What is the truth behind the claims of the Rafidah that Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) refused to pledge allegiance to the two Shaykhs, Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them), and that he used to disparage them and consider them "two liars, sinful, treacherous individuals" as they claimed it was stated in Sahih Muslim, and is it true that Ali incited Abu Lu'lu'ah Al-Majusi to kill Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and what was the nature of the relationship between Ali and the two Shaykhs (may Allah be pleased with them)?

The Shia claim that Ali ibn Abi Talib refused to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) and that he condemned them is a false claim. The Companions unanimously pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr and implemented his covenant for Umar, and Umar’s implementation of the Shura (consultation) principle. No one disagreed with this. Ali loved Abu Bakr and Umar and acknowledged their virtue. The proof for this is what Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated that Ali was asked: “Who is the best of people after the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him?” He replied: “Abu Bakr, then Umar.”

As for the Shia claim that Ali described Abu Bakr and Umar as “liars, sinful, treacherous,” its source is a distortion and truncation of an authentic Hadith from Sahih Muslim. The complete Hadith states that Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib was the one who said to Umar ibn al-Khattab about Ali ibn Abi Talib: “Judge between me and this liar, sinner, treacherous betrayer” concerning the matter of Fadak. This indicates that the phrase originated from Al-Abbas in the context of a dispute, not from Ali in condemnation of the two Sheikhs. It was Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) who described Al-Abbas and Ali by saying: “So you both regarded him as a liar, a sinner, a treacherous betrayer,” meaning you both thought Abu Bakr and Umar were so in the matter of inheritance. This description came from Umar, and was not said by Ali and Al-Abbas.

Furthermore, the Shia allegation that Ali participated in the assassination of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) is merely a baseless lie, contradicting what was known of Ali’s courage and clarity.