Quick Answer:
In numerous traditions from both the Shia and the Sunni chains of narration, it is famously known that the verse of: «أُولئِکَ هُمْ خَیْرُ الْبَرِیَّةِ» (They are the best creations of God) is in reference to Imam ‘Ali (‘a) and his companions. Ḥākim Ḥaskānī Nayshābūrī, one of the famous scholars of the Ahl al-Sunnah in the fifth century, has narrated this tradition in his well known book Shawāhid al-Tanzīl along with various chains of narration related to it.
Detailed Answer:
In numerous traditions from both the Shia and the Sunni chains of narration, it is famously known that the verse of: «أُولئِکَ هُمْ خَیْرُ الْبَرِیَّةِ» (They are the best creations of God) is in reference to Imam ‘Ali (‘a) and his companions. Ḥākim Ḥaskānī Nayshābūrī, one of the famous scholars of the Ahl al-Sunnah in the fifth century, has narrated this tradition in his well known book Shawāhid al-Tanzīl along with various chains of narration related to it. These include more than 20 traditions on this issue. As an example, we will narrate several of these traditions below:
1- Ibn ‘Abbās has said: When the verse: “Indeed those who have faith and do righteous deeds—it is they who are the best of creatures.” was revealed, the Prophet (ṣ) said to ‘Ali: The meaning of this verse is you and your followers who will enter the Maḥshar[1] on the Day of Judgement while you are pleased with God and he is also pleased with you, and your enemies will enter Maḥshar angry and they will be taken to the hellfire by force.[2] In some of the traditions, the term Muqmaḥīn has been used which means someone’s head which is held up by chains and strictures.
2- In another tradition from Abū Barazah, it has been narrated that: When the Prophet (ṣ) recited this verse, he said: These are you and your followers oh ‘Ali. And our meeting place will be next to the Spring of Kawthar.[3]
3- In another tradition from Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah Anṣārī, it has been mentioned that: We went to see the Prophet (ṣ) and we were sitting next to the House of God (the Kaaba), when ‘Ali came towards us. When the Prophet (ṣ) saw him, he said: My brother is coming towards you.[4] The Prophet (ṣ) then turned towards the Kaaba and said: I swear by the Lord of this Kaaba that this man and his followers are the ones who will have salvation on the Day of Judgement.[5] He then turned towards us and added: I swear by God that he had faith in God before all of you, he rose up by the command of God to a higher degree than all of you, his loyalty to the divine covenant was fiercer than all of you, his judging through the rules set by God was more just than all of you, his division (in terms of the public treasury) was more precise than all of you, his justice in regards to the people higher than all of you, and his position in front of God is greater than all of you.[6]
Jābir then states: It was at this point that God revealed the verse of: “Indeed those who have faith and do righteous deeds—it is they who are the best of creatures.” From this time onwards, whenever ‘Ali would come, the companions (of the Prophet (ṣ)) would said: The best creation of God after the Prophet (ṣ) has come![7] The revelation of this verse next to the Kaaba is not contradictory with the Medinan source of the chapter. This is because it’s possible that these verses were revealed in one of the journeys of the Prophet (ṣ) from Medina to Mecca. It is particularly worth mentioning that the narrator of this tradition, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah Anṣārī, j o i ned the Prophet (ṣ) in Medina and so the Medinan nature of such verses is not improbable at all.
Some of these traditions have been narrated by Ibn Ḥijr in his book Al-Ṣawā’iq and some have been narrated by Muḥammad Shablanjī in his book Nūr al-Abṣār.[8] Jalāl al-Dīn Suyūṭī has also mentioned a major portion of this last tradition in his book Durr al-Manthūr from Ibn ‘Asākir who in turn narrated it from Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah Anṣārī.[9]
4- In Durr al-Manthūr, it has been narrated from Ibn ‘Abbās that: When the verse: “Indeed those who have faith and do righteous deeds—it is they who are the best of creatures.” was revealed, the Prophet (ṣ) said to Imam ‘Ali (‘a): This verse is referring to you and your followers on the Day of Judgement; you will be pleased with God and he will be pleased with you.[10]
5- In another tradition in Durr al-Manthūr, it has been narrated from Ibn Mardawīyah who narrated from Imam ‘Ali (‘a) that: The Prophet (ṣ) said to me: Have you heard the words of God when he said: “Indeed those who have faith and do righteous deeds—it is they who are the best of creatures.”? These are you and your followers and our promised meeting place (referring to the Prophet (ṣ) and Imam ‘Ali (‘a)) will be next to the Spring of Kawthar. When I come to account for the doings of my community, you will be called forward, while your forehead will be shining white and you will be recognized and known.[11]
Many others amongst the scholars of the Ahl al-Sunnah have also narrated traditions with similar content in their own books. Such scholars include: Khaṭīb Khawārizmī in his Manāqib, Abū Na’īm Iṣfahānī in his KifāyahÞ al-Khiṣām, ‘Allāmah Ṭabarī in his famous commentary, Ibn Ṣabbāgh Mālikī in his Fuṣūl al-muhimmah, ‘Allāmah Shawkānī in his Fatḥ al-Ghadīr, Shaykh Sulaymān Qandūzī in his Yanābī’ al-MuwadahÞ, and Ālūsī in his Rūḥ al-Ma’ānī...
The aforementioned tradition is one of the well known and famous traditions which the great majority of Islamic scholars have accepted. This is a great honor for Imam ‘Ali (‘a) and his followers and it speaks volumes about his rank in Islam. In addition, these traditions clearly show that the term Shī’ah (translated here as followers) was actively used during the time of the Prophet (ṣ) and it was spread by the Prophet (ṣ) himself. This is a reference to the special followers of the Imam (‘a) and it clearly proves that the term is not something which came in to existence during the later centuries.[12]
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