Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

'Ali ibn Abi T6lib 205
which is something acceptable in Islam, as they all had good
intentions. Everyone who strives to reach the proper understanding is
correct, or one of the two who hold different views is correct and the
other is not sinning; rather he is rewarded, as is established according
to the fundamentals of slam."^'^ Then he stated that the Prophet (g)
did not rebuke them or criticise them; rather he said to them all: "Let
me be, for the state in which I am now is better. "530 This is something
similar to what happened to them on the day of al-Alpgb, when the
Messenger (8) said to them: "Nobody should pray 'A$r except in
Banu ~ura~&mh."~~~ Some people were worried that they might
miss the time for 'Asr, so they prayed before they reached Banu
Qurayaah, whereas others said: 'We will only pray where the
Messenger of Allah (g) told us to." And he did not rebuke either of
the two
2. As for what the Rgfidis claim, that the difference of opinion
between the Companions and what it led to, namely the fact that that
the Prophet (s) did not write that document for them, is what
deprived the Urnmah from protection against falling into error, it is
false because it wonld mean that the Messenger (&) gave up
conveying that which could protect the Ummah from going astray.
This faulty claim by the R2fifidis also wonld mean that he (g) failed
to convey the message of his Lord just because his Companions
differed in his presence, until he died without passing on that
message. This would mean that he went against the command of his
Lord, Who said: $0 Messenger [Muhammad]! Proclaim [the
message] which has been sent down to you from your Lord. And if
you do not, then you have not conveyed His message. Allah will
protect you from mankind.) (Qur'an 5: 67)
The Prophet (g) .- cannot have done that (failed to convey the
message) because AUah (&) praised him when He said: (Verily,
there has come unto you a Messenger [Muhammad] from amongst