7- Again with the hypocrites talk, I don't know if you read your own narrations but the people of Madinah are the worst hypocrites according to some Shia traditions. Heck they're the same people who ignored `Ali and accepted Abu Bakr's Caliphate. When `Ali as well as Fatimah at a later point asked them for help (acc to your narrations) they all abandonned them turned a blind eye. On top of it you have the narrations of the nation's apostasy except for 5-7 individuals that are quite explicit in your main books.
I am very aware of what is in our books and i have debated this particular point many times. You are taking two entirely different time periods and contexts and then juxtaposing them together. When the Imam said that those who fought Ali were worse than those who fought the Prophet ﷺ , he was making a few things clear:
1. When Makkah was still under the power of the polytheists such as Abu Sufiyan, and the others , before they converted at the very end, all those wars they fought the Prophet ﷺ were done by people who never accepted the Shahadah.
2. However, those who fought Ali had accepted the Shahadah, yet still disobeyed the Allah and his Prophet ﷺ.
3. You have confused the statement of the Imam claiming that the hypocrites of Makkah were better than those Medina after they had all accepted Islam, whereas the Imam is referring to
before the Makkans had accepted Islam.
4. A number of those who were originally from Makkah were the ones who fought Ali as well! How can this be ? This is after they renounced their polytheism and recited the Shahdatayn.
On the alleged apostasy, i highly recommend you read the works of Islamic Salvation, who has addressed this issue in great depth. It is the best assessment of the traditions i have ever read, and a work of profound insight:
http://www.shiachat.com/forum/blogs/entry/233-did-the-sahaba-become-kafir/Let us try to limit how many topics we are going to debate in depth so i would rather discuss this in full depth at another time, but i have responded sufficiently.
So you're saying hypocrites are OK with actively spending their own money and giving their wealth to the Prophet (saw) as regular Zakat and Sadaqat BUT if `Ali was appointed as successor they'd be terribly upset? How would that change anything in the equation if they're planning on rebelling and apostating after his death (saw)?
I am claiming that Hypocrites will wait often wait for favourable circumstances before showing their hypocrisy. Someone can gladly give Zakat, and pray, and their words may please you, and they may recite the Quran beautifully, but as soon as you begin to talk about leadership, rule and authority, this can create opportunities for people to begin to spread rumours, accuse you of favouritism or keeping rule to your own family among other things. One of the very distinguishing factors about the Khawarij are that while they were happy to pray, fast, recite the Quran, the issue pertaining over leadership was of fundamental importance to them as well as accepting anyone other than the Prophet ﷺ.
On one hand, you had the Banu Ummayah who were sworn enemies of the Banu Hashim. They loathed them so much so, Ali was cursed on the Pulpits when M'uawiyah was the Caliph. Before M'uawiyah became Caliph, he fought Ali in two civil wars, refused to give the rightful Caliph ownership and control of Sham, which in those days was a massive amount of land encompassing four or five countries today. He then forced Hasan ibn Ali into a peace treaty, threatened Hussain ibn Ali into giving Bayah [which he and some others refused], and this was concluded by Yazid ibn M'uawiyah being the root cause for the slaughter of Hussain ibn Ali. One must not underestimate tribal schisms and jealousy. Let us put aside Ali ibn Abi Talib was responsible for slaughtering many of their family members at several of the battles.
You then had men even within Medina who looked at Ali and saw they were older, or more experienced, or had a Jealousy of Ali ibn Abi Talib. Jealousy turned even Shaytan, who was an ardent worshipper of Allah, the Almighty, into one of the most wicked. Imagine, Iblis was a Jinn who worshipped and was exalted to the assembly of angels. All he was asked was to submit to the authority and superiority of Adam over him, and jealousy and pride caused him to turn away.
Others may have felt the Prophet ﷺ was trying to keep rule and power in his own family, by favouring his cousin. How many times do we find in many countries today , when one family member decides their brother should be the ruler, it outrages people.
The seat of the Prophet ﷺ was a powerful one, and power can turn even the best men into something else. We have seen this occur a countless number of times in history. Saqifah demonstrated the chaotic power struggle and vying for power. Yes, i am aware you have written a book, but i don't think anyone who is honest can deny what it really was. And yes, i know some of the traditions in Tabari about the Ansaar wanting to make Ali the leader are weak.
There were also clearly many who became apostate in the Ridda wars, who accepted the rule and authority of the Prophet ﷺ, gave Zakat, but were under the impression that once he died, that was the end of their pact with him. The Ridda wars were brutal and people were apostatising from Yemen, T'aif, Oman, and many other places.
I really could go on and on, but i don't want to overwhelm you with sheer volume and to keep my posts to what i deem concise.