Question:

One of the innovators claimed that according to Nahj-ul-Balaghah, Imam Ali (a.) had left the succession to the desire and whim of the companions.

Answer:

This is a lie.

Muhammad Ibn Husain reported that Imam Ali (a.) said: “People swore loyalty to me, who swore loyalty to Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman according to what they swore loyalty to them for. Therefore, the present did not have the right to vote and the absent did not have the right to refuse and the counsel is given to the emigrants and helpers. When they agree on a man and call him Imam, then that is a contentment for God. When someone leaves their cause with an attack or a renewal then they bring him back to what he left. If he refuses then they fight him for following a different path than that of those who believe and God leads him to what he turned away from. I swear by my life, o Mu’awiyah, if you use your mind without following your desires, then you will find me most innocent among men in the blood of Uthman and know that I was in seclusion from him, unless you accuse me. Then accuse me of what appears to you and that is peace.” [Nahj-ul-Balaghah of Ar-Radi, Volume 3, Page 7]

عن محمد بن الحسين عن أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام أنه قال: إنه بايعني القوم الذين بايعوا أبا بكر وعمر وعثمان على ما بايعوهم عليه، فلم يكن للشاهد أن يختار ولا للغائب أن يرد، وإنما الشورى للمهاجرين والأنصار، فإن اجتمعوا على رجل وسموه إماما كان ذلك لله رضى، فإن خرج من أمرهم خارج بطعن أو بدعة ردوه إلى ما خرج منه، فإن أبى قاتلوه على أتباعه غير سبيل المؤمنين وولاه الله ما تولى ولعمري يا معاوية لئن نظرت بعقلك دون هواك لتجدني أبرأ الناس من دم عثمان، ولتعلمن أني كنت في عزلة عنه إلا أن تتجنى فتجن ما بدا لك والسلام

 Abu Umar Zadhan reported that Imam Al-Hasan (a.) said: “Mu’awiyah told you that I had considered him a rightful successor, while not considering myself a rightful successor, but Mu’awiyah lied. We have more claim to the people in the scripture of God and through the tongue of His prophet (s.) and we are the people of the house who have been continually wronged since God let His prophet (s.) die. So God stands between us and the one who deprived us of our rights, jumped on our necks, turned people against us, hindered us from our share of spoils of war, and denied our mother (a.) the inheritance that her God’s messenger (s.) left behind. By God, if people had sworn allegiance to my Father (a.) when they left the Messenger of God (s.), heaven would have provided them with its rain and the earth would have poured out its blessings and you would not have sought it, o Mu’awiyah! When they stepped out of their core, the Quraish argued with each other about it. So the freed (Tulaqa’) and the sons of the freed sought her, you and your companions.” [Ghaiat-ul-Maram of Al-Bahrani, Volume 2, Page 89 Hadith 30]

الشيخ في مجالسه قال: أخبرنا جماعة عن أبي المفضل قال: حدثنا عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن عبيد الله العرزمي عن أبيه عن عثمان أبي اليقظان عن أبي عمر زادان قال: قال الحسن بن علي عليه السلام: وإن معاوية زعم لكم أني رأيته للخلافة أهلا، ولم أر نفسي لها أهلا فكذب معاوية، نحن أولى بالناس في كتاب الله عز وجل وعلى لسان نبيه صلى الله عليه وآله ولم نزل أهل البيت مظلومين، منذ قبض الله نبيه صلى الله عليه وآله فالله بيننا وبين من ظلمنا حقنا، وتوثب على رقابنا، وحمل الناس علينا، ومنعنا سهمنا من الفيئ ومنع امنا ما جعل لها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وأقسم بالله لو أن الناس بايعوا أبي حين فارقهم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله لأعطتهم السماء قطرها، والأرض بركتها، وما طمعت فيها يا معاوية، فلما خرجت من معدنها تنازعتها قريش بينها، فطمعت فيها الطلقاء، وأبناء الطلقاء: أنت وأصحابك

Abu l-Miqdam reported that he said to Imam Al-Baqir (a.): “The ordinary people claim that the oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr at the time when people agreed on it was a satisfaction for God and God did not test the community of Muhammad after him.” He said: “They do not read the Book of God. Does the sublime not say: “Muhammad is only a messenger. The messengers passed away before him. Will you then, when he dies or is killed, turn back on your heels? Whoever turns on his heels will not be able to harm God. And God will reward those who give thanks.”(3:144) I said to him: “They give the verse a different interpretation.” He said: “Did God not tell those of the communities before them that they disagreed after the clear signs came to them, when He said: “We have given the clear signs to Jesus the Son of Mary and strengthened him with the Spirit of holiness. And if God had willed, those who lived after them would not have fought one another after the clear signs had come to them. But they have become divided. Among them are those who believed and those who disbelieved. And if God had willed, they would not have fought one another. But God does what He wills.” (2:253) “This verse proves that the companions of Muhammad (s.) were divided after him, and among them is the one who believes and the one who disbelieves.” [Tafsir-ul-Ayyashi, Vol. 1, page 200, Hadith 151]

عن عمرو بن أبي المقدام عن أبيه قال: قلت لأبي جعفر عليه السلام ان العامة تزعم أن بيعة أبى بكر حيث اجتمع لها الناس كانت رضا لله, وما كان الله ليفتن أمة محمد من بعده, فقال أبو جعفر عليه السلام: وما يقرؤن كتاب الله أليس الله يقول: وما محمد الا رسول قد خلت من قبله الرسل أفإن مات أو قتل انقلبتم على أعقابكم الآية قال: فقلت له: انهم يفسرون هذا على وجه آخر قال: فقال: أوليس قد أخبر الله على الذين من قبلهم من الأمم انهم اختلفوا من بعد ما جائتهم البينات حين قال: وآتينا عيسى ابن مريم البينات وأيدناه بروح القدس إلى قوله فمنهم من آمن ومنهم من كفر الآية ففي هذا ما يستدل به على أن أصحاب محمد عليه الصلاة والسلام قد اختلفوا من بعدهم, فمنهم من آمن ومنهم من كفر