Clear Proof Ghadeer was not viewed as an appointment of Successorship

[Ibn Yahya]

It was narrated that Sa`d bin Waqqas said:
"Mu`awiyah came on one of his pilgrimages and Sa`d entered upon him. They mentioned `Ali, and Mu`awiyah criticized him. Sa`d became angry and said: 'Are you saying this of a man of whom I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: "If I am a person's  Mawla, `Ali is also his Mawla" And I heard him say: "You are to me like Harun was to Musa, except that there will be no Prophet after me." And I heard him say: "I will give the banner today to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger."

http://sunnah.com/urn/1251210

Now the Shi'ah are probably wondering why I posted this? Doesn't this prove 'Ali (RA)'s appointment as a successor? No rather it refutes that notion. Because the Sahaba (RA) and 'Ali (RA) himself viewed this as meaning an ally/friend and this proves it because Sa'd (RA) accepted and believed in the Khilafat of Abu Bakr (RA) and 'Umar (RA). So if it was understood as an appointment of successorship why would he

1. Talk about it in the first place
2. Use it in the context of Mu'awiyah (RA) disrespecting 'Ali (RA)

[Farid]

Very true, the narration wouldn't be used so casually if it implied an appointment as caliph, nor would it require Mu'awiyah to disrespect Ali for Sa'ad to narrate it.

Well done.

[Hani]

Salam,

This is what I noticed as well when I first came across this text a while back.