Four Days of Terror in Medina
After the murder of Uthman, the rebels, who had gained complete mastery of Medina established a reign of terror. Chaos and confusion prevailed, the machinery of government had come to a standstill and those Muslims fear of their who had been loyal to Uthman went in Those Medinites who could manage to get away from the capital, fled to Mecca, Damascus or to other provincial towns; those who were unable to escape shut themselves up within the four walls of their houses until the rebel fury had spent itself.
Among those who fled to Damascus to seek refuge with Mu’awiya, governor of Syria and cousin of Uthman, were some of the Umayyad relatives of the murdered Caliph. According to the authors of Rouza-tu-Safa and Habib-us-Sayar, these included among their number Numan bin Besheir, Abdullah, the son of the late Caliph Umar the Great, Muhammad bin Mosselmah, Hussaun, and Zaid Thaubet, Soheyb bin Sennaun and Kaub bin Malik. They are said to have taken with them the blood-stained robes of Uthman and the chopped-off fingers of Na’ila and to have delivered them to Mu’awiya. Later, when things had quietened down throughout the country these refugees withdrew to Mecca where they found a welcome ally in Aisha, the widow of the Holy Prophet.
Meanwhile in Medina the atrocities continued. For four days after the ghastly murder the rebels gave free rein to unbridled lust, savage rapine, loot and plunder. On the fifth day, hearing that help for the Medinites was now near at hand and fearing for their own safety, they ceased their terrorist activities and began to think of electing a successor to Uthman. This they now had to do in a great hurry as they were anxious to withdraw from Medina, before the troops from the provinces arrived.
Ali is Offered the Caliphate
Each of the three rebel bands had a different candidate to put forward. The people of Basra favoured the election of Talha, the men of Kufa favoured Zubair, while the Egyptian leader, Ashtar, wanted Ali to become Caliph. In spite of the extreme urgency of the situation the rebels were unable to come to a unanimous decision until Ashtar took matters into his own hands and threatened the leaders of the other two bands with death if they failed to see eye to eye with him in regard to election. Ashtar then put forward the case of Ali, enquiring of them where they could find a better man than Ali, who in scholarship, knowledge, wisdom, piety, bravery and political sagacity, stod head and shoulders above his rivals. Having secured their approval, Ashtar then went to Ali to offer him the Caliphate, saying, “Stretch forth thy hand for I intended to offer you my allegiance.” Ali hesitated, but Ashtar continued to urge acceptance upon him. “Diplomacy”, he persisted, “urges that you should accept the allegiance.” Ali was again silent. “Failing to do as you are bidden could cost you your life,” said the leader of the regicides. Even this threat failed to move Ali. What finally prevailed upon him to accept the unwanted sovereignty was the patent need for someone to impose order on the confusion that prevailed in Medina. None of the people knew what to do or to whom they might turn and the unity of the Islamic Commonwealth was being hourly disrupted.
Election
Reverend Simon Ockley describes Ali’s reluctant as follows:-
acceptance of the Caliphate In this confusion several of the candidates came to Ali, desiring him to accept the government. Upon his excusing himself and assuring them that he had no wish. for the dignity, but was quite ready to give his consent to the election of any other person on whom their choice should fall, they insisted that there was none so well qualified as he, whether he were considered with regard to his personal accomplishments, or his near relationship to the Holy Prophet. But to all their remonstrances he still replied that he had much rather serve any other whom they should think fit to choose, in the capacity of Vizier, then take the government upon himself.
Ali being thus obstinate in his refusal, and all those of the family of Umayy.. (of whom more hereafter) that had an opportunity, having in the meantime withdrawn themselves, the greater part of the men from the several provinces, who however well-satisfied they were with the murder of Uthman were highly displeased at this difficulty in the choice of his successor, assembled together, and came in a tumultuous body to Medina. Addressing themselves to the chief inhabitants, they told them that they were the proper persons to determine this controversy, adding that they would allow them one day to consider over it, in which time, if it were not concluded, Talha, Zubair, and Ali and several others, would be put to the sword. Upon this the people of Medina came to Ali in the evening, earnestly entreating him to consider the condition of their religion. But as he still declined to accept the Caliphate, and desired them to think of some other person, they said, “We adjure thee by God! Dost not thou consider in what condition we are? Dost not thou consider the religion? Dost not thou consider the distraction of the people? Dost thou not fear God?”. Overcome at last with these pathetic expostulations he answered, “If you will excuse.me, there shall be no other difference between you and me but this, that, whosoever you may set over me, I will prove myself one of his most submissive and obedient subjects, but if not, and I must comply with your wishes in this matter, then I will deal with you according to the best of my knowledge.” When, upon these words, they preferred to give him their hands (the form then in use among them upon such occasions), at his own house he resolved not to accept of their allegiance in private, requiring them to go through the ceremony publicly at the mosque,’ in order that all parties might be satisfied, and have no just cause of complaint. For Ali was apprehensive of the disloyalty of Aishah, Talha, Zubair and the whole house of Umayya (of which Mu’awiya, Uthman’s lieutenant in Syria was Chief) who, he knew, would avail themselves of every opportunity to oppose and disturb his government. In the morning, therefore, he went to the mosque, dressed in a thin cotton gown, tied about with a girdle, and having a coarse turban upon his head, with his slippers in one hand and a bow in the other instead of a walking staff. Talha and Zubair not being present, he ordered them to be sent for. When they came, they offered him their hands as a mark or token of their approbation. Upon this, Ali assured them that if either of them would accept the government, he was quite content, and would give them his hand in perfect sincerity. This, however, they both declined, and gave him theirs. The hand that Talha offered to Ali had been very much shattered and maimed by some wounds which he had received in the war. One of the bystanders perceiving this (the Eastern nations being generally addicted to superstition, are great observers of omens), remarked that it was a bad sign; that it was like to be but a lame sort of business that was begun with a lame hand. How far that presage was fulfilled will best appear from the remaining history of Ali.”
1. Simon-Ockley-History of the Sarcens. p. 288-90. Publishers Henry G. Bhon, London, Edition, 1848.
Aal-e-Qutub Aal-e-Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi 