فصل ( في امتناع علي عليه السلام بيعة أبي بكر ) قال أبو محمد عبد الله بن مسلم بن قتيبة الدينوري وهو من أعاظم علماء الجمهور وكان في الغيبة الصغرى وتوفي سنة اثنتين وعشرين بعد ثلاثمأة ، في كتاب الإمامة والسياسة ما هذا لفظه : إبائه علي كرم الله وجهه عن بيعة أبي بكر رضي الله عنهما ، ثم إن عليا كرم الله وجهه أتي به إلى أبي بكر وهو يقول : أنا عبد الله وأخو رسول الله فقيل له : بايع أبا بكر ، فقال : أنا أحق بهذا الأمر منكم ، لا أبايعكم وأنتم أولى بالبيعة لي ، أخذتم هذا الأمر من الأنصار واحتججتم عليهم بالقرابة من النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وتأخذونه منا أهل البيت غصبا ، ألستم زعمتم للأنصار إنكم أولى بهذا الأمر منكم ، لما كان محمد صلى الله عليه وآله منكم ، فأعطوكم المقادة وسلموا إليكم الإمارة ، فأنا أحتج عليكم بمثل ما احتججتم به على الأنصار : نحن أولى برسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله حيا وميتا ، فأنصفونا إن كنتم تؤمنون وإلا فبوؤا بالظلم وأنتم تعلمون فقال له عمر : إنك لست متروكا حتى تبايع ، فقال له علي عليه السلام : احلب حلبا لك شطره واشدد له اليوم يردده عليك غدا ، ثم قال : والله يا عمر لا أقبل قولك ، ولا أبايعه ، فقال له أبو بكر : فإن لم تبايع فلا أكرهك فقال أبو عبيدة بن الجراح : لعلي عليه السلام يا بن عم إنك حديث السن

Section (on 'Ali's refusal, peace be upon him, of the pledge to Abu Bakr). Abu Muhammad 'Abd Allah b. Muslim b. Qutayba al-Dinawari — and he is among the greatest of the scholars of the generality, and he lived in the Lesser Occultation and died in the year three hundred and twenty-two — said in the book al-Imama wa'l-Siyasa, and this is his wording: His refusal, 'Ali, may God ennoble his face, of the pledge to Abu Bakr, may God be pleased with them both. Then 'Ali, may God ennoble his face, was brought to Abu Bakr, and he was saying: I am the servant of God and the brother of the Messenger of God. It was said to him: Pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr. He said: I am more entitled to this affair than you. I shall not pledge to you; rather you are the more bound to pledge to me. You took this affair from the Ansar and argued against them by kinship to the Prophet, may God bless him and his Family — and you take it from us, the People of the House, by force. Did you not claim to the Ansar that you were more entitled to this affair than they, because Muhammad, may God bless him and his Family, was of you? So they gave you the lead and surrendered the command to you. I argue against you with the like of what you argued with against the Ansar: we are more entitled to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and his Family, living and dead. So deal justly with us, if you are believers; and otherwise, take upon yourselves the wrong, knowing it. 'Umar said to him: You will not be let go until you pledge. 'Ali, peace be upon him, said to him: Milk a milking of which the half is yours; bind it fast for him today, that he may return it to you tomorrow. Then he said: By God, 'Umar, I do not accept your word, nor shall I pledge to him. Abu Bakr said to him: If you will not pledge, I shall not compel you. Abu 'Ubayda b. al-Jarrah said to 'Ali, peace be upon him: O son of my uncle, you are young in years,