Hadith 19

I-asws judge by the Book of Allah-azwj and the Sunnah of His-azwj Prophet-saww. But Muawiya is coming to me-asws and he is seeking by the invalid reasons, so he can do whatever appears to him, for Allah-azwj will Help against him’. Abu Al-Darda and Abu Hureira said, ‘By Allah-azwj, you-asws have established the truth, and have done more than the justice, and you-asws have removed his reasons, and cut-off his arguments, and have come with strong arguments which are true and there can be no reproach against them’. Then Abu Hureira and Abu Al-Darda went out, and there were nearly twenty thousand men covered with the iron (armaments). They (Abu Al-No’man Bin Zamaan) said, ‘We killed Usman, and we are accepting it, and are happy with the judgment of Ali-asws, be it against us or for us. Let the guardian of Usman come to us, so that Amir-ul-Momineen-asws can judge us with regard to the blood of their father. If punishment is obligated upon us or the blood-money (compensation), we will bear his-asws judgment patiently, and submit to it’. The two of them said, ‘You-asws are being fair, and it is not permissible for Ali-asws to defend you or to kill you until he-asws passes a judgement upon you. He-asws will judge between you and your companion by the Book of Allah-azwj and the Sunnah of His-azwj Prophet-saww’. Abu Al-Darda and Abu Hureira went until they were in front of Muawiya. They informed him of what Ali-asws had said, and what the killers of Usman had said, and what Abu Al-No’man Bin Samaan had said. Muawiya said to both of them, ‘So what was his-asws response to you two with regard to invoking Mercy for Abu Bakr and Umar, and pausing from (the invocation of Mercy) for Usman, and distancing himself-asws for them in secret, and what he-asws is claiming that the Rasool-Allah-saww appointed him-asws as Caliph, and that he-asws has never ceased to be an oppressed one since the passing away of the Rasool-Allah-saww? ’ They said, ‘Yes, he-asws had Invoked for Mercy for Abu Bakr, and Umar, and Usman in our presence, and we heard it’. Then he-asws said to us, from what he-asws said: ‘If Allah-azwj has Given them (the community) choice of agreeing to a leader, so they are the ones who will be choosing and considering for themselves – and their choosing for themselves and their consideration is more correct since it in accordance with the Choice of Allah-azwj and the choice of the Rasool-Allah-saww – so they have chosen me-asws and have paid allegiance to me-asws. The allegiance to me-asws is the allegiance of guidance, and I-asws am the Imam-asws the obedience to me-asws and helping me-asws has been Obligated upon the people, because they had consulted with regard to this and chose me-asws. And if the Choice of Allah-azwj and the choice of the Rasool-Allah-saww is better for them and more correct than their choice for themselves and their consideration of it, so Allah-azwj and His-azwj Rasool-saww have Chosen me-asws for the community, and have Appointed me-asws to be the Caliph over them, and Ordered them to help me-asws and obey me-asws, in the Revealed Book of Allah-azwj upon the tongue of His-azwj Messenger Prophet-saww. And that is stronger for my-asws argument and more than Obligates my-asws rights’. Then he-asws ascended the pulpit among his-asws army, and gathered the people, and from those who were present from nearby, and the Emigrants and the Helpers. Then he-asws Praised Allah-azwj and Extolled Him-azwj, then said: ‘O group of people! My-asws virtues are more than what can be counted or numbered, and after (all that) is what Allah-azwj has Revealed in His-azwj Book from that, and what the Rasool-Allah-saww has said. I-asws shall inform you of seven qualities Rasool-Allah-saww had said which should suffice