علي مع الحق والحق مع علي ، يميل مع الحق كيف مال ولقد هممنا أن نصير إليه فننزله عن منبر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله فجئناك نستشيرك ونستطلع رأيك فيما تأمرنا ، فقال أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام وأيم الله لو فعلتم ذلك ما كنتم إلا حربا لهم ، ولا كنتم إلا كالكحل في العين أو كالملح في الزاد ، وقد اتفقت عليه الأمة ، التاركة لقول نبيها ، والكاذبة على ربها ، ولقد شاورت في ذلك أهل بيتي فأبوا إلا السكوت لما يعلمون من وغر 1 صدور القوم وبغضهم لله عز وجل ولأهل بيت نبيه ، وإنهم يطالبون بثارات الجاهلية ، إلى أن قال عليه السلام : ولكن ائتوا الرجل فأخبروه بما سمعتم من نبيكم ، ولا تدعوه في الشبهة من أمره ليكون ذلك أعظم للحجة عليه ، وأبلغ في عقوبته إذا أتى ربه وقد عصى نبيه ، وخالف أمره ، فانطلقوا حتى حفوا بمنبر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وكان يوم الجمعة .

'Ali is with the truth and the truth is with 'Ali; he inclines with the truth wherever it inclines. And we had resolved to go to him and bring him down from the pulpit of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and his Family; so we have come to you to consult you and to learn your opinion as to what you command us. The Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, said: By God, had you done that, you would have been nothing but a war against them; nor would you have been but as the kohl in the eye, or as the salt in the provision. The community has agreed upon him — the community that has abandoned the word of its prophet and lied against its Lord. I consulted my household about that, and they would have nothing but silence, for what they know of the rancour [1] of the people's breasts and their hatred of God, mighty and exalted, and of the people of the house of His prophet; and that they are seeking the blood-vengeances of the age of ignorance. — until he said, peace be upon him: But go to the man and tell him what you heard from your prophet, and do not leave him in doubt concerning his affair, that it may be the greater proof against him and the more effective in his punishment when he comes to his Lord, having disobeyed his prophet and opposed his command. So they went, until they stood about the pulpit of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and his Family — and it was a Friday.

فلما صعد أبو بكر المنبر ذكر كل واحد منهم كلاما في حق علي عليه السلام وفي فضله وما قال فيه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله ، طوينا كشحا عن ذكره روما للاختصار ، وأول من بدئهم بالقول خالد بن سعيد بن العاص ، ثم باقي المهاجرين ثم من بعدهم الأنصار ، فروي أنهم لما فرغوا من مقالتهم أفحم أبو بكر على المنبر حتى لم يحرجوا بإثم قال : وليتكم ولست بخيركم ، أقيلوني أقيلوني ، فقال عمر بن الخطاب : أنزل عنها يا لكع ، إذا كنت لا تقوم بحجج قريش لم أقمت نفسك هذا المقام ، والله لقد هممت أن أخلعك وأجعلها في سالم مولى أبي حذيفة ، قال : فنزل ثم أخذ بيده وانطلق إلى منزله ، وبقوا ثلاثة أيام لا يدخلون مسجد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله .

When Abu Bakr mounted the pulpit, each one of them spoke words concerning the right of 'Ali, peace be upon him, and his merit, and what the Messenger of God, may God bless him and his Family, had said concerning him — which we have passed over, seeking brevity. The first of them to begin the speaking was Khalid b. Sa'id b. al-'As, then the rest of the Emigrants, then after them the Ansar. And it is related that when they had finished their speech, Abu Bakr was struck dumb upon the pulpit, until he said: I have been given charge of you, and I am not the best of you; release me, release me. 'Umar b. al-Khattab said: Come down from it, you fool! If you cannot stand against the arguments of Quraysh, why did you set yourself in this station? By God, I have a mind to depose you and to set it in Salim the freedman of Abu Hudhayfa. He said: So he came down; then he took his hand and went off to his dwelling. And they remained three days without entering the mosque of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and his Family.

فلما كان في اليوم الرابع ، جائهم خالد بن الوليد ومعه ألف رجل ، وقال لهم : ما جلوسكم ؟

Then on the fourth day Khalid b. al-Walid came to them, and with him a thousand men, and said to them: What is this sitting of yours?

فقد طمع فيها والله بنو هاشم ، وجائهم سالم مولى أبي حذيفة ومعه ألف

By God, the Banu Hashim have set their hopes upon it. And Salim the freedman of Abu Hudhayfa came to them, and with him a thousand