(12) Abdurrazak bin Hammam narrated from Ma’mar bin Rashid from Abban bin Abu Ayyash from Sulaym bin Qayss that Imam Ali had said: “One day I passed by a man, who said: “The example of Muhammad is like the example of a date-palm growing in a dunghill.” I came to the Prophet (S) and told him of that. He became very angry. He went to the minbar. Al-Ansar took up their arms when they saw the Prophet (S) so angry. He said: “Why do some people criticize my close relatives after they have heard me mentioning that Allah has preferred them to all of the people and has favored them by purifying them and taking uncleanness away from them? They have heard me mentioning the virtues of my family and the virtues of my guardian, whom Allah has honored and preferred because of his precedence in being a Muslim, his defending Islam, his kinship to me and that he is to me as has Aaron been to Moses. After all, someone of you claims that I am, among my family, like a date-palm growing in a dunghill! Allah has created his creation and divided them into two parties. He has made me in the best of them. Then He has divided this party into three groups and made me in the best of them and in the best tribe. Then He divided them into families and made me in the best of them until I have been purified with my brother Ali bin Abu Talib from among the family. Allah the Almighty looked at the people of the earth and chose me from among them and then He looked again and chose Ali; my brother, vizier, heir, my caliph for my umma and the guardian of every believer after me. Whoever obeys him, obeys Allah and whoever opposes him, opposes Allah. Whoever loves him will be loved by Allah and whoever hates him will be hated by Allah. No one loves him except the believers and no one hates him except the unbelievers. He is the basis of the earth and its ease after me. He is the word of piety and the firmest handhold of Allah. “They desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths, and Allah will not consent save to perfect His light.” The enemies of Allah want to put out the light of my brother but Allah will not consent save to perfect his light. O people, let the present inform the absent of my speech! Then Allah looked thirdly and chose some ones from among my family after me. They are the best of my umma; eleven imams after my brother (Ali) one after the other. Whenever one of them leaves to the better world another one will replace him. Their example is like the stars of the sky; whenever a star sets another will shine. They are guided and guiding imams. They will never be affected by the disappointment of their opponents nor by the plotting of their enemies. They are the authorities of Allah on the earth and His witnesses over His people. Whoever obeys them, obeys Allah and whoever disobeys them disobeys Allah. They are with the Qur’an and the Qur’an is with them. They will never part with the Qur’an nor will it part with them until they come to me at the pond (in Paradise). The first of the imams is my brother Ali, who is the best of them, then my son Hasan, then my son Husayn and then nine ones from the progeny of Husayn.” He mentioned all the tradition.