199, # 1720 [^8]: Generalized statements like that of Imam...

199, # 1720 [^8]: Generalized statements like that of Imam al-Hasan were always made against the backdrop of an implied understanding that the Messenger of Allah was excluded. We already quoted in this book a sahih hadith with this wording: “We used to say that the best judge among the people of Madinah was ‘Ali b. Abi Ṭalib, may Allah be pleased”. Of course, too was living in Madinah at those same times!

However, this speaker intended to say “the people of Madinah apart from the Messenger of Allah” but dropped the last part because it was patently unnecessary. [^9]: Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b.…