Did Imam Ali Trust Abu Bakr in Every Matter?

One Specific Report Does Not Prove Imam Ali’s General Trust in Abu Bakr

https://www.twelvershia.net/2013/05/02/ali-ra-believes-in-the-hadith-of-abu-bakr-ra-and-benefits/

TwelverShia.net quotes the Sunni narration:

وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بَكْرٍ، وَصَدَقَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ

“Abu Bakr narrated to me, and Abu Bakr spoke truthfully.”

The narration concerns only one specific teaching: a sinner who performs ablution, prays two rak‘ahs and seeks Allah’s forgiveness will be forgiven.

Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud 1521.

This proves only that, according to this Sunni report, Abu Bakr correctly transmitted this particular narration. It does not prove that Imam Ali a.s considered Abu Bakr truthful, reliable or correct in every religious and political dispute.

It is also not an independent Shia narration. It comes through Sunni transmitters and Sunni books, so it cannot be imposed upon Shia doctrine as binding evidence.

Al-Sharif al-Murtada directly answered this argument:

إِنَّ تَصْدِيقَهُ لَهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ سَمِعَ مَا سَمِعَهُ عَلَى الْوَجْهِ الَّذِي سَمِعَهُ عَلَيْهِ

“His declaring Abu Bakr truthful concerned the particular thing that he had heard, in the manner in which he heard it.”

Reference: al-Sharif al-Murtada, al-Shafi fi al-Imamah, vol. 2, p. 38.

In other words:

Truthful in this one narration does not mean truthful in every matter.

Now compare this with Sahih Muslim’s report concerning the Prophet’s property and inheritance.

Umar said to Imam Ali a.s and Abbas:

فَجِئْتُمَا تَطْلُبُ مِيرَاثَكَ مِنَ ابْنِ أَخِيكَ، وَيَطْلُبُ هَذَا مِيرَاثَ امْرَأَتِهِ مِنْ أَبِيهَا

“You both came: you demanded your inheritance from your nephew, while this man demanded his wife’s inheritance from her father.”

This explicitly establishes that Imam Ali a.s was demanding Bibi Fatima’s inheritance from the Prophet ﷺ.

Umar then said regarding Abu Bakr:

فَرَأَيْتُمَاهُ كَاذِبًا آثِمًا غَادِرًا خَائِنًا

“You both regarded him as a liar, sinful, treacherous and dishonest.”

Umar then said regarding himself:

فَرَأَيْتُمَانِي كَاذِبًا آثِمًا غَادِرًا خَائِنًا

“You both regarded me as a liar, sinful, treacherous and dishonest.”

Reference: Sahih Muslim 1757c.

These are Umar’s own words describing the position of Imam Ali a.s and Abbas in the property dispute.

Therefore, the claim that Imam Ali a.s considered Abu Bakr universally truthful is directly contradicted by Sahih Muslim itself.

Sahih al-Bukhari further records that Bibi Fatima s.a demanded her share from:

Fadak,

Khaybar,

and the Prophet’s property in Madinah.

Abu Bakr refused.

The result was:

فَغَضِبَتْ فَاطِمَةُ بِنْتُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَهَجَرَتْ أَبَا بَكْرٍ، فَلَمْ تَزَلْ مُهَاجِرَتَهُ حَتَّى تُوُفِّيَتْ

“Fatima, the daughter of Allah’s Messenger, became angry with Abu Bakr and stopped speaking to him, and she continued in that state until she died.”

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 3092–3093.

After her death:

دَفَنَهَا زَوْجُهَا عَلِيٌّ لَيْلًا، وَلَمْ يُؤْذِنْ بِهَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ

“Her husband Ali buried her at night and did not inform Abu Bakr.”

The same report admits:

وَلَمْ يَكُنْ بَايَعَ تِلْكَ الْأَشْهُرَ

“Ali had not given allegiance during those months.”

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 4240–4241.

Therefore, the complete Sunni record establishes:

Imam Ali a.s may have accepted one specific narration about repentance.

But Imam Ali a.s and Abbas disputed Abu Bakr’s conduct concerning the Prophet’s property and inheritance.

Imam Ali a.s demanded Bibi Fatima’s inheritance.

Umar said they regarded Abu Bakr as a liar, sinful, treacherous and dishonest in that dispute.

Bibi Fatima s.a remained angry with Abu Bakr until her death.

Imam Ali a.s buried her at night without informing Abu Bakr.

Imam Ali a.s had withheld allegiance for six months.

So the argument commits a basic logical fallacy:

“Abu Bakr spoke truthfully in this one report”

does not equal:

“Abu Bakr was truthful and trustworthy in every matter.”

The correct conclusion is:

According to one Sunni narration, Imam Ali a.s accepted one particular report from Abu Bakr concerning repentance.

According to Sahih Muslim and Sahih al-Bukhari, this did not prevent Imam Ali a.s and Bibi Fatima s.a from rejecting Abu Bakr’s claims, rulings and conduct in the dispute over Fadak, inheritance and the Prophet’s property.