He pointed to the sheep and said...

He pointed to the sheep and said: By God, if I had men of this number of sheep, sincere and true to God and His Prophet, I would have overthrown him from power. By nightfall, three hundred and sixty persons gathered around him and pledged their support to him until death. Ali asked them to come the next day to Ahjaaris Zait**[2]** with their heads shaved. Ali shaved his head. Among those three hundred and sixty came none except Abu Zar, Miqdad, Huzaifa bin Yamani, Ammar bin Yasir and Salman.

Then Ali raised his hands towards the sky and said: If a covenant had not been taken from me by the Prophet I would have drowned the opponents in the gulf of their ambitions and brought down upon their heads fatal destructive lightning of death. Of course they will come to know soon.” [3] Conclusion Says Ibne Maytham Bahrani (d.

679): “The event of Saqifah, occurrence of differences between companions and Ali’s refusal to pay allegiance is an evident fact which can neither be denied nor concealed. It is from here that eternal differences and rivalry among them followed. The truth is that rivalry remained fixed and alive between Ali and he that seized the Caliphate in his time. The tyranny that resulted is open and clear.

It remains at constancy and morally it declares what happened.” [4] Therefore it can be said: Sayings and behavior of Ali towards Abu Bakr’s Caliphate indicate his harsh and serious opposition. This open opposition they claim to be his acceptance and approval of Abu Bakr’s Caliphate. Ali’s strong resistance and refusal to pay allegiance to Abu Bakr finally resulted in those atrocities.

The armed attack on house of Divine Revelation, then their entrance into the House, the insults on Zahra, the only daughter of the [1] [A shed for keeping cattle and sheep] [2] [A locality in Medina] [3] Thiqatul Islam Kulaini: Kafi, Vol. 8, Pgs. 32-33 [4] Ibne Mitham Bahrani: Sharh Nahjul Balagha, Vol. 1, Pg. 252 Prophet, then beatings and physical hurt committed against her, then the miscarriage of her unborn child, Mohsin – what all this represents…?

Even when Amirul Momineen (a.s.) was disappointed of the possibility of armed uprising and possibility of overthrowing the tyrant rule of Abu Bakr, he still did not accept the validity of Abu Bakr’s regime. It is natural that such denial can never be construed as his approval to Abu Bakr’s Caliphate in any of the aspects we have stated above.