I do not think that his people denied him [the caliphate]...

I do not think that his people denied him [the caliphate] for any reason other than his being too young for it.' I said to him: ‘By Allah, neither Allah nor His Messenger regarded him as too young when they both ordered him to take Sürat Bara'a (Qur'an, Chapter 9) from him [from Abu Bakr].' Having heard this, he turned away from me and started walking fast; so, I left him alone."[^5] How often has ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, who is the scribe of the Muslim nation, the spokesman of the Hashimites, and cousin of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), encountered such stances?

In Letter No. 26, you have come to see how he argues with the oppressive party by citing a tradition that counts ten exclusive merits of ‘Ali (as).

It is a lengthy and eminent tradition in which he quotes the Prophet (pbuh) asking his cousins: "Who among you would be my supporter in [matters related to] this life and the life hereafter?" They declined, but ‘Ali (as) said: "I support you in this life as well as the life to come." The Prophet (pbuh) then said to ‘Ali (as): "You are my wali in this life and the life to come." In another tradition, Ibn ‘Abbas narrates that during the Tabuk raid, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) went out, accompanied by many people, and ‘Ali (as) asked him: "Shall I accompany you?" The Messenger of Allah denied his request; so, ‘Ali (as) wept; whereupon the Prophet (pbuh) said to him: "Are you not pleased that your status to me is like that of Aaron to Moses, except there is no Prophet (pbuh) after me?

I ought not leave except after you represent me in my absence." The Messenger of Allah has also told him: "You are the wali of every believer after me," and "Whoever accepts me as his wali , ‘Ali (as) [henceforth] is his mawla ." II Arguments of al-Hasan and al-Husayn, The dignitaries among the descendants of Hashim often argued likewise.

Once al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali (as) came to Abu Bakr who had seated himself on the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and told him to get down from a place his father was more worthy of.

Al-Husayn (as) is reported to have said similarly to ‘Umar who was also seated on the same pulpit.[^6] III Arguments of Prominant Shi’ah Sahabah, Books written by imamites who dealt with this topic cite many incidents wherein the Hashimites and their followers among the sahabah and tabi’in argued likewise, and they ought to be reviewed by those who are interested in their contents.