DEATH OF MÂLEK ASHTAR, AND KILLING OF MUHAMMAD B. ABU BAKR, BY THE PREDESTINATION OF THE EVER-LIVING GREATEST ONE.

It has been jotted down before by the reed of explana­tion, that A’li the Commander of the Faithful had removed Qays B. Sa’d B. A’bâdah from the governorship of Egypt, and had despatched Muhammad B. Abu Bakr to take charge of it. When Muhammad arrived in Egypt Qays surrendered the city, and said: ‘Deal gently with the faction which has not yet paid homage to A’li the Com­mander of the Faithful, and reconcile it; but specially try to gain the favour of such and such persons, because our permanence in this country depends upon their aid and partisanship’ When, however, Qays had reached the abode of the Khalifate, Muhammad had also forgotten the admonition of that kind adviser, and several times despatched his troops against those partisans of O’thmân, who opposed them and put them to flight. At that time a man was living in Egypt, Moa’wiah B. Khidyi’ by name, who always bore enmity to A’li the Commander of the Faithful. When the hostilities at Ssafyn had terminated and the negotiations of the two judges had come to an end, Moa’wiah B. Khidyi’ became desirous of avenging the blood of O’thmân, and, collecting a number of vagabonds and low fellows who agreed with him, excited disturbances in that country. Muhammad thereon represented the state of affairs to A’li the Commander of the Faithful, who sum­moned Mâlek Ashtar, whom he had, after his return from Ssafyn, appointed Governor of Mesopotamia, in order to hold a consultation with him on that subject. Accordingly Mâlek appointed a lieutenant in that province, and was made happy by attaining the honour of kissing the feet of the Commander of the Faithful, who then said to him: ‘Muhammad B. Abu Bakr is in the vigour of youth, but possesses no experience. We desire to relieve him from the government of Egypt. What is thy opinion in this matter?’ Mâlek replied: ‘No one is more worthy of that post than Qays B. Sa’d.’ The latter, however, having been removed without cause, demurred to his being reappointed to the post of governor. Accordingly his lordship appointed Qays to govern the provinces of Adharbâyjân, and said to Mâlek: ‘Thou art worthy to govern Egypt, and I give instructions to everyone whom I appoint to an office, which they often disregard; but as thou art endowed with a firm purpose and a penetrating discernment, thou canst act according to them, and standest not in need of any instructions.’ Mâlek having placed the finger of acceptance on his eye, A’li the Commander of the Faithful, having written the letters patent of his appointment, in which he had greatly praised him, said: ‘Depart in the greatest haste to that country, so that by thy efforts the disturbances may be quelled.’ Mâlek departed according to the order from Kûfah, and Moa’wiah having been apprised of the fact, the smoke of perturbation rose in his brain, because he knew for a certainty that if the Amir of the Faithful were to march against him from Kûfah, and Mâlek Ashtar from Egypt, he could not abide in the country of Syria. At that time there was a landholder, a friend of Moa’wiah, who dwelt in a district situated on the road to Egypt. After some consideration Moa’wiah indited the following letter to the said landholder: ‘Mâlek Ashtar is going to Egypt, and there is no doubt that he will pass through thy district; thou must hasten to meet him, prepare a banquet for him, and, when the opportunity presents itself, throw some lethal poison in his food and make him eat it.’ The landholder having gladly assented to the request of Moa’wiah, hastened to wait on Mâlek as soon as he arrived in that neighbourhood, and having performed various ser­vices to him, said: ‘I fear the Khowârej people, and stand in need of the help of a man like thee.’ Mâlek then alighted at the house of the landholder, but that accursed fellow mixed some poison with honey, which he offered to that rank-breaking hero, who, swallowing it, immediately expired. Before the death of Mâlek, Moa’wiah had said to his people: ‘Mâlek has been sent by A’li to govern Syria, but I fear him more than A’li. Pray to the Granter of Requests that He may make an end of his wickedness.’ According the Syrians prayed till the news of the death of Mâlek arrived, whereon Moa’wiah said to the people: ‘A’li possessed two right hands, one of which was Hâshem B. O’tbah B. Abu Woqqâss, and the other Mâlek Ashtar. The former was cut off in the hostilities of Ssafyn, and the latter was annihilated in consequence of your prayers.’ He also said: ‘God the Most High possesses armies, one of which consists of honey-bees.’ When the information of the death of Mâlek had reached the blessed audition of A’li the Commander of the True Believers, sorrow and grief having overpowered the mind of his lordship, he wept much.

In some books it is related that when the information of the death of Mâlek, and of the sorrow Muhammad B. Abu Bakr felt for being disgraced, had reached the abode of the Khalifate, his lordship sent a letter to Muhammad B. Abu Bakr, the contents of which were as follows: ‘I have been informed of thy grief on account of my sending Mâlek [to govern Egypt]; I have, however, not done this because I found thy administration deficient, but my intention in removing thee and appointing Mâlek was to make thee governor of a province which, although of great extent and prosperity, possesses also a good climate, and is more easy to govern, so that thou wouldst spend thy life at ease. The man whom I appointed to be Governor of Egypt [i.e., Mâlek Ashtar] was of a humane character, although ready to wreak vengeance on foes; but I am now informed that, having completed his term of life, he has been received into the proximity of Divine mercy; remain, therefore, on the throne of thy administration, govern the country wisely, oppose enemies, invite the people to the straight path, and fail not to invoke the aid of God the Most High, that He may favour thee with His grace and prosper all thy under­takings.’

When after the death of Mâlek Ashtar the mind of A’li the Commander of the Faithful became engrossed with the affairs of the Khowârej, Moa’wiah was very glad, and con­sidering the opportunity to be a good one, despatched, according to a former promise, A’mru A´ass with six thousand men to subjugate the province of Egypt. When A’mru A´ass arrived in the region of Egypt, and Moa’wiah B. Khidyi’ with his adherents had joined him, he sent the following message to Muhammad B. Abu Bakr: ‘Depart from this country in peace; it being known not only to thyself, but evident to the whole nation, that the blood of O’thmân is on thy neck.’ Muhammad replied: ‘The murder of O’thmân is not of such an account, and so adhering to my skirt, that I should be in need of excusing myself to thee, thy share in that act having far exceeded any efforts of mine. I shall slay thee in the same way as I have slain O’thmân, if Allah the Most High willeth.’ Then A’mru knew that there was no other remedy except hostilities; he made preparations for them, whilst Muham­mad B. Abu Bakr, on his part, appointed Kenânah, who had been the first to strike O’thmân with a sword, to wage war against the army of Syria, despatching him with a portion of his troops as a vanguard; and A’mru sent A’bdu-r-rahman B. Abu Bakr to oppose him. After both parties had encountered each other, fighting with swords and poniards, Kenânah routed the army of Syria. When A’bdu-r-rahman had returned to A’mru A´ass, the latter said to Moa’wiah B. Khidyi’: ‘Go and fight against thy son.’—Ebn Hamdân and Muhammad B. Jarir-ut-Tabari [the historians] state that Kenânah was the son of Moa’wiah B. Khidyi’, but other chroniclers assert that he was the son of Bashir.—In fine, Moa’wiah went to attack Kenânah, put his troops to flight, and Kenânah himself also perished. Ebn Hamdân states that in the battle Kenânah was slain by his own father, Moa’wiah, who said to him on that occasion: ‘Hadst thou not been one of the murderers of O’thmân, I would not have killed thee.’ After Kenânah had been slain, the troops who were with Muhammad B. Abu Bakr dispersed; whereon he betook himself alone to a ruin for a hiding place, but was discovered by Moa’wiah B. Khidyi’ and slain, his corpse having been placed into the abdomen of a horse or donkey and burnt. A’mru, having entered Egypt, then began to govern it with difficulty.

It is said that when A’mru A´ass was marching to Egypt, Muhammad B. Abu Bakr, having obtained the information, asked for reinforcements from A’li the Commander of the Faithful, but his endeavours to induce the people of Kûfah to assist him having proved of no avail, he turned his face to the Qiblah of prayer, and said: ‘O God, appoint over these people a man who will never have mercy upon them.’ Or [according to others] he said: ‘O Allah, appoint over this population a Thaqfy slave.’ The prayer of the Shah and refuge of the Vicariate met with a response, for during that very night Hajjâj B. Yusuf Thaqfy, called Hajjâj the tyrant, was born, according to the statements of most historians, and he inflicted great calamities on the denizens of Kûfah. It is said that Hajjâj was born in the year 42.* When that which had befallen Muhammad B. Abu Bakr had reached the august hearing of A’li the Commander of the Faithful, he became very sorrowful, and wrote on this subject a letter to A’bdullah B. A’bbâs, who was at time engaged in controlling Bossrah, and to whom he manifested his grief. A’bdullah B. Abbâs then left Zyâd B. Abihi as his lieutenant in Bossrah, and joined A’li the Amir of the Faithful, vowing that he would never separate from him.