Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

214 'Ali ibn Abi Ttlib at the time of the Rightly Guided Caliphs
and he said: "0 cousin and disciple of the Messenger of Allah (g),
do you want to cause division among the Muslims?" He said
likewise: "Let there be no reproach, 0 successor of the Messenger of
Allah m)," and he swore allegiance to him.2
One indication of the importance of the sound hadith of Abu
Sa'eed al-Khudri is that Imam Muslim ibn al-Hajjij, the author of
Saheeh Muslim, which is the soundest of the hadith books after
Saheeh al-Bukhari, went to his Shaykh, al-H%& Muhammad ibn
Ishiq ibn Khuzaymah, the author of Saheeh Ibn Khuzaymah, and
asked him about this hadith. Ibn Khuzaymah wrote the badith down
for him and read it to him. Then Muslim said to his Shaykh, Ibn
Khuzaymah: "This hadith is as valuable as a camel (meaning very
valuable)." Ibn Khuzaymah said: 'This hadith is not only equal to a
camel;' rather it is equal to a sack4 of treasure." Ibn Katbeer (may
Allah have mercy on him) commented on this hadith by saying:
"This is a sound, mahfoo& chain of narration, and it is of great
importance, namely the ailegiance of 'Ali ibn Abi TSb (&) on
either the first or second day after the death of the Prophet (gj. This
is true, because 'Ali ibn Abi Taib (&) did not stay away from Abu
Bakr (4) at any time, and he did not miss any prayer that was
offered behind him."5 According to the report of Habeeb ibn Abi
Thibit: 'Ali ibn Abi Tab (&) was in his house, and a man came to
him and told him: Abu Bakr (4) is sitting to receive the oath of
allegiance. 'Ali (&) went out to the mosque, wearing a chemise of
his, with no upper or lower garment, mshing for fear of any delay in
swearing his oath of allegiance. He swore allegiance to Abu Bakr
(&), then he sat down and sent for his upper garment (or cloak),
which they brought to him and be put on over his chemi~e.~
'Amr ibn Hurayth asked Sa'eed ibn Zayd (&): 'When was
allegiance sworn to Abu Bakr (&)?" Sa'eed said: "The day the
Messenger of Allah (g) died, the Muslims did not want to remain for