The following is from al-Dhahabi’s Siyar A3lam al-Nubala’. It is a sample of what some of the scholars had to do during the Ummayyad reign in order to survive. In summary, in order for this scholar (Imam Abdul Rahman Amru al-Uza3ee) to get his salary, he had to testify to Ali’s hypocrisy and he had to disavow Ali, the same exact thing that happened during the despotic reign of Mua’awiya, as we have learnt from the history of al-Tabari and other sources:
When al-Uza3ee realized the gravity of what he was doing, he asked the opinion of Mak-hhul, Yehya ibn Katheer, A’atta’ ibn Abi Rabah and Abdullah ibn Ubayd ibn Umayr and they said: “You were forced to do so.” But he was not satisfied with their answers. In order to free himself from this calamity and atone for his sins, he divorced his wives, freed his slave and got rid of his wealth.
This oppressive regime pushed most of the scholars and mainstream population to repress their thoughts and opinions about what they were forced to do with regards to Imam Ali. You have seen in the History of al-Tabari how the governors of Mua’awiya were forcing the people to insult and disavow Ali, else they would be persecuted and killed, like Hujr was killed. The people were afraid to lose their rights and properties, so they kept quiet. But not all kept quiet, such as Hujr ibn Adi.
A more famous Sunni scholar, Imam al-Nisa’i, the author of one of the 6 canonical collections of hadith, categorically rejected the idea that Muaawiya had any virtues and refused to write down all the false narrations claiming that Muawiya had virtues. His steadfast position cost him his life. Al-Dhahabi in Siyar A3lam al-Nubala’ writes:
قال الدارقطني : خرج حاجا فامتحن بدمشق ، وأدرك الشهادة ، فقال : [ ص: 133 ] احملوني إلى مكة . فحمل وتوفي بها ، وهو مدفون بين الصفا والمروة ، وكانت وفاته في شعبان سنة ثلاث وثلاثمائة .
Imam al-Hakim al-Nisabburi is another Sunni scholar who was accused of Tashayyu’. He was restrained to his house because he showed his staunch opposition to Mua’awiya, his household and his adherents. Such were the terrors inflicted upon those who rejected Mua’awiya and his likes. Where is the freedom of speech and of opinion?? Al-Dhahabi in Siyar A3lam al-Nubala’ writes:
ibn Tahir said: “al-Hakim was excessively clung to the Shia’a in his heart, but will make apparent his adherence to the Sunni circles in terms of the precedence of Abu Bakr and Umar and the Khilafat, and he also was an excessive deviant from Muawiya and his household and he made that apparent without apologizing”…
Abdul Rahman al-Sulami said: “I came to see al-Hakim who was restrained to his house by the companions of Abu Abdullah ibn al-Karram who broke apart his minbar, and was not allowed to go to the Mosque. I told him: ‘If you were to get out and tell the people one narration about the virtues of that man (Muaawiya), you would have rid yourself off this trial.'” al-Hakim said: “My heart won’t allow me to do so. My heart won’t allow me to do so.”
أنبأني أحمد بن سلامة ، عن محمد بن إسماعيل الطرسوسي ، عن ابن طاهر : أنه سأل أبا إسماعيل عبد الله بن محمد الهروي ، عن أبي عبد الله الحاكم ، فقال : ثقة في الحديث ، رافضي خبيث .
قلت : كلا ليس هو رافضيا ، بل يتشيع .
قال ابن طاهر : كان شديد التعصب للشيعة في الباطن ، وكان [ ص: 175 ] يظهر التسنن في التقديم والخلافة ، وكان منحرفا غاليا عن معاوية – رضي الله عنه – وعن أهل بيته ، يتظاهر بذلك ، ولا يعتذر منه ، فسمعت أبا الفتح سمكويه بهراة ، سمعت عبد الواحد المليحي ، سمعت أبا عبد الرحمن السلمي يقول : دخلت على الحاكم وهو في داره ، لا يمكنه الخروج إلى المسجد من أصحاب أبي عبد الله بن كرام وذلك أنهم كسروا منبره ، ومنعوه من الخروج ، فقلت له : لو خرجت وأمليت في فضائل هذا الرجل حديثا ، لاسترحت من المحنة ، فقال : لا يجيء من قلبي ، لا يجيء من قلبي .
وسمعت المظفر بن حمزة بجرجان ، سمعت أبا سعد الماليني ، يقول : طالعت كتاب ” المستدرك على الشيخين ” ، الذي صنفه الحاكم من أوله إلى آخره ، فلم أر فيه حديثا على شرطهما .
قلت : هذه مكابرة وغلو ، وليست رتبة أبي سعد أن يحكم بهذا ، بل في ” المستدرك ” شيء كثير على شرطهما ، وشيء كثير على شرط أحدهما ، ولعل مجموع ذلك ثلث الكتاب بل أقل ، فإن في كثير من ذلك أحاديث في الظاهر على شرط أحدهما أو كليهما ، وفي الباطن لها علل خفية مؤثرة ، وقطعة من الكتاب إسنادها صالح وحسن وجيد ، وذلك نحو ربعه ، وباقي الكتاب مناكير وعجائب ، وفي غضون ذلك أحاديث نحو المائة يشهد القلب ببطلانها ، كنت قد أفردت منها [ ص: 176 ] جزءا ، وحديث الطير بالنسبة إليها سماء ، وبكل حال فهو كتاب مفيد قد اختصرته ، ويعوز عملا وتحريرا .
ال ابن طاهر : قد سمعت أبا محمد بن السمرقندي يقول : بلغني أن ” مستدرك ” الحاكم ذكر بين يدي الدارقطني ، فقال : نعم ، يستدرك عليهما حديث الطير! فبلغ ذلك الحاكم ، فأخرج الحديث من الكتاب .
لت : هذه حكاية منقطعة ، بل لم تقع ، فإن الحاكم إنما ألف ” المستخرج ” في أواخر عمره ، بعد موت الدارقطني بمدة ، وحديث الطير ففي الكتاب لم يحول منه ، بل هو أيضا في ” جامع ” الترمذي . قال ابن طاهر : ورأيت أنا حديث الطير جمع الحاكم بخطه في جزء ضخم ، فكتبته للتعجب .
This oppressive regime, that Muaawiya started, had no problem punishing those opposed to Muaawiya and his likes, but they kept quiet when Imam Ali was insulted on the pulpits of the Mosque in every Khutbah!!! Was not Imam Ali the closest companion of the prophet?? The ignorant from the mainstream Sunni accuse the Shia’a of Kufr and heresy when some of them insults Abu Bakr or Umar or any other companion while these same ignorant people bless Muaawiya and his likes who spent 90 years insulting Imam Ali and persecuting his followers! These people (Muaawiya and his people) are even considered trustworthy narrators in the books of Hadith while many of the staunch followers of Imam Ali are considered weak narrators! Tell me where the logic is in this calamity??
Aal-e-Qutub Aal-e-Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi 
al-Daraquttni said: “He was trialed in Damascus and died a martyr.” al-Nisa’i said: “Take me to Macca.” He was taken there and died there.