Aa’ishah narrated...

Aa’ishah narrated, “ Once, I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah (S), who is the best of people to Allah ?’ He said: O Aa’ishah, do you not read: (As for) those who believe and do good, surely they are the best of men) ? Jabir ibn Abdullah narrated, “One day, we were with the Prophet (S) when Ali (a.s.) came and then the Prophet said: (I swear) by Him, in whose hand my soul is, that this (Ali) and his Shia (followers) shall be the winners on the Day of Resurrection.

Then, this Verse was revealed: (As for) those who believe and do good - surely they are the best of men . Whenever Ali (a.s.) came, the Prophet’s companions said, ‘The best of men has come.’” Abu Sa’eed narrated that the Prophet (S) said: Ali is the best of men.

Ibn Abbas narrated, “When this verse was revealed As for) those who believe and do good - surely they are the best of men , the Messenger of Allah (S) said to Ali: Surely, you and your Shia (followers) shall on the Day of Resurrection be pleased and be pleased with (by Allah). Imam Ali (a.s.) said, “The Messenger of Allah (S) said to me: Have you not heard this saying of Allah: As for) those who believe and do good, surely they are the best of men ?

These are you and your Shia, and your appointment and my appointment shall be at the Pond (in Paradise). When nations shall come for reckoning, you shall be called ‘ghurran muhajjaleen - honorable and marked with lumosity. The Sunni scholars, who have mentioned this interpretation when interpreting this verse, are too many.

Besides Jalaluddeen as-Sayuti, we can mention at-Tabari in his Tafsir , al-Hakim al-Hasakani in his Shawahid at-Tanzeel , ash-Shawkani in Fath al-Qadeer , al-Aaloosi in Roohul Ma’ani and al-Manawi in Kunooz al-Haqa’iq .

We can also mention al-Khawarizmi in his al-Manaqib , ibn as-Sabbagh al-Maliki in al-Fusool al-Muhimmah , ibn Asakir in Tareekh Damashq , ash-Shabalanji in Noor al-Absar , ibnul Jawzi in Tathkiratul Khawass , al-Qandoozi al-Hanafi in Yanabee’ al-Mawaddah , al-Haythami in Majma’ az-Zawa’id , al-Mutaqqi al-Hindi in Kanzol Ummal , and ibn Hajar in al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah .

On this firm basis, researchers cannot be satisfied with the opinions, which suppose that Shiism did not appear except after the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (a.s.). The Shia in the Prophet’s Sunna The Messenger of Allah (S) many times talked about the Shia.