To Talha and Zubayr

[1] ‘Imrān ibn al-Ḥuṣayn al-Khuzā‘ī was a high ranking companion distinguished in learning and achievements and very cautious in relating traditions. He accepted Islam in the year of Khaybar and participated in jihād with the Prophet. Was honoured with the judicial position at Kūfah and died at Baṣrah in 52 A.H. One of the genuine traditions related by ‘Imrān ibn al-Ḥuṣayn about Amīr al-mu’minīn is: The Messenger of Allāh raised and sent an army under the command of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib. From the khums (one-fifth) received by him ‘Alī set aside a slave girl for himself. This was distasteful to some of his men and four of them decided to complain of this to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم. On their return they approached the Prophet, and one of them stood up and said: “O’ Messenger of Allāh! Do you not see that ‘Alī did so and so?” The Prophet turned away his face from him. Another man stood up and made the same complaint and the Prophet turned away his face from him. Still another man stood up and repeated what his two colleagues had said and met the same reaction. Then the fourth man stood up and spoke like his predecessors. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم then turned to them with signs of anger on his face and said: “What do you want me to do to ‘Alī? (repeating thrice). Surely, ‘Alī is from me and I am from him, and after me he is the Master of all the believers.” (al-Jāmi‘ aṣ-Ṣaḥīḥ, at-Tirmidhī, vol. 5, p. 632; al-Musnad, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, vol. 4, pp. 437-438; al-Musnad, Abū Dāwūd aṭ-Ṭayālisī, p. 111; al-Mustadrak, al-Ḥākim, vol. 3, pp. 110-111; Ḥilyah al-awliyā’, Abū Nu‘aym, vol. 6, p. 294; Tārīkh al-Islām, adh-Dhahabī, vol. 2, p. 196; at-Tārīkh, Ibn Kathīr, vol. 7, p.345; Usd al-ghābah, Ibn al-Athīr, vol. 4, p. 27, al-Iṣābah, Ibn Ḥajar, vol. 2, p. 509)