Nahjul Balagha [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Disclosing real facts about
assassination of Uthman Ibn Affan⁽¹⁾ Amir al-mu'minin said:

If I had ordered his assassination I should have
been his killer, but if I had refrained others from killing him I would have been his
helper. The position was that he who helped him cannot now say that he is better than the
one who deserted him while he who deserted him cannot say that he is better than the one
who helped him. I am putting before you his case. He appropriated (wealth) and did it
badly. You protested against it and committed excess therein. With Allah lies the real
verdict between the appropriator and the protester.
⁽¹⁾.
Uthman is the first Umayyad Caliph of Islam who ascended the Caliphate on the 1st
Muharram, 24 A.H. at the age of seventy and after having wielded full control and
authority over the affairs of the Muslims for twelve years was killed at their hands on
the 18th Dhi'l-hijjah, 35 A.H. and buried at Hashsh Kawkab.
This fact cannot be denied that
Uthman's killing was the result of his weaknesses and the black deeds of his officers,
otherwise, there is no reason that Muslims should have unanimously agreed on killing him
while no one except a few persons of his house stood up to support and defend him. Muslims
would have certainly given consideration to his age, seniority, prestige and distinction
of companionship of the Prophet but his ways and deeds had so marred the atmosphere that
no one seemed prepared to sympathise and side with him. The oppression and excesses
perpetrated on high ranking companions of the Prophet had roused a wave of grief and anger
among the Arab tribes. Everyone was infuriated and looked at his haughtiness and wrong
doings with disdainful eyes. Thus, due to Abu Dharr's disgrace, dishonour and exile Banu
Ghifar and their associate tribes, due to Abdullah ibn Masud's merciless beating Banu
Hudhayl and their associates, due to breaking of the ribs of Ammar ibn Yasir, Banu
Makhzum and their associates Banu Zuhrah, and due to the plot for the killing of Muhammad
ibn Abi Bakr, Banu Taym all had a storm of rage in their hearts. The Muslims of other
cities were also brimful of complaints at the hands of his officers who under intoxication
of wealth and the effects of luxury did whatever they wished and crushed whomever they
wanted. They had no fear of punishment from the centre nor apprehension of any enquiry.
People were fluttering to get out of their talons of oppression but no one was ready to
listen to their cries of pain and restlessness; feelings of hatred were rising but no care
was taken to put them down. The companions of the Prophet were also sick of him as they
saw that peace was destroyed, administration was topsy turvy and Islam's features were
being metamorphosed. The poor and the starving were craving for dried crusts while Banu
Umayyah were rolling in wealth. The Caliphate had become a handle for belly-filling and a
means of amassing wealth. Consequently, they too did not lag behind in preparing the
ground for killing him. Rather, it was at their letters and messages that people from
Kufah, Basrah and Egypt had collected in Medina. Observing this behaviour of the people of
Medina, Uthman wrote to Muawiyah:
So now, certainly the people of
Medina have turned heretics, have turned faith against obedience and broken the (oath of)
allegiance. So you send to me the warriors of Syria on brisk and sturdy horses.
The policy of action adopted by
Muawiyah on receipt of this letter also throws light on the condition of the companions.
Historian at-Tabari writes after this:
When the letter reached Muawiyah
he pondered over it and considered it bad to openly oppose the companions of the Prophet
since he was aware of their unanimity.
In view of these circumstances to
regard the killing of Uthman as a consequence of merely enthusiasm and temporary feelings
and to hurl it at some insurgents is to veil the fact, since all the factors of his
opposition existed within Medina itself, while those coming from without had collected for
seeking redress of their grievances at their call. Their aim was only improvement of the
position, not killing or bloodshed. If their complaints had been heard then the occasion
for this bloodshed would not have arisen.
What happened was that when, having
been disgusted with the oppression and excesses of Abdullah ibn Sad ibn Abi Sarh, who
was foster brother of Uthman, the people of Egypt proceeded towards Medina and camped in
the valley of Dhakhushub near the city. They sent a man with a letter to Uthman and
demanded that oppression should be stopped, the existing ways should be changed and
repentance should be offered for the future. But instead of giving a reply Uthman got
this man turned out of the house and did not regard their demands worth attention. On this
these people entered the city to raise their voice against this pride and haughtiness, and
complained to the people of this behaviour besides other excesses. On the other side many
people from Kufah and Basrah had also arrived with their complaints and they, after
joining these ones, proceeded forward with the backing of the people of Medina and
confined Uthman within his house, although there was no restriction on his going and
coming to the mosque. But in his sermon on the very first Friday he severely rebuked these
people and even held them accursed, whereupon people got infuriated and threw pebbles at
him as a result of which he lost control and fell from the pulpit. After a few days his
coming and going to the mosque was also banned.
When Uthman saw matters
deteriorating to this extent he implored Amir al-mu'minin very submissively to find some
way for his rescue and to disperse the people in whatever way he could. Amir al-mu'minin
said, "On what terms can I ask them to leave when their demands are justified?"
Uthman said, "I authorise you in this matter. Whatever terms you would settle with
them I would be bound by them." So Amir al-mu'minin went and met the Egyptians and
talked to them. They consented to get back on the condition that all the tyrannies should
be wiped off and Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr be made governor by removing Ibn Abi Sarh. Amir
al-mu'minin came back and put their demand before Uthman who accepted it without any
hesitation and said that to get over these excesses time was required. Amir al-mu'minin
pointed out that for matters concerning Medina delay had no sense. However, for other
places so much time could be allowed that the Caliph's message could reach them. Uthman
insisted that for Medina also three days were needed. After discussion with the Egyptians
Amir al-mu'minin agreed to it also and took all the responsibility thereof upon himself.
Then they dispersed at his suggestion. Some of them went to Egypt with Muhammad ibn Abi
Bakr while some went to the valley of Dhakhushub and stayed there and this whole matter
ended. On the second day of this event Marwan ibn al-Hakam said to Uthman, "It is
good, these people have gone, but to stop people coming from other cities you should issue
a statement so that they should not come this way and sit quiet at their places and that
statement should be that some people collected in Medina on hearing some irresponsible
talk but when they came to know that whatever they heard was wrong they were satisfied and
have gone back." Uthman did not want to speak such a clear lie but Marwan convinced
him and he agreed, and speaking in the Holy Prophet's mosque, he said:
These Egyptians had received some
news about their Caliph and when satisfied that they were all baseless and wrong they went
back to their cities.
No sooner he said this than there
was great hue and cry in the mosque, and people began to shout to Uthman, "Offer
repentance, fear Allah; what is this lie you are uttering?" Uthman was confused in
this commotion and had to offer repentance. Consequently, he turned to the Kabah, moaned
in the audience of Allah and returned to his house.
Probably after this very event Amir
al-mu'minin advised Uthman that, "You should openly offer repentance about your past
misdeeds so that these uprisings should subside for good otherwise if tomorrow people of
some other place come you will again cling to my neck to rid you of them."
Consequently, he delivered a speech in the Prophet's mosque wherein admitting his mistakes
he offered repentance and swore to remain careful in future. He told the people that when
he alighted from the pulpit their representatives should meet him, and he would remove
their grievances and meet their demands. On this people acclaimed this action of his and
washed away their ill-feelings with tears to a great extent. When he reached his house
after finishing from here Marwan sought permission to say something but Uthman's wife
Na'ilah bint Farafisah intervened. Turning to Marwan she said, "For Allah's sake you
keep quiet. You would say only such a thing as would bring but death to him." Marwan
took it ill and retorted, "You have no right to interfere in these matters. You are
the daughter of that very person who did not know till his death how to perform
ablution." Na'ilah replied with fury, "You are wrong, and are laying a false
blame. Before uttering anything about my father you should have cast a glance on the
features of your father. But for the consideration of that old man I would have spoken
things at which people would have shuddered but would have confirmed every such
word." When Uthman saw the conversation getting prolonged he stopped them and asked
Marwan to tell him what he wished.
Marwan said, "What is it you
have said in the mosque, and what repentance you have offered? In my view sticking to the
sin was a thousand times better than this repentance because however much the sins may
multiply there is always scope for repentance, but repentance by force is no repentance.
You have said what you have but now see the consequences of this open announcement, that
crowds of people are at your door. Now go forward and fulfil their demands." Uthman
then said, "Well, I have said what I have said, now you deal with these people. It is
not in my power to deal with them." Consequently, finding out his implied consent
Marwan came out and addressing the people spoke out, "Why have you assembled here? Do
you intend to attack or to ransack? Remember, you cannot easily snatch away power from our
hands, take out the idea from your hearts that you would subdue us. We are not to be
subdued by anyone. Take away your black faces from here. Allah may disgrace and dishonour
you."
When people noticed this changed
countenance and altered picture they rose from there full of anger and rage and went
straight to Amir al-mu'minin and related to him the whole story. On hearing it Amir
al-mu'minin was infuriated and immediately went to Uthman and said to him, "Good
Heavens. How badly you have behaved with the Muslims. You have forsaken faith for the sake
of a faithless and characterless man and have lost all wit. At least you should have
regard and consideration for your own promise. What is this that at Marwan's betokening
you have set off with folded eyes. Remember he will throw you in such a dark well that you
will never be able to come out of it. You have become the carrier animal of Marwan so that
he can ride on you howsoever he desires and put you on whatever wrong way he wishes. In
future I shall never intervene in your affair nor tell people anything. Now you should
manage your own affairs."
Saying all this Amir al-mu'minin
got back and Na'ilah got the chance, she said to Uthman, "Did I not tell you to get
rid of Marwan otherwise he would put such a stain on you that it would not be removed
despite all effort. Well, what is the good in following the words of one who is without
any respect among the people and low before their eyes. Make Ali agree otherwise remember
that restoring the disturbed state of affairs is neither within your power nor in that of
Marwan." Uthman was impressed by this and sent a man after Amir al-mu'minin but he
refused to meet him. There was no siege around Uthman but shame deterred him. With what
face could he come out of the house? But there was no way without coming out.
Consequently, he came out quietly in the gloom of night and reaching Amir al-mu'minin's
place, he moaned his helplessness and loneliness, offered excuses, and also assured him of
keeping promises but Amir al-mu'minin said, "You make a promise in the Prophet's
mosque standing before all the people but it is fulfilled in this way that when people go
to you they are rebuked and even abuses are hurled at them. When this is the state of your
undertakings which the world has seen, then how and on what ground can I trust any word of
yours in future. Do not have any expectation from me now. I am not prepared to accept any
responsibility on your behalf. The tracks are open before you. Adopt whichever way you
like and tread whatever track you choose." After this talk Uthman came back and
began blaming Amir al-mu'minin in retort to the effect that all the disturbances were
rising at his instance and that he was not doing anything despite being able to do
everything.
On this side the result of
repentance was as it was. Now let us see the other side. When after crossing the border of
Hijaz, Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr reached the place Aylah on the coast of the Red Sea people
caught sight of a camel rider who was making his camel run so fast as though the enemy was
chasing him. These people had some misgivings about him and therefore called him and
enquired who he was. He said he was the slave of Uthman. They enquired wherefore he was
bound. He said Egypt. They enquired to whom he was going. He replied to the Governor of
Egypt. People said that the Governor of Egypt was with them. To whom was he going then? He
said he was to go to Ibn Abi Sarh. People asked him if any letter was with him. He denied.
They asked for what purpose he was going. He said he did not know that. One of these
people thought that his clothes should be searched. So the search was made, but nothing
was found on
him. Kinanah ibn Bishr at-Tujibi
said, "See his water-skin." People said, "Leave him, how can there be a
letter in water! Kinanah said, "You do not know what cunning these people play.
" Consequently, the water-skin was opened and seen. There was a lead pipe in it
wherein was a letter. When it was opened and read, the Caliph's order in it was that
"When Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr and his party reaches you then from among them kill so
and so, arrest so and so, and put so and so in jail, but you remain on your post." On
reading this all were stunned and thus began to look at one another in astonishment.
A Persian hemistich says:
Mind was just burst in astonishment
as to what wonder it was!
Now proceeding forward was riding
into the mouth of death, consequently they returned to Medina taking the slave with them.
Reaching there they placed that letter before all the companions of the Prophet. Whoever
heard this incident remained stunned with astonishment, and there was no one who was not
abusing Uthman. Afterwards a few companions went to Uthman along with these people, and
asked whose seal was there on this letter. He replied that it was his own. They enquired
whose writing it was. He said it was his secretary's. They enquired whose slave was that
man. He replied that it was his. They enquired whose riding beast it was. He replied that
it was that of the Government. They enquired who had sent it. He said he had no knowledge
of it. People then said, "Good Heavens. Everything is yours but you do not know who
had sent it. If you are so helpless, you leave this Caliphate and get off from it so that
such a man comes who can administer the affairs of the Muslims." He replied, "It
is not possible that I should put off the dress of Caliphate which Allah has put on me. Of
course, I would offer repentance." The people said, "Why should you speak of
repentance which has already been flouted on the day when Marwan was representing you on
your door, and whatever was wanting has been made up by this letter. Now we are not going
to be duped into these bluffs. Leave the Caliphate and if our brethren stand in our way we
will hold them up; but if they prepare for fighting we too will fight. Neither our hands
are stiff nor our swords blunt. If you regard all Muslims equally and uphold justice hand
over Marwan to us to enable us to enquire from him on whose strength and support he wanted
to play with the precious lives of Muslims by writing this letter." But he rejected
this demand and refused to hand over Marwan to them, whereupon people said that the letter
had been written at his behest.
However, improving conditions again
deteriorated and they ought to have deteriorated because despite lapse of the required
time every thing was just as it had been and not a jot of difference had occurred.
Consequently, the people who had stayed behind in the valley of Dhakhushub to watch the
result of repentance again advanced like a flood and spread over the streets of Medina,
and closing the borders from every side surrounded his house.
During these days of siege a
companion of the Prophet, Niyar ibn Iyad desired to talk to Uthman, went to his house
and called him. When he peeped out from the above he said, "O' Uthman, for Allah's
sake give up this Caliphate and save Muslims from this bloodshed." While he was just
conversing, one of Uthman's men aimed at him with an arrow and killed him, whereupon
people were infuriated and shouted that Niyar's killer should be handed over to them.
Uthman said it was not possible that he would hand over his own support to them. This
stubbornness worked like a fan on fire and in the height of fury people set fire to his
door and began advancing for entering, when Marwan ibn al-Hakam, Said ibn al-As and
Mughirah ibn al-Akhnas together with their contingents pounced upon the besiegers and
killing and bloodshed started at his door. People wanted to enter the house but they were
being pushed back. In the meanwhile, Amr ibn Hazm al-Ansari whose house was adjacent to
that of Uthman opened his door and shouted for advancing from that side. Thus through
this house the besiegers climbed on the roof of Uthman's house and descending down from
there drew their swords. Only a few scuffles had taken place when all except people of
Uthman's house, his well-wishers and Banu Umayyah ran away in the streets of Medina and a
few hid themselves in the house of Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyan (Muawiyah's sister) the
rest were killed with Uthman defending him to the last. (at-Tabaqat, Ibn Sad, vol. 3,
Part 1, pp. 50-58; at-Tabari, vol. 1, pp. 2998-3025; al-Kamil, Ibn al-Athir, vol. 3, pp.
167-180; Ibn Abi'l-Hadid, vol. 2, pp. 144-161).
At his killing several poets wrote
elegies. A couplet from the elegy by Abu Hurayrah is presented:
Today people have only one grief
but I have two griefs - the loss of my money bag and the killing of Uthman.
After observing these events the
stand of Amir al-mu'minin becomes clear, namely that he was neither supporting the group
that was instigating at Uthman's killing nor can be included in those who stood for his
support and defence but when he saw that what was said was not acted upon he kept himself
aloof.
When both the parties are looked at
then among the people who had raised their hands off from Uthman's support are seen
A'ishah, and according to the popular versions (which is not right) the then living
persons out of the ten Pre-informed ones (who had been pre-informed in this world by the
Prophet for their being admitted in Paradise), out of those who took part in the
consultative committee (formed for Uthman's selection for Caliphate), ansar, original
muhajirun, people who took part in the battle of Badr and other conspicuous and dignified
individuals, while on the side (of Uthman) are seen only a few slaves of the Caliph and a
few individuals from Banu Umayyah. If people like Marwan and Said ibn al-As cannot be
given precedence over the original muhajirun their actions too cannot be given precedence
over the actions of the latter. Again, if ijma (consensus of opinion) is not meant for
particular occasions only then it would be difficult to question this overwhelming
unanimity of the companions.

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Forward to Sermon 31.

Back to Sermon 29.