[Machine] Muawiyah said to Saad ibn Abi Waqas, "What prevented you from insulting Ali ibn Abi Talib?" Saad replied, "I do not insult him as long as I remember three things that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said. He said, 'It would be more beloved to me than the red camels if I were to take Ali, his sons, and Fatimah, and enter them under my cloak.' Then he said, 'These are my family and the people of my household.' And I do not insult him as long as I remember when he left him behind in a battle and said, 'Did you leave me with the children and the women?' He replied, 'Do you not want to be to me like Aaron was to Moses, except that there is no prophethood?' And I do not insult him as long as I remember the day of Khaybar when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'I will give this flag to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and Allah will grant victory through him.' So, we kept asking, 'Where is Ali?' They said, 'He has sore eyes.' He was called and he came. He spat in his eyes, then he handed him the flag. Allah granted him victory, and by Allah, Muawiyah did not utter a single word of what he mentioned until he left the city."
قَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ لِسَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ «§مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَسُبَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ؟» قَالَ لَا أَسُبُّهُ مَا ذَكَرْتُ ثَلَاثًا قَالَهُنَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَأَنْ تَكُونَ لِي قَالَ «وَاحِدَةٌ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ حُمْرِ النَّعَمِ لَا أَسُبُّهُ مَا ذَكَرْتُ حِينَ نَزَلَ عَلَيْهِ الْوَحْيُ فَأَخَذَ عَلِيًّا وَابْنَيْهِ وَفَاطِمَةَ فَأَدْخَلَهُمْ تَحْتَ ثَوْبِهِ» ثُمَّ قَالَ «رَبِّ هَؤُلَاءِ أَهْلِي وَأَهْلُ بَيْتِي» وَلَا أَسُبُّهُ حِينَ خَلَّفَهُ فِي غَزْوَةٍ غَزَاهَا قَالَ «خَلَّفْتَنِي مَعَ الصِّبْيَانِ وَالنِّسَاءِ؟» قَالَ «أَوَ لَا تَرْضَى أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى إِلَّا أَنَّهُ لَا نُبُوَّةَ» وَلَا أَسُبُّهُ مَا ذَكَرْتُ يَوْمَ خَيْبَرَ حِينَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «لَأُعْطِيَنَّ هَذِهِ الرَّايَةَ رَجُلًا يُحِبُّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَفْتَحُ اللهُ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ» فَتَطَاوَلْنَا فَقَالَ «أَيْنَ عَلِيٌّ؟» فَقَالُوا هُوَ أَرْمَدُ فَقَالَ «ادْعُوهُ فَدَعَوْهُ فَبَصَقَ فِي عَيْنَيْهِ ثُمَّ أَعْطَاهُ الرَّايَةَ فَفَتَحَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاللهِ مَا ذَكَرَهُ مُعَاوِيَةُ بِحَرْفٍ حَتَّى خَرَجَ مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ»