Can you ignore the fact that well known commentaries and...

Can you ignore the fact that well known commentaries and reliable books written by your own ulama’ mentioned many verses of the Holy Qur'an to be in praise of ‘Ali? How can you regard it as being peculiar to me? Were Hafiz Abu Na'im Ispahani, the author of "Ma Nazala mina'l-Qur'an Fi ‘Ali," and Hafiz Abu Bakr Shirazi, the author of "Nuzulu'l-Qur'an Fi ‘Ali," Shi’as?

Were the great commentators, like Imam Tha'labi, Jalalu'd-din Suyuti, Tabari, Imam Fakhru'd-Din Razi, and other high-ranking ulama’, like Ibn Kathir, Muslim, Hakim, Tirmidhi, Nisa'i, Ibn Maja, Abu Dawud, Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, and even the intolerant Ibn Hajar, who collected in his ‘Sawa'iq’ the verses of the Holy Qur'an revealed in praise of ‘Ali, Shi’as?

Some of the ulama’, like Tabari, and Muhammad Ibn Yusuf Ganji Shafi'i, in the beginning of his Part 62, narrating on the authority of Ibn Abbas, and Muhaddith of Syria in his ‘Ta'rikh al-Kabir’, and others have recorded as many as 300 hundred verses of the Holy Qur'an in praise of ‘Ali. Were these men Shi’as or did they belong to your great ulama’? We do not need to falsely attribute a verse of the Holy Qur'an for proving the rank of the Commander of the Faithful, ‘Ali.

His enemies (Amawis, Nawasib, and Khawarij) suppress his virtues, and his friends hesitate to report his excellence for fear of consequences. Still, books are full of his merits, and they cast light on all aspects of his attainment. So far as this verse is concerned, I have not indulged in "rhetorical cleverness." I have revealed the truth, arguing from your own books. You have observed so far that I have not argued from the reports of Shi’as authors.

Even if Shi’as books are left aside, I will prove ‘Ali's unique superiority. What I have said regarding this verse agrees with the views of your own ulama’. Muhammad Ibn Yusuf Ganji Shafi'i, quoted the "Hadith of Similarity" in his ‘Kifayatu't-Talib’, Chapter 23, from the Prophet to the effect that ‘Ali was similar to the prophets. He says that the reason ‘Ali was called similar to Noah in wisdom was that ‘Ali was vehement against the unbelievers and kind to the believers.

Allah has mentioned these attributes in the Holy Qur'an. ‘Ali, who was always with the Prophet, was "vehement against the infidels and compassionate to the believers." And supposing, as Sheikh Sahib says, that the phrase "and those who are with him" refers to Abu Bakr because he remained for a few days with the Prophet in the cave.