(16) These are some of the earliest Shi’as...

(16) These are some of the earliest Shi’as; they supported ‘Ali’s right to leadership because of the clear injunctions in the Qur’an and the Sunnah . They remained unswerving in their views until the end. During the period of the first three caliphs, the number of Shi’as in fact rose, all of them being outstanding and virtuous personalities, their names being linked to piety and purity in the books of history and biography where they are mentioned. Among them were…