What is the benefit of preferring 'Uthman over 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with both of them)?
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The questioner : May Allah forgive you. How do they lead people into discussing the virtue of 'Ali and 'Uthman, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : What is the benefit of that?
The Shaykh : The benefit is that if we say 'Uthman is superior, his status as the third caliph is in complete accordance with wisdom, because by being superior, he became the third caliph. If we say 'Ali is superior, it opens the door to criticizing the Companions who preferred him while the superior one was present.
The student: The Companions, O Shaykh, understood the religion better than we do.
The Shaykh : There is no doubt about that.
The student: And they knew more of the religion than we know.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: And their hearts are more submissive to the religion of Allah than our hearts.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: And it is established that they preferred 'Uthman over 'Ali, so we remain silent about this; we have no concern with them.
The Shaykh : That is an imposition on them. The problem is that people have investigated this.
The student: If it is that we prefer 'Uthman over 'Ali, or 'Ali over 'Uthman...
The Shaykh : No, no. The Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah says in *Al-'Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah*: "The matter of the people of the Sunnah has settled on preferring 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him)". But the one who is misguided in this issue of the caliphate today is the Rafidah. They say that the three who preceded 'Ali have no right to the caliphate, and that they are only oppressors and usurpers, and that the caliph after the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) is 'Ali, and that he is the Imam and superior to the Prophet. Glory be to Allah, what a contradiction, what a strange contradiction.
The student: They call 'Ali the Lord. Calling him the Lord is the greatest calamity for them.
The Shaykh : Correct, correct.
The student: The Rafidah are not an authority for us. The Rafidah are not an authority.
The Shaykh : No, no, they are not an authority for us. Yes.
The reader: "And it is also established in the authentic collections from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) the hadith of the one who said to his family: 'If I die, burn me, then grind me, then scatter me in the sea. By Allah, if Allah were able to punish me, He would punish me with a punishment He has not inflicted on anyone in the worlds.'"
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : What is the benefit of that?
The Shaykh : The benefit is that if we say 'Uthman is superior, his status as the third caliph is in complete accordance with wisdom, because by being superior, he became the third caliph. If we say 'Ali is superior, it opens the door to criticizing the Companions who preferred him while the superior one was present.
The student: The Companions, O Shaykh, understood the religion better than we do.
The Shaykh : There is no doubt about that.
The student: And they knew more of the religion than we know.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: And their hearts are more submissive to the religion of Allah than our hearts.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: And it is established that they preferred 'Uthman over 'Ali, so we remain silent about this; we have no concern with them.
The Shaykh : That is an imposition on them. The problem is that people have investigated this.
The student: If it is that we prefer 'Uthman over 'Ali, or 'Ali over 'Uthman...
The Shaykh : No, no. The Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah says in *Al-'Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah*: "The matter of the people of the Sunnah has settled on preferring 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him)". But the one who is misguided in this issue of the caliphate today is the Rafidah. They say that the three who preceded 'Ali have no right to the caliphate, and that they are only oppressors and usurpers, and that the caliph after the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) is 'Ali, and that he is the Imam and superior to the Prophet. Glory be to Allah, what a contradiction, what a strange contradiction.
The student: They call 'Ali the Lord. Calling him the Lord is the greatest calamity for them.
The Shaykh : Correct, correct.
The student: The Rafidah are not an authority for us. The Rafidah are not an authority.
The Shaykh : No, no, they are not an authority for us. Yes.
The reader: "And it is also established in the authentic collections from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) the hadith of the one who said to his family: 'If I die, burn me, then grind me, then scatter me in the sea. By Allah, if Allah were able to punish me, He would punish me with a punishment He has not inflicted on anyone in the worlds.'"