حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مِسْکِينٍ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ يَعْنِي الْفِرْيَابِيَّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سُفْيَانَ يَقُولُ مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام کَانَ أَحَقَّ بِالْوِلَايَةِ مِنْهُمَا فَقَدْ خَطَّأَ أَبَا بَکْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارَ وَمَا أُرَاهُ يَرْتَفِعُ لَهُ مَعَ هَذَا عَمَلٌ إِلَی السَّمَائِ
سنن ابودوٗد · Hadith 4630
Muhammad al-Firyabl said: I heard Sufyan say: If anyone thinks that ‘All (Allah be pleased with him) was more deserving for the Caliphate than both of them, he imputed error to Abu Bakr, Umar, the Muhajirun (Immigrants), and the Ansar (Helpers) Allah be pleased with all of them. I think that with this (belief) none of his action will rise to the heaven.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020