Nasb-and-the-Nawasib

“From which of the people of Iraq?” he asked.
“From the people of Kūfah,” he replied.
He then asked, “From which of the people of Kūfah?”
He said, “From the people of Hamadān.”
This excited him and he thus asked, “What do you say about Abū Bakr?”
He said, “By Allah I did not see his era not did he live to see mine. The
people have said good about him and are right in doing so, and he is by the
will of Allah as they say.”
He further asked, “What do you say about ʿUmar?” and He gave the same
answer.
Then he asked, “What do you say about ʿUthmān?”
He said, “By Allah I did not see his time and nor did he see mine. Some
have commented about him and have done good in doing so and others
have likewise commented about him and have done wrong in doing so;
knowledge of his state lies with Allah.”
He asked, “What do you say about ʿAlī?”
He retorted, “He is no different.”
Sulaymān demanded, “Revile him.”
He said, “I will not revile him.”
He again said, “By Allah you will surely revile him.”
He responded, “By Allah I will not revile him.”
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