He said: I asked Abu ‘Abd Allah, and I said: "What is the most firmly established thing reported from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) regarding the Caliphate of ‘Ali?" He replied: "Whoever does not affirm the Caliphate of ‘Ali, does he not claim that the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) were in turmoil and strife, and has he not invalidated their rulings?" He continued: "The hadith of Safinah and the hadith of Ibn Mas‘ud are reported from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). [As for] the hadith of al-‘Awwam ibn Hawshab, from al-Shaybani, from al-Qasim ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman, from his father, from ‘Abd Allah, from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): 'The millstone of Islam will turn at thirty-five.' Thus, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was confirming that the affair of the people would be [stable] for thirty-five years, their affair being upon the truth."
قَالَ: وَسَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ⦗٤٢٩⦘ قُلْتُ: أَثْبَتُ شَيْءٍ يُرْوَى عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي خِلَافَةِ عَلِيٍّ؟ قَالَ: مَنْ لَمْ يُثْبِتْ خِلَافَةَ عَلِيٍّ فَيَزْعُمُ أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانُوا فِي رَهَجٍ وَفِتْنَةٍ وَأَبْطَلَ أَحْكَامَهُمْ؟ قَالَ: فَيُرْوَى عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَدِيثُ سَفِينَةَ، وَحَدِيثُ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ. حَدِيثُ الْعَوَّامِ بْنِ حَوْشَبٍ عَنِ الشَّيْبَانِيِّ، عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «تَدُورُ رَحَا الْإِسْلَامِ لِخَمْسٍ وَثَلَاثِينَ» . فَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُثْبِتُ أَنَّ أَمْرَ النَّاسِ خَمْسٌ وَثَلَاثُونَ، أَمْرُهُمْ عَلَى الْحَقِّ "
