Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Chapter Twelve: RevolutionAgainst Othman and Role of Imam Ali

Egyptian’s Revolts

Muslims were in difficulty.From Egypt, a group in order to complain about their governor. Abdollah Ibn Saed came to Medina and assembled in mosque.

Othman did not like some one complains of his governor. People of Ansars and Mohajerans who were in mosque asked them why they were there and they answered that they wanted to complain of their governor’s oppression to Othman.

Imam Ali told them:" Do not be in haste, go to caliph and report him the event, maybe he is not aware of your governor’s work and maybe he acts on his will. Go to caliph and complain. He may depose him and you gain your goal."

They asked Imam Ali to accompany them, but Imam Ali refused. They insisted and asked him to be witness, but Imam Ali did not accept and said that God, the most powerful, would witness them.

Egyptians went to Othman’s house and asked for entrance permission. Othman asked them:" Why they had left Egypt without his permission and they answered that they had come to Medina to complain of him and his governor. A serious dispute broke out between them, and at last it was taken to mosque. Ayesheh and Talhe, who were informed, interfered and decided to help Egyptians1.

Imam Ali came and talked to Othman2,then Othman wrote a letter:

In the name of God, the Compassionate, The Merciful. This is a letter in which Othman, God's subject, promises to those who resented of him. Othman, from now on, undertake to act according to Quran and Prophet's tradition, to return the rights of those who were oppressed, to provide freedom for those who were afraid of his indignation and to share all booties among soldiers and fighters. Imam Ali is witness and voucher of all these undertakings. The following man put stress on these undertakings too: Zobeir Ibn Avam, Saed Ibn Malik Abi Vaghas, Zeid Ibn Thabit, Talhe Ibn Obaidollah , Abdollah Ibn Omar, Sahl Ibn Honaif, Abu Ayoub Khalid Ibn Zeid.(The year 35 A.H ).

Egyptians took the letter and went3. Imam Ali told Othman to come out and give a speech to people who had assembled in front of the mosque that he had repented. Othman accepted and said:

O people! I swear to God that I am aware of what you critized me. Whatever I did, was based on my wisdom, but unfortunately my carnal desires deluded me and showed me the real controversy and at last I went astray. I myself heard of prophet" whoever goes astray and does error should repent and avoid of doing it more, and if he keeps on oppression, he would be of these who are out of right path." I am the first one who takes counsel of this statement; I repent and turn to God, because I deserve to wash my hands of sin and repent. Now, I want you to express your idea and help me to run this society. I swear to God that if you want me to be bonds man I will accept and do it to help Muslims.

Then Othman began to cry. The narrator says:" I saw that his beard was wet by tears, people sympathized to him, and even some began to cry."

Meanwhile Saeid Ibn Zeid said:" No one is sympathetic toward you more than yourself, so care and do whatever you promised."

After what happened in the mosque, Othman went to his house. There he saw Marvan, Saed and some other people of Bani Omaye. When he took his seat, Marvan asked for permission to speak then said:" If you had told these statements, when you were strong, it would have been better, but by now you professed to your failure and showed them your weakness."

People came to Othman’s house to express their idea and complain, because he had promised to grant them all. Marvan told Othman that people like mountains were around his house. Othman asked Marvan to answer them because he felt ashamed, Marvan went out and shouted:

What has happened? Are you here to plunder this house? Shame on you! We were waiting for your heads not for all of you. Why do you invade us, to plunder our possession, our power? How fool you are. Go back to your homes; we will never retreat and lose power.

After this incident, a group came to Imam Ali and complained of Othman. Imam Ali angrily went to Othman and said to him:"

Do you listen to Marvan yet? He will never leave you unless you lost your faith and wisdom. He is leading you as a humble camel wherever he wishes. Marvan has neither good idea nor faith. I see that he will annihilate you. I will never help you any more.

Navele, Othman's wife, said to Othman:" Oh Imam Ali will never help you. You listened to Marvan and lost someone like Imam Ali."

Othman asked her:" What may I do?"

She said:” Fear of God and follow two previous caliphs. If you listened to Marvan, he will annihilate you, because he is not respected and people do not like him. Send some one after Imam Ali, reconcile with him and request him to help you in social affairs. He is respectful and no body would oppose him. “

Othman sent some one after Imam Ali, but he refused and said:" I told him that I would never help him any more4."

On Friday, Othman went to mosque to give a lecture. First, he praised God, the Exalted, but when he wanted to start his speech, one of attendants stood up and shouted:" Act based on God's Remembrance." Othman asked him to take his place and be silent. This event happened two more times and at last resulted to division among people, a number of them with Othman and a number against him.

People started to stone each other and Othman was stoned too and became unconscious. His relative carried him to home, Imam Ali went to visit him, Bani Omaye whowere around Othman wanted to attack Imam Ali. They told him:" All these incidents are your plot and conspiracy, you're wrong, because we will revolute against you." Imam Ali got angry and left there5.

Othman's opponent assembled somewhere out of Medina. They were waiting what would happen. Ibn Shobah asked for Othman’s permission to go and persuade them to return; he accepted, but when he went, they told him:" Go away, Debauchee6,libertine go away." Ibn Shobah returned to Medina.

Othman asked Amr Ibn Aes to go there and invite them to Quran and that whatever they ask for, he would accept. Amr went to them and said:” Hello.” They told him:” O enemy of God, get back7, Son of Nabeghe8, get back, you are neither trustable, nor we are safe from your trick.” Abdolah Ibn Omar and other companions who were around Othman offered him Imam Ali as the only one who can save this problem. Othman requested Imam Ali to go and talk to them. Imam Ali accepted, but on one condition, that Othman should do whatever Imam Ali would recommend. Othman accepted and Imam Ali went to where the opponents had assembled.

They asked Imam Ali to get back, but Imam Ali refused and went foreword. Imam Ali invited them to Quran and right path, and then said to them that Othman would do whatever they want. they asked Imam Ali whether he vouched that Othman would do their request or not and Imam Ali answered:" Yes".

They agreed; then Imam Ali accompanied by their heads went to Othman9.

These opponents were those Egyptians who had come to complain of their governor, Abdolah Ibn Saed Ibn AbiSarh, then took a letter from Othman and returned, but their governor killed one of them10. Talhe, Zobeir and Ayesheh interfered and asked Othman to depose their governor. They also recommended Mohammad, son of Abu-Bakr.Othman accepted11&12.

Deceitful Decision of Caliph

Inhabitants of Medina revolted against Othman. Imam Ali mediated and Othman, for the last time, promised to live up to his undertakings, he asked people for time and Imam Ali gave him three days extension13. Mohammad, son of Abu-Bakr, who was appointed as Egypt governor, accompanied by a group of Egyptians, was on the way to Egypt; they saw Othman’s servant on a camel who was riding to Egypt. They caught him.and asked:" Where are you going?" He answered:" Egypt" They asked him:" What do you have with yourself?" and the servant answered that nothing. They scrutinized him and his luggage, and found a lead pipe in his leather bottle. In this pipe, there was a letter from Othman to Abdollah Ibn Saed, on which was written:

When they arrive, behead Mohammad and...

then imprison the others and wait until my next

order .

After reading the letter, they returned to Medina and informed Imam Ali of the event and the content of the letter14. Imam Ali went to Othman and asked him about the letter. Othman denied it, but attendants questioned about handwriting, servant, camel and even stamp. Othman justified that his camel had been stolen and the hand writing was similar to his scribe's.... ,but they didn't accept.

Attendant said to Othman to resign otherwise, he would be killed. They reminded him his errors and evil-doing, his repentance and promise and thatnon of them had been lived up to. They also reminded him that he had repented and Mohammad Ibn Maslameh had guaranteed, but he had repeated his evil-doing.

Othman said he will never remove the cloths that God had put on him-It is an Arabic proverb, which meansI never resign15.

Ayesheh's Order to Murder Othman

Ayesheh, who hated Othman, liked Talhe, her cousin, became caliph, made the most of the time and ordered to kill Othman.she declared:

O' Othman! You've allocated the treasure, which is Muslims’ to yourself, and have made Bani Omaye free to do whatever theywish, you've given to your family power, and have put Muslims in difficulty. I wish God kill you, if you didn't say prayer, they would behead you like a camel16.

When Othman heard about Ayesheh and her words, recited the tenth verse ofTahrim( prohibition) chapter:

God set forth an example to these who disbelieve the wife of Noah and the wife of Lut; they were both under two of our righteous servants, but they acted treacherously toward them, so they availed them naught against God, and it was said:" Enter both the fire with those who enter.”

Ayesheh was rebellious and obstinate. She was informed of letter in leather bottle and Othman's order to kill her brother, Mohammad, son of Abu-Bakr. She also got angry when she heard that Othman had recited this verse of Quran for her; therefore, explicitly ordered to kill him. She said:"............Kill Nasal who is apostate.17" She compared him to Nasal18 and in this broke the dignity of caliphate. It must be mentioned that oppressions of governors and Bani Omaye, plundering the treasure and persecuting Muslims had been the main cause of revolution, not Ayesheh's order.

Jahjah Ghefari's Words

Othman was giving speech while he had leaned to the stick on which Abu-Bakr and Omar had leaned, suddenly Jahjah Ghafari stood up and shouted:" O' Nasal, get down and don't preach us19."

Another narrative is that Jahjah Ghefari told him:" I should put you on a camel and took you to a volcano, then threw you in it." Nobody answered him and Bani Omaye took Othman to his house20.

The Siege of Othman's House

Most of the people who besieged Othman's house were Egyptians. Ansars were with them too. Egyptians, who were on the way to Haj, met people of Kufe and Basra, who were on the way to Haj too. Therefore, all of them with the help of some inhabitants of Medina besieged Othman's house. Ayesheh's letter, based on killing Othman, had reached to different cities and put a great impact on this revolution21. People besieged Othman's house and obeying Talhe, blocked the water22.

Ayesheh, who was sure of the end of this event, prepared herself for Haj, because she didn't want to be in Medina while Othman was killed. Othman sent Marvan and Abdorahman Ibn Attab to request her to remain and ask people not to kill him23. They went and told her, but she rejected and said:" I have provided my provision and I should go." They offered her that they would pay two times more than what she had spent, but she didn't accept24. Then Marvan recited the following lines:

.

He set on fire the city, and offerits blazing, left me to be swallowed by the fire25.

Ayesheh said to Marvan:" Marvan! Do you think I doubt about Othman, your boss?26 I swear to God that I like to carry him in one of my sacks in order to drown him in sea27."

Ayesheh left for Mecca and Haj ceremony.

Abdollah Ibn-e Abbas was the manager of Haj ceremony. Ayesheh, on her way to Mecca, Solsol28, met him and said to him:"

I want you not to help Othman with your soft words and put the revolutionaries in doubt. People have found the right path and gathered around Othman's house. I saw Talhe with keys of treasure. If he became caliph, he will act according to his cousin, Abu-Bakr.

Abdollah Ibn-e Abbas answered:" Mother29, if something happened and people kill Othman, without any doubt the next caliph is Imam Ali."

Ayesheh got angry and said that she didn't want to dispute with him30.

Talhe and the keys of treasure chamber

Talhe had obtained the keys of treasure house, and in result his house was crowded with people. Othman, who had felt danger, sent some one after Imam Ali. Imam Ali, who had said that he would never help him, came to Othman. Othman told Imam Ali:" You're indebted to me in several cases, you're my religious brother, you're my relative and prophet's son-in-law31, and if you ignore all these, ourtribes disdains to give the power to others.

Imam Ali said:" You will be informed."Then left to mosque. There, he met Thames; put his hand on his shoulder and both went to Talhe's house. Imam Ali said to Talhe:" What are you doing? Why do you disturb public peace?" Talhe answered:" O' Imam Ali! You are too late and every thing is over32."

Imam Ali understood that it has no use to talk with Talhe, therefore he went to treasure chamber. Imam Ali said:" Open the door." The people said that the keys were with Talhe, but Imam Ali ordered to break the door, thenhimself began to distribute the gold and silvers to people. Those who had assembled in Talhe’s house, left there and went to

Imam Ali to obtain something.

Talhe who was alone went to Othman and said to him:" I've done something that I want God to forgive me. I had something in my mind, but I couldn't grant it."

Othman said:" You are not here to repent; you are here because you failed. I want God to revenge me on you33.

Talhe blocked the water to Othman, but Imam Ali gave him water

Historian Tabari writes:

Othman's house was besieged forty days and during this period, Talhe was the leader34. None of prophet’s companions was against Othman as much as Talhe was35. Talhe and Zobeir took the rein of affairs. Talhe blocked the water and Othman couldn't supply drinking water for himself and his family. Imam Ali recommended Talhe to give them water, but he rejected36. When the siege was intensified, Othman sent some one to Imam Ali in order to help him and give him water. Imam Ali spoke with Talhe, but he didn't agree to give Othman water. Imam Ali got angry. Talhe feared and gave them some water37. But the water was blocked again. Othman went on the roof and asked whether Imam Ali was among throng or not. Imam Ali was not, so he asked for Saed. He was not too. Othman was silent for a while, and then said:” some one request Imam Ali to bring me some water. “

When Imam Ali was informed, he sent three leathers bottle full of water to Othman. The servants carried the bottles among themselves in order to avoid revolutionaries tear them, and at last some of them were torn. At this conflict, Talhe saw Othman's servant and asked him:" What does your boss do?" He answered:" Oh, I'm sure that you will kill him." Talhe ironically told him:" In that case neither a prophet, nor an angel is killed38."

Abdollah Ibn Ayash Ibn Abi Rabiah narrates:

When Othman's house was besieged, I went to see him and we talked for an hour. When we were speaking, Othman took my hand and asked me to listen. We could hear the voice of those who had besiege his house and were speaking at the door. I heard some one said:" Why are you waiting?" another one answered:" wait, maybe he turns to good-deeds." Meanwhile Talhe said:" Where is Ibn Odays?39 " Ibn Odays came and Talhe whispered something in his ears, then he shouted:" From now on nobody can exit or enter to this house." Othman said:" O, God make me free from Talhe and his evil-doings, he is who motivates people to revolute against me, he is who makes me disrespectful, oh, and he has not this right." I wanted to leave there, but they did not let me. I was there until Mohammad, son of Abu-Bakr, ordered them to let me leave there.

Murder of Othman and Reaction of Imam Ali

Imam Ali was informed that they wanted to kill Othman, so he ordered his sons, Imam Hasan and Imam Hosain, to take their swords and defend caliph. Around Othman's house, there was a great uproar and people insisted to kill him and end this scene. In this conflict, Imam Hasan and Imam Hosain were injured. Imam Hasan's face was red of his blood. Ghanbar's head was broken and he was severely injured, he was Imam Ali servant. Mohammad, son of Abu-Bakr, feared of another revolute which Imam Ali's family would raise; therefore, called for two other invaders and told them:" If Bani Hashim see this scene, specially Imam Hasan's face, they will attack us and bring our plan to naught, let's enter from walls and kill him quietly40."

Historian Ibn Abi Hadid writes:

Talhe, while he has covered his face with a piece of textile in order not to be known, shot down Othman's house41. It was agreed that Mohammad, son of Abu-Bakr, and two others, climb wall of Othman's neighbor and gotthemselves to Othman, then kill him. When Mohammad wanted to kill him, Othman said to him:" If your father was alive, and saw you on my chest, he would become inconvenienced and sad. Mohammad grew feeble and the two others killed him42.

When Othman was killed, people gave Talhe good tiding, but Imam Ali got angry when he heard this news. When Imam Ali and Talhe confronted, Talhe told him:" What has happened that you are so angry?"

Imam Ali answered:" Goddamn you, why do you kill some one of prophet’s companion?. "

Talhe said:" If he had left Marvan, he would have not been killed43.”

Another narrative is that Talhe said:" Othman was not an angel or a prophet44."

Swearing Allegiance with Imam Ali and Othman’s burial

Othman's corpes was not buried for three days, until Imam Ali became caliph and people swore allegiance with him.

Bani Omaye went to Imam Ali in order to ask for his permission to bury Othman's corpse. Imam Ali permitted and five persons, Maviye, Othman's fifth daughter and three servants buried him. When people became aware of this, gathered stones and sat on the way of cemetery.When they saw the corpse, stoned it. This scene was reported to Imam Ali and he sent some men to disperse people and guard the corpse. Othman's corpse was buried in Jewish cementry. Othman's daughter began to cry; people started to stone them again, while they were shouting "Nasal, Nasal45."

Later, Maviye became caliph and ordered to destroy the wall between Baghi and Jewish one. He also ordered Muslims to bury their dead around Othman's grave in order to join his grave to Muslims46'.

The end of Saqife

Saqife ended after Othman's murder. In the Saqife, it was agreed that they, one after another became caliph and if Othman had not been killed, he would appoint some one as his successor and Imam Ali would never became caliph, but this agreement was corrupted by people's revolute. After Saqife, Mohajerans, Ansars and Prophet’s companions assembled in front of Imam Ali’s home to swear allegiance with him.

***

Once, in the last days of his caliphate, Imam Ali stated the story of Saqife completely thorough a sermon famous as Shaghshaghiye47 from Abu-Bakr’s taking power to people’s swearing allegiance with him.

The text of Imam Ali’s sermon famous as Sheghsheghiye

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O, people, I swear to God that he (Abu-Bakr) put the garment of caliphate on while he knew that my situation to this task was like an axis of the mill around which the mill turns.

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The virtues flow from the peak of my soul toward people. The height of my excellence is higher than what birds wish to fly around it. (When they took the power) I put a drape between it and myself, and turned away from it. I thought about two ways, which were in front of me, attack them helplessly or tolerate on this oppressive accident. This horrible event made middle-aged decrepit, the young old and faithful persons in hardships until the visit if creator.

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Based on accurate mind and thinking, I decided to remain patient rather than to attack them empty-handed; therefore, I waited and suffered it like an eye, which suffers from a thorn or a throat which suffers from a chocking bone. Why should I not be anxious and in turbulence as a stormy sea?

I saw that my right was plundered and it was far from its true path.

Then the caliphate period of first one passed, and he died, but he deposited it into another one.

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This event reminded me this poem of Aasha Gheis:

Now that I have nothing and just ride a camel in deserts is far from when I was with Haiyan, Jaber’s brother, in welfare and easiness.

How strange it is that one wanted to remove caliphate during his life, but deposit it to another one to run after him.

How decisive they shared the caliphate between themselves as though such a fateful decision did need neither thought, nor consultation.

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The first one died and deposited the government to a rough and coarse tempered person who disappointed everybody and the touch of it was unpleasant. Such bad tempered person did lots of slips and errors with lots of bad consequences.

Being with bad tempered persons is like riding an untamed camel which if you pull the rein, it hurts it and if you release the rein, it becomes wild and out of control.

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This caliphate was riding an untamed camel fast in wrong way, instead of passing the length of the path, passing the width of it. I tolerated as deep as tolerance means and suffered hardship as hard as it can be, until the second one passed away too and put the task of selection of his successor on the shoulder of the council that he thought I was one of them.

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I seek refuge to God from such a council. While, undoubtedly, I was better than the first (Abu-Bakr), I was counted as equal as the member of the council were. Once more, I tolerated and as a bird would fly if they flew and I would alight if they alight. A member of that council, for the enemity against me turned away from right and turned to his brother-in-low.

Another person from that council took the rein of government. He just thought about filling and emptying his stomach. Accompanied by him, his relatives, like camels which eat the fresh grosses pleasantly, enjoyed the world and its pleasures. Years passed and the third caliph died too, in fact, his overeating prostrated him and his evil-deeds got him to be killed.

It was an interesting day when the throngs, very crowded, like famine-stricken, who try to obtain food, tried to deposit me caliphate. There were so many people that my sons, Imam Hasan and Imam Hosain, were pressed and my outer garment was torn.

The submission of majority of nation at that day, like the submission of the sheeps of a herd, had surrounded me unanimously.

When I took the power, some breached their promise, some went astray and some began to oppress, as if they had not heard the statement of God.

(As for) that future abode, we assign it to those who have no desire to exalt themselves in the earth nor to make mischief, and the good end is for those who guard (against evil).

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O, yes, they heard God’s statement and perceived it too, but world and its pleasures beautified itself in front of their eyes and they sank through it.

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I swear to God who created the soul and split the grain (to grow) that if some people were not ready to help me, and if it was not duty to on my shoulder, and if there was no pledge between God and wise men about not tolerating the overeating of oppressors and hunger of oppressed, I would cast the rein of government away and like the beginning of it, I would turn away from it heedlessly to show that this world doesn’t worth even the sneezing of a goat for me.

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It is narrated that someone stood up and delivered a letter to Imam Ali, he began to read it. When he finished the reading, Ibn-e Abbas asked him to continue his speech, but Imam Ali answered:” Ibn-e Abass, if I continue it will be like the lung of a camel, which sounds and again becomes calm.( it is an Arabic proverb which means “in vain”).

Ibn `Abbas says that he never grieved more than when he did over this one because Imam Ali could not finish it as he wished to.