Rawżat al-ṣafā fi sīrat al-anbiya' va-'l-muluk va-'l-hulafa' - The Rauzat-us-Safa (Rehatsek), Part 2, Volume 3

THE KHALIFATE OF O’THMÂN B. O’FFAN—A. B. PL. W. H.

The recorders of history have narrated that when the adherents of Islâm had buried O’mar and terminated the ceremonies of condolence, Maqdâd B. Aswad approached, according to the injunction of O’mar, all the companions of the consultation, and discerning men, whereon the six candidates assembled in the public treasury of the Musalmâns, or, according to some, in the habitation of Fattimah, the sister of Asha’th B. Qays, haranguing each other on their own laudable qualities. When their voices had become very loud, A’bdu-r-rahman B. A’wuf said to them: ‘Delegate your claims to three men.’ Zobeyr then said: ‘I have left my affair to A’li.’ Ttolhah said: ‘I have placed the reins of my election into the grasp of the power of O’thmân.’ Sa’d B. Abu Woqqâss said: ‘I have empowered A’bdu-r-rahman B. A’wuf [to speak] for me.’ A’bdu-r-rahman B. A’wuf then said: ‘I and my brother Sa’d have withdrawn our necks from [bearing] the yoke of the Khalifate.’ At the conclusion of the meeting all the companions agreed to abide by the decision of A’bdu-r-rahman, and dispersed to their habitations.

After the friends had gone away, A’bdu-r-rahman despatched a confidential man to the house of A’li the Amir of the Faithful, with the following message: ‘If I do not pay allegiance to thee, whom desirest thou to become the Khalifah?’ He replied: ‘O’thmân.’ A’bdu-r-rahman then sent a person to O’thmân with the question: ‘If we do not pay homage to thee, whom wilt thou elect?’ He said: ‘A’li.’ Then he summoned Ttolhah and Zobeyr, asking them: ‘If the robe of the Khalifate will not fit your stature, to whom would you pay allegiance?’ Zobeyr said: ‘To A’li’; and Ttolhah said: ‘To O’thmân.’ A’bdu-r-rahman then said to Sa’d: ‘Neither of us two desires to be Khalifah; tell me who is deserving of this important post.’ He replied: ‘O’thmân.’ A’bdu-r-rahman then remarked: ‘I perceive that one of the two, namely, O’thmân or A’li, will become Khalifah.’

Masûd B. Makhrajah, son of the sister of A’bdu-r-rahman B. A’wuf, says: ‘During the night following the day when the hand of destiny had been stretched forth to pay allegiance to O’thmân, I went to the house of my maternal uncle, but he awoke me after I had slumbered a little, and said: “I have not had a wink of sleep during these three nights; go now to the houses of A’li and O’thmân, and say: ‘A’bdullah has sent me to call you.’” I asked to whose house I was to go first. He said: “As thou likest.” I asked: “Are they to come to thee separately or together?” He said: “Together.” As I was more favourably disposed towards A’li, I first hastened to his domicile, and found him engaged in prayer, and when he had done he asked me for the reason of my coming. On my replying that my uncle was calling him, he continued: “Has he called anyone besides me?” I said: “Yes, he has also called O’thmân.” He queried: “Which of us two has he called first?” I said: “He left me the option.” He asked: “Must we come alone or together?” I said: “You are to arrive together.” Then I told him to get ready quickly, and that I and O’thmân would join him. After that I went to the habitation of O’thmân, and the same conversation took place between us as with A’li. When I had left the domicile of O’thmân, all three of us went together to A’bdu-r-rahman, who said, after an immensely long talk to the receptacle of the Vicariate: “O A’li, wilt thou agree that we should deal according to the book of God the Most High, the Sonna of His apostle, and in conformity with the acts of Abu Bakr and O’mar?” A’li replied: “I shall do so as far as I am able, according to my capacity and power.” O’thmân thereon repeated the same promise, most gladly assenting to everything. A’bdu-r-rahman said to them: “If you have told me all you had to say, you may return to your houses, that this affair may be decided to-morrow in the assembly.”’

The next morning the noble Mohâjer, the Anssâr, and the pious followers [Tabi’yn] assembled in the mosque, no other place being spacious enough to hold them, and after holding the matutinal prayers A’bdu-r-rahman took up his position by the side of the pulpit of the apostle, gave praises to God, and said: ‘O ye electors, has the duty of appointing a Khalifah been delegated to me or not?’ They said: ‘Yes.’ He continued: ‘I have also according to my capacity and power investigated the matter, so as not to incline to the side of the conquered one, despite the conqueror.’ He then said: ‘O A’li, arise, and come to my side.’ A’li the Commander of the Faithful then approached A’bdu-r-rahman, who took him by the hand, repeating the same question he had asked on the previous night, whereon his lordship the receptacle of the Vicariate gave the same reply as already mentioned above. Then A’bdu-r-rahman let go his hand, whereon he returned to his place. After that he called O’thmân and repeated to him what he had said on the preceding evening, and O’thmân most willingly assented, omitting the condition of capacity and power [which A’li had made]. A’bdu-r-rahman then turned his face up to the roof of the mosque, and said: ‘O God, hear and be witness that I have placed the yoke of the Khalifate upon the neck of O’thmân.’ Having said these words, he placed his hand upon that of O’thmân, and thus paid him homage. The people around the mosque having begun to move, great crowding ensued; A’li, however, and A’bbâs remained in their places as they were. Some allege that A’li the Commander of the Faithful intended to depart from the mosque without paying allegiance, and it is, at any rate, in conformity with such a supposition that A’bdu-r-rahman said: ‘O A’li, God the Most High has said, Who violates an oath violates it against himself.’³⁴ Hereon A’li the Commander of the Faithful approached O’thmân and paid him allegiance.

In some books it is stated that the candidates [for the Khalifship] having assembled in a house, A’bdu-r-rahman said: ‘Who of you will resign his claims to the Khalifate?’ Hereon all stretched their heads forward, but gave no reply. A’bdu-r-rahman continued: ‘I have abdicated my own claims, but you are to abide by my decision.’ All assented to this proposal, but A’li said: ‘On condition that thou disregardest not justice, and actest not according to the suggestions of thy own wishes.’ A’bdu-r-rahman replied: ‘I shall do so, but you must promise me to accept him as the Khalifah, whom I select.’ All having made a covenant to this effect, the Qoraish chiefs, the great Mohâjer and Anssâr, all the Amirs, nobles, and notables assembled on the fourth morning after the demise of O’mar in the mosque, whereon A’bdu-r-rahman said: ‘O people, tell me who is worthy of the dignity of the Khalifate, and deserving of the masnad of government and administration.’ A’mmâr Yâser said: ‘If thou art unwilling that dissensions should arise among the adherents of Islâm, thou must pay homage to A’li, who is the prince of the nation.’ Some agreed with A’mmâr; Sa’d Abu Sarj, however, who was the milk-brother of O’thmân, said: ‘If thou wishest no opposition to arise among the Qoraish, thou must pay homage to O’thmân.’ A’bdullah B. Rabya’h then continued: ‘What has passed over the tongue of Abu Sarj is but the truth, and perfectly convenient.’ Hereon A’mmâr B. Yâser asked A’bdullah B. Sa’d [supra B. Rabya’h]: ‘At what time hast thou been the adviser of the people of Islâm, and when hast thou been engaged in directing them?’ Then a conversation ensued between the Bani Hâshem and the Bani Ommyah, whereon A’mmâr said: ‘O ye Musalmâns, God the Most High has bestowed on us His prophet, has honoured and ennobled us with His religion; then why would you surrender the guidance of the nation to another family and deprive that of the prophet thereof?’ A man of the Bani Makhzûm then said: ‘O son of Samiah, thou hast gone beyond thy tether, and hast said more than thou art competent to speak; what hast thou to do with the appointment of a Khalifah?’ On this occasion Sa’d B. Abu Woqqâss said to A’bdu-r-rahman: ‘Terminate this affair before hostilities break out.’ Accordingly, A’bdu-r-rahman said: ‘O A’li, makest thou a covenant before God that, if thou art appointed Khalifah, thou wilt act in conformity with the book of God, the Sonna of the apostle, and the advice of the two Sheikhs?’ [sic]. A’li the Commander of the Faithful replied: ‘I entertain hopes that I shall do so, although I am not conversant with the administration of affairs.’ His lordship the receptacle of the Vicariate had uttered these words implying that he would strive [to do his duty]. After that A’bdu-r-rahman addressed O’thmân in a similar manner, and he replied: ‘I accept with my heart and mind what thou hast said.’ A’bdu-r-rahman thereon turned his face heavenwards, saying: ‘O God, be witness that I have thrown the garland of the Khalifate on the neck of O’thmân.’ A’li the Commander of the Faithful said: ‘O son of A’wuf, thou hast made this move to gain the favour of the people; this is not the first time that you have overcome [i.e., outwitted] me; however, patience is most becoming, and Allah’s assistance is to be implored [to enable me to support the misfortune] which ye relate.’³⁵

According to one tradition, Ttolhah had gone to his estate when O’mar was about to die, and had made an arrangement with his lordship that the candidates should wait for him; but after the time had expired and O’thmân had been elected Khalifah, Ttolhah returned the next day to Madinah, and some people, on learning what had taken place, said to him: ‘If thou disagreest with what the companions have done, we shall hold another meeting with reference to the Khalifate;’ but Ttolhah replied: ‘Allah forbid that I should be a stumbling-block; I agree to what the people have agreed to.’ It is said that at the time of the election A’bdu-r-rahman had made inquiries among the Qoraish chiefs, and found most of them in favour of O’thmân.

When O’thmân had become established as Khalifah, the first question which occurred, and concerning which discussions took place, was the affair of A’bdullah B. O’mar B. Alkhattâb, whom Ssahyt B. Sanân had, from religious ardour,³⁶ kept in close confinement for slaying Hormyzân and Johaynah the Christian. The details of this occurrence are: That Hormyzân—who had been the Governor of Ahwâz and Khozistân, and had leave from the Persian court to sit on a throne and to wear a crown on his head— had, after many contests, been captured by the Musalmâns and sent to Madinah. Having reached the seat of the Khalifate, he had interviews and conversations with O’mar, after which he pronounced the formula of monotheism, and lived in that pleasant locality in the shadow of the protection of the Bani Hâshem, who paid him a slender stipend from the public treasury. He was on good terms with Johaynah the Christian, and with Abu Lûlû, who [as has been narrated above] had inflicted several wounds on O’mar and fled from the mosque. A man of the Bani Tamym ran, however, after Abu Lûlû, killed him, and having taken his poniard, gave it to A’bdu-r-rahman B. Abu Bakr, which the latter handed to A’bdullah, saying: ‘I saw Abu Lûlû going one day to the domicile of Hormyzân with this dagger in his hand.’ A’bdu-r-rahman had no idea that A’bdullah would kill in Islâm anyone without first consulting some of the great companions [of the prophet]; nevertheless, as soon as A’bdullah B. O’mar had heard these words of A’bdu-r-rahman, he immediately slew Hormyzân and Johaynah. When the people had finished [the ceremony of] paying homage, Ssahyt brought A’bdullah into the assembly of the chiefs of the religion, and O’thmân asked them concerning A’bdullah’s act. A’li said: ‘He must be punished according to the law of retaliation.’ All the other companions, however, said: ‘The people will say, “One day they have killed the Khalifah of the apostle, and the next day his son.”’ Others were of opinion that, as this event had not occurred during the Khalifate of O’thmân, it would be better not to retaliate in haste. O’thmân then paid the blood-ransom for Hormyzân from his private means, and discharged A’bdullah. When, however, [afterwards] the masnad of the Khalifate became adorned and embellished by the noble person of the lord of the Vicariate [i.e., Ali], A’bdullah, still fearing retaliation, took refuge with Moa’wiah B. Abu Sofiân, was wounded in the battle of Ssafyn, and surrendered his life to the grasper of souls, as the reed of explanation will narrate.

CHANGES OF GOVERNORS OF SOME PROVINCES AND TOWNS, AND NARRATIVE OF SOME EVENTS BY WAY OF ABRIDGMENT.

O’thmân B. O’ffan removed during his sway Moghyrah B. Sha’bah from the governorship of Kûfah, appointed to it Sa’d B. Abu Woqqâss, and said: ‘O’mar has told me that whoever sits on the masnad of the Khalifate must consider it his duty to favour Sa’d, saying: “I have not removed Sa’d for weakness or treachery.”’ He nevertheless himself likewise recalled Sa’d after the expiration of one year, and appointed his own maternal brother, Wolyd B. O’tbah B. Abu Mo’ytt, to the governorship of Kûfah. The people of Kûfah, being displeased with this arrangement, said: ‘O’thmân has removed Sa’d, who was a man of noble character, good lineage, and pleasing conversation, and has appointed his lascivious, profligate brother to govern us.’ Wolyd, however, behaved during his incumbency for some time in such a manner as to gain the approval of the inhabitants of Kûfah, living during five years of his government in a house without doors, so that needy persons might have easy access to him. After the expiration of the said period, however, according to the distich of Khosrû Dehlawy:

Morning time is but a brief season
Spent in abstinence, but also in sin.

Having indulged in matutinal potations, he went to the mosque in a state of intoxication, and performed, instead of the two prescribed prayer-flexions, four, adding: ‘O friends, thy time is pleasant. If you like, I shall make four more prayer-flexions for you.’ This behaviour having been reported to Madinah, O’thmân recalled him, ordering A’bdullah B. Ja’fer and A’li B. Abu Ttâleb to scourge and to admonish him, so that he afterwards conformed himself to the ordinances of the religion. After the recall of Wolyd, he again appointed Sa’d B. Abu Woqqâss to the post.

In the beginning of his reign he ordered the levy of the tribute of Egypt to be in charge of A’bdullah B. Sa’d Abu Sarj, and the military administration, with the commandership of the army, to be carried on by A’mru B. A´ass, without meddling with the revenue department. Some time afterwards, O’thmân despatched A’bdullah B. Râfi’ with a brave army to reinforce A’bdullah and A’mru B. A´ass, ordering the notables of the army of Islâm to march in the direction of Africa and Andalûs [Spain], and to endeavour to subjugate those countries. They obeyed, engaged in the conquest of countries, the gaining of booty, and raising the glorious standards to the zenith of the sky. The intention of A’mru B. A´ass being to bring also the public treasury under his own management, he became recalcitrant and dilatory in aiding and co-operating with A’bdullah, who, becoming aware of this state of affairs, lodged a complaint in writing with O’thmân. Hereon an order of recall was issued from the seat of government, removing A’mru B. A´ass from his post, and appointing A’bdullah also to the commandership of the army. A’mru B. A´ass returned, disgusted and sorrowful, to Madinah, and, associating with Sa’d B. Abu Woqqâss, who was likewise one of the degraded officials, both of them lengthened their tongues of blame towards O’thmân, and spoke disparagingly of him, his enmity increasing to such a degree that he divorced his wife, who was the maternal sister of O’thmân. About this time the people of Bossrah complained of Abu Mûsa Asha’ry, who had for a long time been their governor; wherefore O’thmân removed him, and appointed the son of his maternal aunt, who was known by the name of A’bdullah B. A´amer, to govern in his stead. The recall of Abu Mûsa and the installation of A’bdullah took place in the year A.H. 28,³⁷ in which year also Othmân went on pilgrimage to the glorious Ka’bah [of Mekkah], engaging in prolonged orisons at Menâ and A’rafât. The companions, displeased with this proceeding, said: ‘We went on pilgrimage with the apostle of Allah, with Abu Bakr, and with O’mar, and performed under their leadership the prescribed morning and evening prayers, but with not more than two flexions.’ On this subject a controversy arose between O’thmân and A’bdu-r-rahman, the latter saying: ‘Thou hast accepted the Khalifate on condition of demeaning thyself in conformity with the book of Allah, the Sonna of the apostle of Allah, and the behaviour of the two Sheikhs [sic],³⁸ but hast acted according to none of them.’ The details, however, of this occurrence are recorded in some histories. In this journey O’thmân ordered couches and a large tent to be prepared, in which he dispensed repasts to the notables among the pilgrims; but the companions of his holy and prophetic lordship found fault also with this proceeding. When he had returned to Madinah, he ordered a deep well to be excavated for the sake of convenience; but the ring of the prophet—u. w. bl. —which he wore on his finger, like his two predecessors, happened to fall into the well, and could, despite the greatest efforts, not be recovered.

MARCHING OF O’THMÂN B. ABU A´ASS AND A’BDULLAH B. A´AMER TO ATTACK YAZDEJERD B. SHAHRYÂR; HIS FLIGHT TO KHORÂSÂN, AND HIS DEATH.

It is related in certain traditions that in A.H. 30³⁹ the people of Essttakhar, who obeyed the professors of Islâm, had swerved from the straight path, and had rebelled; whereon Yazdejerd joined them with some Persian troops. When O’thmân obtained cognizance of the concentration of the Persians, he despatched O’thmân B. Abu A´ass with A’bdullah B. A´amer to disperse them; some traditions, however, mention S´ad B. Abu Woqqâss instead of Othmân. When the army of Islâm started to the province of Fârs, and arrived there after traversing the distance, it attacked Yazdejerd and vanquished him, and he fled towards Khorâsan. A’bdullah B. A´amer then received a message and invitation from the Governor of Ttûs to march there, and, having found a guide, he reached that province, which he conquered, whereon he marched to Nishâbûr. At that time Yazdejerd was slain in the province of Merv, the details of which event are as follows: ‘When Yazdejerd was roaming about with the royal scions who attended on him, and arrived in Merv, the governor of that place, whose name was Mâhwy Sûry, was displeased; and as the Sasanian dynasty had been overthrown, he engaged in blamable and base machinations, writing to the Khâqân, and inviting him to take possession of Merv. Mâhwy Sûry being the son-in-law of the Khâqân, the latter willingly complied with the request, crossed the Jayhûn with a large army, arrived purposely in the night in Merv, and, the gates having been opened to him, entered the town. When Yazdejerd was apprised of this sudden calamity, he left the city alone and on foot, and, having walked about two farsakhs, reached a mill, the owner of which he requested to give him shelter that night. The miller said: ‘Give me four dirhems that I may hand them to the owner of the stone, because I owe him this sum.’ Yazdejerd then presented him with his sword, which was in value equivalent to the tribute of a kingdom. When, however, Yazdejerd had fallen asleep, that wicked little man, greedy for the costly garments of the sovereign, killed him, and threw his body into the water:

Time resembles the wind
Which pulls the veil from the rose;
After one week in the garden
It lays its body on the ground of abasement;
Sometimes it seats thee on the steed of thy desire,
Sometimes it pulls thee under the halter of calamity.

When the morning dawned the troops and the people of Merv assailed the Khâqân, who thereon retreated by way of the desert towards Bokhara. The people searched in every direction for Yazdejerd, found his corpse in the water, and his clothes with the miller, whom they slew in the worst manner. Now Mâhwy Sûry fled, the stigma of ingratitude was branded on the pages of his circumstances, and he perished in exile. Some allege that Yazdejerd B. Shahryâr was killed A.H. 31, and that Mâhwy, having conveyed his body to Essttakhar Fârs, deposited it in the mausoleum of the kings of Persia; but there is also another tradition on the subject.

In this year Constantine, the son of Heraclius, having collected an army, started by way of the sea to attack the Musalmâns, and it is said that he had three hundred ships full of brave warriors. A’bdullah B. Sa’d put himself in motion on the sea, and Moa’wiah B. Abu Sofiân on land. A naval battle took place between the Byzantines and the Governor of Egypt, in which numerous combatants perished on both sides. At last the professors of Islâm became victorious, and Constantine having, with a number of his followers, escaped the fate of drowning, reached the island of Sicily, the people of which said to the Qayssar: ‘By thy ill-luck many Christians have perished, and not enough of them have survived to ward off the Arab forces in case they were to attack us.’ After that the people of the said island slew Constantine in the bath. During this Ghazâ Muhammad B. Abu Hudhayfah opened the mouth of calumny against O’thman, and said: ‘The son of O’ffan is in the administration of affairs acting contrary to the precedent of Abu Bakr and O’mar; he has, moreover, appointed A’bdullah B. Sarj to be a commander, although the lord of the apostolate—u. w. bl.—had made it licit to shed his blood; O’thman has removed great companions [of the prophet] from their posts and appointed to them his relatives, such as Sa’d Abu-l-a’ss, and A’bdullah B. Sa’d, and A’bdullah B. A´amer.’ Ebn Sa’d, having heard these words, threatened him with punishment and reprisals.

CONQUEST OF KHORÂSÂN, AND PREVALENCE OF THE
MUSALMÂNS OVER THEIR OPPONENTS.

When A’bdullah B. A´amer arrived in Nishâbûr, the inhabitants of that district took refuge in the fortress and began hostilities. On that occasion the Governor of Ttûs waited on A’bdullah and negotiated for peace. When Nishâbûr had, after a siege of four months, fallen into the grasp of the adherents of Islâm, Ebn A´amer entrusted that district to the wise administration of the Governor of Ttûs, and sent Ahnaf B. Qays in the direction of Hirat, appointing each Amir to take charge of one of the districts of Khorâsân. When the rumour of the conquest of Nishâbûr had spread far and wide, the chiefs of the provinces of Nishâbûr, of Sarakhs, and of Merv waited on A’bdullah B. A´amer and concluded peace, whereon he appointed Hâtim B. No’mân Albâhely to govern Merv, and despatched A’bdullâh Hâzam to Sarakhs.

After these events, the desire of returning took possession of the mind of A’bdullah B. A´amer, whereon he appointed, according to one tradition, Qays B. Ssalt to be his lieutenant, entrusted the administration of military affairs to Ahnaf B. Qays, travelled from Nishâbûr to Arabia, and after traversing the distance waited on O’thmân, who, however, blamed him, saying: ‘Why hast thou come without my permission and jeopardized the boundaries of Islâm?’ The author of the ‘Mostaqassa’ says that Marisu-l-rûd, i.e. Ttayqân, was conquered by the efforts of Ahnaf, as well as the country of Balkh and Khowârezm, all these events having taken place A.H. 32.⁴⁰ In this year, also, several of the great companions, such as A’bbâs B. A’bdu-l-muttalleb, and A’bdu-r-rahman B. A’wuf, and Abu Ttolhah, and A’bdullah B. Masu’d, and Abu Dhar Ghuffâry, died; but some allege that A’bbâs died A.H. 34, and according to one tradition he had reached the age of eighty-six years.

ACCOUNT OF ABU DHAR GHUFFÂRY.⁴¹

THE ENMITY WHICH AROSE BETWEEN SA’D B. ABU WOQQÂSS
AND THE NOTABLES OF KÛFAH.

In the year 30 A.H.,⁴³ a dispute and contention arose for some reason between Sa’d B. Abu Woqqâss, the Governor of Kûfah, and between Mâlek Ashtar Nahaghy, in consequence of which the latter was so beaten during an assembly that he lost consciousness:

Now thou strikest me with a stone, and now with a fist;
Thou playest a game, but wilt kill me.

When Mâlek had recovered his senses, he returned sorrowful and dismayed to his house. This event displeased the notables of Kûfah and augmented their previous discontent. The explanation of this state of affairs is that the inhabitants of Kûfah had conceived affection for Wolyd B. O’tbah B. Abu Mo’ytt, and that on account of his politeness the notables of that locality had treated him lovingly. After his removal, Sa’d arrived in Kûfah, and ordered the pulpit of Wolyd to be destroyed, so as to get rid of his impure memory. His orders having necessarily been executed, he appointed a man to restrain the amusements of the people of Kûfah. As he was very ascetic, he refrained from all politeness in the transaction of affairs, and the people hated him. When Sa’d had degraded Mâlek Ashtar as has been narrated above, the aversion of the chiefs of Kûfah increased so that his equals, such as Thâbet B. Qays Nahaghy and Zaid B. Ssûhânu-l-a’bdy, and Jund B. Ka’b Alazdy and U’rwah B. Alja’d, and A’mru B. Alhamaq Alkhozaa’y, discussed in their meetings the character of Sa’d as wicked and despicable; they also abased him in the sight of the population, and calumniated O’thmân likewise. They held nightly meetings in a certain place, and Sa’d, having become aware of the fact, sent an officer to disperse the assembly, but as soon as he entered the notables of Kûfah said to him: ‘Who art thou to enter this house without permission?’ They then ordered their servants to punish him, and he was beaten till he lost consciousness. When he recovered his senses, he waited on Sa’d and informed him of what had taken place. Sa’d then despatched a letter to Madinah, representing the case to O’thmân, who ordered the names of the culprits to be registered in the army of Syria, and those men to be forwarded to that country whether they were willing or not. Sa’d obeyed the behest, and sent the grandees of Kûfah to Moa’wiah in Syria, but they disagreed also with him and quarrelled, whereon Moa’wiah sent the following message to O’thmân: ‘The men of Kûfah possess neither religion nor humanity, but let the Amir judge.’ O’thmân sent in reply the following injunction: ‘Those headstrong persons are to be sent to A’bdu-r-rahman B. Wolyd at Hamss, that he may soften their necks in the proper manner.’ Moa’wiah then sent the notables of Kûfah to Hamss, which they reached in due course of time, and where A’bdu-r-rahman kept them one month unemployed and without speaking a kind word to them. After that he wrote to Othmân: ‘Whom good will not reform, evil will not reform:

‘If where punishment ought to be inflicted
Thou appliest kindness, it will be of no use.

If the Amir consents, I shall deal with the Kûfah people according to their deserts.’ O’thmân having given him leave to act as he thought proper, A’bdu-r-rahman admitted the chiefs of Kûfah after the expiration of a month to his audience, but neither allowed them to sit down nor spoke to them. After Mâlek Ashtar had with his friends been standing awhile in front of A’bdu-r-rahman, they returned, and every day their attendance in this manner was insisted upon. When their weariness had thus reached its utmost limits, they craved permission from A’bdu-r-rahman to depart from Hamss, and having obtained it, they returned to Kûfah, except Mâlek Ashtar, who remained in that country.

REBELLION IN KÛFAH, AND GOVERNMENT OF ABU MÛSA
ASHA’RY.

When O’thman had, in A.H. 34,⁴⁴ called Sa’d B. Abu Woqqâss to Madinah for a purpose which will be mentioned further on, and all the notables of Kûfah had by command dispersed to other provinces, so that none but turbulent and rebellious persons were left in the town, which contained no longer any man of respectability, a desire of breaking the allegiance to O’thmân having taken possession of the mind of Zaid B. Qays, he collected a number of vagabonds in the mosque of Kûfah and proposed to them the removal of the Khalifah. Those persons feeling aggrieved by the recall of Wolyd and the appointment of Sa’d, hated O’thmân, and considered the present opportunity an excellent one. Having heard of this proceeding, A’mru B. Haryss, who had been appointed lieutenant of Sa’d [during his absence], entered the mosque, ascended the pulpit, and warned the rebels. When also Qa’qa’ B. A’mru had obtained information that Zaid was engaged in exciting a rebellion, he entered the mosque with his followers, and asked angrily: ‘What assemblage is this, and what is the reason for it?’ Zaid uttered some incoherent words and continued: ‘We have assembled to complain of Sa’d.’ Qa’qa’ said: ‘If you have a grievance against him you must go to Madinah, and represent it to the Khalifah, that he may appoint another man to govern you. Why do you raise all this tumult and disturbance in the mosque to complain about Sa’d?’ Having expelled the rebels by threats from the mosque, he also dispersed them. When Zaid B. Qays perceived what had taken place, he consulted his brother Thâbet, and they arrived at the conclusion to invite Mâlek Ashtar, who was an officer of influence, hoping to attain their object by his aid. They sent to him swift couriers, and he arrived in a short time at Kûfah, and having met the inhabitants, said to them: ‘Although I have come from Hamss, I heard that Sa’d had represented you in a very bad light to O’thmân, and had said that the people of Kûfah ought to be forced to emigrate from their town.’ The inhabitants were deceived by this allegation of Mâlek, and paid him homage on condition of not admitting Sa’d into the place in case he should return. On this occasion Mâlek heard that Sa’d had already arrived in the neighbourhood of Kûfah; therefore he ordered it to be proclaimed in the markets that everyone desirous to support Mâlek and to repel Sa’d ought to come out from his house. Then numbers of the low and of the high classes having gone out, met Sa’d on the road arriving with ten servants. When Sa’d perceived the forces of the inhabitants of Kûfah, he became frightened, and they said to him: ‘Return immediately, because we do not want thee to be governor.’ Sa’d replied: ‘There was no necessity for all this disturbance and confusion; you ought to have sent a courier to Madinah with the information that another man be appointed to this post.’ When Sa’d was about to depart, Mâlek said to him: ‘Tell O’thmân that if he desires the people of Kûfah to remain loyal to him, he must send Abu Mûsa Asha’ry to govern them.’ Having returned to Madinah, Sa’d represented the state of affairs to O’thmân, who complied with the wish of the people of Kûfah, and sent Abu Mûsa Asha’ry to govern them, who, when he arrived in the town, was received with demonstrations of honour and respect, and he having loaded their ears with pearls of salutary advice, the dust of rebellion and confusion was laid for some days.

AN INTRIGUE, AND THE REJECTION OF HOMAGE TO ABU
MÛSA ASHA’RY BY MANY.

Ebn Alaswad, who is in Persian histories called A’bdullah Sabâ, was a Jewish priest of Ssana´a, who, imagining that O’thmân would respect and honour him, went to Madinah, made a profession of the Faith, and was enrolled among the adherents of Islâm. Having, however, found that the beauty [i.e., favour] he coveted had remained within the curtain of retirement, he began to associate with some companions who harboured ill-will in their hearts towards O’thmân, and entering into friendly relations with them, he spoke evil of O’thmân like themselves, and, blaming him, opened the gate of rebellion and disturbance. When O’thmân learnt what was taking place, he said, ‘Who is this Jew, after all, that I should bear all this from him?’ and at last ordered his expulsion from Madinah. As A’bdullah knew that there were many opponents of O’thmân in Egypt, he went to that country, and succeeded in beguiling many persons by his piety and science. After having gained the attention of these people, he informed them that the Christians were saying: ‘Jesus having returned, will descend from heaven to earth,’ whereas it is well known to everybody that the seal of the prophets —u. w. bl.—is superior to Jesus—u. w. bl.—therefore he is more likely to return first; the more so because God the Most High and Glorious has also spoken to this effect, thus: ‘Verily He who hath given thee the Qurân for a rule [of faith and practice] will certainly bring thee back home’ [unto Mekkah].⁴⁵ When the silly Egyptians had believed these words of A’bdullah, he said to them: ‘Every prophet had a Khalifah [i.e., successor] and legatee, and the Khalifah of the apostle is A’li, who is decorated with the ornaments of asceticism, piety, knowledge and understanding, being also endowed with liberality, bravery and uprightness. The people have, nevertheless, disregarded the wish of Muhammad—u. w. bl.—and have done injustice to A’li. They have thrown to the wind his Khalifate and his right. It is now indispensably necessary and incumbent upon the denizens of this world to aid him, as well as a duty to approve of all he says or does, and to obey his behests implicitly. Many Egyptians, having believed the words of Ebn Alaswad, stepped out from the circle of obedience and loyalty to O’thmân, so that both in Egypt and in Kûfah the affairs of the opponents were in the ascendant. Thereon O’thmân despatched A’mmâr B. Yâser to Egypt and Muhammad B. Moslamah to Kûfah, to ascertain whether only the silly people had been beguiled, or whether also intelligent persons were seconding them in their disloyalty. When A’mmâr arrived in Egypt he commingled with those people, and sent no news whatever, but Muhammad B. Moslamah sent the information that the intelligent were mixed up with the fools, and had together excited this rebellion. This information increased the fear of O’thmân.

SOME EVENTS WHICH WERE THE CAUSES OF THE DISCONTENT
OF THE PEOPLE IN THOSE DAYS.

One of the causes was that O’thmân removed the companions of the apostle from their posts, and appointed to them young men of his own family, namely, the Bani Ommyah. Furthermore, he drew the line of oblivion over the circumstances of Merwân B. Alhukum B. Ala´ass, and recalled him to Madinah, although his holy and prophetic lordship—u. w. bl.—had expelled him with his children from the city on account of his rudeness, A’bu Bakr driving him one station further, and O’mar likewise. He also gave a daughter of his in marriage to Merwân B. Alhukum, and enrolled another upon the string of the wives of his brother Hâreth B. Alhukum, taking a great deal of money from the public treasury and bestowing it upon them. He also crowned the expectations of Merwân by giving him a share in the fifth part of the booty of Africa, and appointing him his wazir.—He ordered the people to use one copy of the Qurân, which had been compiled at his behest, and to burn all others which they were reading in various dialects, and accusing each other of infidelity in consequence.—He held full prayers in Menâ, allowed Abu Dhar to be expelled, and however much people complained of certain officials, he would not remove them.—The wickedness of Merwân impeded many of the nobles and grandees, such as A’li the Prince of the Faithful, and Ebn A’bbâs, and Ttolhah, and Zobeyr from attending at the residence of the Khalifate as in former times; and this news having spread far and wide in the country, encouraged the opponents to such a degree that they sent messages round to the effect that all desirous to wage war for the religion ought to betake themselves to Madinah. When O’thmân obtained cognizance of these rebellious intentions, he summoned Moa’wiah, and A’bdullah B. A´amer, and A’bdullah B. Sa’d Abu Sarj, and Sa’d B. Ala´ass to Madinah, whereon they, having appointed lieutenants to govern Syria, Bossrah, Egypt and Kûfah, betook themselves to the residence of the Khalifate. O’thmân, having consulted the just-named Amirs on the manner of putting a stop to the efforts of the opponents and rebels, they arrived at the conclusion that everyone should return to his own province and do his utmost to coerce and annihilate the rebels, while O’thmân himself would undertake to keep the population of Madinah in order. On that occasion Moa’wiah had an interview with Ka’bu-l-akhbâr, in which he said: ‘I apprehend that the foes will suddenly lay hands on O’thmân and will kill him.’ Ka’b replied: ‘Such an event would be irremediable, but depends upon fate.’ Moa’wiah continued: ‘Would that I knew who will govern the Musalmâns after O’thmân, so that I might pay him homage!’ Ka’b said: ‘The choice will be in thy hands, but after a great deal of bloodshed.’ These words of Ka’b raised the wish for dominion in the mind of Moa’wiah, who had heretofore not considered himself worthy of this high dignity. When Moa’wiah was on the point of returning, he said to O’thmân: ‘Foes have risen in all directions; they are bent on thy destruction, and thy mind is much embarrassed how to coerce them; it would be proper for thee to depart to Syria, because thou hast numerous adherents in that country.’ O’thmân replied: ‘Allah forbid that I should separate from the exalted pulpit and from the sacred mausoleum of the apostle of God—u. w. bl.’

The liver may be full of pain, the heart full of blood;
Thou art life, how can I exist one moment without thee?

Moa’wiah continued: ‘If thou wilt permit, I shall send an army to encamp around Madinah and to guard thee.’ O’thmân replied: ‘In this manner most of the fifth and of the booty would have to be spent on it, while the neighbours of the apostle—u. w. bl.—would be tried by the calamity of penury.’ Moa’wiah said: ‘O’thmân, be on thy guard of the stratagems of foes, because thy staying in the land of Yathreb [i.e., Madinah] is fraught with calamities.’ O’thmân replied: I shall patiently bear any calamity or reverse of fortune. I prefer the future to the present life, and I consider my nearness to the favourite of the Lord of worlds of more value than the whole universe.’

Then all the Amirs returned to their posts, and, as has already been narrated, the people of Kûfah would not allow Sa’d B. Woqqâss to govern them. It is related that when the misdemeanour of the agents of O’thmân had reached its utmost bounds, the people lengthened the tongue of blame and disapproval against O’thmân, many of them also discussing the subject with A’li the Commander of the Faithful, who thereon had an interview with O’thmân, and said: ‘O father of A’mru, the people are uttering such and such sentiments about thy officials. I swear by God that I do not know what to say to thee, because whatever I know of probity and dishonesty, or of justice and tyranny, is also known to thyself. Our ears and intellects have for years been adorned by listening to the salutary conversations of his lordship the prince of the righteous, so that neither Abu Quhâfah nor Ebn Khattâb enjoyed greater familiarity than thyself with his lordship the apostle. It is known to thee that on the day of reckoning the just Emâm will be the most excellent who walks on the path of rectitude, directs others to the straight road, revives abandoned ordinances and promulges honesty; and the worst of creatures in the sight of God the Most High and Glorious will be the unjust Emâm, who, having strayed from the right path, throws others into the desert of aberration, neglects well-known ordinances, and revives abandoned superstitions. I fear thou wilt be slain by turbulent and rebellious men, and that the sword will not be taken off from this nation till the day of the resurrection.’ O’thmân replied: ‘O father of Hasan, if thou wert in my position I would never blame thee, and if thou wert to disregard the bonds of consanguinity I would not reproach thee. Thou art aware that O’mar had appointed Moghyrah B. Sha’bah, whose acts are known, to a governorship, and had entrusted Moa’wiah with the administration of Syria; and although I, considering our relationship, have made A’bdullah B. A´amer Governor of Bossrah, and have left Moa’wiah in his post, what fault have I committed thereby?’ A’li the Commander of the Faithful replied: ‘When O’mar heard of the least reprehensible act of an official he removed him and punished him to the utmost, whereas thou art remiss and tardy in this matter. Moa’wiah and all the officials of O’mar feared him more than his own slaves feared him.’ Some allege that A’li also said: ‘O’mar put a bridle in the nose of everyone whom he appointed to a governorship, whereas thou hast lengthened his rope’ [i.e., given him more power]. After this interview the Commander of the Faithful returned to his domicile, and O’thmân, leaving his own, ordered the people to assemble, whereon he addressed them reproachfully, saying: ‘I have heard certain reports concerning you, and you have ere this uttered similar disparaging words about O’mar. He was a strict man, and kept your heads down by punishments, whereas I deal kindly with you. This has encouraged you to such an extent that you have spoken improper words about me. It will now be suitable for you that, restraining your hands from the skirts of my honour, you withdraw your tongues into the palate of silence, that you may enjoy safety.’ After that Merwân B. Hukum threatened them with capital punishment and bloodshed, but O’thmân prohibited him from giving vent to such expressions.

ARRIVAL OF PERSONS FROM KÛFAH, AND ACCOUNT OF THE
FIRST DISTURBANCE IN MADINAH.

In Rabyi’-l-awwal, A.H. 35,⁴⁶ discontented persons of every town arrived in Madinah to lodge complaints against their governors. The people of Madinah asked those men why they had assembled, and they replied: ‘We have come to request O’thmân either to put a stop to the wickedness of our tyrannical governors, or to appoint righteous men in their stead.’ The insurgents having uttered these and stronger words of discontent, O’thmân became desirous to know whether any of the inhabitants of Madinah agreed with them in these sentiments or not. He therefore sent two of his confidential men to enter into friendly relations with those people, to associate much with them, and to bring information; whereon they conveyed the news to O’thmân that A’mmâr B. Yâser and Warqâ B. Râfi’, the Anssâry, had made common cause with the malcontents. Having received this information, O’thmân ordered the prominent Mohâjer, chief Anssâr, great followers [Tâbi’yn], and other sections of Musalmâns, to assemble in the mosque. He then offered thanks and praises to the Lord of glory, and harangued the congregation as follows: ‘People have arrived from various provinces, and the essence of their words is this: “Unless O’thmân abdicates the Khalifate we shall kill him.”’ The chiefs of the Mohâjer and the Anssâr replied: ‘They themselves are worthy of death, because we have heard his lordship the apostle say: “If any man, setting forth his own claims, opposes the Emâm of the period, let the curse of God be on him; you must kill him.”’ O’thmân said: ‘One of the crimes attributed to me is that I have held the full prayers at Menâ, whereas the apostle and Abu Bakr shortened them in that locality, but my reply is that I had my family with me, and they had not theirs. I am also accused of having burned Qurâns, but by this proceeding I aimed at the extinction of differences among the people with regard to the word of God.’ Having thus disposed of the grievances of his opponents, he said: ‘I shall not defile my hands with their blood at present, but if they openly manifest their opposition I shall know how to deal with them.’ In that meeting it appeared plainly that O’thmân had justified himself against those aspersions, and he returned to his house. The insurgents then said to each other: ‘O’thmân has many friends and well-wishers in Madinah, whereas we have come without any preparations. It will be proper for us now to depart, and to return with a display of forces in order to attain our object.’ After the malcontents had departed, his true friends advised him to issue orders for the removal of his officials, but he demurred in spite of all their efforts, and this obstinacy augmented their dismay and sorrow.

EGYPTIANS AND OPPONENTS ARRIVE IN MADINAH, AND
ACCOUNT OF VARIOUS DISTURBANCES.

There is a tradition that in those times the Bani Hozayl, the Bani Mahzûm, and the Bani Ghufâr felt aggrieved on account of the want of consideration displayed by O’thmân towards A’bdullah B. Musu’d, the Hozayly, and Abu Dhar Ghuffâry, and A’mmâr Yâser, and that therefore many of them came from Egypt to Madinah, where they lodged complaints against their governor A’bdullah B. Sa’d Abu Sarj, whereon O’thmân wrote a letter to Abu Sarj, in which he admonished and threatened him, ordering him to make efforts and to quell the discontent of the oppressed. A’bdullah, however, killed some of them, punishing others by scourging and torture. These blamable proceedings of Abu Sarj so incensed the people of Egypt that a number of their great men, such as O’lqamah, and A’bdu-r-rahman B. A’dys Alsalwy, and Kenânah B. Bashr Allythy, and Sûdân B. Hamrân Alsakûny departed to Madinah with one thousand valiant men and troopers for the purpose of putting an end to the tyranny of A’bdullah B. Sa’d Abu Sarj. They were accompanied also by Muhammad B. Abu Bakr and Muhammad B. Hudhayfah, and were joined likewise, for the sake of convenience, by people from Kûfah, such as Mâlek Ashtar Nahaghy, and Zyâd B. Nassar Alhârethy, and Abdullah B. Alhashym, and Zaid B. Ssuhân Ala’bdy, as well as by a company from Bossrah, with Hakym B. Hylah Ala’bdy and Bashyr B. Shirakh B. Hukum B. A’bûdu-l-a’bdy and Ebn Mahras B. A’mru Alhanafy. After they had traversed the necessary distance they encamped in the vicinity of Madinah. The favourite of the people of Bossrah was Ttolhah; of those of Kûfah, Zobeyr; and of the Egyptians, A’li. The insurgents having interviewed the companions of the apostles—u. w. bl.— complained of the plenipotentiaries of O’thmân and their tyrannical behaviour, saying: ‘Of a number of unjust acts perpetrated by A’bdullah B. Sa’d, one was that he slew some of the complainants who had brought him the admonitory letter of O’thmân, and caused grief to their tribe.’ When the noble companions had heard this news, they opened their mouths in reprobation against O’thmân, and Ttolhah, rising to his feet in that assembly, severely blamed O’thmân and averred that something must be done for those people. A´ayshah, who felt at that time aggrieved for some reason towards O’thmân, and was bent on injuring him, appointed some men to oppose him, and said: ‘The robes of the apostle—u. w. bl.—are yet new, while his ordinances have become worn out.’ She also sent angry messages to O’thmân.—Murtadza A’li entered with some notable Mohâjer and Anssâr the assembly of O’thmân, and said: ‘The chiefs of Egypt feel aggrieved on account of the tyranny and bloodshed perpetrated by their governor; wherefore it will now be proper to remove him and to appoint another man in his place.’

It has reached us from some traditions that when the insurgents had encamped near Madinah, they sent during the night a messenger to A’li the Commander of the Faithful, to Ttolhah, and to A’mmâr Yâser, to inform them of their intentions.—O’thmân, who feared his enemies, went to the house of A’li, and said to that lord who was the receptacle of Vicarship: ‘We are closely related to each other, and I am under many obligations to thee. Thou hast great power and influence with these people who are bent on killing me, and I request thee to do thy best to pacify them, and not to allow them to enter my residence, because, in the contrary case, they and other rebels would only be encouraged in their temerity.’ The Amir of the Faithful replied: ‘I have advised thee many times, and pointed out the way in which this rebellion may be quelled. While I was present in the assembly thou hast appeared to agree with me, but after I had departed thou hast, in consequence of the speeches of men who bear no love towards me, considered it proper to disregard my advice.’ O’thmân replied: ‘O father of Hasan, I shall now listen with a sincere heart to what thou sayest, and shall pay no attention to the suggestions of interested men, whom I shall avoid.’ The lord and receptacle of the Vicariate assented to the request of O’thmân, and proceeded with a number of great Mohâjer and Anssâr to the camp of the Egyptian chiefs, whom he succeeded, by sweet words and heart-ravishing compliments, in persuading to desist from obstinacy and opposition, recommending to them conciliation and union. When this transaction had been reported to the third Khalifah, O’thmân summoned the various classes of the community, ascended the pulpit, apologized, complimented, and wept, whereby the people also felt much touched. When his lordship had returned to his house, the people gathered around his door from goodwill and sincerity, desirous of meeting him again, and to open their mouths in praise and gratitude to him. On that occasion Merwân B. Hukum reproached O’thmân, saying: ‘Thy opponents had not much power to resist thee, and it weighed but little when tried on the balance of intellect; but the son of Abu Ttâleb [i.e., A’li] has magnified this affair to place thee under obligations to him, and to increase his reputation among the people; this ought to be brought to their cognizance and promulged, because it entails many advantages.’ Having said these words, Merwân came out from the house, insulted the people, and dispersed them with many rude ejaculations. The various classes of Musalmâns of the city, as well as from abroad, took these insults to heart, but waited for an opportunity to avenge themselves.—There is a tradition that the people of Egypt and of Kûfah having agreed to resist O’thmân, came to Madinah, whereon O’thmân privately called Murtadza A’li, Ttolhah and Zobeyr, saying: ‘The position of the Khalifate has been imperilled; if I have for some reason or other offended you, tell me, so that I may endeavour to make amends. I trust you will not allow my foes and opponents to excite a rebellion in this town, hoping that the administration of the Khalifate will devolve upon one of yourselves. You must not fail to aid me, because possibly the object of those who attempt to instigate and to direct you will not be attained, and it may be supposed that submission to any of you will not be permanent.’ Ali Murtadza replied: ‘What is that to thee? mayest thou be motherless!’ O’thmân rejoined: ‘Do not open thy mouth to insult my mother!’ The lord and receptacle of the Vicariate continued: ‘Thou hast, contrary to Abu Bakr and to O’mar, stretched forth thy hand to rob the public treasury, and hast bestowed enormous sums upon thy near friends and relatives.’ O’thmân replied: ‘They have disregarded their own kindred who were destitute, but I have given them, namely, to my poor relatives, something from the public treasure, so that whilst reserving it for meritorious persons they might also receive a share.’ The Amir of the Faithful retorted: ‘To each person not more than one thousand [dirhems] ought to have been given, whereas enormous sums have, by thy orders, been paid from the public treasury to A’bdullah, to Khâled, and to Merwân B. Alhukum.’ O’thmân said: ‘If this be against your consent, I shall repay those sums from my private property to the administrator of the public treasury.’ They said: ‘If thou wilt do so, thou mayest rely on our aid all thy life.’ The next day O’thmân summoned the companions to his presence, and said: ‘A number of persons have come to this town to depose me, saying that if I demur they will slay me. What is your opinion in this matter, and how am I to deal with the people?’ Those who were present replied: ‘All ought to be killed, because it is licit to shed their blood!’ O’thmân continued: ‘I shall not kill them for this reason, but will do so if they wage war against me. I have called you here to enumerate the aspersions cast upon me by my foes, and to note your replies.’ They, however, repeated: ‘To shed the blood of rebels is licit! Be not remiss in this affair.’ When the opponents were informed of the unanimity of the companions, they said: ‘We have not the strength to fight with the people of Madinah; let us now return to our habitations, and come again fully prepared on a favourable occasion, when we shall not abandon O’thmân until we have annihilated him.’ After holding a consultation they returned to their countries, but arrived at an agreement to assemble again in Madinah the next year, namely, in the month Showâl, A.H. 35.⁴⁷

When they had arrived in their respective countries they engaged in enlisting troops, whereon they again departed, and arrived in Madinah during the month Showâl of the just-mentioned year. The forces of Egypt, of Bossrah, and of Kûfah consisted each of four battalions, each being in command of one of the grandees. These forces encamped in three localities near Madinah, all being bent on removing O’thmân and appointing another Khalifah in his stead. After obtaining cognizance of what was taking place, the denizens of Madinah prepared and armed themselves, and the rebels, hearing this, sent two envoys with the message: ‘Our coming is fraught with kindness and abstinence from evil, and nothing more.’ The people of Madinah having thus been quieted, some of the strangers said to them: ‘The object of this invasion is to compel O’thmân to remove the evil of tyranny from the heads of the people, and to appoint good men to govern the country.’ Then fifty of the men from Egypt waited privately on the Commander of the Faithful [i.e., A’li], and said: ‘Thou art the Emâm by right; if O’thmân refuses to abdicate the Khalifate, we shall abase him.’ The lord and receptacle of the Vicarship thereon opened his mouth to reprove them, saying: ‘What have you to do with removing or appointing a Khalifah?’ The Bossrah people then made the same proposal to Ttolhah and Zobeyr, but received similar answers, so that all were disappointed in their expectations. On this occasion A’mru B. A´ass went to O’thmân, and said: ‘Repent of the faults of which the Musalmâns are accusing thee.’ O’thmân blamed him, and considered himself free from errors, whereon A’mru B. A´ass said: ‘One of thy faults is that thou hast given an appointment to the apostate A’bdullah B. Abu Sarj, and hast removed me, although I have been a favourite of the lord of apostleship, of Abu Bakr and of O’mar.’ A contention having ensued between O’thmân and A’mru, the latter departed aggrieved from the meeting and openly instigated persons to kill O’thmân, saying: ‘It is licit to shed his blood.’ During the night, O’thmân paid a visit to A’li and requested him to make efforts to extinguish the flame of the rebellion, and his lordship walked, the next day, with the companions of the apostle to the assembly of the opponents, and dissuaded them from their purpose. On that occasion, Merwân said to O’thmân: ‘On account of thy sending A’li to the opponents, they imagine thee to be extremely weak and abased, and that the right is on their side. It is now time to let them know that thou canst ward them off, and that they have unjustly rebelled against thee.’ O’thmân, having been deceived by the words of Merwân, said to some people of Madinah: ‘As the opponents had no proper reasons, they have stopped their proceedings and have repented.’ A’mru B. A´ass, who was among them, rejoined: ‘O’thmân, fear God, and flee to the asylum of repentance, because we have quieted these people with fair promises.’ O’thmân retorted: ‘A’mru, restrain thyself, and do not talk nonsense! Who art thou to command me to repent?’ On this occasion he heard from all sides of the mosque the shout: ‘O’thmân, repent of thy doings, and take hold of the jugular vein of penitence!’ Then stones were thrown at him, he was taken down from the pulpit, his staff was broken, he lost consciousness, and some persons, taking him on their shoulders, carried him to his house. Then A’li the Commander of the Faithful paid a visit to O’thmân, and said: ‘O father of A’mru, what business hadst thou to deliver this address, since the people are aware that we have with much trouble succeeded in quieting the rebels?’ O’thmân replied: ‘The past cannot be recalled, and now I shall do whatever thou advisest.’ A’li Murtadza, who appeared to be divinely inspired, said: ‘Thou must convoke a meeting, apologize for thy sayings and doings, begging also pardon of the Musalmâns so as to make them all pleased.’ O’thmân accordingly summoned the people to the mosque, ascended the pulpit, and said: ‘O people, it is not hidden from you that the sons of Adam have committed and are committing mistakes, nor do I pretend to be infallible. If I have done something wrong, it is no matter of astonishment, and the apostle has said that he who repents of a sin will be absolved therefrom. Now, I repent of whatever is displeasing to God and to yourselves, and as my life is drawing to a close, there is nothing better for me than penitence. Let anyone who has a request to make proffer it, that it may meet with the best consideration.’ Having uttered these words and made abundant apologies, O’thmân departed from the mosque and went to his house. When O’thmân had gone away, A’li Murtadza said in the same meeting: ‘This man has done what was incumbent on him; may the grace of God accompany him!’ Encouraged by this utterance, the people of Madinah hastened to the abode of the Khalifate, but Merwân stopped them at the door, and himself entered to O’thmân, and being seconded by Sa’d B. Ala´ass, they said to him: ‘Thou hast this day committed a great mistake by confessing thy sins, and hast endeavoured to impair thy own authority. The advice given to thee by the son of Abu Ttâleb was aimed only at the destruction of thy honour, and at the establishment of thy guilt in the sight of all men. It will now be proper not to meet those persons who have assembled at thy door, because they are in a state of excitement, and may raise a tumult which could not be quelled.’ O’thmân then said to Merwân: ‘Send the people away, because shame hinders me from conversing with them.’ Merwân then went out and darkened their pure and sincere intentions with rude words calculated to raise angry feelings. They then went to A’li the Amir of the Faithful, and represented to him that they had gone to the residence of O’thmân for the purpose of strengthening the bonds of harmony and love, but that Merwân had come out and insulted them. The lord and receptacle of the Vicarship, being displeased with this news, betook himself to O’thmân, and, reproaching him, said: ‘How much so ever we may be endeavouring to ameliorate thy affairs, thou nullifiest all our efforts through the interference of Merwân. How could Merwân, who is puzzled how to arrange his own affairs, ameliorate and arrange thine? He will soon throw thee into a well from which thou wilt be unable to come out. I am determined to come to thee no more, and no longer to meddle with thy affairs.’ When A’li left O’thmân, his wife, Nâylah, the daughter of Alqurâdzah, said to him: ‘O’thmân, do not withdraw thy hand from the skirt of union with A’li B. Abu Ttâleb, and be not beguiled by the deceitful words of Merwân, because the former adheres to rectitude and safety, while the latter follows his evil and wicked impulses.’

There is another tradition to the effect that after the people had become bold, had thrown stones at O’thmân, and he was carried to his domicile, A’li the Commander of the Faithful went to his house. When the eyes of O’thmân alighted on A’li, he closed them, and the Bani Ommyah, having given vent to rebellious expressions towards his lordship the receptacle of the Vicariate, he departed in anger, and never returned to the house of O’thmân until he had been killed. It is recorded in some traditions of the U’lamâ of histories, that when the people of various provinces and towns, bent on the murder and abdication of O’thmân, had assembled in Madinah, he closed the gate of his residence, and conversing with them from a window, asked: ‘For what reason have you excited this rebellion and confusion, making it your business to be antagonistic and disloyal?’ The crowd then reproached him for his acts, but he replied in appropriate terms of conciliation, and also said: ‘I have heard the apostle say with his wonderfully eloquent tongue: “It is not licit to shed the blood of a Musalmân Amir except for one of three reasons: Infidelity after professing the Faith, adultery after good behaviour, and killing a person unjustly.” I swear by God that from the time Divine guidance and favour had become the companions of my path, and the blessing of direction has been vouchsafed to me, it never entered my mind to change the brilliant religion for another, nor have I ever killed anyone unjustly. I swear by the majesty of the Sage to whom in all things the truth is patent, that I have not committed adultery either before nor after the promulgation of Islâm. I respected the person of the favourite of the Divine Majesty to such an extent that my right hand, which had come in contact with his blessed hand, never touched a sexual organ, and I have never stepped out from the circle of good manners.’ The cavillers, whose wrath had subsided at these words, agreed to make peace, except Kenânah B. Bashr and some of his relatives, who were bent on augmenting the dissension. On this occasion O’thmân consulted A’bdullah B. O’mar, and asked: ‘What is the proper opinion in this matter?’ Ebn O’mar, however, also queried: ‘What is the intention of the opponents with reference to thee?’ He replied: ‘They aspire to deprive me of the administration in such a manner that I shall never regain it.’ A’bdullah continued: ‘Wilt thou, after abdicating the Khalifate, remain alive till the day of the resurrection?’ He replied: ‘No.’ Ebn O’mar continued: ‘My opinion is that thou shouldst not remove the yoke of the Khalifate from thy neck, and not be afraid of being murdered; unless thou actest thus, such a movement will become a precedent, so that whenever some people become wearied of the Emâm and Khalifah of the period, they will attempt to remove him. The apostle of God has said to thee: “Surrender not thy shirt except to Allah.” This shirt is no other thing but the robe of the Khalifate. On the contrary, thou must refer thy opponents to the book of Allah the Most High and Glorious, and to the Sonna of the prophet. If they assent, all will be well, but if not, thou wilt be excused.’ Then O’thmân sent Moghyrah B. Sha’bah, according to the advice of A’bdullah B. O’mar, to the people, to invite them to the book of Allah and to the Sonna of the apostle. Moghyrah, having met the rebels, opened the mouth of admonition towards them, but they replied: ‘O profligate, lascivious and adulterous fellow, what business hast thou to admonish and to direct us?’—The reason for these epithets to Moghyrah was, that he had during the Khalifate of O’mar been accused of adultery. On that occasion, three respectable men bore testimony that he had committed the wicked act, while a fourth, desiring to be conciliatory, stated that he knew not whether it had been licit or illicit to him. After Moghyrah had returned, O’thmân despatched A’bdullah B. Salâm as an envoy to those people, who said to them when he arrived: ‘O men, make no attempt to slay the Khalifah of the period! When the apostle was sent, you were delivered from the calamities of the sword, and this state will continue among you as long as you agree to remain loyal to your Emâm; but if you slay the Khalifah of the apostle of God, and the sword has been drawn from its scabbard, it will not be returned to it till the end of all time. Moreover, from the time when the apostle of God chose to go into exile and arrived in Madinah, great angels are protecting this locality; if, however (which Allah forbid) you slay the Khalifah, they will cease to protect you, whereon you will have to contend with enemies. Furthermore, you are under various obligations to O’thmân, in consequence whereof you ought not to awaken him when you find him asleep. Moreover, his end is so near that he will be received into the proximity of Divine mercy before the expiration of the month Dhu-l-hejjah, which is not far off.’ When A’bdullah B. Salâm had terminated his allocution, Mâlek Ashtar, and Ghâfaqy, and Harfûdz B. Zobeyr, and all the rebels, began to insult A’bdullah, saying: ‘O Jew, who art thou, after all, to intrude among the magnates of Islâm and the great men of the nation!’ Then they expelled him with ignominy from the assembly.—After A’bdullah B. Salâm, A’mru B. A´ass was sent as an envoy, but met with a similar reception, the rebels reminding him of the hypocrisy he had manifested in the time of ignorance [i.e., before Islâm] towards the lord of apostleship, on several occasions. — When A’mru had returned stricken with shame, A’bdullah B. O’mar said: ‘The opening of the door of the seraglio of our aspirations, and the attainment of our object, depend upon the world-adorning intellect and the difficulty-solving mind of A’li B. Abu Ttâleb.’ He therefore waited on the lord and receptacle of Vicarship, requesting him to quench with the water of advice the fire burning in the ovens of the entrails of the advocates of opposition. A’li replied that O’thmân ought to promise to follow his advice in any arrangement he might propose for the quelling of the disturbance, and O’thmân having assented, A’li proceeded to the meeting of the rebels, the fire-sparks of whose wickedness he attempted to extinguish with refreshing showers from the clouds of his magnanimity, and the innate abundance of the costly pearls of his eloquence, giving them also hopes that they would become recipients of great favours from O’thmân, and pledging himself to their fulfilment. He therefore went with the leaders of the people to the abode of the Khalifate, and said to O’thmân: ‘The notables of the country of Egypt are complaining of the tyranny of A’bdullah B. Sa’d Abu Sarj, and entertain hopes that, having removed him, thou wilt appoint over them Muhammad B. Abu Bakr, who is decorated with the ornaments of piety and honesty.’ O’thmân assented, complied with the request of the people, issued letters patent to Muhammad B. Abu Bakr appointing him Governor of Egypt, and the Egyptians, having obtained leave to depart, returned with him to their own country. The people of Kûfah and of Bossrah, having likewise obtained concessions and favours, also departed to their homes.

RETURN OF THE REBELS, AND MURDER OF O’THMÂN.

When Muhammad B. Abu Bakr had departed with the people of Egypt and had marched a few stages, they perceived a fellow mounted on the camel of O’thmân, and riding in all haste on the road to Egypt. According to the tradition of the author of the ‘Ghoniah,’ that individual was Aa´ur B. Sofiân Salmy, but the majority of historians have recorded in their compositions that the said camel-rider was the slave of O’thmân, and (making allowance for this discrepancy) the Egyptians asked the camel-rider: ‘Who art thou, and where art thou going?’ He replied: ‘I am a messenger of O’thmân, and bear a message from him to the Governor of Egypt.’ They continued: ‘The Governor of Egypt is here with us.’ The man rejoined: ‘My address is to A’bdullah B. Sa’d Abu Sarj.’ They asked whether he had any letter with him, and he replied in the negative; but when they had well searched him, they found in his baggage a writing headed as follows: ‘From O’thmân the Commander of the Faithful to A’bdullah B. Sa’d Abu Sarj.’ This writing having been perused, revealed this injunction: ‘When the Egyptians have arrived in their country, kill such and such a one, and having done the same to so and so, hang him on a gallows, and cast all the rest of them into prison. Execute immediately what thou hast been ordered to do, carry on the administration of affairs, and expect further orders from me.’ When Muhammad B. Abu Bakr and his companions had become aware of the contents of this letter, they despatched couriers to the people of Kûfah and Bossrah, to return to Madinah as speedily as possible, while they themselves also quickly hastened back to their own country, the great men of which they induced to assent to the murder of O’thmân, and then again departed to Madinah. When they had reached the city they narrated what had taken place to the lord and receptacle of the Vicariate, as well as to the most prominent companions of his holy and prophetic lordship, showing them the letter, and saying: ‘After this treachery of O’thmân has been ascertained, it is licit to shed his blood.’ Most of the inhabitants of Madinah thereon fell away from O’thmân, and made common cause with the rebels. A’li and Ttolhah and Zobeyr, and Sa’d B. Abu Woqqâss, with many others, now hastened from the fort of Musrakah to the residence of the Khalifate, and, meeting O’thmân, A’li, among others, asked: ‘Who is the owner of the slave that went to Egypt?’ O’thmân replied: ‘I.’ He further queried: ‘Whose is the camel?’ He answered: ‘Mine.’ He asked: ‘Was this letter which he carried written with thy cognizance?’ He said: ‘No.’ He asked: ‘Whose is the seal on that letter?’ He said: ‘It is my seal.’ A’li Murtadza continued: ‘How can this be weighed in the balance of intellect, that the slave and the camel are thine, and that the writing of the letter was not by thy orders?’ O’thmân then swore an oath that he knew nothing about the sending of the slave and the writing of the letter. All the companions knew that he would not swear a false oath, and after an investigation it was ascertained that the letter was in the handwriting of Merwân. Accordingly Merwân, who was living in the house of O’thmân, was summoned, and O’thmân having failed to lay his hand upon the breast of acquiescence to their wishes to surrender him to them, those blessed men departed from the assembly in anger, disapproving of O’thmân’s protection of Merwân. Although the great companions knew that O’thmân could not act treacherously and fraudulently, there were others who said: ‘Unless he surrenders Merwân to us that we may ascertain the true state of the case, our minds will never be set at rest.’—On this occasion A´ayshah openly displayed her enmity to O’thmân by encouraging the people to rebel against him, while many of the companions of the apostle —u. w. bl.—remained sitting in their houses and shut their doors against the people, and others, departing to their fields and estates, sought to keep aloof from the disturbances.

The rebels, having surrounded the house of O’thmân, deprived him of water; whereon he, distressed by thirst, despatched a messenger to A’li Murtadza to ask for some. The latter then sent by the slaves of the Bani Hâshem several leather bags full of water to O’thmân.—It is on record that when the rebels had returned to Madinah and had interviewed O’thmân, they said to him: ‘If thou art cognizant of the sending of the slave with the letter it will be licit to shed thy blood; but if thou be not cognizant thou art deserving of removal for having entrusted the affairs of the Khalifate to a traitor capable of such acts without thy command.’—Some reporters of traditions have narrated that when the people of Egypt, Kûfah, and Bossrah had returned from their journey with the intention of exciting a rebellion, and had arrived in Madinah, most of the inhabitants of that pleasant locality agreed with them concerning the abdication of O’thmân, who thereon considered the matter, and had no other remedy but to apply to A’li. He therefore sent A’bdullah B. Hâreth B. Naufaly to wait upon A’li the Commander of the Faithful to request him again to quell the fire of the insurrection and dissension. According to another statement, he called Ali, and said to him: ‘O father of Hasan, thou seest how far this matter has progressed! My life is not secure from those people, and if thou canst dissuade them from their intention, I shall grant them whatever they have a right to, but no more, even if all my blood be shed.’ The Amir of the Faithful replied: ‘Those persons who are quarrelling and contending with thee prefer thy abdication to thy death. I have quieted them with the promises thou hast given, but thou hast fulfilled none of them; therefore they will now care nothing for thy promises.’ Now O’thmân swore an oath, and said: ‘I shall spread out the carpet of justice and conciliation, and shall willingly grant them whatever is in conformity with the law [of the religion].’ After this agreement, the Commander of the Faithful had an interview with the insurgents, and said: ‘O’thmân has made an agreement with me that he will put a stop to all oppression, and will pull out by the roots the tree of tyranny which is growing on the river [i.e., in the country] of the rebels, by drawing the line of removal upon the pages of the careers of tyrannical governors, and abasing them.’ A document to this effect having been drawn up, and respite given [for the execution of the promised reforms], the notable Mohâjer and the noble Anssâr affixed their signatures to it; but when the day they had appointed elapsed without any change in the administration, the insurgents began to entertain suspicions concerning their affairs, and the malcontents heard that O’thmân was engaged in warlike preparations, and had sent couriers in various directions to summon troops for defeating them. While these events transpired, most of the denizens of Madinah occupied themselves in besieging O’thmân, to whom they sent messages that if he was willing to abdicate the Khalifate his life would be spared, and safety accorded to him; but in vain. When the insurgents had beleagured O’thmân twenty days, they heard that Qa’qa’ B. O’mar and Habyb B. Fahrâz had marched from Syria with bloodthirsty troops to Madinah, for the purpose of reinforcing the Khalifah. For this reason they pressed the siege more closely, and prohibited everyone from carrying food or drink to O’thmân, and to those who were confined with him, such as Sa’d B. Ala´ass and Merwân. A’li Murtadza, being apprised of these disgraceful proceedings of the rebels, addressed to them the following admonition: ‘The Persians and the Byzantines do not withhold food and drink from their prisoners, and you, who are adherents of Islâm, are now practising this blamable trick! Abandon this pressure, and allow food and drink to be conveyed to the court of the Khalifate.’ The people, however, replied: ‘No, by Allah! As long as a spark of life remains in our bodies, O’thmân shall not be refreshed with a drink of water or a morsel of food.’—It is related that during the time of the siege O’thmân sent a messenger to A’li the Commander of the Faithful with the following words: ‘Wilt thou allow the son of thy uncle to be killed with the sword of tyranny in abasement and misery, and thyself likewise to be robbed of the country and the Khalifate?’ A’li Murtadza replied: ‘I shall not allow the son of Khadzramah, namely, Ttolhah, to encompass thy death and to sit on the masnad of the administration.’—At the time O’thmân was being besieged, Ttolhah had obtained command over the public treasury, and considered himself as an autocrat in the administration of affairs.—In short, the lord and receptacle of the Vicariate ordered the Commander of the Faithful Hasan, and the Emâm Husain, to attend with drawn swords at the court of the Khalifate, and not to allow anyone to approach O’thmân [with evil intentions]. Zobeyr likewise despatched his son A’bdullah to aid those two blessed individuals in the watch; whereon also Ttolhah, desirous to clear himself of surmises, sent his son with them, so that these four companions, having girded their loins for the preservation of the honour of the Khalifah of the period, did their best to bar the way of access.

It is said that in the days when O’thmân was besieged, A´ayshah departed to the Hejâz to perform the ceremonies of the pilgrimage, and to visit the house of Allah [i.e., the Ka’bah]. At that time, which was the season of the pilgrimage, also O’thmân mounted to the roof of the castle and called A’bdullah B. A’bbâs, wherefore the insurgents fancied that O’thmân would divest himself of the office of Khalifah in his presence, and accordingly sent a man to invite him to come. When Ebn A’bbâs arrived, O’thmân asked his lordship to assume the command of the pilgrimage, to start with them to Mekkah, and to perform the pilgrimage of Islâm with travellers from every region; some, however, allege that also at that time Ebn A’bbâs kept company with Hasan the Commander of the Faithful, and Husain, attending at the court of the Khalifate and warding off enemies. When O’thmân encouraged him to go to Mekkah, Ebn A’bbâs replied: ‘I prefer to wage a Jehâd [holy war] with these people, than to travel to the Hejâz.’ O’thmân would not approve of this excuse, and insisted more; accordingly, Ebn A’bbâs made preparations for visiting the sanctuary, and departed to it.—A’bdullah B. Abu Rabya’h says: ‘Before the siege had become very close, I waited on O’thmân, mounted with him to the roof of the castle, and stood there. On that occasion Ttolhah made his appearance [outside], and whispered secretly a great deal to A’bdu-r-rahman B. A’dys Albalwy, who was one of the chiefs of the insurgents, whereon A’bdu-r-rahman said to his followers: “Admit no one hereafter to enter to O’thmân, and likewise allow no one to come out.” O’thmân then said to me: “Ttolhah has excited this rebellion and instigated these men against me.” Then he raised the hand of helplessness to Him who stands in need of no help, and said: “O God! keep off the wickedness of Ttolhah from me; and I hope that he will be disappointed in his wish, and that his blood will be shed.”’

A’bdullah B. A’bbâs says: ‘When I was about to depart from the residence of the Khalifate, those people were hindering me, but I at last escaped alive from that dangerous position, under the protection of Muhammad B. Abu Bakr.—It is related that one day a companion of the apostle—u. w. bl.—asked leave from O’thmân to mount on the roof of the castle in order to give him [privately] some advice. O’thmân having given him permission, that adviser said: “O’thmân, it will be proper for thee to fold up the carpet of the Khalifate, to remain safe from calamity.” During this conversation, Kathyr B. Alssallat Alkindy shot an arrow from the roof of the castle, wounding him mortally. Hereon the rebels insisted on the surrender of Kathyr by O’thmân that they might retaliate on him; but he replied: “I do not wish to see one killed who may aid me.” After this event the rebels set fire to the door of the Khalifate, and hastened from it, as well as from the roof to the castle of the Amirate. On that occasion Merwân B. Hukum and Sa’d B. Abu Woqqâss were with five hundred slaves of O’thmân standing ready to fight, in the domicile of O’thmân, where they had stood the siege; O’thmân, however, said to them: “Restrain yourselves from hostilities, and do not take useless trouble, because my affair has come to an end.” Being asked how he knew this, he replied: “I have seen the prophet last night in my sleep, and have complained of the nation, but he said: ‘Grieve not; for to-morrow thou wilt breakfast with me.’” Merwân then said: “As long as there is a spark of life in my body, no calamity will befall thine.” — When the turbulent people had entered the mansion, a contest ensued between the two parties, so that the courtyard of the abode of the Khalifate was dyed purple with the blood of the combatants. Merwân advanced to the front, bent on forcing on a victory; the hand of fate, however, struck his neck with a sabre, but as no artery had been cut, death failed to ensue, and one of his slaves, taking him up, carried him out. The people, imagining Merwân to have been killed, became slack, and also Sa’d B. Ala´ass, having received a heavy wound, ceased to fight. The mill of war was yet turning when Muhammad B. Abu Bakr entered the room in which O’thmân was engaged in reading [the Qurân], and taking hold of his blessed beard, said: “O son of O’ffan, what profiteth it thee now with A’bdullah B. Sa’d falling away, Merwân B. Hukum taken away, and Moa’wiah released?” O’thmân replied, weeping: “If thy father Abu Bakr were alive, thou wouldst not have dared to treat me in this way.” Then Muhammad let go the hold of his long beard and went out, whereon Kenânah B. Bashar entered with the intention of making an end of him with his sword, but A’bdu-r-rahman B. A’dys, and Soudân B. Hamrân and Ghâfaqy, shouted from the courtyard of the abode of the Khalifate: “Restrain your hands from such an act, because we do not stand in need of his blood.” Kenânah having thus been checked, they entered the chamber, and said to O’thmân: “Abdicate the Khalifate, that no calamity may befall thee.” He, however, replied: “I have been appointed to this office by God, and no one besides Him can deprive me thereof, and I offer you the book of Allah which is now in my lap.” When the insurgents knew that O’thmân would not divest himself of the Khalifate, Ghâfaqy struck him, and blood issuing, dripped on the noble verse: “Allah shall support thee against them, for He is the Hearer, the Wise.”⁴⁸ When Soudân attempted to strike O’thmân with a sword, his wife Nâylah interposed, so that her wrist with the fingers of her hand was cut off. According to another tradition, Nâylah intended to take the sword of Soudân B. Hamrân from his hand, whereon he cut off her wrist, and then with Qunrah slew O’thmân. The slaves of the oppressed O’thmân rushed into the chamber, killed one man, and Ghâfaqy having gone out, shouted: “Ttolhah, we have killed the son of O’ffan!” Although Ttolhah was not present, Ghâfaqy intended to let the people know that Ttolhah had sided with them in their hostility. When A’li the Commander of the Faithful had been apprised of the murder of O’thmân, he ran from the door of his house, slapped Hasan on the face, struck Husain on the breast, reproved A’bdullah B. Zobeyr and Muhammad B. Ttolhah, saying: “How has the Khalifah of the apostle of God been slain, whereas I had given you orders to protect him from the assaults of his enemies?” As, however, they had a valid excuse, he distressed them no farther. It is said that O’thmân—may Allah be pleased with him—was slain on a Friday in the middle of the Tasharyq days,⁴⁹ and according to one tradition he was eighty-two years old, but some also allege that he was more aged. It is said that the duration of his Khalifate amounted to twelve years, less ten days. There is a tradition that a man asked A’li the Commander of the Faithful: “What thinkest thou of O’thmân?” He replied: “The noble verse, ‘Those unto whom the most excellent [reward of paradise] had been predestined by us,’⁵⁰ relates to those whose chief is O’thmân, and the verse, ‘Those who have believed and done good works, and have feared [God] and believed, and persevered in fear [of Him] and have done good,’⁵¹ likewise relates to them.” — Sa’d B. Almusyb having been asked about the circumstances of O’thmân, said: “He was killed oppressed, and his slayer was the oppressor; and he who fought not for him must be excused on account of the ambiguity of the circumstances. God was satisfied with him as a Khalifah because he was gentle, merciful, magnanimous and liberal; he was the chief of pure and innocent men, the leader of the well-directed and prosperous, the Amir of the just and the slayer of the wicked, praying all night.” Sa’d also said: “He perused the book of Allah fully, and although he was brave when occasion required, he would not countenance hostilities, lest the blood of Musalmâns be shed; after his murder, however, the scimitar of rebelliousness having been drawn from the scabbard, victories came to an end, and the distribution of booty was cut short.”’

It is on record that although A´ayshah had not been on good terms with O’thmân, she was much grieved and distressed when she was apprised of his death. She uttered the verse:

‘We belong to Allah, and to Him we shall surely return.⁵² If in the world a liberal man could be eternal,
Thou wouldst be eternal, but no man living is eternal.’

Which means: ‘If the life of a liberal man were prolonged by his liberality, God would have presented thee with eternal life.’—When Sa’d B. Abu Woqqâss heard of the death of O’thmân, he wept, and said: ‘In the beginnings of Islâm I fled to Madinah to preserve my religion, and now I must depart from it for the same reason.’—In some books it is related that three days after he had been killed, no one cared to inter his blessed body, till at last Jobayr B. Mutta’m went with Hakym B. Khurâm to A’li the Commander of the Faithful to request him to ask A’bdu-r-rahman B. A’dys for permission to bury him in the cemetery of the Musalmâns. After their desire had been granted by the intervention of A’li Murtadza, they required a bier, but, although they asked much, nobody would lend them one, whereon they finally unhinged a door in the house of O’thmân, and placing his august body on it, conveyed it, for fear of a disturbance, between evening and bedtime, to [the cemetery of] Baqyi’; in spite, however, of the dark night, some turbulent fellows pursued them and threw stones at them. On that occasion Jobayr B. Mutta’m wept, and said: ‘Considering all the mercy thou hast displayed, O Amir of the Faithful, I wonder why these persons behave so mercilessly.’ After they had terminated [the funeral] prayers, three Anssâr chiefs arrived in Baqyi’, and would not allow him to be interred in the cemetery of the Musalmâns, therefore they were under the necessity of burying him in an enclosure situated between the cemetery of the Jews and the Musalmâns. When, however, Moa’wiah had assumed the government, the wall of separation was removed, so that his grave was among those of the professors of Islâm.—After the sepulture of O’thmân, his wife Nâylah ordered the slaves who had fallen on the day of the conflict to be buried, but the Egyptians would not allow it, and threw them on the public road, where they were devoured by wolves and dogs.—At the time when O’thmân attained martyrdom, his agent in Mekkah was A’bdullah B. Khidzar; in Ttâyf, Qâsum B. Rabya’h Thaqafy; in Yemen, A’li B. Ommyah, who was also called A’li B. Muniah; and in Bossrah, A’bdullah B. A´amer; in Kûfah, Abu Mûsa Asha’ry; in Syria, Moa’wiah B. Abu Sofiân; in Hamss, A’bdu-r-rahman B. Khâled Wolyd; in Falesttyn, O’lqamah B. Hakym; in Qarqesya, Jaryr B. A’bdullah Albakhly; in Adharbayjân, Ashâth B. Qays Kindy; in Essfahân, Sâyb B. Aqra’; in Hamdân, Bashyr B. Ommyah; in Ray, Say’d B. Qays; in Khorâsân, Ahnaf B. Qays, on behalf of A’bdullah B. A´amer. At that time the Qadzy of Madinah was Zaid B. Thâbet; and of Mekkah, Abu Haryrah; and of Syria, Abu Durd. When Ahnaf B. Qays had in Balkh, the cupola of Islâm, heard of the martyrdom of O’thmân, he departed to Arabia, and, having performed the distance, arrived in Bossrah, where he resided for some time.

KHALIFATE OF THE VICTORIOUS LION OF ALLAH, A’LI B.
ABU TTÂLEB, THE AMIR OF THE FAITHFUL.

The narrators of traditions disagree concerning the homage to his lordship, but what agrees most with suitability is as follows: When three days had elapsed after the murder of O’thmân, the men from Egypt requested A’li the Commander of the Faithful, that, having thrown a ray of regard upon the population, he should adorn the masnad of the Khalifate with his own august person, to irrigate and to refresh the gardens of the hopes of the subjects with abundant showers from the clouds of his mercy and beneficence. The Shâh and asylum of the Vicariate, however, replied: ‘Your consent or dissent in my investment with the garland of the administration is not required, because the option in this important affair and great dignity will devolve upon those who have been present in [the battle of] Bedr, and their decisions in spiritual as well as mundane affairs are more excellent and preferable to those of others.’ The men from Egypt then reported the words of A’li Murtadza to those blessed individuals, who thereon hastened not only themselves, but in the company of most of the associates of his holy and prophetic lordship, to the guidance-boding mansion [of A’li], and spoke as follows: ‘Three days have expired since O’thmân, leaving the world empty of his noble presence, has departed to another, and the denizens of the world are under the necessity of appointing an Emâm! Considering thy perfect character, thy beautiful lineage, thy noble behaviour, thy great amiability, thy small regard for the amenities of the world, thy abundant desire for justice, and thy high aspirations, we consider thy merits superior to those of others, and therefore more deserving to administer the affairs of the Musalmâns; we therefore entertain hopes that thou wilt place us all under obligations by accepting the dignity of the Khalifate, which will certainly lead to a display of much clemency and kindness on thy part.’ The Commander of the Faithful replied: ‘At the moment when O’mar departed from the mansion of perishableness to that of eternity, I aspired to power, and desired to obtain supreme control over the administration. At present, however, I am of a different mind, ready to pay allegiance to anyone whom you may appoint to the Khalifate, because I prefer to be Wazir rather than Amir.’ The great companions, however, unwilling to accept the refusal of his lordship the receptacle of the Vicariate, insisted only the more, and when the pressure of his friends had exceeded all bounds, the Amir of the Faithful said: ‘This affair cannot be set agoing without the presence of Ttolhah and Zobeyr.’ Accordingly the companions despatched a messenger to them, and those two noble individuals having placed the hand of acquiescence upon the bosom of the demand of that saved faction, sent the following reply: ‘Upon whomsoever the lot of your choice may fall, we shall not fail to obey him.’ As the possessors of sagacity were not contented with this answer, Mâlek Ashtar brought Ttolhah and Zobeyr into the assembly whether they were willing or not. The Lord A’li Murtadza thereon, having shown them respect and paid them compliments, addressed Ttolhah and Zobeyr as follows: ‘The one of you two who is inclined for the Khalifate shall have my homage.’ They, however, replied: ‘Thou being in existence, who would think of wishing to attain this dignity?’ All having agreed to make A’li the Khalifah, the first man who placed his hand on that of A’li to pay him homage was one whose hand had become useless in consequence of a wound he had received in the Ghazâ of Ohod.—Habyb B. Duyb said that the first man having paid allegiance with a paralyzed hand, this affair could never be completed; according to another tradition the words of Habyb were: ‘A paralyzed hand does not complete an allegiance.’ In some biographical works and books on religious wars the statement occurs that when Ttolhah paid homage to A’li Murtadza, the lord and receptacle of the Vicariate said: ‘Ttolhah is more deserving [sic] to invalidate an agreement and to break a covenant.’—On that day the heads of most of the people of Madinah were exalted by paying homage to the Shâh of the asylum of Vicarship. A small faction, however, of the adherents of O’thmân preferred to walk on the improper way, and excluded themselves from the beatitude of paying homage, choosing to form an opposition. No’mân B. Bashir, the Annsâri, carried the lopped-off fingers of Nâylah, the wife of O’thmân, with the blood-stained robe of O’thmân, to Moa’wiah in Syria, some of the Bani Ommyah accompanying him, whilst some of them concealed themselves, and, when they found the proper opportunity, joined A´ayshah in Mekkah.

At that time Moghyrah, who was considered to be one of the Arab ascetics, had learnt that A’li the Commander of the Faithful entertained the intention of issuing orders for the removal of certain officials, and therefore advised the Amir, as a well-wisher, to delay this matter for awhile, until he received information whether those officials had paid him allegiance, and until his position as Khalifah had been laid on secure and permanent foundations, because in the contrary case their removal would give occasion for disturbances and rebellions among the Musalmâns. The Amir of the Faithful not having approved of the opinion of Moghyrah, the latter hastened to the residence of the Khalifate, and, obtaining an interview with A’li, said: ‘What the great mind of the Amir of the Faithful is bent on executing is quite right and most proper, because one of the advantages resulting from this step will be that sincere friends will be discerned from hypocrites and loyal men from rebels.’ Having uttered these words, Moghyrah departed from his lordship the Amir. On that occasion A’bdullah B. A’bbâs arrived in Madinah, and, hastening to the threshold of the Khalifate, saw Moghyrah coming out therefrom. When Ebn A’bbâs met his lordship the Amir, he asked him for what purpose Moghyrah had come. The Amir of the Faithful said: ‘Moghyrah has spoken so and so to me yesterday, and what he said to-day was contrary to his utterance of yesterday.’ A’bbâs continued: ‘What Moghyrah had said yesterday was very good advice, but what he spoke to-day was nothing but treachery.’ When these words had been brought to the notice of Moghyrah, he said: ‘When a man gets advice and will not receive it, treachery must be used towards him that he may accept it. In this way A’li, who would not receive my advice yesterday, lent a willing ear to my treachery to-day.’ It is related that A’li Murtadza asked Ebn A’bbâs: ‘Why demurrest thou to the removal of Moa’wiah B. Abu Sofian?’ He replied: ‘Moa’wiah and his friends are men of the world, and if by drawing the line of removal over those criminal officers thou deprivest them of what they covet, they will allege that thou hast murdered O’thmân, hast forcibly taken possession of the throne of the Sultanate, and art desirous of extirpating his adherents. In this manner the people of E’râq and of Syria will become disloyal to thee, and will rebel; neither do I place much confidence in the homage which Ttolhah and Zobeyr paid to thee. If, however, thou wilt leave Moa’wiah in his post, I shall in course of time pull him out from that country like a hair from a lump of leaven.’ A’li the Commander of the Faithful said, ‘There is no gift except the sword, for I shall not take those for my support who have strayed.’ He said with his eloquent tongue: ‘The ill-will I entertained against O’thmân was on account of the tyranny of his officials, but as I have now attained supreme authority, I shall not be lenient towards them, and shall not assent to their oppressing the Musalmâns.’ Ebn A’bbâs said: ‘O Amir of the Faithful, although thou mayest confide in the strength of thy arm, there is need for consideration and delay in this important affair:

‘By wisdom thou mayest break the back of an army
Whereas with the sword thou wilt kill one, up to ten.’

A’li the Commander of the Faithful said: ‘Whenever I consult thee in the decision of affairs, thou art to reveal thy opinion to me, and if I sometimes differ from thee, thou art to obey mine.’ Ebn A’bbâs assented, and meanwhile Ttolhah requested the Amir of the Faithful to appoint him Governor of Bossrah and Zobeyr Governor of Kûfah. The lord and receptacle of the Vicariate, however, replied: ‘I have no other counsellors and advisers except you, but whom am I to consult and ask for aid if you separate from me?’ Both felt aggrieved by this reply, so that discontent and opposition having arisen in their minds, they said: ‘We have paid him allegiance for fear of the sword of Mâlek Ashtar, although he is not worthy to be our governor and commander.’ Then they waited for an opportunity to depart from Madinah and to excite a rebellion.

In the beginning of the year 36 of the Hegira,⁵³ A’li the Commander of the Faithful appointed O’thmân B. Hanyf to the governorship of Bossrah, ordering A’bdullah B. A´amer to be removed. He sent A’mmârah B. Hisân, who was one of the Mohâjer, to govern Kûfah, and having issued letters patent for the Government of Yemen, in the name of A’bdullah B. A’bbâs B. Rabya’h, despatched him to that province. He nominated Qays B. Sa’d B. A’bâdah to Egypt, and requested A’bdullah B. A’bbâs to depart to Syria, and to do his best for the prosperity of the subjects in that country. A’bdullah, however, replied: ‘Moa’wiah, who is the cousin of O’thmân, and was his agent, has been for years governing the worshippers of God there without hindrance or opposition; I fear that if he can get hold of me he will not rest until he has slain me, but if he refrains from shedding my blood, he will undoubtedly keep me a prisoner. There being close consanguinity between thee and me, there is no doubt that my abasement will involve thine. I think it will be proper on thy part to excuse me from accepting a post which will result disastrously to me.’ Having accepted his apology, Murtadza A’li despatched Sohayl B. Hanyf to Damascus. When O’thmân B. Hanyf arrived in the vicinity of Bossrah, A’bdullah B. A´amer, having surrendered the town, departed to Mekkah, whereon O’thmân commenced to regulate the affairs of Bossrah; some people, however, displayed opposition.—When A’mmârah had reached the neighbourhood of Kûfah, he was met by Ttolhah B. Khowylad Asdy and by Qa’qa’ B. A’mru, who said to him: ‘Return, if thou hast any regard for thy life, because the people of Kûfah want no other man besides Abu Mûsa Asha’ry to be their governor.’ Then A’mmârah necessarily returned.—When the news of the approach of A’bdullah B. Abbâs B. Rabya’h reached A’li B. Muniah, who was the Governor of Yemen, he emptied the public treasury of all its cash and merchandise, and, fully preparing himself, hastened to the conflict.—When Qays B. Sa’d arrived in Egypt, some people went to meet him, and entered the town with him; but among the notables there were two factions, one of which submitted to him, but the other said: ‘If he will punish the murderers of O’thmân, we shall obey him, but otherwise not.’ Qays B. Sa’d thought proper to conciliate this party, merely to avoid its opposition.—When Sohayl B. Hanyf alighted in the locality of Tabûk, some troops of Syria who came to him asked him where he was going to and coming from. Sohayl replied: ‘A’li the Commander of the Faithful has sent me to govern Syria.’ They replied: ‘We accept neither thee as our governor nor him as our Khalifah, and retaliation for [the murder of] O’thmân is incumbent on him.’ Sohayl asked: ‘Does anyone agree with you in this matter?’ They replied: ‘All the inhabitants of Syria agree with us, oppose A’li, and will call him to account for having desired to shed the blood of O’thmân.’ When Sohayl B. Hanyf found this to be the state of affairs, he returned from that very spot to Madinah, and when he informed A’li of it, he became sorrowful, but communicated it to Ttolhah and to Zobeyr, who observed: ‘Although we pressed thee much to bestow the governorship of Bossrah and of Madinah on thy intimate friends, thou wouldst not comply. Now thy enemies expect us to cast off allegiance to thee. If thou desirest the disturbance to be quelled, thou must give us leave to depart to Mekkah to engage in adoration in the sanctuary. When thy foes thus perceive that we have no quarrel with thee, they will very likely grasp the handle [i.e., opportunity] to become loyal and obedient; if not, then prepare for hostilities, because in such a case the contest about the Khalifate cannot be quelled except by using the sword and lance:

‘He will embrace the bride of dominion quickly
Who plants a kiss on the blade of the bright sabre.’

The Amir of the Faithful replied: ‘As long as I am able, I shall deal kindly and gently with my opponents, but if the result is contrary to my expectations, I shall have to ward them off with life-destroying spears and bright scimitars, which do the work of lightning; as I, however, know that you wish to separate from me, I give you leave to go wherever you like.’ As Ttolhah and Zobeyr knew that A´ayshah was fomenting opposition in the sanctuary against A’li—p. b. o. h.—they determined to go to the Hejâz, and departed.

OPPOSITION OF A´AYSHAH; UNION OF TTOLHAH AND OF ZOBEYR WITH HER, AND THEIR DEPARTURE FROM MEKKAH TO BOSSRAH.

It has been narrated above that when O’thmân was being besieged, A´ayshah, desiring to go on pilgrimage to the Ka’bah, had departed to Mekkah. After she had completed the circumambulation of the house of Allah, she turned the reins of her intention again towards Madinah, and meeting on the road a man arriving from that direction, she asked him about the affairs of O’thmân. The man having informed her of the murder of O’thmân, she asked who had succeeded him on the masnad of the Khalifate, and being told that it was A’li Murtadza, she exclaimed: ‘“We belong to Allah, and unto Him we shall surely return.”⁵⁴ I must again go to Mekkah, because after this Madinah cannot be my residence.’ She thereon immediately returned, saying openly and publicly: ‘I swear by God that O’thmân has been killed by the sword of tyranny, and I shall certainly make his murderers give an account for his blood.’ A’tyd B. Solmah, who was one of the brothers of A´ayshah, taking notice of her words and acts, ceased to associate with her, saying to her: ‘Now this is wonderful, as thou hast been the first to open the mouth of reproach and abasement towards O’thmân, and hast said: “Kill Na’shal, because he has certainly become an infidel.”’ —Na’shal was a man with a long beard who resembled O’thmân, and whenever calumniators found fault with the latter or spoke ill of him, they called him by this name. —When O’bayd [supra A’tyd] B. Solmah had reproved A´ayshah by the above words, she replied: ‘After the people had desired O’thmân to repent of acts they did not approve of, and had agreed to kill him.’ On this subject O’bayd B. Solmah recited some distichs, two of which are here given:

From Thee is the beginning, from Thee the end,
From Thee are the winds, and from Thee the rain;
Thou hast commanded the Emâm to be slain:
His slayer is with us, and he governs.

On this occasion the Bani Ommyah, having arrived in Mekkah, made common cause with A´ayshah, the mother of the faithful, in her enmity to the Emâm of the Musalmâns; in the same manner A’bdullah B. A´amer came with abundant hopes from Bossrah, and A’li B. Ommyah from Yemen with much property, to Mekkah, enrolling themselves as adherents of A´ayshah. Ttolhah and Zobeyr having arrived from Madinah, met A´ayshah, and openly proclaimed the formula of rebellion against the Emâm of the period, namely, Murtadza A’li. They held a consultation, after which A’bdullah B. A´amer said: ‘It will be proper for us to go to Bossrah, because I have many well-wishers in that province.’ Ttolhah, for whom the inhabitants of that country entertained much affection and love, approved of the suggestion of Ebn A´amer, and when they had all arrived at the conclusion to depart, the following words were proclaimed in the public places of Mekkah: ‘The mother of the faithful, Ttolhah, and Zobeyr are departing to Bossrah, and let everyone accompany them who desires to avenge the murder of O’thmân and to exalt the Musalmâns.’ Thereon a thousand of the people of Mekkah and Madinah, with two thousand from other localities, assembled, who were provided with necessaries by A’li B. Ommyah and A’bdullah B. A´amer, whereon they departed to their destination. After they had travelled from stage to stage for some time they reached the water of Hiwâb, the dogs of which locality all crowded against and barked at the camel of A´ayshah, which had been purchased by A’li B. Ommyah for two hundred dirhems, and given as a present to her. A´ayshah asked for the name of the water, and a guide having replied that it was the water of Hiwâb, A´ayshah exclaimed: ‘“We belong to Allah, and to Him we shall surely return.”⁵⁵ Let me go back. For I have heard the apostle of God—bl. etc.—say to his wives at a time when we were all sitting together: “Who of you will be the possessor of a fleet camel, at which the dogs of Hiwâb will be barking, while she takes part in a rebellion and insurrection?”’ Hereon Ttolhah, Zobeyr, and A’bdullah said: ‘This is not the water of Hiwâb; the guide has told a lie.’ After that they ordered fifty men to bear witness to the truth of their statement.

In some biographical works it is recorded that one day A´ayshah had honoured the house of Omm Solmah with her presence in Mekkah, and had said in a conversation: ‘The blood of O’thmân has been shed with the sabre of unrighteousness, and a great disturbance has arisen, which I fear may violently shake the foundations of the religion. Now, Ttolhah and Zobeyr intend to pacify the nation, and to depart for that purpose to the Arabian E’râq. They are inviting me to go with them, but if thou wilt accompany me it is possible that by thy noble presence this insurrection may be quelled, and hostilities changed into peace.’ Omm Solmah manifesting great distress and embarrassment, replied: ‘O A´ayshah, how could we display enmity towards A’li, whose resemblance to the apostle of Allah in person and in character is well known to thee? Yesterday thou hast accused O’thmân of infidelity, and to-day thou callest him Amir of the Faithful! By Allah! the people desire to beguile thee with fraud and evil suggestions in order to cause thee to swerve from the straight path. I adjure thee by God the Most High and Glorious, whether thou hast not heard the apostle of God say that “not many days and nights will elapse when the dogs of a water in E’râq, named Hiwâb, will bark at one of my wives, and that wife of mine will be among the partisans of rebellion.” Hearing these words, I unwittingly let a bowl which I was holding in my hand fall to the ground. The apostle of Allah glanced at me, asking, “What is the matter with thee, O Omm Solmah?” I replied: “O apostle of Allah, considering thy words, is there any occasion for asking this question?” Then his lordship smiled, looked at thee, and said: “I think thou art that wife, O little red one.”’⁵⁶ A´ayshah having assented to this declaration of Omm Solmah, thereon said: ‘I renounce this intention, because there is no blessing greater than safety.’ A’bdullah B. Zobeyr, who was the son of the sister of A´ayshah, having obtained cognizance of this resolution, said: ‘If thou wilt not accompany us in this journey I shall destroy myself by walking into the desert bareheaded and barefooted.’ As Ebn Zobeyr insisted so much, A´ayshah complied with his wish; malevolent and cunning persons nevertheless shortly afterwards said to A´ayshah: ‘A’bdullah B. Zobeyr has departed to Bossrah without provisions and without a riding animal; if thou wilt not rescue him he is likely to perish on the road.’ As A´ayshah loved him exceedingly she was under the necessity of making common cause with the enemies of the Emâm of the period, and starting for Bossrah. When she reached Hiwâb and heard the barking of the dogs of that locality, she desired to return, and said: ‘O Ttolhah, I adjure thee by God to send me back to the sanctuary.’ Ttolhah having asked for the reason, she informed him of what his holy and prophetic lordship had said, as has been already narrated above. Then A’bdullah B. Zobeyr bribed and gladdened a number of Arabs of the desert to testify [on oath] to A´ayshah that the said locality was another place, and not Hiwâb. It is reported that this was the first false oath which was sworn in Islâm. A´ayshah’s mind, however, could not be changed by their assertion; therefore, A’bdullah B. Zobeyr, who superintended the watering of the troops, threw himself running among them, and shouted: ‘Lo! A’li B. Abu Ttâleb has arrived!’ Thereon A´ayshah, dreading a misfortune, gave up her intention of returning. —When A´ayshah called for the guide to ask him again about the true state of the case, Ttolhah informed her that the guide, disgusted at having missed the road, had returned. It is on record that the guide of the troops had at the instigation of Ttolhah and Zobeyr departed to return to Madinah. On the road the guide happened to meet A’li the Commander of the Faithful, who asked him where he was coming from, and what news he had about the troops of A´ayshah. He said: ‘They have departed to Kûfah.’ The guide also informed A’li about the barking of the dogs, the desire of A´ayshah to return, and of the false oath of the Arabs of the desert. A’li Murtadza was displeased on hearing this news, because he apprehended that his antagonists might go to Kûfah and hinder its inhabitants from aiding him.

SOME EVENTS WHICH TOOK PLACE AFTER THE ARRIVAL OF
A´AYSHAH IN BOSSRAH.

When A´ayshah arrived with Ttolhah and Zobeyr near Bossrah, O’thmân B. Hanyf, who was on behalf of the Amir of the Faithful the governor of that province, sent to them O’mrân Alhassyin and Abu-l-aswad as envoys to ascertain the reason of their coming. These two envoys, who were excellent U’lamâ and lawyers, first waited on A´ayshah, who replied to their question as follows: ‘A crowd of rebellious and turbulent men, having gone to the place of the apostle’s exile [i.e., to Madinah], wantonly shed the blood of the Emâm of the Musalmâns [i.e., of O’thmân], raised the dust of wickedness and corruption. Having been disquieted by this unjust act, I am coming to this province for the purpose of asking the inhabitants to aid and assist me, so that supported by them I may go to Madinah with an army to retaliate upon the murderers of the Khalifah of the apostle of God.’ Then O’mrân and Abu-l-aswad went to Ttolhah and Zobeyr, whom they asked the same question, and received the identical reply they had heard from A´ayshah. The envoys thereon asked: ‘How can you oppose A’li, to whom you have paid homage?’ Ttolhah and Zobeyr replied: ‘We have paid allegiance to A’li from fear of the scimitar of Mâlek Ashtar, and on condition of his punishing the murderers of O’thmân; as, however, he has failed to keep his promise, the homage we paid him became nullified.’ The envoys returned to Bossrah and informed O’thmân B. Hanyf of what they had been told, whereon he issued orders to make preparations for hostilities, but desiring to ascertain whether any of the inhabitants of Bossrah would side with Ttolhah and Zobeyr, he sent Qays B. Moghyrah to the cathedral mosque, where the inhabitants had assembled, and to harangue them as follows: ‘O ye people, if those persons [i.e., A´ayshah, Ttolhah and Zobeyr] allege that fear had induced them to come here, it is contrary to reason, because wild animals and birds being secure from injury in that locality [i.e., Mekkah], it is not likely that the spouse of the apostle—u. w. bl.—had any reason to fear. If they say that they have come to avenge the blood of O’thmân, you know very well that none of his murderers are among us. Accordingly, it will be proper for you to repel them, that they may return to their country.’ Among others, Aswad B. Sarj Alsa’dy said: ‘They wish us and others beside us to aid them, and desire it to be licit to shed the blood of everyone who considers it to have been licit to shed that of O’thmân.’ After listening to these discussions, the people expelled Qays B. Moghyrah from the mosque by throwing stones at him. When O’thmân B. Hanyf knew what had taken place, and ascertained that the well-wishers of Ttolhah and of Zobeyr were numerous, he lost much of his self-confidence. The next day A´ayshah mounted her camel, entered the city, and halted in an open square with Ttolhah on her right and Zobeyr on her left hand, the troops being drawn up around her in lines. O’thmân B. Hanyf likewise paraded his army opposite to A´ayshah, and all the inhabitants of Bossrah were present on that encamping ground. In that assemblage Ttolhah and Zobeyr delivered speeches extolling the virtues of O’thmân, narrating his murder, and asking for the aid of the people to avenge it. Some of the townspeople said: ‘Ttolhah and Zobeyr are speaking the truth, and it is incumbent upon all Musalmâns to avenge the blood of O’thmân.’ Others, however, said: ‘These two men have paid allegiance to A’li and have broken it, and now they have come under the pretext of avenging the murder of O’thmân, in order that they may usurp the supreme power.’ On this occasion Jâretah, who was a partisan of A’li and a chief of the Bani Tamym, exclaimed in a loud voice: ‘O mother of the faithful [i.e., A´ayshah], I swear by God that the apostle—u. w. p.—is less aggrieved by the murder of O’thmân than by the part thou hast chosen to play, abandoning thy privacy, mounting this camel, and thus standing between two armies. If thou hast left thy house of thy own accord, I adjure thee by God to return to thy domicile; but if thou hast been brought here against thy will, ask help from the people that they may convey thee back to thy country.’ He also said: ‘O Ttolhah and Zobeyr, you have been the disciples of the prophet, but you have disregarded the prerogative of his lordship by keeping your own wives within the curtains [of privacy], and by bringing out the spouse of the apostle—u. w. bl.—from the apartment of modesty; and now you are pleased to see her thus mounted, standing in this crowd.’ None of the bystanders, however, who heard these words, replied to them.

Meanwhile Hakym B. Hylah, who was one of the chief officers of the army of O’thmân B. Hanyf and the general of the cavalry, gave the signal for hostilities; but most of the inhabitants of Bossrah sided with Ttolhah and Zobeyr, and commenced the fight. That day the battle raged till nightfall, so that many were wounded and killed on both sides. When the sovereign of luminaries [i.e., the sun] had deflected to the region of the west, the two contending parties retired to their habitations, but renewed the fight the next morning, and, the conflict having lasted till mid-day, A´ayshah ordered it to be heralded that the mother of the faithful desired both parties to cease fighting, because she had come to this locality to establish peace, and not to raise a war. The combatants then abstained from further hostilities, and, after a great deal of discussion, the negotiators of both parties arrived at the conclusion that a man be sent to Madinah to ascertain the circumstances of the homage of Ttolhah and Zobeyr. If it appeared that they had unwillingly paid homage to A’li, O’thmân B. Hanyf was to depart from Bossrah and to surrender it to A´ayshah, but that in the contrary case A´ayshah would have to go to some other place with her followers. After a consultation, Ka’b B. Aswad, who was the Qâdzi and Faqih⁵⁷ of Bossrah, was selected, and departed. When he arrived in Madinah, he entered the mosque on a Friday, and made inquiries concerning the allegiance of Ttolhah and of Zobeyr; but no one replied except Asâmah B. Zaid, who stated that Ttolhah and Zobeyr had paid homage unwillingly to A’li. He was, however, contradicted by Sohayl B. Hanyf, the Governor of Madinah, who happened to be a partisan of A’li the Commander of the Faithful. Then Ssahyb B. Sanân and Muhammad B. Moslamah, wishing to avoid a disturbance, took Asâmah by the hand, led him out from the mosque, and said that Asâmah had spoken the truth. Ka’b, who had witnessed these proceedings, departed to Bossrah, and when he arrived informed A´ayshah of the state of the case. She then sent an envoy to O’thmân with the request to surrender the town to her, according to the promise. He, however, replied: ‘A letter has just arrived from A’li the Commander of the Faithful, the contents of which are: “Do thy utmost to guard the city, and do not allow the opponents to prevail.”’ A´ayshah wondered at this information; but Ttolhah and Zobeyr, having prepared themselves for hostilities, entered the mosque during the night, and slew forty of the adherents of O’thmân; then they proceeded to the government-house, where they caused four hundred of the guards and watchmen of O’thmân to attain martyrdom. They took out O’thmân from the castle, imprisoned him, and wanted to make him join his companions; but A´ayshah interposed, saying: ‘He is an old man who was honoured by associating with the apostle; restrain your hands from shedding his blood.’ They complied with the behest of A´ayshah, and liberated O’thmân, but pulled out every hair of his beard, which was very long and broad, dealing in the same way with his moustache and eyebrows. After O’thmân had thus escaped the grasp of death, he hastened to wait on A’li the Commander of the Faithful; but his lordship, not recognising him, asked: ‘Who art thou? What is thy name?’ He replied that he was O’thmân B. Hanyf, whereon A’li said: ‘O’thmân, thou hast gone away aged, but hast returned as a beardless youth.’

After Ttolhah and Zobeyr had obtained possession of Bossrah, they sent letters to Syria to inform Moa’wiah of the state of affairs, and to ask him for aid in waging war against A’li the Commander of the Faithful. A´ayshah on her part likewise despatched letters to the inhabitants of Kûfah to the following purport: ‘If A’li asks for your assistance and help, you are to withdraw your feet under the skirts of safety, and to restrain your hands from the breast of compliance with his wish; but if you conveniently can, you are to join the victory-boding standards [of my army].’—It is on record that when O’thmân B. Hanyf was made prisoner, influential men contended with each other concerning the appointment of Emâm,⁵⁸ and to prevent a disturbance A´ayshah ordered the Musalmâns to hold the prescribed orisons in the rear of A’bdullah B. Zobeyr until the period of the appointment of a Khalifah.—At that time Ttolhah and Zobeyr openly proclaimed that [the Khalifah] O’thmân had been slain with the approbation of A’li; whereon A’bdullah B. Hakym Tamymy, who was one of the notables of Bossrah, produced a letter written by Ttolhah to the nobles of the locality, inciting them to assent to the murder of O’thmân, and said: ‘There is a discrepancy between thy deeds and professions, which, although not known to others, thou must be aware of thyself; because after O’thmân had been killed, A’li said to thee and to Zobeyr, “I shall pay homage to, aid, and follow the one of you two who is inclined to become Khalifah, because I would rather be Wazir than Amir.” Both of you, however, unanimously replied, “No one but thyself is worthy of this dignity.” Then you gladly and willingly paid him the allegiance which you are now again unanimous in breaking, whereas you had actually incited the people to slay O’thmân.’ They replied: ‘For whatever wrong we have done in the days of O’thmân there is now no other remedy for us except repentance and regret; but in order to atone for what has passed, we now deem it proper to avenge his blood.’ It is on record that as soon as Ttolhah and Zobeyr had attained undisputed supreme power, they distributed to the army whatever they found in the public treasury. They likewise slew many persons on the pretext that they had, in the days of the rebellion, been in Madinah, and were accomplices in the murder of O’thmân. Nearly thirty thousand able men, girding their loins of enmity against A’li the Commander of the Faithful, joined them; whilst, on the other hand, many of the A’bdu-l-qays and of the Bani Bakr B. Wâyl fled from Bossrah, and hastened to wait upon the possessor of the Dhu-l-fiqâr [name of the celebrated sword given to A’li by the prophet].

DEPARTURE OF A’LI THE COMMANDER OF THE FAITHFUL TO BOSSRAH; HIS STAY AT DHY QÂR, AND HIS ASKING FOR TROOPS FROM KÛFAH, WHILE ABU MUSA ASHA’RY PROHIBITS THEM FROM AIDING THE LION OF ATTACK.

When, after the departure of Ttolhah and Zobeyr to Mekkah, it had become evident to the enlightened mind of his lordship the Amir [i.e., A’li] that Moa’wiah, who had in Syria drawn the sabre of opposition and had elevated the banner of rebellion, was accusing him of having been an accomplice in the murder of O’thmân, and doing his utmost to collect a numerous army for the purpose of subjugating the inhabitants of Syria, A’li therefore ordered the troops who had in Madinah become adorned with the garland of allegiance to him, to make preparations for marching to Syria. On this occasion the ray of the information struck his illuminated mind that A´ayshah, and Ttolhah, and Zobeyr, and A’bdullah B. A´amer, and A’li B. Ommyah and A’bdu-r-rahman B. Ghayath B. Asyd, and A’bdullah Alhadzramy, the Governor of Mekkah, had with a number of rebels marched towards Bossrah, and this news made him apprehensive that they might change their direction and proceed to Kûfah, in order to cause the population of that locality to deflect from the straight path. When the Amir of the Faithful had become aware of the antagonism of Ttolhah and of Zobeyr, and had considered it his foremost task to repel them, he asked the people of Madinah to aid and to second him therein. Many of them professed compliance, but others differed, spread the rumour, and openly proclaimed that they had advised A’li to punish the murderers of O’thmân, so that no one might find fault with him, but that, in order to conciliate foes, he would not listen to them; so that they said:

‘He deserves to be abandoned to his foes
Who is unwilling to listen to his well-meaning friends.’

Having thus been disappointed by the people of that locality, he assembled in all haste nine hundred men of the place of exile [i.e., of Madinah], and marched away with the intention of hindering his antagonists reaching their destination. He appointed Abu Layly B. A’mru B. Aljurrâh to the command of the vanguard, A’bdullah B. A’bbâs to the right wing, whilst A’mru B. Solmah took charge of the left. Abu Qotâdah, the Anssâri, however, with Abu-l-hashym Altayhân Badri, and Khozaymah B. Thâbet Dhu-l-Shahâdatyn—who was thus surnamed because his lordship the refuge of prophecy had considered his testimony equivalent to two⁵⁹ —were enrolled as personal attendants upon the lord and receptacle of the Vicariate.

When A’li the Commander of the Faithful had been apprised that Ttolhah and Zobeyr had advanced so far as to make it impossible to overtake them, he encamped at Dhy Qâr and remained one day at that stage. He sent a courier to Madinah to bring all his baggage to the camp, and vowed to himself that he would not return to the land of Yathreb [i.e., Madinah], because the people of it had grieved his noble mind, as has already been mentioned. On this occasion Hasan the Amir of the Faithful, being in great distress, remarked to his lordship the Amir [i.e., to his father Ali], that he had often been advised by well-wishers, but would not listen to them until he had reached the extremity of being in danger of perishing in this desert from hunger and thirst, without anyone coming to the rescue. The lion of attack [i.e., A’li] having soothed the pupil of his eye [i.e., Hasan], asked what the advice [he alluded to] had been. Hasan replied: ‘When O’thmân was being besieged I advised thee to depart from Madinah, because in the event of his being killed thou wouldst be considered as an absent friend, and malevolent persons could not accuse thee of complicity in that wicked act. I also told thee not to assume the Khalifate unless all the Musalmâns desired thee to govern them. Lastly, when we heard that A´ayshah, Ttolhah, and Zobeyr had made a covenant to avenge the blood of O’thmân, I told thee to sit down in the corner of safety, and to wait for what would come forth from the veil of concealment.’ A’li the Commander of the Faithful replied: ‘At the time O’thmân was being besieged and not allowed to come out from his castle, the way of exit from Madinah was barred also to me.’—These words confirm the tradition of Sayf, who had stated in some of his compositions that, at the time O’thmân was being beleaguered, the leaders of the rebels and insurgents appointed a man to guard each of the great companions [of the prophet], and in this manner they had given A’li the Commander of the Faithful in charge of Khâled B. Muslim, while Soudân B. Hamrân took care of Ttolhah and another of Zobeyr, wherefore they were not able to give any personal assistance to O’thmân; this is contrary to the traditions of all the historians who allege that Ttolhah and Zobeyr had instigated the rebels to kill O’thmân. Having answered the remarks of the Emâm Hasan, his lordship A’li the Amir of the Faithful continued: ‘The whole population has nothing to do with the paying of homage, which depends upon the choice of the denizens of the two sanctuaries [i.e., Mekkah and Madinah], namely the Mohâjer and the Anssâr, so that when they agree to appoint a man to be Emâm and ruler, it becomes incumbent on all to obey that man. Had I remained sitting in my house after homage was paid to me, and taken notice of the opposition of Ttolhah and Zobeyr, I would have become the cause of dissensions, and would have committed the greatest treachery against the nation. They, moreover, intended to kill me and want to do so now; they desired to avenge the blood of O’thmân upon me, and want to do so now.’

It is recorded in some works that after the above desultory conversation A’li the Commander of the Faithful addressed the Emâm Hasan as follows: ‘My son, when his lordship the apostle—u. w. bl.—departed to the gardens of paradise, I considered no one more deserving than myself to assume the dignity of the Khalifate and the administration of the affairs of the nation; when, however, the people did homage to Abu Bakr, I likewise agreed with them, never flinching in the least to support and to strengthen him. When Abu Bakr had assented that O’mâr should succeed him, I likewise agreed and abstained from opposition. After O’mâr had instituted a consultation, and the people had paid allegiance to O’thmân, I again agreed with them, and at any rate considered it my duty to submit to him, but after he had been slain I retired to my house. People then came to me in crowds, asking me to become adorned with the garland of the Khalifate, and to assume the government, but I resisted their demand although they pressed me eagerly. After one week had elapsed in this manner, and no one had assumed the reins of the government, I feared that disorder would befall the affairs of the Musalmâns, and that a rebellion might originate in Islâm, to quell which would be beyond the power of any human being, and I necessarily complied with the request of the nation, whereon the chiefs and nobles of the Mohâjer and Anssâr willingly paid allegiance to me; but who is perfidious [in keeping a covenant] is perfidious to himself.’

It being evident to the discerning mind of his lordship the Murtadza that he could not wage war against the people of Bossrah with the forces at his disposal, he despatched, according to a certain tradition, Muhammad B. Ja’fer Ttayyâr to Kûfah with a letter to the inhabitants, of the following purport: ‘After the murder of O’thmân, the Mohâjer and the Anssâr paid allegiance to me with much goodwill and pleasure; some of them, however, have broken their covenant and are opposed to me. I desire you to hasten to me and not to suffer your Emâm to be opposed, as long as you are able to wage war.’ When Muhammad had reached his destination, he delivered this letter to the inhabitants of Kûfah, who thereon consulted Abu Mûsa A’sha’ri, but he became angry, mounted the pulpit, praised God the Most High, and said: ‘A’li—p. b. o. h.—and Ttolhah and Zobeyr are desirous to wield the government and administration. Whoever of you covets this world, let him join one of these two [last-named] men, and whoever is anxious for the eternal world, let him remain in his house and withdraw his feet, [keeping them] under the skirt of safety, and let him deem a corner of his house a blessing; because this is a disturbance whereof the apostle of God has informed the nation when he said that when it arrives the people ought not to leave their houses, make wooden swords, and abstain from fighting.’ Muhammad B. Ja’fer, being displeased with these words, spoke rudely to Abu Mûsa, who replied: ‘Allegiance to O’thmân is on our necks and upon that of your companion, namely, A’li. If we needs must wage war, let us wage it against the murderers of O’thmân, and take vengeance on them.’ When the envoys had ascertained that the people of Kûfah would not act contrary to the wishes of Abu Mûsa, they returned to Dhy Qâr, and informed A’li Murtadza of the state of affairs. When A’li Murtadza had been made aware of the great enmity Abu Mûsa bore towards him, he sent Hasan the Commander of the Faithful with A’mmâr Yâser to Kûfah, to prohibit him from doing what seemed improper to discerning eyes, and to induce the inhabitants of that locality to join the camp of the lion of attack, who wrote also a letter on the subject, containing promises and threats, to Abu Mûsa, and sent it to him by the pupil of his eye [i.e., his darling son Hasan]. Then those two companions and possessors of Divine grace left the august camp by order of the model of those who have attained certainty [in the religion], and reached the vicinity of Kûfah, where the nobles and the middle classes of the country met them, attained the honour of kissing the hand of the eye-light of the apostolate and of the Vicariate,⁶⁰ and, following the august retinue, entered Kûfah. Hasan the Amir of the Faithful, with A’mmâr Yâser, entered the mosque, which was crowded with people, Abu Mûsa being likewise present; and when the eyes of the Emâm Hasan—u. w. bl.—alighted upon him, he reproved him as follows: ‘Why hast thou prohibited the people of Kûfah from following and aiding the Amir of the Faithful, and led them astray from the right path? I swear by God that our intention is only pacific.’ Abu Mûsa replied: ‘May my father and mother be a sacrifice for thee! How can I do what thou wishest? Have I not heard thy grandfather the apostle say that a rebellion will soon take place in which one who is sitting will be better off than one who is standing, and one who is standing better than one who is walking, and one walking will be better off than one who is riding? These people of Bossrah are our brothers, to shed whose blood and to rob them of their property God the Most High and Glorious has prohibited us.’ A’mmâr Yâser, who heard these words, then spoke rudely to Abu Mûsa, and a man of the people in his turn insulted A’mmâr Yâser, and said: ‘Yesterday thou wast a companion of the rebellious and turbulent, and to-day thou bandiest words with our governor.’ On this occasion Zaid B. Ssuhân was reading out a letter to the people which A´ayshah had sent them, and, opening the mouth of reproof, commented thereon as follows: ‘Men are commanded to fight and to strive for the extirpation and annihilation of the professors of rebellion and error, but women are prohibited from leading armies and attacking foes, being enjoined to remain in their houses and to turn their spindles, according to the words of the Most High: “Sit still in your houses.”⁶¹ Now, however, A´ayshah is inciting us to connive with her in the transgression of the command she had been enjoined to obey, and is herself engaged in an undertaking which concerns us.’

It is on record that on the said day, Abû Mûsa being embarrassed and dismayed, ascended the pulpit, admonished the people not to obey the behest of A’li the Commander of the Faithful, and said: ‘Some of the companions of his lordship the apostle, such as A’bdullah B. O’mar, and Sa’d B. Abu Woqqâss, and Muhammad B. Solmah, and Asâmah B. Zaid, and others, have decided not to come out from their houses during this rebellion, and not to use their swords in killing adherents of Islâm. You must therefore imitate their example, and not jeopardize eternal for the sake of your mundane welfare. Obey me, that you may be safe in this and in the next world.’ Then Qa’qa’ B. A’mru said: ‘A supreme ruler is indispensable, by whose laudable efforts the affairs of the nation may be administered in such a manner as to cause them to prosper, and in this emergency A’li the Commander of the Faithful is the blessed man who justly invites you to aid him in the regulation of affairs and pacification of the commonwealth. It is your duty to make haste to serve him, and not to disobey his commands.’ A’bd Khabyr then asked: ‘O Abu Mûsa, have Ttolhah and Zobeyr paid allegiance to A’li or not?’ Having received an affirmative answer, he queried further: ‘Has A’li up to this time done anything which might be a cause for breaking this allegiance?’ Abu Mûsa replied: ‘I do not know.’ A’bd Khabyr continued: ‘I shall keep myself aloof from thee until thou knowest it.’ After that Hasan the Amir of the Faithful said: ‘O Abu Mûsa, as thou hast excused thyself from allegiance to A’li the Amir of the Faithful, what hast thou at present to do with the pulpit? As the couch of the Khalifate and the pulpit of Emâmship belong to him, there is no room for thee in that high place. Come down!’ Abu Mûsa, being abashed and disgusted, came down, whereon Ssa’ssa’h B. Ssuhân and A’mmâr B. Yâser followed each other, expatiating on the virtues of A’li the Commander of the Faithful, and inviting the people to covet the felicity of kissing the hand of his lordship. Thereon the Emâm Hasan ascended the pulpit, and said: ‘O ye people, it is evident to you that A’li B. Abu Ttâleb is the model of the religion and the Emâm of the nation. He has now marched out with an army against people whose minds have been overpowered by an inclination for rebellion and strife, and in whose breasts the flames of envy and hatred are blazing. He [i.e., A’li] now says to you: “In this matter I am either the oppressed or the oppressor; if the first be the case, then aid me according to your best ability, but if the second, then avenge the oppressed upon me.” He also says: “Those who were the first to pay me allegiance, but afterwards broke it without a cause, are Ttolhah and Zobeyr. Let now the simple and the gentle of you, with the rich and the poor, hasten to the nest of the Vicariate⁶² to enhance your merits.”’ Mujarr having addressed the people in a similar strain, they exclaimed: ‘O pupil of the eye⁶³ of the apostle—u. w. bl.—we respond to the call of A’li the Commander of the Faithful, to thy invitation and advice. We have listened approvingly, have placed the ring of obedience into our ears [like slaves], and have covered our backs with the mantle of submission.’

It is related in some traditions that when the Emâm Hasan departed with A’mmâr Yâser to Kûfah, Mâlek Ashtar represented to the Shah of Vicarship that so long as the authority of Abu Mûsa remained untouched, the object of their mission would not be attained. Accordingly the Commander of the Faithful gave him leave to follow them to Kûfah, and to do his utmost to degrade Abu Mûsa. Mâlek, obeying the behest of the governor of the Vicariate [i.e., A’li], travelled from stage to stage till he reached his destination, and hearing that Hasan the Amir of the Faithful, with A’mmâr Yâser, a number of the partisans of A’li the Commander of the Faithful, along with the people of Kûfah, were holding an assembly in the cathedral mosque of Kûfah, and that in the said meeting various discussions and debates were taking place, in some of which Abu Mûsa was being insulted, he therefore hastened, full of dust as he was, from the road to the government-house, which was the domicile of Abu Mûsa, and breaking the heads of the slaves with heavy clubs, so that blood flowed, expelled them all from the government-house. They then ran with their gory heads and faces to the mosque, shouting that a man of such and such an aspect had made his appearance like a sudden calamity, and had dealt thus with them, and informing Abu Mûsa that, if he failed to take the necessary measures, he would not find a trace of his goods and chattels remaining. When Abu Mûsa had heard this declaration, the smoke of amazement rose in his head, so that he immediately departed from the mosque.—When the people of Kûfah were apprised of the arrival of Mâlek Ashtar, they hastened with great pleasure to wait on him; but when Abu Mûsa had returned home and perceived his presence, and rudely addressing him said: ‘What art thou doing in this place?’ Mâlek replied: ‘It is an edifice of the Sultân, and belongs to A’li the Commander of the Faithful; if thou hast not paid homage to him, thou must immediately remove to another place.’ Abu Mûsa replied: ‘Give me one day’s respite, that I may get another house and depart to it.’ Mâlek, however, continued: ‘By Allah! I shall not grant thee a moment’s delay.’ Then he ordered his furniture and property to be thrown out, so that some of it was destroyed. By the intervention of friends, however, he at last allowed one day to Abu Mûsa to find another house, whereon he departed, and, closing his door, permitted no one to have access to him.—The people of Kûfah then made preparations, and three days afterwards seven thousand of them marched, according to one tradition, towards Dhy Qâr, with Hasan the Amir of the Faithful, and after three days more had elapsed, Mâlek Ashtar departed with twelve thousand brave warriors to the camp of the Amir of the Faithful.

THE BATTLE OF JAMAL [i.e., OF THE CAMEL], AND THE VICTORY OF THE AMIR OF THE FAITHFUL, THE LION OF ATTACK—P. O. H.—BY THE COMMAND OF GOD THE MOST HIGH AND GLORIOUS.

When A’li the Commander of the Faithful had become aware of the approach of the Kûfah people, he was so pleased that he joyfully hastened to meet them, and having praised them in eloquent terms, harangued them as follows: ‘I have invited you to come that we may by your aid bring back to the path of rectitude and tranquillity some of our brothers who are travelling on the road of insurrection and opposition. If they soon respond to our wishes, we shall deal with them amicably, but if they persist in their antagonism we shall treat them according to the injunction of the book of Allah and the Sonna of the apostle of Allah—u. w. bl.—and we shall do our utmost, and use every means to establish peace.’ After saying these pleasant words, he returned to his victory-boding camp, in which he assigned suitable grounds to the chiefs and notables of Kûfah. The next day he despatched Qa’qa’ B. A’mru, who was adorned with the decoration of sagacity and distinguished by valour, as an envoy to A´ayshah, Ttolhah and Zobeyr, for the purpose of quenching the blaze of their fire with the limpid water of advice and admonition. Qa’qa’ departed thereon, according to the orders he had received, and the Amir of the Faithful marched, with his troops, after him in the direction of Bossrah. When Qa’qa’ B. Amru had reached Bossrah, after traversing the distance, he first obtained the honour of an interview with the mother of the faithful [i.e., A´ayshah], whom he asked what her object was in coming to this country? She replied: ‘To seek the welfare of the Musalmâns, and to avenge the blood of O’thmân.’ Qa’qa’ continued: ‘My wish is that Ttolhah and Zobeyr be present in the house of the mother of the faithful, that I may say in their presence what I have to say.’ Ssiddiqah⁶⁴ ordered them to come, and Qa’qa’ having asked them the same question, and received the identical answer which Ssiddiqah had given, continued: ‘Your allegations are incongruous, because to avenge the blood of O’thmân means turmoil, and not the welfare of the Musalmâns.’ They asked for the reason, but Qa’qa’ again queried: ‘How many persons have been killed, from the moment this rebellion was raised up to the present time, to avenge the blood of O’thmân?’ They replied: ‘Six hundred men.’ Qa’qa’ continued: ‘Some thousands have become your enemies in this province, and if you augment your efforts in this matter, they will become more numerous, which will be a cause for hostilities and not for pacification.’ A´ayshah said: ‘Well spoken, Qa’qa’! Tell us now what will be best to do.’ He said: ‘According to my opinion, the carpet of antagonism ought to be folded up, and a treaty ought to be written by a pen of cloud-like abundance, the benignant showers whereof will lay the dust [of enmity] which has been raised. If my advice meets with acceptance, a good omen will manifest itself on the pages of your circumstances, but if it be rejected, the contrary of what I have presaged will take place.’ They replied: ‘The words thou hast uttered are in conformity with truth and sincerity, and if A’li assents to thy proposal we shall offer no opposition to it.’ Then Qa’qa’ returned on the wings of celerity to the victory-hoping camp, and stated the result of his negotiation. His lordship the Amir of the Faithful was pleased with the words of Qa’qa’ and praised him. Meanwhile the chiefs of the Bossrah peeple sent envoys to the victory-allied camp of the Amir of the Faithful—u. w. p.—to ascertain from the Kûfah people, who were their relatives, whether they intended to conclude peace or were inclined to wage war. When the people of Bossrah interviewed the chiefs of Kûfah, they received from them the following answer: ‘We at all times obey the orders of his lordship the Amir of the Faithful, but do not know at present whether he is inclined for peace or war.’ The Bossrah people thereon hastened to the august assembly to ascertain the intentions of the Shâh of the refuge of Vicarship, who thereon said: ‘Persons, who had arrived from various provinces in great numbers at Madinah, complained against O’thmân; but however much I advised him to extinguish the flame of discontent by removing certain obnoxious officials, my demand met with no response, and the oppressed obtained no justice. At last he was killed for his indolence, as is known to everybody. After that the people desired me to assume the garland [i.e., dignity] of the Khalifate, and to redress every kind of trouble and calamity, but I remained one week in my house, keeping the door of intercourse barred, and this [seclusion] being of no use [to them], they brought me out from my domicile, and I told them that the presence of Ttolhah and of Zobeyr was indispensable. When the people had succeeded in producing them, I said to both: ‘Whichever of you two is desirous to become Khalifah, I shall follow him.’ My proposal was, however, not accepted, and they paid me allegiance with much pleasure and great alacrity; at last, however, they asked leave of me, under the pretext of visiting the sacred localities, and departed to Mekkah, where they broke the covenant, secluded their own wives within curtains, but conveyed the spouse of the prince of the world—u. w. bl.—to Bossrah, in the midst of unsanctified persons, not being ashamed to disregard the respect due to the lord of the apostolate nor of breaking the allegiance, exciting rebellion and shedding blood. My purpose in coming here is to engage in the abolition of blamable usages and regulation of the affairs of the people. I shall put a stop to malice and wrath, which are repugnant to all good men in the religion of Muhammad the apostle of Allah; and if the opponents persevere in their doings, I shall act gently towards them, and shall not hastily engage in hostilities.’ The Bossrah people, having approved of these words, said: ‘There are no better expressions than these.’ The Amir of the Faithful continued: ‘As you approve of what I have said, pay me allegiance!’ A´assum B. Kalb made some excuses to delay the act of homage, which were not accepted; so that at last those hundred men, having attained the felicity of paying homage, returned to Bossrah, where they said to the nobles of that locality: ‘We have paid a visit to A’li the Commander of the Faithful, and have heard him utter the words of prophets.’

After the just-mentioned deputation had returned to Bossrah, his lordship the receptacle of the Vicariate marched from the locality in which he was and encamped on a large and convenient plain in the vicinity of Bossrah, whereon A´ayshah with Ttolhah and Zobeyr came out of the town at the head of thirty thousand men and halted in front of the army allied to victory. Now messengers and messages went to and fro, till at last the conclusion was arrived at that the murderers of O’thmân should depart from the victory-boding army so that negotiations for peace might take place; their number, however, amounted to more than five hundred men, most of them belonging to noble Arab families, and among them were Mâlek Ashtar, and Ebn Alhashym, and A’dy B. Hâtim Ttây, and Thâym B. Tha’lebah I’ysa, and Sharyh B. Awfy, and Khâled B. Mulajjam, and others whose enumeration would be tedious. When those enemies of O’thmân had departed from the victory-boding army, and encamped on another spot, they consulted each other, and said: ‘There is no doubt that the peace of Ttolhah and Zobeyr with the Commander of the Faithful will be based on our death, and we are bound to attend to our position.’ One of them said: ‘A’li is better acquainted with the book of God [than we are]; he has now condemned us to death and made common cause with Ttolhah and Zobeyr in their enmity against us. It will be expedient for us to leave our friends and homes, and to depart to the west to save our lives.’ A’dy B. Hâtim said: ‘Life is pleasant in the company of our families and friends, but if we separate from them the contrary will be the case.’ Another said: ‘The best thing we can do is to cause A’li to join O’thmân [in death] when we get an opportunity, and by this means to seek reconciliation with Ttolhah and Zobeyr.’ A’lyâ B. Hashym said: ‘Yesterday we have killed O’thmân, and if we to-day do the same to A’li, what trust will Ttolhah and Zobeyr place in us? They will no doubt be awhile friendly to us, but will finally do their best to annihilate us. We have now no other remedy but to use a stratagem in consequence of which their friendship [i.e., the friendship of A’li with Ttolhah and Zobeyr] will be changed to enmity, and their pacification to war.’ All having consented to this proposal, the cunning of the murderers of O’thmân brought on a terrible fight between the two parties, as shall soon be jotted down by the pen of explanation if it pleaseth Allah the Most High.

At that time Ahnaf B. Qays, who was one of the Arab chiefs, came out from Bossrah with six thousand men, who were his followers, and, entering Wâdy Asbaa’, said: ‘How can I fight against the cousin of the apostle?’ Then he went with his troops to the camp of A’li the Commander of the Faithful, but his intention was to side with the party which would be victorious. Before the commencement of hostilities he betook himself, by way of foresight, alone to the Commander of the Faithful, and said: ‘If the Amir of the true believers be so inclined, I shall join his victory-hoping camp with a small detachment, and shall at the time of the battle gird up my loins to the conflict; but if he deems it more convenient, I shall keep off from him eighteen thousand sword-bearing men.’ A’li the Commander of the Faithful having accepted the second proposal, he [i.e., Ahnaf] succeeded in detaching a number of the Bani Tamym and Bani Sa’d from the army of Ttolhah and Zobeyr, and marched with them to the Wâdy Asbaa’.

There is a tradition that in those days Ka’b Aswad, who happened to be the Qâdzy of Bossrah, having drawn his feet under the skirt of safety, determined within himself not to aid A’li the Commander of the Faithful, but, nevertheless, to resist Ttolhah and Zobeyr, whereon they sent the following message to A´ayshah: ‘If Ka’b remains behind also, the Bani Azd will excuse themselves from sharing in the contest, so that we shall be defeated on that account. Therefore thou must send for him, and request him to co-operate with us.’ A´ayshah then sent a person to him with the following message: ‘Thy mother stands in need of thy presence.’ Ka’b replied: ‘Would that I had never been borne by a mother! I swear by God that A´ayshah is not my mother, and that I stand not in need of a mother who would bring me near to the fire of hell!’ He also said to the messenger: ‘Tell A´ayshah to return to her home, so that the affairs of the Musalmâns may be peaceably settled.’ When the envoy had gone back to A´ayshah and informed her of his obstinacy and intention to remain behind, she went herself to the house of Ka’b, and said: ‘I have first sent a messenger, but have now come myself to show thee honour and respect.’ Ka’b began to weep, and said: ‘Would that thou hadst never come!’ She replied: ‘I have come to invite thee to unite thyself with us in avenging the blood of the unjustly slain Khalifah.’ Ka’b, however, replied: ‘O mother of the faithful, hast thou forgotten how many times thou hast incited and encouraged people ere this to kill O’thmân?’ A´ayshah rejoined: ‘I have repented to God of that baseness, and am at present determined to atone for that great crime.’ She spoke so long, so eloquently, and so enticingly that the poor man at last grasped his sword, left the mansion of safety, and departed to the field of danger, leading the camel of A´ayshah by the hand, and saying: ‘As long as a spark of life remains in my body I shall not let go this bridle from my hand.’ When the Azd tribe beheld their leader acting thus, they made preparations for war, joining the forces of Ttolhah and of Zobeyr. During the few days the two armies were encamped opposite to each other, envoys went to and fro between them, negotiating for peace, which was on the point of nearly being concluded, and the reasons for hostility averted, when the murderers of O’thmân determined one night to make an attack, and at dawn, mounting horses fleet like the wind, hastened towards the camp of A´ayshah. As soon as they had sufficiently approached the camp, they began shooting arrows, causing confusion among the troops, who imagined that the army allied to victory had by the command of A’li the Commander of the Faithful attacked them. When Ttolhah and Zobeyr perceived this state of affairs, they said: ‘We knew that the son of Abu Ttâleb [i.e., A’li] would never restrain his hands from hostilities, and that his mind would never become wearied or averse to shed blood.’ Then they made arrangements for a battle, placed the howdah of A´ayshah, which they had strengthened with iron plates, upon the powerful camel which A’li B. Ommyah had presented to her by way of a gift [and mounted A´ayshah thereon]. Then a portion of the troops engaged in warding off the murderers of O’thmân, who, however, after they had killed some men and wounded others, fled, but the troops of A´ayshah pursued the adherents of fraud and treachery, whereon they threw themselves into the victorious camp [of A’li] shouting: ‘Lo, Ttolhah and Zobeyr have made a night attack.’ Then a tumult arose in the glorious army, and the men said: ‘We know that from the son of A’bdullah and from the son of A’wwam nothing can be expected but the breaking of treaties.’ A’li the Commander of the Faithful then likewise set his heart on fighting, and arranged his troops in battle-array. The victory-boding army of the lord and recipient of Vicarship consisted of seven standards [or brigades], each of which was commanded by an Amir, all being, however, subject to the orders of A’li the Commander of the Faithful. Sa’d B. Qays was the leader of the Hamyar and Hamdan [tribes], A’dy B. Hâtim Ttây of his own tribe, but his enrolment among the seven Amirs took place before he left the camp. The Qays and the A’ys were commanded by Sa’d B. Masu’d B. A’mru Thaqfy, the uncle of Mukhtâr B. Abu O’baydah; the Kindah, the Qodzaa’h, and the Mohrah by Hejr B. A’dy Alkindy; the Azd, the Hylah, the Khosha’m, and the Khozâa’h by Mukhanaf B. Salym Alazdy; the Bani Bakr, the Tha’leb, and the Rabya’h by Mukhduu’ Aldahly; while A’bdullah B. Abbâs commanded all the Qoraish, the Anssâr, and other people from the Hejâz. Mâlek Ashtar was in charge of the right wing of the victorious army, and A’mmâr Yâser of the left.—In the army of A´ayshah the commander-in-chief of the cavalry was Muhammad B. Ttolhah B. A’bdullah B. Anssâr, and the commander-in-chief of the whole infantry was A’bdullah B. Alzobeyr Ala’wwam. The Amir of the right wing was Ka’b B. Aswad, and the commander of the Qoraish and the Kenânah was A’bdu-r-rahman B. Hareth B. Heshâm, whilst Mokhashi’ B. Masu’d, and A’mru B. A’bdu-r-rahman B. A´amer, and A’bdullah Khalaf Khozaa’y, and A’bdu-r-rahman B. Jaber Almurasy, and Rabyi’ B. Zyad Alhâreth, and A’bdullah B. Malik commanded those who were subject to them.

That morning A´ayshah, Ttolhah, and Zobeyr exercised their army, whilst the murderers of O’thmân stood aside counting the stars until the sovereign of the fourth climate [i.e., the sun] had elevated his banners from the ambush of the horizon, hastened towards the hosts of Ethiopia [i.e., the stars of the black night], and when the dolls of the azure sphere [i.e., the stars] had retired from the sight of the beholders within the curtains, they [i.e., the murderers of O’thmân] hastened in crowds to wait on A’li Murtadza. Mâlek Ashtar with A’dy B. Hâtim, being the spokesmen and delegates of their people, said: ‘The Amir of the Faithful had excluded us from attendance upon him, in order to soothe the hearts of the adherents of opposition and rebellion; and although we knew for a certainty that their intention was not to perpetuate thy Khalifate, we thought it proper to obey thy orders, and to withdraw our tongues into the palate of silence, in order not to be accused of sinister motives Now, however, we have come to jeopardize our lives in attendance upon thy heaven-aspiring stirrup, until this affair is settled by cogent arguments.’ His sacred lordship Murtadza—p. o. h.—was standing between the lines, and said: ‘It is not hidden or concealed from anyone that I was dealing kindly and gently with my opponents, advising them and hoping that they would desist from their acts. They, however, failed to take notice of my kind words, and, withdrawing their hands from the skirts of justice, donned the garment of obstinacy and resistance. Now they are challenging me to fight, and it is amazing that Ttolhah, who had formerly instigated the people to kill O’thmân, is at present bemoaning his death, and desires to avenge his blood. I swear by the magnificence of Allah that Ttolhah is not acting according to the dictates of reason. If, as he believed, O’thmân was a tyrant, it would be his duty to cultivate the friendship of the murderers of O’thmân; but if, on the contrary, he deemed that O’thmân was unjustly persecuted, he ought to have aided him while he was yet alive. Had he been grateful, he ought not to have come out from his house, and ought not to have interfered in anything. He has, however, done neither, but paid allegiance to me, and afterwards rejected it. He first kept the covenant, and then defiled his honour by breaking it. O God, punish Ttolhah as he deserves, and give him no respite whatever.’ Then he addressed the companions allied to victory as follows: ‘Be glad and joyous to fight these people, and apprehend no evil consequences in doing so; because they have ejected Ebn Hanyf, who governed the province of Bossrah on my behalf, and have afflicted him in various ways. They have taken possession of the public treasury, and have slain a number of pious men, such as Hakym, with his brother and son. Some Musalmâns of Mekkah, who had fled for their lives, were pursued by them, captured, and unmercifully slain by them. Be aware that death cannot be avoided either by remaining stationary or by moving about. Consider that flight entails disgrace, and brings on the punishment of hell. Be certain that the best death is to fall in battle. I swear by that God in the grasp of whose power the life of the son of Abu Ttâleb is, that one hundred strokes with the sword would be more acceptable to me than to die on my bed. Advance undismayed, and do not become obnoxious to eternal punishment by cowardice or reluctance; because, after all, death is foreordained, and can be eluded neither by fraud nor stratagem, and fate cannot be struggled against. The people who have come to fight you, being adherents of Islâm and Arab tribes, are not to be attacked by you; but if they assail you, resistance must be offered, because you are bound to repel your foes, and if you slay them the guilt of their blood will not be on your necks. You are, moreover, not to pursue fugitives, nor to afflict a man, whom you have already wounded, with another wound.’

How couldst Thou disappoint Thy friends
While having regard for Thy enemies?⁶⁵

It is narrated in some historical books that when his lordship the Amir of the Faithful delivered the above harangue, he requested Ttolhah and Zobeyr to come out to him from their lines. According to one tradition, Zobeyr, and according to another both of them, leapt out with light hearts, and minds free from suspicion of any impending calamity, from their ranks, and took up a position so close to A’li the Commander of the Faithful that the necks of their riding-beasts touched each other. After some preliminary explanations about this meeting, his lordship the refuge of the Vicariate said: ‘Ere this fraternal relations existed between us, and we would not have permitted ourselves to vex each other.’ They assented, and he continued: ‘What has recently taken place to induce you to be hostile to me, to consider the shedding of my blood to be licit, and to elevate the standard of hatred?’ They replied: ‘It is incumbent upon us, and upon all Musalmâns, to endeavour to deprive thee of authority; because thou hadst assembled malcontents from every direction, and instigated them unjustly to slay the Khalifah.’ The Shâh and refuge of the Vicarship said: ‘Do you mean to retaliate upon me for the blood of O’thmân, while your sabres are yet dripping therewith? There is a vast difference between your good pleasure and that of the Most High. Come now, let us utter imprecations against each other, and lift our hands in prayer to the sky, that whoever had assented to the murder of O’thmân may be made to feel the Divine wrath, and be chastised accordingly.’ They refused, however, to utter imprecations, and A’li the Commander of the Faithful continued: ‘You keep your own wives within curtains, but you have brought forth the honoured spouse of the apostle of God out of her retirement, and have torn aside the veil of her privacy. Now decide yourselves whether this is just, or the height of impropriety.’ They replied: ‘A´ayshah has, without being requested by us, honoured the nation by undertaking to arrange its affairs.’ His lordship the Amir of the Faithful continued: ‘I swear by my life and my head that A´ayshah stands herself more in need of a man to arrange her own affairs than any other people! O ye two old men, retrace your steps, and turn back to God; because to-day your position is disgraceful, but to-morrow it will be in fire.’⁶⁶ Ttolhah and Zobeyr being intent on hostilities and averse to pacification, the Amir—u. w. bl.—said: ‘O Zobeyr, rememberest thou when we both walked in company with the apostle—u. w. bl.—my hand being on thine, and his lordship asked, “Zobeyr, lovest thou A’li?” and thou hast said, “Yes”? His lordship continued, “Thou wilt soon be in a position to fight him, and on that occasion thou wilt be in the position of an oppressor.”’—Let it not remain concealed from discerning minds that these stories have been narrated in various manners by chroniclers; but as some have applied the epithet of oppressor to A’li, there was no necessity of repeating them to refute them.—When Zobeyr had heard these words of the Shâh of the refuge of Vicarship, he said: ‘O father of Hasan, thou hast reminded me of something which, if I had thought of it, would have hindered me from entertaining the idea of killing thee. I swear by God that I shall never fight nor quarrel with thee!’ After this parley, A’li the Commander of the Faithful returned to his lines, and informed his companions of the oath just made by Zobeyr, who on his part went to A´ayshah and said: ‘From the time I have attained the age of discretion till the present I appeared in all contests according to the dictates of discernment and justice, except on this battlefield.’ On A´ayshah’s asking him for the reason of this declaration, he continued: ‘A’li B. Abu Ttâleb has informed me of something which, if I had thought of it before, would have hindered me from embarking in this enterprise. I now intend to retire from the camp of the army, and to sit down in the corner of safety.’ A’bdullah then said to Zobeyr: ‘Thy reluctance to fight originates not from the story thou hast rehearsed, but from the impression made upon thy mind by the valour of the men thou hast seen gathered under the banners of A’li B. Abu Ttâleb; but I, for my part, shall not leave the battlefield, and shall engage in the contest with all my heart, until the Universal Judge decides the matter between us and our foes.’ These words so incensed Zobeyr that he rushed thrice into the lines of the glorious army, and returned again without wounding anyone, rejoined his troops, and said to his son A’bdullah: ‘What I have now done is not the act of a man who is afraid.’ A’bdullah, however, still insisted on the necessity of fighting, whereon Zobeyr said: ‘Having sworn an oath never to fight against A’li, how can I lift my arm to shed the blood of his army?’ A’bdullah then said: ‘Thou canst easily atone for thy oath and clear thy conscience from this scruple by manumitting a slave.’ Then A’bdullah continued his entreaties, till Zobeyr at last set free a slave of his, Makhûl by name, and promised to fight. On this subject A’bdu-r-rahman B. Sulaymân has said:

‘I have not seen a brother more treacherous than to-day;
I am astonished how he atones for his oath,
By manumission, and rebels against the Merciful.’

When his lordship the Commander of the Faithful knew that the troops of Bossrah and the army of A´ayshah, beguiled by their temerity, were entirely unwilling to make peace and to be reconciled, he said: ‘Who will take the holy book, jeopardize his life, approach those people, and invite them to [obey the behests of] the Divine volume and the celestial books?’ Then a soldier, Muslim by name, bidding farewell to his physical life, entered the lines of the enemy with the book in his hand, and uttering a few words according to the instruction of the Shâh of the refuge of Vicarship, invited the people to accept [the injunctions of] the glorious Qurân; but one of those furious men cut off his arm, whereon he took the volume in the other hand, which was likewise cut off by others; then he clasped the book with the two stumps of the arms, and, pressing it to his breast, said: ‘I call you to accept that which is written on these leaves.’ He was, however, immediately slain. When the corpse of Muslim had been conveyed to the victory-allied army, his lordship prayed over it, and threw a handful of dust towards the enemies, invoking Divine vengeance against them.

Although the troops of A´ayshah made several attacks, his lordship the Amir delayed the encounter according to his wont, only saying:

‘O A´ayshah, these people are not foes.
Thy privacy would be better than to fight them.’

After the patience of the warriors of the glorious army had been tried beyond measure, they began the conflict with their head-cutting Yemâni swords, and made their heart-piercing lances work. The two armies, having met, did their best to annihilate each other, and blood flowed in abundance. A´ayshah, dismayed by the terrible contest, said to Ka’b B. Aswad: ‘Let go the bridle of my camel, and betake thyself to the lines of the army of A’li, and invite them to the book of God the Most High and Glorious.’ Ka’b obeyed the order, but when Mâlek Ashtar heard of this errand, he feared that in consequence of it, and by a stratagem of the foe, his lordship the Amir might be induced to cease hostilities, and he slew Ka’b.—In that battle A’mmâr B. Yâser approached Zobeyr, who, although in a position to kill him, restrained himself and turned in another direction, because he had heard the apostle of Allah—u. w. bl.—say: ‘A rebellious faction will murder A’mmâr Yâser.’—Some allege that when Zobeyr perceived A’mmâr Yâser fighting in the ranks of the army of the Commander of the Faithful, he remembered that he had heard the wonderfully eloquent tongue of the elected one of the Beneficent Sovereign utter the words: ‘The right is on the side of A’mmâr.’—When the flames of the contest had commenced to blaze, Zobeyr, unwilling to fight against A’li the Commander of the Faithful, left the battlefield and departed to the Hejâz. When he had reached the neighbourhood of Wâdy Asbaa’, to which place Ahnaf B. Qays had retired with some hermits for safety, Ahnaf happened to perceive him from a distance, and knew him to be Zobeyr. He then said to the men who were sitting with him: ‘This individual is Zobeyr, who has turned his face away from the battle! Will anyone go and bring us news from him?’ One of those present, whose name was A’mru B. Jarmûz, said: ‘With your leave I shall do so.’ Ahnaf assented; A’mru girded his sword, mounted his horse, and rode after Zobeyr, whom he overtook at the time of noon-prayers, and asked: ‘O father of A’bdullah, how were the armies of A´ayshah and of his lordship the Amir—bl., etc.—at the time thou hast left them?’ Zobeyr replied: ‘They were fighting and contending with each other when I came out from that place of destruction.’ A’mru then asked him why he had gone away from the contest, and he mentioned the reason already narrated above. They continued riding side by side for awhile, when Zobeyr said to A’mru: ‘I desire to perform the prescribed orisons; thou wilt be secure from me, shall I be secure from thee?’ A’mru said ‘Yes,’ but as soon as Zobeyr began his prayers he struck him furiously at the first prostration, so that he killed him. Taking possession of the cuirass, armour and horse of Zobeyr, he betook himself to the victorious army and exhibited these arms to the august inspection of A’li the Commander of the Faithful, who, when his eyes alighted upon the sabre of Zobeyr, said: ‘The owner of the cup without a handle has often unjustly boasted of it in the presence of the apostle of Allah.’ After that he turned to A’mru and exclaimed: ‘Receive the news of fire, O slayer of the son of Ssafyah!’ A’mru replied: ‘Thou art the calamity of this nation! Whoever sides with thee or against thee must go to hell.’ There is also a tradition that he said: ‘He has slain your foe, and is threatened with hell-fire.’ In some chronicles it is recorded that when A’li the Commander of the Faithful had promised him the fire of Jahannum [Gehenna], A’mru became so dismayed and enraged that he placed the sword against his abdomen, and leant on it with such force that it came out at his back.

It is related that when Ttolhah was apprised of the departure of Zobeyr, he intended to follow his example, to separate from A´ayshah, and to retire to a corner. When Merwân B. Alhukum was informed of this intention, the hatred which he had long entertained towards Ttolhah on account of the murder of O’thmân was augmented, and he pierced the foot of Ttolhah in the stirrup as he was riding. The blood of Ttolhah flowed so abundantly from his wound that he became weak, and not being able to sit alone, he ordered a slave to mount in his rear and to take him in his arms. Being overpowered by weakness, Ttolhah said to the slave: ‘Take me to the town, for I shall not survive this wound.’ As Ttolhah had now lost all his strength, the slave laid him down in a ruin before he could reach the town. On that occasion the eyes of Ttolhah alighted on a horseman, whom he told to approach him, and asked: ‘To what party belongest thou?’ The rider replied: ‘I am one of the soldiers of A’li B. Abu Ttâleb.’ Ttolhah continued: ‘Place thy hand into mine, that I may renew my allegiance to A’li the Commander of the Faithful.’ The man assented, and Ttolhah having paid homage, the bird of his soul took flight to the throne [of the Divine majesty]; and when the act of Ttolhah had been reported to A’li the Commander of the Faithful, he said: ‘God, who be praised and exalted, was not willing to receive Ttolhah into paradise without his paying homage to me.’

There is a tradition that after Ka’b B. Aswad had been slain, a portion of the Bani Ommyah, who kept guard around the howdah of A´ayshah, put themselves in motion and began to fight with their arrows, sabres and lances. When A’li Murtadza—p. b. o. h.—beheld their strenuous exertions, he appointed Mâlek Ashtar, and A’dy B. Hâtim, and A’mmâr B. Yâser, and A’mru B. Hamaq to attack those lion-hunting champions. When A’bdullah B. Zobeyr perceived the just-named individuals approaching the centre, he incited the men under his command to fight against them, saying: ‘These are murderers of O’thmân, and having now obtained an opportunity you must wreak vengeance on them.’ The people said: ‘We hear and obey’; whereon he, preceding all of them, drew forth the arm of bravery, and a great contest took place, in which he was at last killed by the sword of A’mmâr B. Yâser. The victorious army then poured a rain of arrows upon the camel of A´ayshah, so that the howdah, which was defended by iron plates, looked like the back of a porcupine. The number of the slain was so considerable that horses could not walk quickly in that vast plain. Some of the ignorant Arabs who belonged to the army of the opponents were by turns leading the camel of A´ayshah and reciting verses, while the warriors of the glorious army were cutting off their hands with sabres; and it is known for certain that of the Bani Ommyah alone two hundred and seventy men lost their hands in this manner. Both parties fought valiantly, and strove so ardently that the tongue of the reed is unable to describe the contest.

On that terrible day A’li the Commander of the Faithful exerted himself to such a degree that the Dhu-l-fiqâr was snapped in twain. In this conflict A’mru B. Ashraf, who was the Rastam⁶⁷ of his period, came out from the lines of A´ayshah’s army and walked into the battlefield, but every one of the victory-allied army who went out to fight him [was slain and] never returned to his post, till at last Hâreth B. Tzuhyr, who was brave like Sâm and Esfendiâr,⁶⁸ attacked A’mru, with the result, however, that both those heroes wounded each other mortally, and, falling on the ground of abasement, gave up their ghosts.—In that battle Mâlek Ashtar approached A’bdullah B. Zobeyr, who was holding the bridle of A´ayshah’s camel in his hand, and having caught hold of him by the neck, prostrated him to the ground, and A’bdullah, grasping him, shouted: ‘Kill me together with Mâlek.’ As, however, Mâlek Ashtar was celebrated, no one killed him, so that he succeeded in extricating himself from the grasp of A’bdullah and returned to his lines, but whenever the battle of Jamal was afterwards mentioned, he used to say: ‘On that day I escaped with my life because the son of Zobeyr called out my name.’—The hand of Zaid B. Ssuhân having been cut off by an infidel in some religious war, his holy and prophetic lordship— u. w. bl., etc.—said: ‘Some of the limbs of Zaid will reach paradise sooner than himself.’ A´ayshah had heard these words of his lordship, and when in this battle Zaid attained the honour of martyrdom fighting for the Commander of the Faithful, she bemoaned him, and said: ‘As Zaid is a denizen of paradise, we belong to the rebellious faction.’

When the time of the anterior prayers arrived, the Bossrah people still continued to fight for their renown and honour, encircling the camel of A´ayshah, and as his lordship A’li the Commander of the Faithful knew that as long as the camel stood on its feet the antagonists would not cease fighting and shedding blood, he ordered Muhammad B. Abu Bakr and Mâlek Ashtar and Sa’d B. Qays, with some other tried warriors, to do their utmost to remove the people from A´ayshah and to hamstring her camel. They made repeated onslaughts, the blood of warriors dyed the ground with vermilion, and Mâlek Ashtar, having approached the camel, severed one of its legs with his sword, but it remained standing, whereon he cut off another leg, and when his lordship the Amir of the Faithful saw that it had not yet fallen, he shouted: ‘Mâlek! cut off another leg, because this camel is protected by a Jinn’ [i.e., demon]. Mâlek obeyed and the camel was prostrated. It is recorded in the chronicle of A´athum Kûfy, that Aa’mesh B. Hanifah, who was a well-known man of Kûfah, had disabled the camel of A´ayshah. When the howdah swayed, the Commander of the Faithful said to Muhammad B. Abu Bakr: ‘Succour thy sister. Take care that no arrow or sword injure her.’ Muhammad then placed his hand inside the howdah and touched A´ayshah, who, recoiling with aversion, exclaimed: ‘Who art thou whose hand has reached a spot which had never been touched except by that of the apostle of Allah?’ Muhammad replied: ‘I am thy brother.’ When A´ayshah recognised her brother, she was tranquillized.— It is related that when the camel of A´ayshah was prostrated and her howdah swayed, she exclaimed: ‘O father of Hasan, it is shaking!’

When the breeze of prosperity began to waft upon the exalted banners of A’li the Commander of the Faithful, and the bud of his desires commenced to blossom, he ordered A´ayshah to be conveyed to the house of Ssafyah B. A’bdullah, the relict of Khozaa’y, whom A’li had in that battle despatched to the abode of perdition [i.e., hell] with his Dhu-l-fiqâr. Then his lordship ordered the following proclamation to be heralded: ‘Do not pursue the fugitives, strike no one who has already been wounded, and let every man who enters his own house, as well as everyone who throws away his arms, be safe from any injury at the hands of the victorious army.’ It was also proclaimed that: ‘Everyone who has taken anything besides horses and arms from the opponents must produce it so that it may be returned to its owner.’ A man then asked: ‘How is this, that it was licit to shed the blood of these people, but it is forbidden to take their property? Are they polytheists?’ A’li replied: ‘Nay, they have fled from polytheism.’ He continued: ‘Are they hypocrites?’ The Amir answered: ‘Hypocrites do not care much for God.’ He further queried: ‘Then who are they?’ A’li Murtadza replied: ‘They are our brothers who have gone astray on the path of rebellion.’ When, according to the command, to which obedience was due, the goods and clothes of the rebels had been returned to them, A’li asked, ‘Where is the questioner, that he may hear a pleasing answer?’ The man having responded to the call, A’li the Commander of the Faithful asked him: ‘Would thy soul rejoice to obtain thy share of the booty from thy mother, namely, from A´ayshah?’ According to another tradition, he said: ‘Wouldst thou consider it proper to enrol the mother of the faithful among the prisoners?’ After the man had heard these words he objected to the proposal and repented of what he had said.

It is on record that when on the day of Jamal [i.e, of the camel] Merwân B. Hukum was brought to A’li B. Abu Ttâleb, the latter said: ‘If all the people of the inhabited quarter of the world were to conspire, they could not deprive Merwân of more than one nail of his finger.’ He also said to Merwân: ‘Thy seed, namely, thy descendants, will bring calamities on the nation.’ In fact, several of his progeny afterwards sat on the masnad of dominion, two of them being A’bdu-l-melik and Suleimân.—Shya’y states that on the day of Jamal, Merwân and A’mru B. O’thmân with his brother, and Sa’yd B. Amru Ala´ass, were made prisoners and brought to A’li the Commander of the Faithful, and that Ammâr Yâser said: ‘These men ought to be killed.’ His lordship replied: ‘I do not kill chiefs of tribes when they repent.’—There is a tradition that in the battle of Jamal seventeen thousand of the army of the mother of the faithful, and nearly three thousand men of the troops of the Emâm of the Musalmâns—u. w. bl.—were slain.—In the ‘Tarjumat Mostaqassa’ it is recorded that the number of those of the army of the Amir of the Faithful who attained martyrdom did not exceed nine hundred.—When the noble intellect and luminous mind of his lordship the Amir had been delivered of all apprehensions after the battle of Jamal, he entered the cathedral mosque of Bossrah, mounted the pulpit, offered praises to God the Most High, salutations to Muhammad the elect—u. w. bl. —and addressing the people who had congregated in that locality, not only admonished them, but also reproved the inhabitants of that province in most eloquent language. Then he despatched A’bdullah B. A’bbâs to Ssiddiqah with the message to prepare herself for departure to Madinah. Ebn A’bbâs obeyed orders, went to the castle of Ebn Khalaf where Ssiddiqah lodged, and having seen a cushion which had fallen into a corner of the house, took it up, and threw it down in a suitable place, taking his seat thereon. A´ayshah, addressing him from within the curtains of modesty, said: ‘Thou hast not acted according to the usage of the prophet, who would not enter my house without my permission, nor take a seat on my cushion without my order.’ A’bdullah B. A’bbâs replied: ‘We have taught thee the usages, and have practised them before thee. And I swear by God that thy house is that in which the apostle of Allah had left thee when he departed to the next world, but thou hast acted unjustly towards thy own soul by coming out from the apartment of modesty and embarking in an enterprise which God the Most High does not approve of. Whenever thou returnest to thy original domicile, we shall never enter it without thy permission. The upshot of my words and import of my message is, that A’li the Commander of the Faithful orders thee to depart from Bossrah, to return to Madinah, and sitting in the mansion of comfort to spend thy life in ease.’ A´ayshah replied: ‘May God the Most High and Glorious have mercy upon the Amir of the Faithful!’ Ebn A’bbâs continued: ‘May the pardon of the Boundless Giver be upon him with unstinted abundance! the blessed individual whose injunction I am bearing to thee is A’li the Commander of the Faithful, who is in consanguinity and familiarity nearer to the apostle of Allah than anyone, who preceded all mankind in professing the religion, and whose merit in propagating and adorning the law exceeds that of all. His efforts in exalting the banners of Islâm are greater than those of anyone, and the duty of protecting thee is more incumbent upon him than it was on Abu Bakr or O’mar.’ Ssiddiqah replied: ‘O son of A’bbâs, hast thou come here to utter words like these to my face?’ Ebn A’bbâs silenced her with abundant explanations, and she said at last: ‘O son of A’bbâs, the most inimical country to me is that in which thou art.’ A’bdullah B. A’bbâs then departed from the house of the mother of the faithful, and reported to the Emâm of the Musalmâns [A’li] all that had occurred. Then A’li the Commander of the Faithful sent Mâlek Ashtar to Ssiddiqah to induce her to go to Madinah. Mâlek Ashtar did as he was bidden, and rude words passed between him and A´ayshah, who would by no means agree to return to Madinah.—It is recorded in some histories that after Mâlek Ashtar had come back, his lordship the Amir of the Faithful went himself to the lodging of A´ayshah. When he entered the castle of A’bdullah B. Khalaf Alkhozâa’yi, his relict Ssafyah, who was also called Omm Alttolhah, wept for A’bdullah, who had been killed in that battle, and said to the Amir of the Faithful: ‘O slayer of beloved persons, may God the Most High make thy children orphans, as thou hast caused mine to become.’ The Amir of the Faithful replied: ‘If I were a slayer of friends, I would order all those to be killed who are here at present;’ hereby he meant A’bdullah B. Zobeyr and other rebels who were concealed in that house. When his lordship entered the apartment of A´ayshah, he said: ‘O little red one,⁶⁹ repent of and be penitent for what thou hast done, and prepare to depart to Madinah, there being no other remedy for thee, because I heard the prophet of Allah say: “One of my wives will fight with thee, but when thou conquerest her, thou art to send her to her house.” Thy house is in Madinah.’ A´ayshah, whether she was willing or not, complied with the desire of his lordship, who then ordered Muhammad B. Abu Bakr [her own brother] to accompany her on that journey, with a number of women from Bossrah dressed in male garments to attend upon her on the road. According to one statement, he accompanied A´ayshah three miles in his own noble person, and then returned to Bossrah. The just-mentioned females waited on A´ayshah at every stage when she alighted, but she was aggrieved and distressed, saying: ‘A’li has not respected the honour [due to the wife] of the apostle of Allah, by causing me to be served by these persons.’ When, however, these women arrived in Madinah, and had resumed their original clothes, Ssiddiqah was pleased with what the Amir of the Faithful had done, and opened her mouth in praises towards the Shâh of men and lion of God.

It is related that after the conquest of Bossrah it was brought to the notice of A’li that A´ayshah felt aggrieved with him, and being asked for the reason, he said: ‘Several things happened on account of which her envy and hatred were roused against me; one of these was, that when I once paid a visit to the apostle of Allah, in the apartment of A´ayshah, before the revelation of the verse concerning the privacy of women, his lordship made me sit near him, his elbow being on my thigh, and he conversed with me. This [familiarity] displeased A´ayshah, so that she said: “O son of Abu Ttâleb; thou art interfering between the apostle of Allah and me, thou leavest him neither in the day or night, and ceasest not to associate with him.” His holy and prophetic lordship said: “O A´ayshah, no one is like A’li, because the first person who made profession of the Faith was he, and the first person to reach the lake Kawthar [in paradise] will be he, and the first person to shake hands with me on the day of the resurrection will be he.” Again, when the apostle of Allah sent Abu Bakr on pilgrimage with the injunction to read the Qurân and the Surah of the “Declaration of immunity,”⁷⁰ he despatched me after him to take that Surah from him, and I recited it to the pilgrims as well as to the crowds which had assembled from every direction; also in preference to numerous other companions, his lordship had made me his legatee. Furthermore, on the day of slander,⁷¹ I said to the apostle of Allah: “There are many women in the world, and if thou entertainest misgivings concerning A´ayshah, withdraw thy hand from her, and take another instead of her.”’

There is a tradition of Ssamyi’ B. A’mru, that A´ayshah the mother of the faithful having once been asked what she thought of A’li B. Abu Ttâleb, she said: ‘Why askest thou about a man who, when, in the death-agony of the apostle of Allah, saliva began to flow from his blessed mouth, would not allow it to fall to the ground, but, receiving it on the hand, smeared it on his own face; and what do you say about him who, when the honoured companions of the apostle were at variance with each other concerning the place where he was to be buried, said: “There is no spot more noble than that from which his precious soul departed to the proximity of God,” and in spite of the difference of opinions discerning men considered his suggestion to be the best?’ This tradition is, however, contrary to the statement recorded before concerning the place of sepulture of the lord of the apostolate.—After she had enumerated other qualities of his lordship [i.e., of A’li], the questioners asked her: ‘Then why hast thou opposed him and fought with him?’ The mother of the faithful then wept, and said: ‘Human beings are liable to commit errors, but I have repented of mine and have returned to God the Most High.’

Ebn Hamdân has narrated in his chronicle that when A´ayshah departed from Bossrah the wives of the nobles and magnates of that town accompanied her as far as three stages, and that the children and relatives of his sacred lordship A’li likewise accompanied her the same distance; and at the time of leave-taking she said to them: ‘My relations with A’li are like those between women, relatives, and married couples, and I deem A’li to be the best and most excellent of all these.’—Muhammad B. Syryn states that on the day of Jamal A´ayshah asked Khâled B. Alwâshmah—who was one of the magnates that fought in the action of Jamal, and was highly esteemed by the mother of the faithful for his intellect, virtues, and good manners —what had become of Ttolhah. He replied that he had been killed, whereon she asked about Zobeyr, and was told that he had left the battlefield in the beginning of the day, and that at the end of it the news of his death had arrived. She then asked about another of the associates [of the prophet], and was told that he had likewise joined his friends [in death]. Ssiddiqah then said: ‘May God the Most High have mercy on them!’ Khâled continued: ‘Zaid B. Ssûhân the partisan of A’li has also been slain.’ A´ayshah said: ‘He is also one of those to whom [Divine] mercy has been granted.’ Khâled asked: ‘Will God—whose name be sanctified and exalted—assemble all these men, who have opposed and fought each other with the sword, in one place?’ A´ayshah replied: ‘The mercy of God exceeds all bounds of explanation, nor can anyone ask Him for the why and the wherefore of His acts.’ Hearing these words, Khâled repented of what he had done, waited on A’li the Commander of the Faithful, was present in the battle of Ssafyn, and endeavoured to atone for the past [enmity he had manifested against A’li].

There is a tradition of Abu Thâbet, the manumitted slave of Abu Dhar Ghuffâry, that he said: ‘After the termination of the battle of Jamal I waited on Omm Solmah, who received me kindly, and asked: “Where hast thou been in these times when the birds of hearts flew out from the nests of bodies?” I replied that I had been in attendance upon A’li the Commander of the Faithful, and contending against his enemies, and that after his noble mind had been delivered of this care, I hastened to kiss thy felicity-boding threshold. She replied: “Thou hast done well,” and I have heard the apostle of Allah say: “A’li is with the Qurân, and the Qurân with him, nor will they be separated from each other until the time when they meet me on the banks of the Kawthar”’ [in paradise].—A trustworthy author has a tradition that his holy lordship A’li the Commander of the Faithful having heard a noise of voices in the direction of the army of the mother of the faithful, asked for the meaning, and being told that they were cursing the murderers of O’thmân, he exclaimed: ‘May God the Most High respond to their prayer, for they are themselves the murderers of O’thmân!’ That wish of his lordship the Amir of the true believers was fulfilled.

There is a tradition that, after the conquest of Bossrah, A’li the Commander of the Faithful appointed A’bdullah B. A’bbâs to be the governor of that province, with Ebn Samyah, who was during the administration of Moa’wiah known by the name of Zyâd B. Ommyah, and was very intelligent, as his lieutenant. It has already been recorded in these pages that in the beginning of his Khalifate A’li the Commander of the Faithful had appointed A’bdullah B. A’bbâs to the governorship of Yemen, but when Mâlek Ashtar heard of this appointment he said: ‘It is strange that, while we are fighting with the sword, the sons of A’bbâs are governors.’ Loosing in his wrath the bridle of self-restraint from his hands, Mâlek departed to Kûfah without asking permission from his lordship the Amir of the Faithful, who, apprehending that he might excite sedition among the people, hastened after him, overtook him, and meeting him, kindly said to him with many compliments: ‘We have not grudged thee dominion and administration, but we have reserved thee for important affairs. I cannot dispense with thy company, especially in these days, when I am making the greatest efforts to march to Syria, and to annihilate the bloodthirsty warriors of that province. Now I confer upon thee the command of the army, and hope that, if it pleaseth Allah the Most High, with thy aid the affairs of my Khalifate and government will prosper.’ Then Mâlek apologized and excused himself, whereon consultations took place between them, and they remained for some days in Kûfah, to see what would come out from behind the curtain of futurity.