقي بعد النَّبِيّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وقَالَ توفِي النَّبِيّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فظننت إني، فبويع لأَبِي بكر فسمعت وأطعت
Muhammad b. ʿAmīrah al-Nakhaʿī said: Yahya b. Sulaymān narrated to me, saying: Muḥammad said: "Sharik narrated to us from ʿAbd al-Malik b. ʿAmīr from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Abī Bakrah, who said:

'When Ali (as) arrived in Basra, he said to me, "Ask permission for me to visit Ziyad." So I asked, and permission was granted. He mentioned the hardships he faced after the death of the Prophet (saw) and said: "When the Prophet (saw) passed away, I thought I would... Then the bay'ah was given to Abu Bakr. I heard and obeyed."' "

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This narration is most dubious of them all, as the author has taken a careless approach in censoring the report. The missing sentence was intentionally skipped over, leaving the narrative incomplete and nonsensical. But of course, it's not exactly a shock that someone like al-Bukhari would engage in such editing, given his well-known tendency to selectively omit reports. It is very clear, that the strategic "editing" was designed to conveniently leave out Ali's (as) clear assertion of his entitlement to the khilafah.

We shall end with the words of the famous Salafi scholar, Ibn Uthaymin, and his remarks regarding this issue, as mentioned in his Sharh of Sahih Muslim vol. 1, pg. 74:

قال الشيخ ابن عثيمين - رحمه الله - لا يمكن أن نُخطئَ الصحابة - رضي الله عنهم - في بيعة أبي بكر - رضي الله عنه - ونصوِّب علياً - رضي الله عنه - فيما رأَى؛ لأن ما رآه علي - رضي الله عنه - مخالفٌ لظاهر ما جاءت به السُّنَّة، وهو ‌أنه ‌أحقُّ ‌من ‌أبي ‌بكر - رضي الله عنه - وغيره، لقرابته من رسولِ اللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم.

Shaykh Ibn Uthaymīn said, "We cannot fault the Sahabah in the bay'ah to Abu Bakr and we cannot affirm Ali's perspective, because what Ali believed contradicts the apparent teaching of the Sunnah, which is that he [Abu Bakr] was more deserving of the caliphate than Ali or anyone else, due to his proximity to the Messenger of Allah (saw).

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Not only have we demonstrated that the narrations which would suggest Imam Ali (as) did not wish to assert himself as the Imam of the Muslims are dubious, but we have also highlighted the admission of Ibn Uthaymin in his book, where he acknowledges that Imam Ali (as) believed he was the most rightful to the caliphate. Furthermore, we have provided authentic narrations from both our own sources and those of our Sunni brothers to affirm that Imam Ali (as) did, in fact, believe he was the most deserving of the caliphate, and how our opponents have tried to censor these reports because of their acknowledgment of the problem it serves.

We conclude by affirming that we adopt the view of Imam Ali (as) over others. If he saw himself as the most entitled to the khilafah, then, as his humble followers, we too shall regard his stance with respect and adherence.

وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

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