I was sitting with ibn 'Abbas (رضي الله عنه) when nine people came to him and said: O Abu 'Abbas, either you get up and come with us, or you people should leave us alone. Ibn 'Abbas said: Rather I will get up and go with you. At that time he was healthy, before he went blind. They started speaking and I did not know what they were saying. Then he started flapping his garment and saying: Uff! They criticised a man who had ten qualities; they criticised a man to whom the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "I shall surely send a man who Allah will never let down; he loves Allah and His Messenger.” And many hoped for it. He said: "Where is 'Ali?” They said. He is at the mill grinding flour. He said: "Why can't one of you do that?" Then he ('Ali) came; he had an eye infection and could hardly see. (The Prophet (ﷺ) ) spat dryly in his eyes, then he shook the banner three times and gave it to him. And he brought Safiyyah bint Huyay. Then he sent so and so with Soorat al-Tawbah, and he sent 'Ali after him to take it from him. He said: “No one should take it except a man who is of me and I am of him." And he said to his cousins: "Who among you would support me in this world and the Hereafter?" And ‘Ali was sitting with him. They refused but 'Ali said: I will support you in this world and the Hereafter. He said: "You are my supporter in this world and the Hereafter." Then he turned from him to a man among them and he said: “Who among you would support me in this world and in the Hereafter?" They refused but 'Ali said: I will be your supporter in this world and the Hereafter, He said: "You are my supporter in this world and the Hereafter.” He was the first of the people to become Muslim after Khadeejah. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took his garment and put it over 'Ali, Fatimah, Hasan and Husain, and said: “Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs (evil deeds and sins) from you, O members of the family (of the Prophet (ﷺ)), and to purify you with a thorough purification" [al-Ahzab 33:33]. ‘Ali sold himself (for the sake of Allah) when he wore the garment of the Prophet (ﷺ) and slept in his bed when the mushrikeen were after the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Abu Bakr came when 'Ali was sleeping and he thought that he was the Prophet of Allah and said: O Prophet of Allah. 'Ali said to him: The Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) has set out towards Bi’r Maimoon; go and catch up with him. So Abu Bakr set out and he entered the cave with him. ‘Ali had stones thrown at him, as happened to the Prophet of Allah, and he [‘Ali] was groaning with pain. He wrapped his head with the cloth and did not uncover it until morning came. Then he uncovered it and they said: You are bad; we used to throw stones at your companion and he never groaned with pain but you groaned with pain, and we found that strange. And he went out with the people on the campaign to Tabook. ‘Ali said to him: Shall I go out with you? The Prophet of Allah ﷺ said to him: "No," and ‘Ali wept. Then he said to him: “Doesn't it please you to be to me as Haroon was to Moosa, except that you are not a Prophet? I should not go unless you are my deputy (acting in my stead during my absence).” And the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him: "You are protector of every believer after me.” And he blocked up all the doors of the mosque except the door of ‘Ali and he used to enter the mosque when he was junub, as that was his thoroughfare and he had no other thoroughfare. And he said: “If I am a person's mawla, ‘Ali is also his mawla." He said: Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, told us in the Qur'an that He was pleased with them, meaning the companions of the tree (those who swore allegiance to the Prophet (ﷺ) in Bay'atar-Ridwan under a tree, mentioned in al-Fath 48:18). He knew what was in their hearts; did He tell us that He was angry with them after that?! And the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) said to ʻUmar, when he said, Give me permission to strike his neck: "would you do that? You do not know, perhaps Allah looked at the people of Badr and said: Do whatever you wish.”