حدثنا قتيبة حدثنا جعفر بن سليمان الضبعي عن يزيد الرشك عن مطرف بن عبد اللّه عن عمران بن حصينٍ قال بعث رسول اللّٰه صلي اللّٰه عليه وسلم جيشا واستعمل عليهم علي بن أبي طالبٍ فمضي في السرية فأصاب جارية فأنكروا عليه وتعاقد أربعة من أصحاب رسول اللّٰه صلي اللّٰه عليه وسلم فقالوا إذا لقينا رسول اللّٰه صلي اللّٰه عليه وسلم أخبرناه بما صنع علي وكان المسلمون إذا رجعوا من السفر بدءوا برسول اللّٰه صلي اللّٰه عليه وسلم فسلموا عليه ثم انصرفوا إلي رحالهم فلما قدمت السرية سلموا علي النبي صلي اللّٰه عليه وسلم فقام أحد الأربعة فقال يا رسول اللّٰه ألم تر إلي علي بن أبي طالبٍ صنع كذا وكذا فأعرض عنه رسول اللّٰه صلي اللّٰه عليه وسلم ثم قام الثاني فقال مثل مقالته فأعرض عنه ثم قام الثالث فقال مثل مقالته فأعرض عنه ثم قام الرابع فقال مثل ما قالوا فأقبل رسول اللّٰه صلي اللّٰه عليه وسلم والغضب يعرف في وجهه فقال ما تريدون من علي ما تريدون من علي ما تريدون من علي إن عليا مني وأنا منه وهو ولي كل مؤمنٍ بعدي قال أبو عيسي هذا حديث  حسن  غريب  لا نعرفه إلا من حديث جعفر بن سليمان

‘Imran ibn Husayn said: “God’s Messenger (sws) sent a battalion and made ‘Ali its leader. So he departed with this battalion. He procured a slave-girl. At this, the companions objected. Four among them promised: ‘When we meet God’s Messenger (sws), we will inform him what ‘Ali did.’ It was the practice of the companions that when they would return from a journey, they would go to meet God’s Messenger (sws) and greet him and then return to their houses. So when this battalion returned it went to him and to say salam to him. Then one of the four stood up and said: ‘God’s Messenger! Have you not seen what ‘Ali has done in such and such a way.’ In response to this, God’s Messenger (sws) ignored him. Then the second among them stood up and said the same as his predecessor. He again ignored him. Then the third stood up and said the same as his predecessor. Again he ignored him. Then the fourth one stood up and said the same as the others had said. This time God’s Messenger came forward. Anger exuded from his face and said: ‘What do you all want from ‘Ali? What do you all want from ‘Ali? What do you all want from ‘Ali? Indeed, Ali is from me and I am from him. And after me, ‘Ali is the friend of every believer.’”1

Following is the schematic illustration of the isnad of this narrative’s variants:

Al-Tirmidhi regards this narrative to be gharib.2 Ja‘far ibn Sulayman al-Basri (d. 178 AH) has Shiite leanings and this narrative lends credence to the Shiite belief of ‘Ali (rta) superiority. Al-Mizzi records: Hammad ibn Zayd says that he is a Shiite and narrates reports which depict ‘Ali’s superiority and the people of Basrah go to the extreme in this matter. Though Yahya ibn Ma‘in regards him to be trustworthy, Yahya ibn Sa‘id al-Qattan would not narrate from him. Ibn Sa‘d and Ibn ‘Adi also point out that he is a Shiite.3

Ibn Hajar  says: kana yatashayy‘u.4

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1. Al-Tirmidhi, Sunan, vol. 5, 632, (no. 3712). See also: Al-Hakim, Al-Mustadrak, vol. 3, 119, (no. 4579); Al-Nasa’i, Al-Sunan al-kubra, vol. 5, 132, (no. 8474); Abu Ya‘la, usnad, vol. 1, 293, (no. 355); Al-Nasa’i, Khasa’is ‘Ali, 109, (no. 89); Ibn ‘Asakir, Tarikh Madinah Dimashq, vol. 42, 198.

2. Al-Tirmidhi, Sunan, vol. 5, 632, (no. 3712).

3. Al-Mizzi, Tahdhib al-kamal, vol. 5, 46-48.

4. Ibn Hajar, Taqrib, 140.