2. “Ali (A.S.), Not I, Says So!
 

Similar to this incident is what they mention in another issue equally sensitive and weighty. Another mentor of the Mu`tazilite scholar made the same retraction with him so that he would distance himself from having to confront problems which he could do without.

The Mu`tazilite Shafi`i scholar has stated that his mentor quoted to him Ali (A.S.) saying that `a’isha was the one who ordered her father to lead the people for the prayers when the Prophet (A.S.) was suffering from his sickness prior to his demise. He said, “I said to him (to my mentor), may Allah have mercy on him, `Do you mean to say that `a’isha appointed her father to lead the prayers while the Messenger of Allah (A.S.) did not appoint him to do that?!’” He said, “I do not say that, but Ali (A.S.) used to say it. My obligation differs from his. He was present there and I was not. I have to stick to the narratives transmitted to me saying that the Prophet (A.S.) appointed Abu Bakr to lead the prayers, while Ali (A.S.) was obligated to say what he knew..., etc.”^[1]