Sulaym says: “I was present at Ali (AS), at the time when Ziyad ibn ‘Ubayd returned after having achieved victory in the Battle of Jamal. The house was full of the companions of the Holy Prophet (SAW) – Ammar, Abu Haytham ibn Tayhaan, Abu Ayyub, and some people of Badr, approximately 70 men. Ziyad was in a big house which was like a tent. A man came with a letter in his hand. He was from the Shias, and was from Damascus.
Muawiyah had incited people to seek revenge for the blood of Uthman and the way in which he incited everybody was by saying: “No doubt, Ali killed Uthman and gave shelter to his killers. He taunts Abu Bakr and Umar and claims that he is the caliph of the Messenger of Allah, and he is more deserving of the Amr than them two.” So generally people and the reciters of Quran developed hatred and all of them, except a few, had joined Muawiyah.”
He says: “He (Ali AS) thanked Allah and praised Him, and said: “After that the matters that I have seen from the Ummah since the passing away of the Holy Prophet (SAW).
Umar and his companions who over powered me, prepared Abu Bakr and they all paid allegiance to him, and I was tied up with the ritual bath, shrouding and burial of the Holy Prophet (SAW). I had not become free and they paid allegiance to him and opposed the Ansar, using my rights and my arguments. By God, he and those who helped him know that I am more deserving of it than Abu Bakr. When I saw they had united with him and deserted me, I reminded them, for the Sake of Allah, and made Fatimah ride, and held hands of Hasan and Husayn who walked, so that they change their actions. So I did not leave any one from the people of Badr and those from Muhajireen and Ansar who accepted Islam first, and asked for their help and called them to help me, and reminded them, through Allah, my rights, but they neither answered me nor did they help me. O all those people of Badr who are present, you know that I have not said anything except truth.”
All said: “O Amirul Mumineen, you have said truth and right. We seek forgiveness from Allah in this matter and turn to Him in repentance.”
So he said: “People were very near to the times of infidelity. I was scared that the Ummah of Muhammad may disintegrate and they may dispute among themselves, and I remember the promise that the Holy Prophet (SAW) took from me about the matters that they did, and had commanded me that if I get helpers then I fight against them and if I do not get helpers then I restrain my hand and save my blood.
Then Abu Bakr handed it (caliphate) to Umar and By God, he surely knew that I am more deserving of it than Umar. I did not think it right that there be disintegration, so I paid allegiance, accepted and obeyed.
Then Umar appointed me the sixth out of the six and ibn Awf became the owner and he met ibn Affan privately and he appointed him on the condition that he (ibn Awf) returns it to him, so he paid him allegiance on this condition. At that time also I did not like disintegration and dispute.
Then Uthman cheated ibn Awf and he took it away from him. Ibn Awf separated from him and stood up to give a sermon. So he (Uthman) removed him like one removes shoes. Then ibn Awf died and made a will that Uthman does not recite prayer for him. The children of ibn Awf think Uthman poisoned him.
Then he was killed and people gathered for three days to discuss, and then all came to me and paid allegiance to me willingly, without any pressure or oppression.
Then Zubayr and Talhah came to me seeking permission for Umra. So I took a promise from both of them they do not break my allegiance, and they both do not deceive me and revolt against me. Then they both turned towards Makkah and went with Ayeshah towards the people of Madhra (Basra), whose ignorance is immense, and understanding is little. They (Talhah and Zubayr) convinced them to break my allegiance and take my blood to be lawful.”
Then Alayhissalam talked about Ayeshah and her leaving the house and what she did to Ali (AS). So Ammar said: “O Amirul Mumineen, you leave talking about her because she is your mother.” He (Ali AS) stopped talking about her and started another matter. Then he returned towards mentioning her and said stronger things than before. Ammar said again: “O Amirul Mumineen, leave talking about her. She is your mother.” Then he (Ali AS) turned away from talking about her, but returned to it a third time and said even stronger matter than the second time.”
He continues: “Then Ammar said: “O Amirul Mumineen, keep away from her because she is your mother.” So he (AS) replied: “Never, I am with Allah, I do not care about those who oppose Allah. Surely Allah has tested you through your mother, so it becomes known whether you are with Him or with her.”
Sulaym says: “Then Ali (AS) talked about Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman’s allegiance and said: “By my life, if the matter was like what they are saying, and By God, it is not like what they are saying.” Then he kept quiet. So Ammar asked: “What are they saying?”
He replied: “They say that the Holy Prophet (SAW) did not declare anyone as caliph and surely they have been left to discuss among themselves. So they did not do what they had been commanded by the Holy Prophet (SAW). They community paid allegiance to Abu Bakr without any discussions, any willingness. Then I and my companions were forced to pay allegiance. Then Abu Bakr made people pay allegiance to Umar without any discussions.
Then Umar made it a Shura among six people and dismissed all Ansars and Muhajireen, except the six, then said that until three days Sohayb leads the prayer. He then commanded people that if the three days have passed and the community is not able to take a decision, then all sic should be killed. If four people agree and two disagree then those two should be killed. Then everyone discussed about me for three days and people paid allegiance to me with discussion and unanimity among people. Then they did what you all saw.”
He then said: “Musa said to Haroon: ‘What prevented you, when you saw them going astray. So that you did not follow me? He said: O son of my mother! Seize me not by my beard not by my head; surely I was afraid lest you should say: You have caused a division among the children of Israel and not waited for my word’ (Surah Taha: 92-94)
And I am to the Holy Prophet (SAW) the same as Haroon was to Musa. The Holy Prophet (SAW) took a promise from me that if, after him, the Ummah deviates and except me follow anyone else, I fight against them if I get help. If I do not find helpers then I restrain my hand and save my blood. He had informed me about what the Ummah will do after him.
When I got helpers, after Uthman was killed, to establish the command of Allah, and the Quran and the tradition is revived, there was no chance for me to remain quiet. I stretched my hands and fought against those who broke the allegiance. Tomorrow, Insh Allah, I will fight against those who have left the Right Path, on the land of Shaam, at a place called Siffin. After that I will fight against those who left the religion, on the land of Iraq which is called Nehrwan. The Holy Prophet (SAW) has commanded me that I fight against them at these three places.
I restrained my had without any desperation or cowardice and not because I did not like meeting Allah but in obedience to the Holy Prophet (SAW) and protecting his will. When I got helpers, I did not find, except two ways, a third way. Either I fight in the way of Allah and do Amr Bil Ma’aruf and Nahiy Anil Munkar, or choose to be an infidel and deny those things that Allah has revealed and imprison myself in the fire of Hell, and leave Islam and become an apostate, although the Holy Prophet (SAW) informed that surely martyrdom is behind me, and my beard will be dyed with the blood from my head. My killer will be most unfortunate one from Awwaleen and Aakhireen. He, who is Ohaymir (ibn Muljim) who is similar to the slaughter of she-camel, and similar to Qabil who killed his brother Habil, and is similar to the Pharoah of the Pharoahs, and similar to him who argued senselessly with Ibrahim and similar to those two men of Bani Israel who changed their Book and changed the tradition. Then Sallallahu Alayhi wa Alihi said: “He will be equal to two people of my Ummah.”
Then Alayhisssalam said: “These two will have the burden of the errors of the entire Ummah and surely all that blood is shed till the Day of Judgment, and the wealth that is consumed unlawfully, and the raping of women, and the command that is forced – these all will be on these two without any decrease in the sins of the doer.”
Ammar said: “O Amirul Mumineen, tell us the names of them two so we can curse them.” He asked: “O Ammar, do not you bear friendship with the Holy Prophet (SAW) and keep away from his enemies?”
Ammar replied: “Yes.” So he said: “And do you keep friendship with me and keep away from my enemies?” He replied: “Yes.” So he said: “O Ammar, that is enough for you. You kept away from them both and have cursed them both, although you do not know their names.”
He (Ammar) said: “O Amirul Mumineen, if you tell the names of both of them to your companions, then they would keep away from them, and this was better than leaving.” He said: “May Allah have mercy on Salman, Abu Dhar, and Miqdad. They know these two so well and keep very much away from them and curse them.”
So Ammar requested: “O Amirul Mumineen, may I be sacrificed for you, tell us the names of those two because we bear witness that we bear friendship with those you bear friendship, and keep away from those you keep away.” He replied: “O Ammar, at that time my companions will be killed, and my community and my army and the large gathering that you see around me will separate from me. O Ammar, whoever kept friendship with Musa and Haroon and kept away from their enemies, he also kept away from the calf and Samiry, and whoever kept away from the enemies of both of them, he also kept away from Musa and Haroon in a manner that he does not even know. O Ammar, whoever kept friendship with the Messenger of Allah, and his Ahlulbayt and kept friendship with me and stayed away from my enemies, then he kept away from both of them. Whoever kept away from their enemies, he kept away from the Holy Prophet (SAW) in such a manner that he does not even know.”
Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr said: “O Amirul Mumineen, do not tell their names. I have recognized both of them. We bear Allah as witness and say that we keep you as a friend and keep away from all your enemies, be they from the near ones or distance ones, or from the beginning or the end, alive or dead, present or absent.”
So Amirul Mumineen said: “O Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on you, in every community there is an elegant person, and is a witness over it, and is the mediator of its good ones, and the most elegant is he who is created elegant among the bad ones. Indeed, you, O Muhammad, are the noble man of your Ahlulbayt.
I am tell you, the Holy Prophet (SAW) called me and Abu Dhar, Salman and Miqdad were with him. Then the Messenger sent Ayeshah to her father, Hafsa to her father and told his daughter to go to her husband Uthman, and they all entered.
So he thanked Allah and praised Him and said: “O Abu Bakr, O Umar, O Uthman, I saw in my dream last night twelve men on my pulpit who were turning my Ummah in reverse. So you all fear Allah, and bow your heads down in front of Ali, after me. Do not quarrel with him concerning caliphate and do not oppress them and none of you oppose him.” So all said: “O Messenger of Allah, we seek refuge in Allah in this matter. May Allah make us die before that.”
So Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Alihi said: “I am making you all, and everyone in this house, men and women as witness that Ali ibn Abi Talib is my caliph in my Ummah and he has more authority over all mumineen than they themselves have. And when he leaves, my this son (and he put hs hand on the head of Hasan (AS)) and when he passes away then my this son (and he put his hand on the head of Husain (AS)). Then nine from the children of Husain (AS) one after another. And these are those people whom Allah has meant by ‘Obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those in authority from among you.’ (Surah Nisa: 59)
Then he did not leave any verse that was revealed for the Imams, and the Holy Prophet (SAW) recited it.
So Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman stood up and went away, and myself and my companions – Abu Dhar, Salman and Miqdad remained, and Fatimah and Hasan and Husayn remained and his wives and daughters, except Fatimah, went away. So the Holy Prophet (SAW) said: “I saw these three and saw nine from Bani Umayyah, and from the nine, I saw such and such of Abu Sufyan, and say seven from the children of Hakam ibn Aas ibn Umayyah. These people were turning my Ummah in reverse.”
Ali (AS) said when he as in the house of Ziyad which was full of companions of the Holy Prophet (SAW): “Keep whatever you heard secret, except from those who are intelligent. O Ziyad, fear Allah concerning my Shias, after me.” So when he left from Ziyad, and turned towards us, he said: “Muawiyah will soon include him with him and he will kill my Shias. May Allah curse him.”