Ali, the Superman part 36

The defection of Talha and Zubair

Two of Ali’s followers who had been disappointed in their hopes, were Talha and Zubair. Both had sworn allegiance to Ali only after a public show of reluctance. Nevertheless they now asked Ali for the governorships of Basra and Kufa respectively, assuring him of their unswerving loyalty should they be confirmed in these appointments. But they found their ambitions thwarted by Ali who refused to grant their applications saying that, if such persons of note and merit were allowed to leave Medina, Ali would have none left of equal ability with whom he could confidently consult. Talha and Zubair pointed out that these provinces were near Medina and that they would therefore be at Ali’s beck and call; also that should an emergency arise, they could speedily come to Ali’s aid with reinforcements. Ali would have none of it. “Do you know on what condition we have sworn allegiance to you?” they persisted. “You swore fealty to me”, replied Ali”, on the condition that you would obey me as you have obeyed Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman.” “Not so, my Lord,” was the answer,” we swore allegiance to you on the condition that you would make us partners .in the administrative affairs of the State”. Ali, who would suffer no one to dictate terms to him, ordered them to be silent and, greatly cast down in spirits, the two warriors left his presence. It was not in Ali’s nature to compromise with people

he did not trust, but by refusing to make terms with Talha and Zubair, Ali alienated the sympathies of the two men who might well have become his most powerful allies. Realising that Ali had no mind to give them any say in his administration, Talha and Zubair now cast round for an excuse to leave Medina for Mecca, asking for permission to go on the pilgrimage. This Ali also refused to grant them and they finally left in secret. If the Sunni writers are to be believed, the origina

intention of Talha and Zubair in journeying to
who was to raise forces to free Medina from the rebels; still held the capital in their power and whom Ali was powerless to defy. The Sunni writers say that when Talha and Zubair had asked Ali to take vengeance on the regicides he had refused, saying that he was quite unable to take action against such a powerful enemy. They therefore went to Mecca to raise the necessary troops to free the metropolis.

According to Ibn Qutayba their motives in leaving Medina were purely personal ones and the express result of Ali’s refusal to grant them the governorships they had asked for. They were both men of ambition and influence and if Ali would not allow them to support him, then they would plot his overthrow. Realising that they had no hope of mustering followers in Medina, they went to Mecca to join with Aishah and the enemies of Ali in the hope of securing the Caliphate for them- selves.

In Mecca they could command considerable support Talha, who had been one of the esteemed companions of the Holy Prophet, was also a blood relation of Abu Bakr. He was immensely rich and wielded enormous influence among the Meccan Quraish. Similarly Zubair, who had married Abu Bakr’s daughter and whose mother, Sufiyyah, was an aunt of the Holy Prophet, (being the daughter of Abd-al-Muttalib) was also a man of great wealth, popularity and influence. Thus by alienating the sympathies of these two men, Ali further increased the hostility of the Meccan Quraish towards him.

Mu’awiya’s letter to Zubair

Mu’awiya had lost no time in sowing discord amongst Ali’s followers. Knowing that Talha and Zubair had been disappointed in their hopes for the Caliphate, the wily Umayyad is reputed to have sent the following letter to Zubair:-

“In the name of God, the most. Beneficient andMerciful. From Mu’awiya bin Abu Sufyan to the Commander of the Faithful Abdullah az-Zubair. Salutations. I have taken for you the oath of allegiance in your name from the people of Syria. They have gladly accepted you as their Lord. You should similarly contact the people of Kufa and Basra and win them. over to your side. If the people of both these provinces submit to your authority, I am sure you will be safe in the saddle without any one to oppose you. The next after you; for whom I have taken the oath of fealty is Talha. It behoves you now to press Ali and demand satisfaction for Uthman’s murder. Both of you ought to take action at once in this matter. May God help you in your designs, and frustrate the hopes of your enemy.” 35

The authenticity of this letter is highly questionable. It is unlikely that a person as shrewd and astute as Mu’awiya and one, moreover who laid claims to the Caliphate himself would have been so rash as to write a letter which could be used against him after his accession. On the other hand there can be little doubt that Mu’awiya did everything in his power to encourage Talha and Zubair to recant their oath of allegiance to Ali and that the promise of his active support served to revive in them their hopes of the Caliphate for themselves. Meanwhile Mu’awiya’s own ambitions were steadily increasing with the growth of his power.

Syria Clamours for Vengeance

It was to Damascus that the Umayyad chiefs had fled immediately after Uthman’s murder, bearing with them the bloodstained shirt as evidence of his murder. Sir William Muir describes the way in which Mu’ awiya immediately made use of these relics as propaganda:-

“Mu’awiya had no sooner P. 1. Sir William Muir The Caliphate, its Rise, Decline and Fall. 237-38 Eublishers, John Grant. Edinburgh. Edition 1924.
received the emblems ofUthman’s murder, -the gory shirt and Na’ila’s mangled fingers, then he hung them on the pulpit of Damascus Mosque. There suspended, they remained a spectacle maddening the Syrians to bloody revenge. Still, he took no immediate action. Biding his time, he waited to see what the new Caliph might do. Had Ali been wise, he would have used the angry Syrians to take vengeance on the regicides, and in so doing crush as well the rising rebellions of the Arab tribes. In this work they would have been his strongest help, for Syria never suffered from the Bedouine turbulence which kept al- Iraq and Egypt in continual turmoil. It had been the early favourite field of Quraish who, settling there more largely than eleswhere, found their influence, in consequence, all the better recognised. Moreover, they. inhabited the Syrian cities common with the Christian population, which had surrendered for the most part on favourable terms. Syria was, thus, throughout all classes orderly and loyal; whereas al-Basra and al-Kufa were filled with restless and headstrong Arab tribes which held the conquered lands to be their own especial patrimony. Law prevailed in Syria; in al-Iraq and Egypt, petulance and pride of arms. Syria was, moreover, attached to the Umayyad stock, and so remained faithful to the end.”

In addition to these Umayyad chiefs who had found asylum in Damascus, many other malcontents made their way to Syria to gather around Mu’awiya. Damas- cus, like Mecca, soon became a rendezvous for those who were dissatisfied with Ali. The sedition, say the chroniclers, spread like a huge fire, fanned by the sight of the emblems of Uthman’s death, which were daily on Rumours were rife that Ali had nut only failed to bring Uthman’s murderer to justice but that Ali himself had been an accomplice in the murder, or at least he had abetted the murderers by harbouring and protecting them. Professor Hitti view in the mosque

1. Professor P.K. Hitti-History of the Arabs. p. 180 Publishers Messers Macmillian & Co. Edition 1949.

describes the skill and eloquence with which Mu’awiya conducted his campaign of propaganda.

“Mu’awiya, now came out as the avenger of the martyred Caliph. With the tactics and eloquence of an Antony, he endeavoured to play on Muslim emotions.. Withholding his homage from Ali, Mu’awiya tried to corner him with this dilemma: Produce the assassins of the duly appointed successor of the Prophet, or accept the position of an accomplice, who is thereby disqualified from the Caliphate. This issue, however, was more than a personal one: it transcended individual and even family affairs. The real question was whether al- Kufa (the metropolis of Ali) or Damascus, al-Iraq or Syria should be supreme in Islamic affairs.” The whole of Syria now clamoured for vengeance

and Mu’awiya judged that the time had come when he might safely and openly defy Ali.