613 - ‘Ismah ibn ‘Isam informed me, saying: Hanbal narrated to us, saying: I heard Abu ‘Abd Allah [Ahmad ibn Hanbal] mention ‘Ali and his Caliphate, and he said: "The Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, were pleased with him and gathered upon him. Some of them would be present while ‘Ali was establishing the legal punishments [hudud], and they did not disapprove of that. They used to call him Caliph; he would deliver the sermon [khutbah] and distribute the spoils of war, and they did not disapprove of that." Hanbal said: I asked him, "Is the Caliphate of ‘Ali established?" He replied: "Subhan Allah! Would ‘Ali—may Allah have mercy on him—establish the legal punishments, cut [the hands of thieves], collect the poor-due [sadaqah], and distribute it without a right that was incumbent upon him? I seek refuge in Allah from this statement! Yes, he was a Caliph whom the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, were pleased with, and they prayed behind him, fought along with him, performed jihad, and performed Hajj. They used to call him Commander of the Believers [Amir al-Mu'minin], being pleased with that and not disapproving of it. We are followers of them, and we hope for reward from Allah by following them, if Allah wills, along with what Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, have commanded us." Hanbal said: My uncle Abu ‘Abd Allah said: "We prioritize those whom Allah and His Messenger have prioritized. Abu Bakr, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, prioritized him, so he led the people in prayer while the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was still alive. Thus, the choice of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, for him was a merit among his Companions. Then Abu Bakr prioritized ‘Umar as a merit for ‘Umar after Abu Bakr. Then the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, gathered in the consultation [mashurah], and they were the Shura, and their choice fell upon the best of those who remained after ‘Umar, [who was] ‘Uthman. These are the Imams. As for ‘Ali—may Allah have mercy on him—he is a just Imam after them; his Caliphate is established, his rulings are binding, and his authority is valid. He was the most deserving of people for it after ‘Uthman. So these are the Imams, the Imams of guidance, may Allah have mercy on them."
٦١٣ - وَأَخْبَرَنِي عِصْمَةُ بْنُ عِصَامٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا حَنْبَلٌ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَذَكَرَ عَلِيًّا وَخِلَافَتَهُ فَقَالَ: «أَصْحَابُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَضُوا بِهِ، وَاجْتَمَعُوا عَلَيْهِ، وَكَانَ بَعْضُهُمْ يَحْضُرُ وَعَلِيٌّ يُقِيمُ الْحُدُودَ فَلَمْ يُنْكِرْ ذَاكَ، وَكَانُوا يُسَمُّونَهُ خَلِيفَةً، وَيَخْطُبُ وَيَقَسِمُ الْغَنَائِمَ فَلَمْ يُنْكِرُوا ذَلِكَ» . قَالَ حَنْبَلٌ: قُلْتُ لَهُ: خِلَافَةُ عَلِيٍّ ثَابِتَةٌ؟ فَقَالَ: «سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، يُقِيمُ عَلِيٌّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ الْحُدُودَ، وَيَقْطَعُ، وَيَأْخُذُ الصَّدَقَةَ، وَيَقْسِمُهَا بِلَا حَقٍّ وَجَبَ لَهُ؟ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْمَقَالَةِ، نَعَمْ خَلِيفَةٌ رَضِيَهُ أَصْحَابُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَصَلَّوْا خَلْفَهُ، وَغَزَوْا مَعَهُ، وَجَاهِدُوا، وَحَجُّوا، وَكَانُوا يُسَمُّونَهُ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَاضِينَ بِذَلِكَ غَيْرَ مُنْكِرِينَ، فَنَحْنُ تَبَعٌ لَهُمْ، وَنَحْنُ نَرْجُوا مِنَ اللَّهِ الثَّوَابَ بِاتِّبَاعِنَا لَهُمْ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ، مَعَ مَا أَمَرَنَا اللَّهُ بِهِ وَالرَّسُولُ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ» . قَالَ حَنْبَلٌ: قَالَ عَمِّي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ: «نُقَدِّمُ مَنْ قَدَّمَهُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، أَبُو بَكْرٍ، قَدَّمَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَصَلَّى بِالنَّاسِ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَيُّ، فَاخْتِيَارُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَهُ فَضْلٌ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَصْحَابِهِ، ثُمَّ قَدَّمَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ عُمَرَ فَضْلًا لِعُمَرَ بَعْدَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، ثُمَّ اجْتَمَعَ أَصْحَابُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي الْمَشُورَةِ وَهُمُ الشُّورَى فَوَقَعَتْ خِيَرَتُهُمْ عَلَى خَيْرِ مَنْ بَقِيَ بَعْدَ عُمَرَ عُثْمَانَ، فَهَؤُلَاءِ الْأَئِمَّةُ، وَعَلِيٌّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ إِمَامُ عَدْلٍ بَعْدَ هَؤُلَاءِ، إِمَامَتُهُ ثَابِتَةٌ، وَأَحْكَامُهُ نَافِذَةٌ، وَأَمْرُهُ جَائِزٌ، كَانَ أَحَقَّ النَّاسِ بِهَا بَعْدَ عُثْمَانَ، فَهَؤُلَاءِ الْأَئِمَّةُ أَئِمَّةُ الْهُدَى، رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ»
