One of the most grossly misreported and misunderstood facts of history is that Ameerul Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Talib (peace be on them both) paid allegiance to Abu Bakr.
Let us see how one of the most important chroniclers of history, who is not a Shia and belongs to the Shaafei sub-sect of the Ahle Tasannun, has reported this incident.
“After Ali (peace be on him) compiled the Holy Quran as per the instructions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him and his progeny), presented it to the people and they refused to accept it, he returned to his house along with his adherents. A group of people attacked his house, burnt the door of his house, brought Ali (peace be on him) out of his house with force, injured Fatima (peace be on her) – the chief of the women of the worlds – so badly that she suffered a miscarriage and the fetus Mohsin was martyred. They demanded Ali (peace be on him) to pay allegiance but he refused. They said that if you don’t pay allegiance, we will kill you. Ali (peace be on him) asked, “If you kill me, you will kill a servant of Allah and the brother of the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him and his progeny).” They opened the hands of Ali (peace be on him) but he closed his fist tightly. Despite trying their best, they could not open his fist. When they saw that they will not succeed in their efforts, they took hold of the hand of Abu Bakr and rubbed it against the fist of Ali (peace be on him and his progeny) as a sign of allegiance.”
(Ithbaat al-Wasiyyah by Masoodi al-Shafei, pp. 154-155, Chapter of Saqifah)
Did you know that allegiance is a mutual contract performed by freewill and volition and if either of the parties is not willing, then the contract is void ab initio (i.e. it is null and void)?
If Ali (peace be on him) along with Salman, Abu Dharr, Miqdad, Ammar, Abbas, etc. were not part of the allegiance in Saqifah, then can the argument that the caliphate of Abu Bakr was with the consent of the Ahl Hall-o-Aqd (i.e. the most prominent personalities of the Muslims) hold water?
History has witnessed that the whole episode of paying allegiance to Abu Bakr was a preplanned conspiracy and those who did not comply were threatened with assassination and murder.
Is this the Islam brought by the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him and his progeny)?
Take lesson, O people of wisdom!