Aban has narrated from Sulaym. Sulaym said: “I reached a group of people sitting in the Masjide Nabawi in which, apart from the Hashmi, there was no one else except Salman, Abu Dhar and Miqdad and Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, Umar ibn Abi Salmah and Qays ibn Sa’ad ibn Abadah.
Abbas said to Ali (a.s): “What do you think about why Umar stopped Qunfuz from returning the wealth like he asked all other governors to return the wealth?” So Ali (a.s) looked at the people around him, then his eyes filled with tears and then he said: “In gratitude of that striking, that he hit Fatimah with his whip, until she passed away and the effect of the hitting was like a boil on her hand”.
Then Alyhissalam (pbuh) said: “It is strange that the hearts of this Ummah are filled with the love of this man and before him his companion, and they
believe in everything that he has created new. If all his governors were violators of the Trust and if this property was violated in their hands, then it was not permitted for him that he leaves them and it was compulsory for him that he takes all of it back, because it was the property of the Muslims. He did not have the right that he takes half and leaves the other half. And if those people were not violating the Trust, then it was not halal that he takes their property or takes anything be it less or more. And he took half of all the property. If this property was in their hands in the manner of breach of the Trust and after that those people had not accepted and there was no proof (bayyinah), then it was not halal that he takes, less or more, anything from them. It is more surprising that he returned some to their places. If these people were violators then it was not lawful for him that he makes them governors. If these people were not violators, then their wealth is not permissible for him.”
Then Ali (a.s) turned towards the people and said: {“It is surprising for that Ummah who see the Tradition of their Prophet changing and altering day by day, and each door changing, even then these people are happy and not refusing – on the contrary are getting angry for him and are getting upset with those who criticise him and refuse him. Then after us a community will come who will obey his innovations, his oppression and the new things that he has created and will make his new things religion and tradition and make these things a way of getting near to Allah, like these:
He removed Makame Ibrahim from that place where the Holy prophet (SAW) had kept it, and brought it where it was during the time of ignorance from where the Holy Prophet (SAW) had moved it.
And he changed the Sa’a of Mudd of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) in both of which there is obligatory (wajib) and there is tradition (Sunnah) also. So his increasing is nothing except bad because only that is given to poor ones for expiation (Kaffarah) of Oath and zeehar (when a man says to his wife your back is like my mother’s, until expiation is paid his wife is not permissible for him), that is in the field. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) had said: O Allah, give us barkah in our Mudd and Sa’a. So people do not become an obstruction between him and the Holy Prophet (SAW) but they become happy and accept what he did.
And he and his companion took away the Fadak, when it was in control of
Fatimah (a.s) and during the time of the Holy Prophet (SAW) she ate the food from it. So he asked an evidence from her when it was in her hand. Neither did they accept her to be true nor Umme Ayman, although he surely knew, like we know, that it was in her hand. It was not right for him to ask her to produce evidence that was in her hand, and it was not right for him to accuse her. Then people thought of him as good, praised him and said that he did that because he had fear of Allah and this is his merit.
Then the evil actions of both of them were taken as good (i.e. both did not accept Fatimah (a.s)), and both said {“We think Fatimah will not say anything except truth, and Ali also has not witnessed except what is truth, and if there was any other lady with Ummi Ayman, then we would have given Fadak to Fatimah”}. This is how both of them made themselves good in front of the ignorant. Who were them two and who made them both governors that they give some to someone and stop the other from others? But Ummah got involved in these two so they both entered into such things over which they had no right, and they both did not have knowledge in this matter, although Fatimah (a.s) had told both of them, when he wanted to take away what she had in her hand (“Is this not in my control, and my agent is present and when the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) was alive I have eaten crop from it”]. Both of them said: “Yes, that has happened”. Then Fatimah (a.s) said: (“When you accept that, why are you asking for evidence of what is in my hand?”] So they both said: “This is the property of Muslims. If the evidence is established then it is okay, otherwise we will not give it.”
So she said to both of them, when people were around them listening, [“Do you both want to take back what the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) did, and you order particularly for us that which you did not order for all other Muslims? O people, listen to what these two have done. What! do you two think if I claim what property is in the hands of Muslims, will you ask evidence from me or evidence from them?”] They both said: “We will ask from you”. So she asked (“So if all Muslims claim on what is in my hands, will you ask for evidence from the people or from myself?”] Umar became angry and said: “This is the property of Muslims and their land, and this is in the hands of Fatimah, the food from which she is consuming. So if she produces evidence that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) from all Muslims had given it to her particularly, although it is the property of Muslims and their right, then we will think about it.”
So she said: (“It is sufficient for me O People, I bear Allah as Witness, did you not hear the Holy Prophet (SAW) say: “Surely my daughter is the leader
of the women of Paradise”. Everyone said: “bearing Allah as witness we have heard this from the Holy prophet (S.A.W)”. She asked: (“So will the leader of the women in Paradise claim falsely and take what is not hers? What! do you think that if four people bear witness against me over a bad deed or two people for stealing will you accept them to be true against me?”]. Abu Bakr remained quiet but Umar said: “Yes, we will apply the law on you.”
She said: [“You told a lie and are cunning and you accept that you are not on the religion of Muhammad (S.A.W). Surely, a person who declares it compulsory on the leader of the women of Paradise to produce evidence or applies the law on her, surely he is cursed and is kafir of what Allah has revealed on Muhammad (SAW) because there can be no evidence against those (from whom Allah has kept impurity away and has declared pure as it is their right), because they are infallible from corruption, and pure of all evil. O Umar, tell me who are meant by this verse? If any community bears witness against them or against anyone of them that they have been Mushrik or kafir, will Muslims keep away from them and will they apply the law?”] He replied “Yes. Everybody and they are equal”
So she said: (“You are a liar and a kafir. Ahlulbayt and all people are not equal in this matter because Allah has kept them ahlulbayt) free from sins, and their infallibility and purity has been revealed (in Quran), and has kept evil away from them. Whoever believes anyone true against them then he is the one who has falsified Allah and His Prophet.”] Abu Bakr said: “O Umar, I hold you by oath, shut up”
At night they both sent someone to Khalid ibn Walid and said: (“We want to tell you a confidential matter and leave it to you because we trust you “] He said: {‘Whatever you two want tell me I will obey you”} They both said to him {“The Mulk and kingdom that we have acquired cannot benefit us until Ali is alive. Did you not hear what he said to us and how he behaved towards us? We are not satisfied it is possible that he silently calls people the community agrees and he fights against us because he is the bravest in Arab and you know how we treated him and we have overpowered the Kingdom of his cousin when we do not have any rights in it and we have forfeited Fadak from his wife. So when you recite the morning prayer with people you stand next to him with your sword with you. When I recite salutation you slash his neck.”}
Ali (a.s) said: “Khalid ibn Walid recited the prayer standing next to me with his sword on him. Abu Bakr stood for prayer and was thinking and regretting and was confused until sunrise was near. Then before reciting the salutation in prayer, he said: (“Do not do what I order you to do”], then he recited the salutation. So I said to Khalid: {“What was the matter?}. He said: [“I had been ordered that when he completes reciting the salutation I slash your neck.”] So I asked: {“Were you going to do it?”}. He said (“By God, Yes, I would certainly have done that.”]
Sulaym said “Then Alayhissalam (pbuh) turned to Abbas and those that were around him and said: {“Are you not surprised that he and his companion stopped dhil qurba (the rights of relatives) from us, the share of that dhil qurba that Allah had made compulsory for us in Quran? Allah knew that these people will oppress us in this matter and take it away from us, so He said {‘If you believe in Allah and in that which We revealed to Our servant, on the day of distinction, the day on which two parties met;’} (Surah Anfal 4)
And it is surprising that he demolished the house of my brother Ja’afer and included it in the Masjid and with its value did not give anything to his sons. Then people did not think that as bad, and took no action, like he had taken away a house of a Daylam.
His ignorance and the ignorance of the Ummah is surprising that he wrote to all his governors that if a Junub does not find water it is not necessary for him to recite prayer and it is not necessary for him to perform Tayammum on earth until he gets water, even if he does not get water till he meets Allah. People accepted it and were happy with it, although he knew and people also knew that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) had ordered Ammar and Abu Dhar to perform Tayammum for janabah and pray. They both witnessed it and others also witnessed it but he did not accept it and did not withdraw the order.
It is surprising that they both mixed various matters concerning grandfather without Knowledge, but to stick to their matter on account of ignorance and they both claimed about these things that they did not know, defying Allah and being less fearful of Him. They both claimed that the Holy Prophet (SAW) until he passed away never passed a decision concerning a grandfather relating to inheritance, although whoever knows about grandfather’s inheritance, has not claimed that. Then everyone obeyed two in this matter and confirmed that they two were right.
And his freeing Ummuhate Awlad (those slave girls who deliver children) – people accepted what he said and left the command of the Holy Prophet (SAW). And the way he behaved with Nasr ibn Hajjaj and Ja’udah ibn Salim and ibn Wabrah!
More surprising than that is Abu Kama Abdi came to him and said: [“I divorced my wife when I was not here, and the news of the divorce reached her, then in her Iddah (waiting period) I took her back and wrote to her but the letter did not reach her until she got re-married.”} So he replied {“If the man who married her has had sexual relationship with her then she is his wife and if the sexual relationship has not occurred then she is your wife”}. And he wrote that to him and I am witness – so he did not even discuss or ask me. He thinks he has enough knowledge and does not need to ask me. Sol wanted to stop him so I said: {{I don’t care – May Allah humiliate him”)) People did not think him bad, on the contrary they thought good of him and made it tradition and accept that from him and understand that to be right. This is a decision that even if an insane, who was weak and bad, had made then he would not have exceeded that.
Then he left Hayya ‘Ala Khayril ‘Amal from Adhan and people took that to be tradition and started following him in this.
And his decision concerning a lost man and appointing a period of 4 years after which the wife can marry – if her husband returns then he will have a choice to have his wife back, or pay her dowry. People thought good of that also and made it Tradition and accepted this ignorance when he had very little knowledge of the Book of Allah Azz wa Jall, and was not even aware of the Tradition of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W).
And his expelling every non-Arab from Medina.
And his sending a rope to his Governor in Basra which was 5 spans long and his saying that any Ajmi whose height is the same as that rope should be slained.
His returning the prisoners of Shuster when those slave women were pregnant.
And his sending a nope for those children who had stolen in Basra and his ordering that any child tall enough to the length of the rope should have his hand chopped off.
More astonishing than that is that a liar stoned to death a liar (woman) and he accepted that and the ignorant ones also accept that and through that an Angel was talking through his tongue and telling him.
And his freeing the prisoners of Ahle Yemen.
And his and his companion’s not joining Usama and his army when they both had saluted him saying AMIR.
After that, more surprising is that, that Allah also knows and people know too that he is the same man who did not give that paper to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) that he had asked for. Then people do not think that was damaging nor was there anything lacking in him.
He is the same man who is of the incident of Safiya when he told her what told her. At that time the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) became angry until he said what he said.
He and his companion are those two who did not kill that man whom the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) had ordered both of them to kill. After them two, the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) commanded me and he said in this connection what he said.
The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) commanded Abu Bakr that he announces to people that whoever reaches Allah accepting Tawheed, who has not done shirk even minutely, will go to Heaven. Umar sent him back and Abu Bakr obeyed him and disobeyed the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) and did not act on his command. In this connection also the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) said what he said.
His bad actions and the bad actions of his companion are too many to be counted even then, the ignorants and people could not see anything wrong in them and they love both these more than their mothers and fathers and themselves. They do not like anything bad said about these two but they do not mind that for the Holy Prophet (S.A.W)”
Ali (a.s) continued: “One day I passed from Sahhaki so he said to me (“The example of Muhammed is just like the tree of dates which is planted in a dirty place.”) So I came to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) and told this to him. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) became very angry and came to the pulpit. The Ansar got frightened and came armed when they saw how angry the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) was.
He said: {“What has happened to those communities that people hurt me in connection with my relatives although they have heard their merits and the virtues that Allah has given them all, and those things in which Allah has specialized them is that that He has Kept all evil away from them and particularly Allah has declared them pure. And you people have heard what I have told concerning him who is the best and most virtuous in my ahlulbayt in those things that Allah has declared specially for him. He has blessed him with reputation and virtues in a manner that he is the first one in Islam and his difficulties in Islam are too many, and he is my relative. He is from me in such a manner like Haroon was to Musa and then you think that I am, in my ahlulbayt, like a tree of dates that grows in a dirty place?
Beware, Allah has created His creation and divided it into two. He declared me in the better one of these two. Then He divided this section into three, in which there are branches, tribes, and many families and declared me in the best of families, and this is Allah’s saying {“Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanliness from you, O people of the House! And to purify you a (thorough) purifying “} (Surah Ahzab 33)
So this verse was revealed for my ahlulbayt and family for myself and my brother Ali bin Abu Talib.
Beware that Allah looked at the dwellers of the earth and He chose, me and then he looked again and He chose my brother Ali, my vizier. my successor, my caliph in my Ummah and the guardian of all faithfuls after me. So He made me a Prophet and Messenger and argument, and He sent Messages to me that I appoint Ali my brother, my trustee, my successor and my caliph in my Ummah after me.
Beware, he is the guardian of every faithful after me. Whoever keeps him friend, Allah will keep him friend, whoever bears enmity towards him, Allah will bear enmity towards him. Whoever loves him, Allah also will love him and whoever hates him, Allah will hate him. Only a faithful will love him and only a non-believer will hate him. He is, after me the Rabb of the earth and the dwellers of the earth and is Allah’s kalimah taqwa and is the strong rope of Allah. Do you want to switch off the light of Allah with your mouth, though Allah is the Completor of His Light – the idolaters may not like it. The enemies of Allah want to diminish the light of my brother and Allah wants to complete this Noor.
O people, those of you who are present, pass this sermon to those who are not present. O Allah You be a Witness on all these
O people, Allah looked the third time, then after me. He chose my twelve successors from my ahlulbayt and these are all righteous people of my Ummah. In there, there are eleven Imams after my brother one by one. When one of them passes away the other one from them takes his place. Their example is like stars in the sky – when one star disappears the other rises because they are those Imams who guide and are guided and those who cheat them, their cheating does not effect them, and those that stop helping them, their stopping does not harm them. These are all Allah’s authority on His earth and are witness over His creation. Whoever obeys them has obeyed Allah. Whoever disobeys them has disobeyed Allah. These are all with Quran and Quran is with them. They will not separate from Quran and Quran will not separate from them until they reach my Fountain.
From all Imams, the first one is Ali who is the best of all of them. Then my son Hasan, then my son Husayn, then nine from children of Husayn, and the mother of all these is my daughter Fatimah Salwatullah Alayhim. And after all of them Ja’afer ibn Abi Talib my uncle’s son and the brother of my brother, and my uncle Hamzah ibn Abdul Muttalib.
Beware, I Muhammad ibn Abdullah am best of all Prophets and Messengers and Fatimah. my daughter is the leader of all women of Paradise and Ali and his children are best of all successors and my Ahlulbayt is best of all Prophets’ Ahlulbayt and my two sons are the leaders of all youths of Paradise.
O people, surely those who want my intercession are hopeful about it – what! Will my Ahlulbayt not benefit from it? Anyone who has been born through my grandfather Abdul Muttalib who meets Allah, accepting Tawheed and who has not done ‘shirk’ even slightly, Allah will make him enter Heaven even if their sins be equivalent to pebbles and foam of oceans.
O people, honour my ahlulbayt during my lifetime and after me, and respect them and accept their virtues because it is not permitted for anyone to get up from his place for anyone else except my ahlulbayt. If I hold the chains of the door of Heaven and after that the Mercy of Allah reaches me and I prostrate and am given permission to intercede, then I will not give priority to anyone over my ahlulbayt.
O people, mention my ancestors – who am I? “
One person from Ansar stood up and said: “We seek refuge in Allah from His Anger and the anger of His Prophet. O Messenger of Allah, tell us who has hurt you In connection with your ahlulbayt so we can kill him so that his family finishes”. Then he (S.A.W) said: “Mention my ancestors. I am Muhammad Ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul Muttalib ibn Hashim”, until he mentioned his ancestors until Nizar. Then he talked till his ancestor Ismaeel ibn Ibrahim Khalilullah. He said, “Surely myself and my ahlulbayt are from such pure earth that was taken from under the ARSH until Adam, and all are through Nikah. None of them is through adultery. The Nikah of Jahiliyah is not included in us. So ask me, By God, no man will ask about his ancestors but I will tell him.”
One person stood up and asked “Who is my father?” Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Alihi Wassalam (pbuhaf) replied: “Your father is such and such whom you are claiming to be”. So he thanked and praised Allah and said: “Even if you had connected me to somebody else, I would have been happy and accepted it.”
Another man stood up and asked: “Who is my father?” Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Alihi Wassalam said: “Your father is so and so” (i.e. that father wa was different from whom he claimed). So he became an apostate of Islam. Then another person stood up and asked. “Am I from those of Paradise or those of Hell?” He (S.A.W) replied: “From people of Paradise.” After that another person stood up and asked: “Am I from Heaven or Hell?” He (S.A.W) replied: “From Hell dwellers.”
Then he (S.A.W) said very angrily: “What has stopped that man who has hurt the best one in my Ahlulbayt, who is my brother, my vizier, my inheritor, my successor and my caliph in my Ummah , and after me is guardian of every faithful, that he stands up and asks me who his father is and where he is – in Heaven or Hell?”
Umar ibn Khattab stood up and said: “I seek refuge in Allah from His Displeasure and the displeasure of His Messenger. Forgive us O Rasulullah, May Allah forgive you. Pardon us. May Allah pardon you. Hide our matter, May Allah hide your matter and be tolerant towards us. May Allah bless you and shower His Mercy on you.” So the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) felt magnanimous and stopped.
Ali (a.s) said: “He is the companion of Abbas, whom the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) had sent to try and he returned saying: {“Abbas has refused to give sadqa from his wealth.”} So the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) became angry and said: “Thanks be to Allah Who has protected us from all those evils in which people want to wrap us in. Abbas has not refused sadqa of his wealth but you rushed him up asking for zakah of two years.” Then he (Umar) came to me and wanted that I go to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) to intervene so that he (S.A.W) becomes happy with him. So I did that.
And this is the man of Abdullah i Salul – when the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) stepped forward to recite prayer for him, so he held his (SAW) shirt and pulled him from behind and said: “Allah has forbidden you to recite prayer for him and it is not permitted for you to pray for him.” The Holy Prophet (SAW) said to him: “Evil befall you, you have hurt me. I prayed for him to honour his son and I am hopeful that 70 people from his father and his ahlulbayt accept Islam. What do you know what I said? I cursed him.”
And this is the man of Ghadhir Khum when the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) appointed me for his Wilayat he and his companions said: “He always wants to praise his loved one and relative”. And
the other one said: “He always wants to hold his cousin’s matter high.” And he told his companion when I had already been appointed: “Surely this is a great honor”. So his companion very angrily had said: “By God I will not listen to him and will never obey him.” Then he leaned on him and stretched himself and they both went away. It is in this connection that Allah revealed: {;So he did not accept the truth nor did he pray, but called the truth a lie and turned back. Then he went to his followers, walking away in haughtiness. Nearer to you (is destruction) and nearer. Again (consider how) nearer to you and nearer.’} (Surah Qiyamah: 3- 35).
This is a warning and telling off from Allah.
And he is that man who came to visit me (in sickness) with the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) and some companions. He hinted his companion so the later he stood up and said: [“O Prophet of Allah, you have taken an oath from us concerning Ali and I can see his difficulty. If he passes away, who will be in his place?”] The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) said: {“Sit down”.} He (S.A.W) repeated this thrice. He then turned towards both of them and said: {“By God, it will not happen, he will not die of this illness. By God, he will not die until you two cheat him and oppress him and fill him up with anger. And after that you will find him patient and obedient to Allah. He will not die until various matters happen reach him from you both and he will not die – he will be slained and be martyred.”}
And more important than all these is that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) gathered 80 people – 40 from Arab and 40 from Ajam. These two were among the. All of them saluted me saying AMIRUL MUMINEEN. Then he (S.A.W) said: {“I make you all witness that Ali is my brother, my vizier, my inheritor and my caliph in my Ummah, my successor in my family, and every faithful’s guardian after me. So you all listen to him and obey him.” In all of these were Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Talhah, Zubayr, Sa’ad and Abdul Rahman ibn Awf, Abu Ubaydah, Ma’az ibn Jabal and some people from Ansar. Then he (S.A.W) said: “I declare Allah as Witness over you all.”}
Then Ali (a.s) turned to the community and said: “Glory be to Allah, how well have the tastes and discord (fitnah) of these two been drunk in the hearts of people – i.e. this Ummah’s calf as well as Samn! All of them accepted and then claimed that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) did not appoint anyone as caliph and they ordered an assembly and consultation and the one who said {“The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) did not make anyone caliph and the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) said: [“Allah will not join Nubuwat and Caiiphate for us ahlulbayt”] when he (S.A.W) had asked 80 people to salute Ali saying AMIRUL MUMINEEN and made them also witness to it along with all others that he made witness to it.
It is astonishing that they surely accepted and then claimed, ‘the Holy Prophet (SAW) did not appoint any caliph’ and they ordered an assembly. Then after that they all accepted that they did not consult in connection with Abu Bakr and allegiance to him happened suddenly. And what greater sin can there be than ‘sudden’?
Then Abu Bakr made Umar caliph and he did not follow the Holy Prophet (S.A.W), so he left without making anyone caliph. He was asked in this connection, so he said {“What, should I leave the Ummah of Muhammad like an old shoe? Would I leave it without appointing a caliph?”} This was his taunt on the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) and he was heedless of his (S.A.W) opinion.
Then Umar did a third thing. He did not leave it like he had claimed it for the Holy Prophet (SAW) (i.e. he (S.A.W) had not appointed anyone caliph), nor did he appoint a caliph like Abu Bakr did. He brought a third thing and declared it an assembly among 6 people and excluded all Arabs from it. He became a good one in the eyes of people through it and made them equal to me when the love of discord (fitnah) and deviation settled in their heads.
Then ibn Awf paid allegiance to Uthman and everyone paid allegiance to him when the people had already heard what they heard from the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) in connection with Uthman that he ( S . A . W ) had cursed him many times. Uthman, whatever he was, was better than both of them.
A few days age he said such a matter that my heart softened for him and I was surprised. By coincidence I was sitting in his house and Ayeshah and Hafsa came and were asking their share of inheritance from the property and wealth of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) that was in his hands. He said: “[By God, NO. You do not hold any reputation – I cannot give anything to you from the Holy prophet (S.A.W). On the contrary I am taking your own witnessing against you because surely you two stood as witness in front of your fathers that you both heard the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) saying: {“A Prophet does not leave inheritors. Whatever he leaves is sadqa.”}. Then you taught a villager who was urinating like animals and was cleaning himself with his urine, Malik ibn Aus Ibnil Hadassan, and he stood as witness with both of you. There was no one from the companions within the Ansar and Muhajireen who stood as witness except you two and that Arabi. By God, now I have no doubts that he also attributed a lie against the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) and you two also. But I accept your witnessing as against you, so you both go. You are not entitled.”]
He said: [“Go, you two go back – did you both not stand as witness in front of Abu Bakr”]. They both said YES. So he said: [“If you had witnessed truly then you do not have any rights and if your witnessing was false, then the curse of Allah and the curse of everyone be on you two and those who accepted you as witness against this ahlulbayt.”].
Alayhissalam said: “Then he looked at me and laughed and said: {‘O Abul Hasan, did I make your heart at peace from both of them?”} I said: “Yes by God, you conveyed the full matter and said truth. God will humiliate both of them.”}. So my heart softened for Uthman and I understood that by this he only wanted to please me. He is nearer in relation to me than those two and is lesser than those two in oppressing us, although he had no reason or argument in this matter that he remains caliph over us and claims our rights.”