It is narrated from Imam al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said: No rider (personality) better for the people of Basrah than Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) ever came to it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Indeed, Ali was the first person to accept Islam with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." This hadith has an authentic (sahih) chain of narration, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it. The purpose of mentioning it here is to show that Sayyiduna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) was free of any kind of disparagement of the status of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and that Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated from him.