645 - Harb ibn Isma‘il al-Kirmani informed me, saying: I asked Abu ‘Abd Allah about the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and he said: "The best of this Ummah after the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar, then ‘Uthman, according to the hadith of Ibn ‘Umar." Ahmad said: "And ‘Ali is among the Caliphs." I said: "Do you not say that ‘Ali is the best of those who remained after the three in the Caliphate?" He said: "He is a Caliph." I said: "And do Talhah and al-Zubayr not enter into that?" He said: "No. What would enter against Talhah and al-Zubayr? Do you not see that ‘Ali used to establish the hudud (prescribed punishments), distribute the fai’ (spoils), and lead the people in the Friday prayer? If you were to say: 'He was not a Caliph,' then in that is a severe abomination."
٦٤٥ - وَأَخْبَرَنِي حَرْبُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الْكَرْمَانِيُّ، قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ: " خَيْرُ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ بَعْدَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: أَبُو بَكْرٍ ثُمَّ عُمَرُ ثُمَّ عُثْمَانُ. عَلَى حَدِيثِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ. قَالَ أَحْمَدُ: وَعَلِيٌّ فِي الْخُلَفَاءِ. قُلْتُ: أَلَيْسَ تَقُولُ: عَلِيٌّ خَيْرُ مَنْ بَقِيَ بَعْدَ الثَّلَاثَةِ فِي الْخِلَافَةِ؟ قَالَ: هُوَ خَلِيفَةٌ، قُلْتُ: وَلَا يَدْخُلُ فِي ذَلِكَ طَلْحَةُ وَالزُّبَيْرُ؟ قَالَ: لَا، أَيُّ شَيْءٍ يَدْخُلُ عَلَى طَلْحَةَ وَالزُّبَيْرِ، أَلَا تَرَى أَنَّ عَلِيًّا كَانَ يُقِيمُ الْحُدُودَ، وَيَقْسِمُ الْفَيْءَ، وَيُجَمِّعُ بِالنَّاسِ، فَإِنْ قُلْتَ: لَيْسَ خَلِيفَةً فَفِيهِ شَنَاعَةٌ شَدِيدَةٌ "
