robert spencer-did muhammad exist__ an inquiry into islams obscure origins-intercollegiate studies institute (2012) (1)

the ankles but which is still hot enough to burn his brain.” 25
For its part, the party of Ali had Muhammad designate Ali as the guarantor of the proper understanding
of the Muslim holy book: “I go to war for the recognition of the Koran and Ali will fight for the
interpretation of the Koran.” 26 In another hadith that came to be beloved of the Shiites, Muhammad
declares, “So know then that whose master I am, their master is Ali's also.” Then he takes Ali's hand and
prays, “O God, protect him who recognizes Ali and be an enemy to all who oppose Ali.” Hearing this,
Umar (who later became caliph, after the death of Abu Bakr in 634), says to Ali: “I wish you luck, son of
Abu Talib, from this hour you are appointed the master of all Muslim men and women.” 27 In another pro-
Ali hadith, Muhammad exclaims to one of his companions: “O Anas! Is there anyone amongst the Ansar
who is better than or preferable to Ali?” 28 The Ansar, or “helpers,” were the people of Medina who had
converted to Islam after Muhammad moved there from Mecca in the Hijra, twelve years into his career as
a prophet.
The Umayyads fought back with new hadiths of their own. In one, Muhammad's favorite wife, Aisha,
who hated Ali for his ungallant advice to Muhammad to discard her and get a new wife when she was
accused of adultery, is told after the death of the prophet of Islam that Muhammad appointed Ali as his
successor in his will. Aisha responds fiercely: “When did he appoint him by will? Verily, when he died
he was resting against my chest (or said: in my lap) and he asked for a washbasin and then collapsed
while in that state, and I could not even perceive that he had died, so when did he appoint him by will?” 29
In another, Muhammad showers praise on the three men who immediately succeeded him: Abu Bakr,
Umar, and Uthman, each of whom was chosen as caliph instead of Ali. After Muhammad climbs the
mountain of Uhud with the three successors, the mountain starts shaking, and he speaks to it: “Be firm, O
Uhud! For on you there are no more than a Prophet, a Siddiq and two martyrs.” 30 Siddiq, or “truthful,” is
an honorary title bestowed on one who is entirely trustworthy.
The Umayyads even put words in the mouth of Ali, having him praise his two foremost rivals as
Muhammad's closest companions. In a hadith, Ibn Abbas recalls:
While I was standing amongst the people who were invoking Allah for Umar bin Al-Khattab who was lying (dead) on his bed, a
man behind me rested his elbows on my shoulder and said, “(O Umar!) May Allah bestow His Mercy on you. I always hoped that Allah
will keep you with your two companions, for I often heard Allah's Apostle saying, ‘I, Abu Bakr and Umar were (somewhere). I, Abu
Bakr and Umar did (something). I, Abu Bakr and Umar set out.’ So I hoped that Allah will keep you with both of them.” I turned back
to see that the speaker was Ali bin Abi Talib. 31
The partisans of Ali made fun of Uthman for having run away during some of the early battles of the
Muslims. One follower of Ali mocked Uthman in verse: “You can accuse me of no other sin than that I
have mentioned him who ran away from Khaybar. I mention the man who fled from Marhab, like a donkey
runs from the lion.” 32
Uthman exonerated himself by referring to the words of Muhammad. One hadith tells the story of an
Egyptian who has come to Mecca for the hajj and asks an elderly Muslim, Abdullah ibn Umar, son of the
second caliph: “Do you know that Uthman fled away on the day (of the battle) of Uhud?”