These are my family.

These are my family.”[^5] There are three quick points from this hadith , with specific reference to this chapter: Mu’awiyah commanded Sa’d to do something, before asking him why he (Sa’d) refused to curse ‘Ali. Sa’d did not have any of those three merits mentioned for ‘Ali, and very strongly wished he did any of them. Allah and His Messenger loved ‘Ali, and he loved them too. So, what did Mu’awiyah command Sa’d to do?

In order to uncover what that was, we must pay attention to the former’s question: ما منعك أن تسب أبا التراب؟ What prevented you from cursing Abu al-Turab (i.e. ‘Ali)? In classical Arabic, this sentence structure was used to ask why a direct order had been disobeyed, by the commandant himself .

In other words, if A ordered B to, say, hit C, and B refused to do so, then A would say to B, “What prevented you from hitting C?” The other manner in which it was applied was where A did not command B to do something, but was nonetheless unpleasantly surprised or shocked that B had not done it. So A would ask, “What prevented you from doing such-and-such?” An example is in this verse: قال يا إبليس ما منعك أن تسجد لما خلقت بيدي أستكبرت أم كنت من العالين He (Allah) said, “ O Iblis!

What prevented you from prostrating yourself to one whom I have created with Both My Hands?![^6] Another is here: قال ما منعك أل