Hazrat Ali’s (ra) Pledge of Allegiance (The Promised Messiah’s (as) Narration)
The Promised Messiah (as) states:
“Hazrat Ali, may Allah honour him, was initially somewhat hesitant in pledging allegiance to Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra); however, when he reached home, only Allah knows what crossed his mind. He did not even wear his turban and instead wore a simple cap and came to pledge allegiance. He later asked for his turban to be brought. It seems that perhaps a thought crossed his mind that it would be a grave sin to abstain [from pledging allegiance] and this is why he left in such haste that he did not even tie his turban and instead came with a cap to pledge allegiance and asked for his turban to be brought later.”
(Malfuzat, Vol. 10, p. 183)