Allah commanded me that no one will convey from me except myself and ‘Ali

إن الله أمرني أن لا يؤدي عني إلا أنا و علي

Allah commanded me that no one will convey from me except myself and ‘Ali.

Ibn Kathir states, “There is du’f (weakness) in its isnad.”[1]

It has come from the chain of Sammak ibn Harb.

Sammak ibn Harb

He has been classified as reliable by some like Ibn Ma’in and Abu Hatim and da’if by others.
Al ‘Ijli has permitted his narrations.
Sufyan al Thawri would label him slightly da’if.
Ahmed ibn Hambal stated, “The narrations of Sammak ibn Harb are mudtarib.”[2]
Al Nasa’i comments, “He is not qawi (strong).”[3]
Al Daraqutni remarks in al ‘Ilal, “Weak memory.”
Al Fasawi states, “His narrations from ‘Ikrimah are mudtarib and from others are salih (sound) but not al matin (strong).”
Ahmed narrated it in Fada’il al Sahabah[4] and al Musnad[5] with a da’if sanad due to Muhammad ibn Jabir ibn Sayyar al Suhaymi.

The reason for this statement is not as assumed by the Rawafid of giving ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu preference over Sayyidina Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu. Rather, it was the custom of the Arabs that when they had an agreement to break, the conclusion of a pact, a settlement, or termination of a covenant; that only the leader or his representative from among his relatives was allowed to convey this message. They would not accept it from anyone else. Al Baghawi says in his Tafsir while explaining the reason, “The Arabs had unanimously accepted that none but the leader of a man from his family will contract covenants or break them. So he dispatched ‘Ali to repulse the reason so that they do not say that it was contrary to their custom in annulments of pacts.”[6]

In addition, Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam sent Sayyidina ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu after Sayyidina Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu to pronounce Surah al Bara’ah thus making him a follower and devotee under the latter. Sayyidina Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu was the Amir (leader) of hajj during that period. So sending Sayyidina ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu thereafter to be charged by Sayyidina Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu is not evidence of the former being more deserving of the khilafah; but to the contrary. Sayyidina Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu is more deserving since he was the leader of hajj.

Next⇒ Indeed Allah―the Blessed and Exalted―beautified you with such beauty that He never beautified servants with its like

[1] Tafsir Ibn Kathir vol. 2 pg. 333; al Bidayah wa al Nihayah vol. 5 pg. 34.

[2] Al Ma’rifah vol. 2 pg. 638.

[3] Al Mujtaba vol. 8 pg. 319.

[4] Fada’il al Sahabah vol. 2 pg. 875.

[5] Al Musnad vol. 1 pg. 151.

[6] Tafsir Baghawi vol. 3 pg. 49.

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