Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 2 of 2

380 Xi's attitude towards the Kharijites and Shia
caliphate of 'Uthmsn (&), when fimah began to appear. The
Companions rejected tbis idea when they heard it and explained that
it was false; among the most famous of those who did so were 'Ali
ibn Abi T2ib (&) and the Mother of the Believers 'A'ishah (I&).
During the caliphate of 'Ali (&), we see this idea crystallising inke
form of a belief to which people were called and which was
propagated. This notion of the so-called rightfully appointed heir,
which is promoted by the RiEfidis and continned by their scholars,
wav the fabrication of Ahdullah ibn Saba', as was mentioned by an-
Nawbakhti and al-Kashshi and as we have seen above. What is
narrated in sound reports from a number of the Companions,
including 'Ali (&) himself, is sufficient to refute their claim. There
is a great deal of such evidence, including the following:
It was said in the presence of 'kishah (r&) that the Prophet
(G) appointed 'Ali by name as his successor, and she said: "Who
said that? I saw the Prophet (g) as he was leaning on my chest. He
called for a vessel of water, then he fell to one side and died, without
me realising. So how could he have issued instructions that 'Ali
should be his sn~cessor?"~'~
This clear statement from 'A;l'ishah(I&) that the Prophet (g)
did not appoint 'Ali by name as his successor is the greatest evidence
that there was no appointed heir. The Prophet (g) died in her lap, so
if there had been any instruction, she would have been the most
aware of it of all people.420
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbk (4) said: " 'Ali ibn Abi T2ib
(&)came out of the house of the Messenger of Allah (g) during the
illness from which he died, and the people said: '0 Abu al-Hasan,