It was said that we prefer, so we say Abu Bakr, then 'Umar, then 'Uthman, and then we stop, citing the report of Ibn 'Umar: "We used to prefer, so we would say Abu Bakr, then 'Umar, then 'Uthman," and he did not mention [Ali].
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The questioner : Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. As for the issue of preferring among the Companions, it has been said that the best of them is Abu Bakr, then 'Umar, then 'Uthman, and we stop there. This is the practice of the Salaf, citing the report of Ibn 'Umar that he stopped there and did not mention Ali.
It was objected to by the consensus transmitted by al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar that all the people of the Sunnah hold that Ali is preferred after 'Uthman over the other Companions. However, it was objected to this consensus that it was transmitted by Ibn 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-Barr, who has some inclination toward Shi'ism. How should one respond?
The Shaykh : Yes, first, Ibn 'Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) is among those who are lenient in transmitting consensus, because he transmits consensuses, and when one looks into them, one finds that there is no consensus on the issue. As for the issue of preference: the Companions and those after them agreed that the best of this Ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, then 'Umar, and there is no disagreement on that. Then they differed regarding 'Uthman and Ali. Some preferred 'Uthman, some preferred Ali, some limited it to Abu Bakr, then 'Umar, then 'Uthman and remained silent, and some stopped and said, "I do not mention them all, nor do I say this one is better than that one."
But Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says in al-'Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah that the opinion of the people of the Sunnah and the community settled on the fact that their order in excellence is like their order in the caliphate, and that they agreed, with no disagreement among them, that the caliph after the Prophet is Abu Bakr, then 'Umar, then 'Uthman, then Ali.
They also agreed that this order in the caliphate is the truth and does not deprive anyone of his right. Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) gave a sermon on the pulpit of Kufah and declared that the best of this Ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, then 'Umar. The issue of preference between 'Uthman and Ali is easy, as long as there is an old disagreement among the people of the Sunnah on it.
But the one who is declared misguided in this is the one who prefers Ali over 'Uthman in the caliphate, saying that he is more deserving.
And more misguided, more terrible, and more unjust is the one who prefers Ali in the caliphate over Abu Bakr and 'Umar and says that they did not wrong him. The wonder is that I saw a laughable statement saying that Abu Bakr and 'Umar are both open sinners and oppressors, and Ali ibn Abi Talib is also a disbeliever. Why? Because he did not demand his right, and silence about the right is disbelief.
So who remains? It means that all the caliphs became disbelievers according to the opinion of this claimant. And some of the misguided innovators say that Abu Bakr and 'Umar wronged Ali ibn Abi Talib in the caliphate. And they have lied in that, for Ali ibn Abi Talib is among those who pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and pledged allegiance to 'Umar and acknowledged their excellence openly. Then, if a claimant claims that they wronged him, then
It was objected to by the consensus transmitted by al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar that all the people of the Sunnah hold that Ali is preferred after 'Uthman over the other Companions. However, it was objected to this consensus that it was transmitted by Ibn 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-Barr, who has some inclination toward Shi'ism. How should one respond?
The Shaykh : Yes, first, Ibn 'Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) is among those who are lenient in transmitting consensus, because he transmits consensuses, and when one looks into them, one finds that there is no consensus on the issue. As for the issue of preference: the Companions and those after them agreed that the best of this Ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, then 'Umar, and there is no disagreement on that. Then they differed regarding 'Uthman and Ali. Some preferred 'Uthman, some preferred Ali, some limited it to Abu Bakr, then 'Umar, then 'Uthman and remained silent, and some stopped and said, "I do not mention them all, nor do I say this one is better than that one."
But Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says in al-'Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah that the opinion of the people of the Sunnah and the community settled on the fact that their order in excellence is like their order in the caliphate, and that they agreed, with no disagreement among them, that the caliph after the Prophet is Abu Bakr, then 'Umar, then 'Uthman, then Ali.
They also agreed that this order in the caliphate is the truth and does not deprive anyone of his right. Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) gave a sermon on the pulpit of Kufah and declared that the best of this Ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, then 'Umar. The issue of preference between 'Uthman and Ali is easy, as long as there is an old disagreement among the people of the Sunnah on it.
But the one who is declared misguided in this is the one who prefers Ali over 'Uthman in the caliphate, saying that he is more deserving.
And more misguided, more terrible, and more unjust is the one who prefers Ali in the caliphate over Abu Bakr and 'Umar and says that they did not wrong him. The wonder is that I saw a laughable statement saying that Abu Bakr and 'Umar are both open sinners and oppressors, and Ali ibn Abi Talib is also a disbeliever. Why? Because he did not demand his right, and silence about the right is disbelief.
So who remains? It means that all the caliphs became disbelievers according to the opinion of this claimant. And some of the misguided innovators say that Abu Bakr and 'Umar wronged Ali ibn Abi Talib in the caliphate. And they have lied in that, for Ali ibn Abi Talib is among those who pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and pledged allegiance to 'Umar and acknowledged their excellence openly. Then, if a claimant claims that they wronged him, then