After they ate...

After they ate, the Prophet spoke to them: “Children of Abdul-Muttalib, by God, I don’t know of any young man from the Arabs who brought to his people better than I brought to you. I have brought to you the goodness of this world and the Hereafter. The Almighty Allah commanded me to invite you to it.

Who among you will assist me on this mission to become my brother, executor, and successor?” No one accepted the invitation, and I said: “O, Messenger of Allah, I shall be your assistant.” He held my neck and said to them: “This is my brother, executor, and successor. Listen to him and obey him.” (3) This hadith was reported by Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Mardawayh, and Al-Bayhaqi in his book aI-Dala’il. This was also reported by a number of historians including Abu al-Fida and Ibn al-Athir.

In addition, Muhammad Hussein Haykal recorded it in his book Hayat Muhammad. (4) So, Imam Ali reported that the Messenger of God is the one who granted him the office of executorship, brotherhood, and successorship while Sayf Ibn ‘Umar reported that the idea of the executorship of Ali had come from a Jew called Abdullah Ibn Saba.

We should ask members of the ‘Takfeer University’ (who call everyone who disagrees with them “Kafir”-unbeliever) the following question: Don’t you believe in your own authentic works and what your outstanding scholars wrote? Imam Ali’s leadership and successor-ship are reported by your own Scholars. So, How do you reject the proven and strong teachings of your own important works?

Another answer to this accusation is that Sayf was accused by prominent Sunni scholars of weakness, forgery, and heresy. In addition, of course, we must not expect any true Muslim to choose the report of a liar such as Sayf Ibn ‘Umar and reject the report of Imam Ali as the best companion of the Prophet, his successor, brother and the Imam of the faithful.

The Messenger of Allah once said to Imam Ali: “Would you not be pleased to be to me like Aaron was to Moses, but there shall be no Prophet after me?” (5) Hadith Al-Ghadir One of the most important and obvious pieces of evidence to prove that the Prophet appointed Imam Ali as the leader of all Muslims after himself is the Hadith al-Ghadir .