The people are behind me and they have made me an ambassador between you and themselves; but by Allāh, I do not know what to say to you. I know nothing (in this matter) which you do not know, nor can I lead you to any matter of which you are not aware. You certainly know what we know, we have not come to know anything before you which we could tell you; nor did we learn anything in secret which we should convey to you. You have seen as we have seen and you have heard as we have heard. You sat in the company of the Prophet of Allāh as we did. (Abū Bakr) Ibn Abī Quḥāfah and (‘Umar) Ibn al-Khaṭṭāb were no more responsible for acting righteously than you, since you are nearer than both of them to the Prophet of Allāh through kinship, and you also hold relationship to him by marriage which they do not hold.