Both Abu Bakr and ‘Umar...

Both Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, having heard the words of the Prophet (pbuh) on the Ghadir Day, said to ‘Ali:[^1] "You have, O son of Abu Talib, become the mawla of every believing man and woman,"thus admitting that he had become the master of every believing man and woman, generalizing the application to all believing men and women since the sun set on the Day of the Ghadir.

Once ‘Umar was asked: "Your conduct with ‘Ali is quite different from that of any other companion of the Prophet (pbuh)." ‘Umar responded by saying: "Why, he is my mawla ," as stated by Dar Qutni on page 36 of Al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqa . He thus admitted that ‘Ali was his master, and he (Ali) had not been chosen to be a caliph yet, nor had he yet received the oath of allegiance from anyone.

Consider how his (‘Umar's) statement proved that ‘Ali was his mawla and the mawla of every believing man and woman right then, not by virtue of futurity, since the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, on behalf of the Almighty Allah, conveyed the same on the Ghadir Day. ‘Umar once asked ‘Ali to arbitrate in a case brought forth before him involving two bedouins disputants.

One of them asked: "Is this man (‘Ali) to judge between us?" ‘Umar immediately leaped in rage, took the man by the neck and said to him: "Woe unto you! Do you know who this man is? He is your mawla , my mawla , and the mawla of all believers; whoever rejects him as the mawla is certainly not a Muslim," as stated near the conclusion of Chapter 11 of Ibn Hajar's Al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqa . Those who have recorded this incident are quite a few.

You, may Allah support the truth through your person, are aware of the fact that had the philosophy of Ibn Hajar and his supporters regarding the Ghadir hadith been accepted, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, would have been proven to be tampering with his own mission and responsibility - we seek refuge with Allah against thinking in such a manner - hallucinating in his speeches and deeds - Allah is above letting His Messenger do that - without having, according to such a philosophy, any purpose in that awesome situation other than making an announcement that after ‘Ali had been elected as caliph, he would be most fit for it, and that, the theory goes on, nobody should monopolize it, for ‘Ali and all other companions, and Muslims in general, are in that respect equal.