Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

544 Financial and judiciary institurions at the time of 'Ali
the way in which the text refers to that. He did a good job and
mentioned many useful points.361
4.2. Evidence from the Sunnah
There is a great deal of evidence from the Sunnah, for example
the words of the Prophet (&): "The best of people is the generation of
whom I am one, then the second generation (after that), then the
thrd.n362 His telling us that implies that they ate the foremost in all
aspects of good deeds, especially with regard to doing and saying the
right things.363 They are superior to others in all virtues, such as
knowledge, action, faith, reason, religious commitment, eloquence
and worship, and they are more qualified to understand every
difficult issue. No one could dispute that except one who rejects what
is well established and well known in the religion of ~slarn.~~~
According to Abdullah ibn Mas'ood, the Messenger of Allah (g)
said: "There is no Prophet whom Allah (&) sent to any nation before
me, but he had disciples and co~npanions from among his nation who
followed his path and obeyed his commands."365 Al-Bayhaqi quoted
366
this hadith as evidence of their superiority and high status In
.
knowledge, action and sincerity.367
4.3. Evidence from other reports
It was narrated from Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamh (&) that he
said: "0 people, follow the path of those who came before you, for by
Allah (B), if you follow their path, then indeed yon will succeed
tremendously, but if you drift away from it, right or left, ycju will be
greatly misguided."368 Al-Khafeeb narrated with his chain of
narration from 'Lmir ash-Sha'bi that the latter said: "What they
narrate to you from the Companions of Muhammad (@J, accept
it.m369