A’LI THE COMMANDER OF THE FAITHFUL—U. W. P.—SENDS JARYR B. A’BDULLAH ALBAHLY AS AN ENVOY TO MOA’WIAH, WHEREON THE LATTER SUMMONS A’MRU B. A´ASS FROM FALESTTYN, AND CONSULTS HIM ABOUT RESISTANCE TO A’LI THE COMMANDER OF THE FAITHFUL —U. W. P.

Some of the U’lamâ of histories—A. h. m. o. t.—have related that A’li the Commander of the Faithful had ordered Jaryr B. A’bdullah Albahly, who had during the sway of O’thmân been governor of the province of Hamdân, to pay him allegiance, and had also invited Asha’th B. Qays Alkindy, who had governed the province of Adhar­bâyjân during the Khalifate of O’thmân, to pay him homage, so that both of them were, after the battle of Jamal, exalted in Kûfah by kissing the threshold of the nest of the Khalifate.—When Turmâh [supra Turmâj] returned from Syria, and had narrated the state of affairs prevailing there, A’li the Commander of the Faithful said to his intimate friends: ‘Although I am of opinion that the hardness of heart and levity of mind will not allow Moa’wiah B. Abu Sofiân to enroll himself in the ranks of those who have paid allegiance to me, I nevertheless mean to send to him one of the most glorious companions of the apostle of Allah as an envoy, in order to discuss the matter with him, and to induce him to become friendly.’ Thereon Jaryr B. A’bdullah, being very desirous to undertake this function, spoke as follows: ‘O Amir of the true believers, this business is my business. I have many relatives and tribesmen in Syria, and Moa’wiah will not deem it prudent to act contrary to my advice.’ Mâlek Ashtar then said to his lordship: ‘Do not send Jaryr as an envoy, because I suspect his duplicity.’ Jaryr, incensed at these words, rejoined: ‘What deficiency hast thou heretofore discovered in my loyalty to the Khalifate, that thou suspectest me of treachery?’ Mâlek replied: ‘At the very beginning of the ascendant of the affairs of A’li the Commander of the Faithful, I invited thee to wait upon him, but thou hast delayed, and remained in the governorship of Hamdân; when, however, his lordship had in Bossrah vanquished the army of Zobeyr and of Ttolhah, thou hadst no other escape but to take refuge in the shadow of his protection.’ A’li the Commander of the Faithful, however, disregarded the words of Mâlek, and having loaded the ears of Jaryr with pearls of advice and admonition, said: ‘O Jaryr, do not mind the troubles of the road and fatigues of the journey, but hasten to Moa’wiah and invite him to adhere to me. If he becomes ennobled by the honour of paying allegiance to me, all will be well, and in the contrary case we shall obtain a proof [of disloyalty] against him.’ When Jaryr had been nominated envoy to Syria, he borrowed the speed of lightning, departed to that province, and duly reached it after traversing the distance. Moa’wiah, being desirous to show honour to Jaryr, ordered his people to lodge him in a high castle. When Jaryr had rested himself from the fatigues of the journey, he paid a visit to Moa’wiah, presented himself as an ambassador, and invited him in eloquent terms to pay homage to A’li the Commander of the Faithful. Moa’wiah, however, asked for delay, his intention being to ascertain how the nobles and respectable classes of Syria were disposed towards him. He despatched Shorahbyl B. Shamatt to various parts of the country for the purpose of inciting the inhabitants to avenge the blood of O’thmân. When Moa’wiah had learnt that the people of Syria agreed with him on this point, he assembled them, and said: ‘There is no doubt that O’thmân had been unjustly killed. Do you assent that his blood should remain unavenged?’ They replied in conformity with his expectations, and agreed with him to oppose A’li the Commander of the Faithful.

Abu Hanifah Dinwari and some other historians narrate that when Jaryr B. A’bdullah had gone to Syria and delivered to Moa’wiah his message which dealt with peace and war, promises and threats, Moa’wiah assembled the nobles and the members of his own house to consult them on the matter, and his brother, O’tbah B. Abu Sofiân, said on this occasion: ‘It is my opinion that thou shouldst seek the aid of A’mru B. A´ass in this affair.’ Moa’wiah having approved of this suggestion despatched a letter to A’mru of this purport: ‘Thou must have heard what has befallen Zobeyr, Ttolhah, and A´ayshah from A’li, and now Jaryr B. A’bdullah has by his orders arrived in this province to receive my allegiance, but my reply in this matter will depend upon thy knot-solving intellect; my request, there­fore, is that thou shouldst favour us with thy presence, so that we may act in conformity with thy advice.’ When A’mru had ascertained that Moa’wiah stood in need of him, he departed without delay from Falesttyn with his two sons, A’bdullah and Muhammad, and reached Damascus after traversing the distance, whereon Moa’wiah said to him in a private interview: ‘At present three emergencies have arisen which are distasteful to me: The first is, that Muhammad B. Khodhyfah has broken his bonds and fled to Bossrah or Egypt; the second is, that the Byzantine emperor has collected an army to wage war against me; and the third is, that A’li B. Abu Ttâleb has sent Jaryr B. A’bdullah with the message: “If Moa’wiah and the people of Syria do not pay allegiance to me, let them be prepared for hostilities.”’ A’mru B. A´ass replied: ‘The flight of the son of Khodhyfah is a small matter; some people ought to be sent in pursuit of him; if they are able to capture him, so much the better, but be not dismayed in the con­trary case, because he can do thee no harm at all. Neither be much concerned about the intention of the Byzantine emperor, because as soon as thou surrenderest to him the Byzantine prisoners who have accumulated in Syria, and beginnest negotiations for peace, he will be only too glad to conclude it; I am, however, somewhat perplexed concerning the difficulty with A’li B. Abu Ttâleb, because the adherents of the religion consider him superior to thee in lineage, as well as in hereditary and in acquired qualifications, deeming them to be more excellent and preferable to those of a man like thyself.’ Moa’wiah replied: ‘A’li desired O’thmân to be killed, fomented dissensions, and filled the vessel of harmony with the chaff of opposition.’ A’mru B. A´ass said: ‘But A’li enjoys priority in Islâm, and consanguinity with his lordship the best of creatures, of which thou art void.’ Moa’wiah continued: ‘What thou hast said is quite true, but it is possible to beguile men, and cunningly to dress up for them falsehoods in the garb of truth, and if I am inclined I may send a man like thee [to do so] who has no equal in discernment and intelligence.’ A’mru said: ‘I am well acquainted with thy tricks and stratagems, in which Satan himself is taking daily lessons from thee, but when I look at thee I become aware of the workings of thy mind, and thou canst by no means deceive me.’ Moa’wiah pretended to disregard this insinuation, and conversing on various subjects, afterwards said: ‘Bend thy head towards me that I may tell thee something in thy ear.’ A’mru complied, whereon Moa’wiah took hold of his ear with the teeth, and then said: ‘Behold how I have deceived thee, there being no one here except we two, and how thou hast lent thine ear to hear a secret. Now, let alone quibbling and act with me, so that we may get rid of A’li and attain supreme power.’ A’mru replied: ‘It is a hazardous thing to forfeit our prospects of the next world for mundane advantages, it being plain to everybody that to side with thee in this matter and to wage war against A’li will entail disastrous consequences and abasement at last; but if I am, nevertheless, to act in concert with thee, thou must comply also with my wishes and fulfil my aspirations.’ Moa’wiah said: ‘There will be no difficulty in complying with thy aspirations. State them.’ A’mru continued: ‘My wish is that when thou hast obtained possession of Egypt, with all its dependencies, thou shouldst surrender it to me.’ Moa’wiah rejoined: ‘How can I dispense with Egypt? It is equal to E’râq.’ A’mru continued: ‘As the whole world [sic] will belong to thee, thou mayest as well give Egypt to me.’ Moa’wiah being displeased with this remark said nothing, but some allege that A’mru had replied to Moa’wiah: ‘When I obtain possession of Egypt thou wilt reign in the country; this, however, can take place only after thou hast vanquished A’li.’ As Moa’wiah still demurred to comply with the demand of A’mru, he departed and returned to his domicile. When O’tbah B. Abu Sofiân had heard of the refusal of Moa’wiah, he reproved his brother for it, saying: ‘Why hast thou not placed under obligations a man like A’mru, who is distinguished above his contem­poraries by shrewdness and intellect, and hast not promised to give him Egypt, which thou knowest not whether it will ever fall into thy possession? To oblige him thus would make him obedient and subject to thy behests.’ Moa’wiah approved of the suggestion of his brother, and had next day an interview with A’mru, showed him much respect, and gave him the promise he coveted, which, having been consigned to writing, the nobles of Syria affixed their signatures to it. When harmony and friendship had thus been estab­lished between A’mru and Moa’wiah, the latter asked him: ‘What are, in thy opinion, the means of getting rid of A’li, who is the best and most excellent man of the period?’ A’mru replied: ‘At this time, when Jaryr B. A’bdullah Albahly, who is the best man in E’râq, has been deputed by A’li the Commander of the Faithful to receive pro­fessions of allegiance to him, it will be expedient to persuade the inhabitants that O’thmân B. O’ffan has been slain at the instigation of A’li B. Abu Ttâleb, and for that purpose to invite Shorahbyl B. Shamatt Alkindy, who is connected with the administration of Syria, to hold meetings with the notables of the country, and to explain to them, in such a manner as will admit of no doubt, that the son of Abu Ttâleb was an accomplice with the murderers of O’thmân—nay, the prime mover and instigator to the commission of the foul deed.’ Moa’wiah thereon not only sent a courier in haste to call Shorahbyl, but also despatched Zaid B. Ans, and Bashar B. Arttâ, and Sofiân B. A’mru, and Muhâraq B. Alhâreth, and Hamzah B. Mâlek, and Hâbes B. Sa’d, with several others, whom he ordered one by one to meet Shorahbyl, and to narrate to him the accusations against A’li. They obeyed, and when the administrator of Syria had heard the same tale from all of them he became angry, hastened to the assembly of Moa’wiah, and said: ‘I have heard from numerous men, whose words may be trusted, that the son of Abu Ttâleb had a hand in the murder of O’thmân. I swear by God that if thou payest allegiance to him, we shall expel thee from the country of Syria.’ Moa’wiah replied: ‘How could I oppose you? I am one of yourselves, and have no other support besides you.’ Shorahbyl then wanted Jaryr B. A’bdullah to be dismissed in order to convey to A’li the information that the inhabitants of Syria were unanimous in their opposition to him; Moa’wiah, however, delayed sending him away, and replied to Shorahbyl: ‘What we aim at will be accomplished when the population of this country agrees with us. Now it will be proper for thee to travel about to invite the people to pay allegiance to us, and to avenge the blood of O’thmân upon A’li and upon his adherents.’ Shorahbyl then went by the direc­tion of Moa’wiah into the localities surrounding Damascus, persuading the inhabitants that A’li, having killed O’thmân with the pitiless sword of tyranny, had now subjugated the whole country except this province, and was marching at present with an army bent on hostilities to Syria, for the purpose of exterminating the denizens thereof, but that no one was more able or powerful to ward off this calamity than Moa’wiah. After expatiating abundantly on this subject, he continued: ‘It will now be proper for you to hasten, for the purpose of avenging the blood of O’thmân, to Moa’wiah, so that you may attain glory in this world and an eternal reward in the next.’ Shorahbyl had been so profuse in his beguiling speeches that he decoyed the people into the desert of aberration; and they, having responded to his call, made preparations for war, and expected orders from Moa’wiah to attend on him. When the readiness of the inhabitants of Syria to follow him had become known to the foe of the chief of Islâm [i.e., to Moa’wiah], he summoned Jaryr B. A’bdullah to his presence, and said: ‘Return now to Kûfah, and tell A’li to wash his hands of the loyalty of the Syrians, and inform him also that they are unanimous in the desire to avenge the blood of O’thmân, who had been their oppressed Khalifah. They are prepared to wage war against thee. Be thou ready to fight, because the time for negotiations has elapsed.’ After Jaryr had been four months in Syria he departed, made haste to wait on A’li the Commander of the Faithful, and represented to him the state of affairs. Mâlek Ashtar said: ‘O Amir of the Faithful, I swear by God that if thou hadst sent me to Moa’wiah, instead of Jaryr, this matter would have terminated to thy satis­faction, because I would have so grasped his throat as to stop his breath and make an end of the quarrel. I would have defeated all his stratagems, explained his character to the people of Syria, and destroyed his authority. I advised thee in the beginning of this affair not to send Jaryr as an envoy and messenger, because he is an easy-going man, and has no perseverance; he considered this important subject to be of little account, and spent four months in the company of Moa’wiah without caring for any business, yielding to him in every matter. His mission has injured the affairs of the country and of the religion, and shaken the foundations of both.’ Jaryr rejoined: ‘O Mâlek, by Allah! if A’li the Commander of the Faith­ful had deputed thee to Syria, the day of thy life would have been changed into evening by the wounds from bloodthirsty warriors, because they consider thee to have been one of the murderers of O’thmân.’ Mâlek retorted: ‘Restrain thyself from such childish words; and I swear by God that if I had been in thy place, I would have arranged this matter in such a handsome way, and would have so dealt with Moa’wiah, that, willingly or not, he would have acted according to my advice, and the negotia­tions would have ended satisfactorily. Thou hast been there, hesitated all the time, and, after being deceived by the cunning words of Moa’wiah, hast returned without effecting thy purpose, and hast in reality allowed thy friendship for Moa’wiah to overpower thy mind; and the truth of what I am saying is confirmed by the fact that thou art constantly rehearsing to A’li the Commander of the Faithful the unanimity of those people in their enmity to him, and art attempting to intimidate us with the vast multitude of those erring men.’ Jaryr asked: ‘Why goest thou not now, so that thy ability may become manifest?’ He queried in his turn: ‘What is the use of my going after thou hast spoiled the transaction?’ Jaryr being dis­mayed at what he had done, Mâlek continued: ‘I swear by God that, if the Amir of the Faithful will permit, I shall retain thee and others who cannot be trusted in this assembly, and not allow you to leave it until the quarrel with Moa’wiah has been settled.’ These words so incensed Jaryr that he departed that very night from Kûfah with some of his family, without permission from the residence of the Khalifate.