“It was said to Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘People narrate that Ali (a.s.) once said from the pulpit in al-Kufah, “O people, one day you will be told to abuse me. You then will do so, then you will be told to denounce me but you will not denounce me.” The Imam said, ‘How often has this falsehood (lie) been told about Ali (a.s.).’ The Imam then said, ‘What he said was: ‘One day you will be told to abuse me, you must do so then you will be told to denounce me, and I follow the religion of Muhammad (a.s.). He did not say do not denounce me.’ The person asking the question then asked, ‘Do you say he must have chosen being murdered instead of denouncing?’ The Imam said, ‘By Allah, there was no such thing necessary for him to do. There was nothing for him but that which happened to ‘Ammar ibn Yasir when people of Makkah forced him and his heart was confident with belief. Then Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, revealed His words about it, ‘. . . except those who are forced but their heart is confident with belief,’ ( 16 : 106 ) to which the Holy Prophet said, ‘O ‘Ammar, if they would do such things again you also may do as you have already done; Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has revealed His words about your good excuse and has commanded you to do again what you did before if they ever repeated their misdeed.’”