2. The words attributed to Qays ihn Sa'd, "We have sworn

allegiance to the best one we know after our Prophet (&)" are to be rejected, because what is proven is to give precedence to Ahn Bakr and 'Umar (&) over 'Ali (&), as stated in sound reports. This is something that no one doubted at that time among the Companions and others. Based on that, rhis cannot be soundly athibuted to Qays ibn Sa'd (&) or to anyone else among the Companions and T2bi'oon. This idea was unknown except among the later R2fidi ~hia." Ibn Taymiyah said: "The earlier Shia were all agreed on the superiority of Ahu Bakr and mar."^^ There is a great deal of evidence for the superiority of Abu Bakr and 'Umar, including the report narrated by Ibn 'Umar (&): "We used to compare the people at the time of the Prophet (&), and we would say that the best were Abu Bakr, then 'Umar ibn al-Kha~b, then 'Uthmh ihn ' A G ~ . " ~ ~ The hadiths that speak of this are many and well-kn~wn.~' In fact, as we have seen from the sound reports quoted above, Mu'2wiyah asked Amir al-Mu'mineen to hand over the killers of 'Uthmh to him, and he never accused 'Ali of being involved in the murder.