The recorders of events—A. h. m. o. t.—have narrated in their writings that when O’thmân was slain, and the duties of the Khalifate and administration devolved on A’li the Commander of the Faithful, the treacherous disposition of certain people induced them to accuse him of having shed the blood of the third Khalifah. They departed to Syria, where they instigated not only Moa’wiah, but all classes of the population to retaliate, and one of the rebels exhibited the fingers of Nâylah with the blood-stained robe of O’thmân to the inhabitants. As Moa’wiah knew that no conciliation between him and A’li the Commander of the Faithful was possible, he determined to rebel against him and to alienate the population from him. He therefore ordered the blood-stained robe of O’thmân and one-half of the severed fist of the spouse Nâylah to be exhibited in the cathedral mosque of Damascus, narrating to the people that these things had all been perpetrated by the intervention of A’li the Commander of the Faithful, and excited them to such a degree that the champions of the province swore not to drink cold water nor to rest on soft beds until they had avenged the blood of O’thmân. When A’mru B. A´ass arrived from Falesttyn in Damascus, and witnessed this state of affairs, he said to Moa’wiah: ‘If this exhibition takes place every Friday it will produce no effect, and it will be best hereafter not to show the garment of O’thmân and the fingers of Nâylah to anyone, except at the time of a combat, so as to incite the people to fight.’ This suggestion being approved of by Moa’wiah, he ordered the articles to be locked up, and to be produced only at the time of a battle, as A’mru had advised him.—It is related that at the time O’thmân was besieged, A’mru B. A´ass departed from Madinah with his children to Falesttyn, where he took up his residence. In that town there happened to be a man who possessed knowledge of future events and communicated information about them. One day A’mru B. A´ass inquired of him what he thought about O’thmân, and on his replying that he had been slain, he queried further: ‘Upon whom will the duty of the Khalifate devolve after his martyrdom?’ He replied: ‘After O’thmân has deposited his furniture in the corner of non-existence an individual will take his position on the couch of the Khalifate, the like of whom the world will not see till its own destruction; he will, however, be killed by the sword of violence before the whole population has paid him allegiance; and the supreme power will be usurped by him who is at present the Governor of Syria, namely, Moa’wiah B. Abu Sofiân.’ These words having become fixed in the mind of A’mru B. A´ass like an engraving upon a stone, he went, after that great catastrophe [i.e., the murder of O’thmân] to Moa’wiah to make preparations with him for waging war against A’li the Commander of the Faithful.
It is on record that after the murder of O’thman, A’mru B. A´ass consulted his two sons, namely, A’bdullah and Muhammad, one of whom was pious, of the U’lamâ, and one of the honoured companions [of the prophet], and the other a valiant cavalier of the day. He asked them whether it would be best to hasten to wait on A’li or to go to Moa’wiah in Syria. They replied: ‘The nobility, virtue, lineage and pedigree of A’li the Commander of the Faithful are evident to thee as to everyone, and it would be good to adhere to him.’ After considering the matter for a long while, A’mru said to his sons: ‘A’li is not in need of men like ourselves, he being fully distinguished above all his contemporaries by the soundness of his discernment and perfect intellect, and by the adornment of bravery and of generosity. I am convinced that although we may do our utmost to serve him and to fight his enemies, we shall not attain our object, and our aspirations will in no way be fulfilled by attending on him.’ A’bdullah replied: ‘Loyalty to A’li will make us worthy of entering paradise, but adherence to Moa’wiah will make us denizens of hell. Now make thy choice!’ A’mru B. A´ass, having scorned the advice of his well-directed son, determined to proceed to Damascus, and started. When he had reached the spot where the roads leading to Erâq and to Syria meet, he asked his slave Wurdân where each of them was leading to. Wurdân, pointing to the road of E’raq, said: ‘This is the road by which a traveller reaches beatitude and the abode of permanency.’ Pointing to the road of Syria, he continued: ‘The traveller on this road becomes subject to the fire of hell and to eternal punishment.’ A’mru then applauded Wurdân, and recited verses on the subject, in some of which he extolled the virtues and exploits of A’li B. Abu Ttâleb, his worthiness to be Emâm and Khalifah, as well as his relationship to Muhammad the elect—u. w. bl. A’mru said: ‘This is clear to me like the sun in the fourth quarter of the day, but wickedness, envy and greediness for the vanities of the world are hindrances to walking on the straight road, and causes of deflection from the right direction.’ A’bdullah said: ‘O father, dread the displeasure and wrath of God the Most High and Glorious, and do not make thyself worthy of the flames of Sai’yr.* Be certain that if thou joinest Moa’wiah I shall not accompany thee.’ A’mru B. A´ass continued: ‘Obedience to parents is one of the duties incumbent on children.’ A’bdullah rejoined: ‘This means a time when father and mother do not enjoin disobedience to the boundless Giver; but to oppose A’li and to wage war against him is a great crime.’ A’mru continued: ‘Thou hast only to accompany me in the journey, not with the intention of fighting A’li.’ Then A’bdullah went with his father to Syria, and when A’mru B. A´ass arrived in Damascus, Moa’wiah was pleased with his arrival, beguiled the people to be friendly to him, and sent him by way of a gift fifty thousand dinârs, a horse and a camel, presenting his sons Muhammad and A’bdullah with equal amounts; the latter, however, would not accept his share, and sent it back with the message: ‘The money of the poor and of the adherents of Islâm are not thy property, and therefore not to be given away by thee.’—Let it not remain hidden from those who listen to [the reading of] histories, that some chroniclers have described the meeting between A’mru B. A´ass and Moa’wiah in another way, as will appear further on.