Just imagine how much more important this (statement) is!

Just imagine how much more important this (statement) is!” Then Umar turned to Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas and said to him: “You are the owner of one of these groups of horses with which you fight. You hunt (animals). You have bows and arrows. However, there is a great difference between you and the caliphate and affairs of the people!” According to Umar’s insight, Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas was a man of war, fighting, hunting, (shooting) arrows; therefore, he was not appropriate for the caliphate.

Neither he nor his family were entitled to it, then why did Umar nominate him for it and regard him as one of the members of the Consultative Committee, who were qualified to undertake the government? Then he turned to Abdurrahman bin Awf and said to him: “As for you Abdurrahman, if half of the faith of the Muslims was weighed with your faith, your faith would overbalance, but this authority is not appropriate for someone who has weakness like that of yours.

There is a great difference between you and this authority!” Most surely Abdurrahman was a man of belief and piety, according to Umar’s opinion. Part of his faith the Caliph gave him was that he turned away from choosing the Prophet’s pure family, and gave the leadership to the Umayyads, the opponents of Islam and the enemies of the Prophet (a.s).

Then faith itself was not appropriate for nominating its owner for the caliphate unless one had perfect knowledge of the affairs of society, and abundant experience of what the community needed in all fields. As for Abdurrahman, according to Umar’s confession, was a weak man and was not entitled to the caliphate. So why did he nominate him for it and regard him as one of the prominent members of the Consultative Committee?

Then he turned to Imam Ali (a.s) and said to him: “You are the proper one, were it not for the joking you had! By Allah, if you became a caliph over them, you would drive them to the clear truth and white way!” When did the Commander of the faithful (Imam Ali) have joking and fun? He knew nothing in his lifetime except diligence in words and actions. Suppose that he had such a quality, then it was among the manners of the prophets, and, in particular, of the manners of the (a.s).

It has been mentioned that he (a.s) joked with people to please them.