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Abdullah Ibn Saba (Part III) Agitation Against Uthman Sayf alleged that the main reason behind the agitation
against Uthman was Abdullah Ibn Saba.

He
provoked Muslims of different towns and provinces such as
Basra, Kufa, Syria, and Egypt, to rush to Medina and to
kill Uthman since he believed Uthman had occupied the seat
of Ali. Sayf also alleged that the companions inside Medina such as Talha and Zubair
did not oppose Uthman.

Similar to his other allegations, this allegation of Sayf
Ibn Umar about Abdullah Ibn Saba has NOT been reported by
any other reporters.

No trace of Ibn Saba can be
found on the issue of agitation against Uthman, except through Sayf. In fact, other authorities have a
totally the opposite story.

Should a reader of Islamic history be liberated from his
emotion toward or against the third Caliph, he can be
assured that the call for a revolt against Uthman did not
start in Basra, Kufa, Syria, or Egypt.

The
weakness of Uthman in handing the affairs of the State caused many
companions to oppose him.

This naturally
resulted in a power struggle among the influential
companions in Medina.

Sunni historians such as
al-Tabari, Ibn Athir, and al-Baladhuri and many others
provide traditions (reported by other than Sayf) which
confirm that the agitation against the Caliph started
right inside Medina by some influential individuals among
the companions.
These companions were the first
who asked the other companions,resided in other cities, to
join them in revolt against Uthman.

Ibn Jarir al-Tabari reported:

When the people saw what Uthman
was doing, the companions of the Prophet in Medina wrote to other
companions who were scattered throughout the frontier
provinces: You have gone forth but to struggle in the path of Almighty
God, for the sake of Muhammad's religion.
In your
absence the religion of Muhammad has been corrupted and forsaken.
So come
back to reestablish Muhammad's religion.
Thus, they came from every direction
until they killed the Caliph (Uthman).

Sunni reference:

History of al-Tabari, English version,
v15, p184

In fact al-Tabari quoted the above paragraph form Muhammad
Ibn Is'haq Ibn Yasar al-Madani who is the most celebrated Sunni Historian
and the author of Sirah Rasool-Allah.

History (reported by other than Sayf) testifies that those
influential people who were the key element in agitation against
Uthman include Talha, Zubair, Aisha (the mother of believers), Abdurrahman Ibn
Ouf, and Amr Ibn al-Aas.

a) Talha

Talha Ibn Ubaydillah was one of the biggest agitator
against Uthman and was the one who plotted his murder.
He then used
that incident for revenge against Ali by starting the first civil war in the history
of Islam (i.
e.
, the battle of Camel).

I just give few paragraphs
from both of al-Tabari and Ibn Athir to prove my point.

Here is the first
one which is narrated by Ibn Abbas (in some manuscripts it is Ibn Ayyash):

I entered Uthman's presence
(During the agitation against Uthman) and talked with him for an hour.

He
said: Come Ibn Abbas/Ayyash, and he took me by the hand and had me
listen to what the people were saying at his door.

We heard
some say, what are you waiting for, while others were saying, wait,
perhaps he will repent.

While the two of us were standing there (behind
the door and listening), Talha Ibn Ubaydillah passed by and said:
Where is Ibn Udays? He was told, He is over there.

Ibn
Udays came to (Talha) and whispered something with him, and then went back to his
associates and said: Do not let anyone go in (to the house of Uthman) to
see this man or leave his house.

Uthman said to me: These
are the orders of Talha.
He continued, O God! Protect me from Talha for he
has provoked all these people against me.

By God, I
hope nothing will come of it, and that his own blood will be shed.

Talha
has abused me unlawfully.

I heard the Messenger of God said: 'The blood
of a Muslim is lawful in three cases: apostasy, adultery, and
the one who kills except in legitimate retaliation for another.

'
So why should I be killed?

Ibn Abbas/Ayyash continued: I
wanted to leave (the house), but they blocked my path until Muhammad
Ibn Abi Bakr who was passing by requested them to let me go, and
they did so.

Sunni reference:

History of al-Tabari, English version,
v15, pp 199-200

The Sayf's claim is shattered into pieces when its is
compared with any other reports similar to above.

The above report
gives evidence to the fact that Uthman himself knew companions like Talha were doing
all this to him, and not the personage of Abdullah Ibn Saba.

Do
these mercenaries claim that they understand the situation better than the Caliph
Uthman while they were born centuries after the incident? The following
report also supports that the murder of Uthman was led by Talha, and the
killers came out to inform their leader that they took care of Uthman:

Abzay said: I witnessed the day
they went in against Uthman.

They entered the house through an
opening in the residence of Amr Ibn Hazm.
There was a skirmishing and they
got in.
By God, I have not forgotten that Sudan Ibn Humran came out
and I heard him say: Where is Talha Ibn Ubaydillah? We have killed
Ibn Affan!

Sunni reference:

History of al-Tabari, English version,
v15, p200

Uthman was besieged in Medina while Imam Ali (AS) was in
Khaibar.

The Imam (AS) came to Medina and found people gathering at the
residence of Talha.

Then Imam Ali (AS) went to met Uthman.

Ibn Athir
wrote:

Uthman said to Ali: You owe
me my Islamic right and the right of brotherhood and relationship.

If
I have non of these rights and if I were in pre-Islamic era, it would
be still shame for a descendants of Abd Munaf (of whom both Ali and
Uthman are descendants) to let a man of Tyme (Talha) rob us of our
authority.
Ali said to Uthman: You shall be informed of what I do.
Then Ali went to Talha's house.
There were a lot of people there.
Ali
spoke to Talha saying: Talha, what is this condition in which you have
fallen? Talha replied: O' Abul Hasan! it is to late!

Sunni reference: al-Kamil, by Ibn Athir, v3, p84 Tabari also reports the following conversation between
Imam Ali and Talha during the siege over Uthman:

Ali said to Talha: I ask
you by Allah to send people away from (attacking) Uthman.

Talha replied: No, by God, not until the Umayad voluntarily submit to what is
right.

(Uthman was the head of Umayad).

Reference:

History of al-Tabari, English version, v15,
p235

Talha even deprived Uthman of water:

Abdurrahman Ibn al-Aswad said:
I constantly saw Ali avoiding (Uthman) and not acting as he formerly
had.

However, I know that he spoke with Talha when Uthman was under
siege, to the effect that water skins should be taken to him.

Ali
was extremely upset (from Talha) about that until finally water skins
were allowed to reach Uthman.

Sunni reference: History of al-Tabari, English version,
v15, pp 180-181 To know why Imam Ali (AS) deserted Uthman, see the
traditions close to the end of this article.

Furthermore, the historians confirm that those who plotted
his killing, did not let the body of Uthman be buried in a Muslim Cemetery,
and that he was finally buried in a Jew Cemetery called Hashsh
Kawkab, without washing and without a shroud.

(See History of
al-Tabari, English version, v15, pp 246-250).

If Jews were doing all that,
they wouldn't permit to bury him in their own Cemetery!!! After Muawiyah
came to power, he joint that Jew Cemetery to al-Baqi including the land between
them.

(See History of Tabari, English version, v15, pp 246-250).

b) Aisha Talha was not the only collaborator against Uthman.

Sunni
history tells us that his cousin, Aisha (the mother of believers), was
collaborating and campaigning against Uthman as well.

The
following paragraph also from the History of al-Tabari shows the cooperation of Aisha with
Talha in overthrowing Uthman:

While Ibn Abbas was setting out
for Mecca, he found Aisha in al-Sulsul (seven miles south of Medina).

Aisha
said: O' Ibn Abbas, I appeal to you by God, to abandon this man (Uthman)
and sow doubt about him among the people, for you have been
given a sharp tongue.

(By the current siege over Uthman) people have
shown their understanding, and light is raised to guide them.

I have seen Talha has taken the possession of the keys to the public treasuries
and storehouses.

If he becomes Caliph (after Uthman), he will
follow the path of his parental cousin Abu-Bakr.

Ibn Abbas said: O' Mother (of believers), if something happens to that man (i.
e.
,
Uthman), people would seek asylum only with our companion (namely,
Ali).

Aisha replied: Be quiet! I have no desire to defy or quarrel
with you.

Sunni reference:

History of al-Tabari, English version,
v15, pp 238-239

Many Sunni historian reported that Once Aisha went to
Uthman and asked for her share of inheritance of Prophet (after so many years
passed from the death of Prophet).

Uthman refrained to give
Aisha any money by reminding her that she was one those who testified and encouraged
Abu-Bakr to refrain to pay the share of inheritance of Fatimah (AS).

So
if Fatimah does not have any share of inheritance, then why should she? Aisha
became extremely angry at Uthman, and came out saying:

Kill this old fool (Na'thal), for
he is unbeliever.

Sunni references:

- History of Ibn Athir, v3, p206

- Lisan al-Arab, v14, p141

- al-Iqd al-Farid, v4, p290

- Sharh al-Nahj, by Ibn Abi al-Hadid, v16, pp 220-223

As we can see, the main figures in plotting against Uthman
are some highly influential individuals, like Talha and Aisha.

These
Sunni reports are in clear contradiction with the reports related to Abdullah
Ibn Saba, which were made up to cover up for those individuals centuries
after the incident.

Another Sunni historian, al-Baladhuri, in his history (Ansab
al-Ashraf) said that when the situation became extremely grave,
Uthman ordered Marwan Ibn al-Hakam and Abdurrahman Ibn Attab Ibn Usayd to try to
persuade Aisha to stop campaigning against him.

They went to
her while she was preparing to leave for pilgrimage, and they told her:

We pray that you stay in
Medina, and that Allah may save this man (Uthman) through you.

Aisha said: I have prepared my means of transportation and vowed to
perform the pilgrimage.

By God, I shall not honor your request.

I
wish he (Uthman) was in one of my sacks so that I could carry him.

I
would then through him into the sea.

Sunni reference: Ansab al-Ashraf, by al-Baladhuri, part 1,
v4, p75 Certainly the revolution against Uthman * started * in
Medina, and not in Basra, Kufa, and Egypt.

The prominent people of
Medina are the ones who first wrote to those outside Medina and instigated them
against Uthman.

To say that a Jew, named Ibn Saba, is the one who inspired
people to revolt against the Caliph is not logical unless we accept that he
was the one who also inspired Aisha, Talha, and Zubair to revolt.

But
those who speak of Ibn Saba and his role, do not include Aisha and people of
her position as the followers of Ibn Saba.

The alleged role of Ibn Saba, in the revolt against Uthman,
would also be credible if we were to say that Ibn Saba was the one who
persuaded the Caliph to follow a path contrary to the first two Caliphs,
and that he was the one who advised Uthman to give Islamic funds to his
relatives and appoint them governors of Islamic provinces.

The manner in which Uthman conducted the affairs of the
Islamic states gave Aisha, Talha, and Zubair and others, a reason to provoke
Muslims against Uthman.

However those who attribute the
revolution against Uthman to Ibn Saba, do not accept that Ibn Saba was the one who advised
Uthman to follow that wrong policy.

They are right, because that
alleged Jew with such achievements never existed except in the imagination of
Sayf Ibn Umar al-Tamimi and those who quoted from him.

A few
(less than 15) traditions (which are not even in any authentic Sunni books nor in
any reliable Shia books) related to Abdullah Ibn Saba narrated by people
other than Sayf give a totally different story in compare with Sayf's heavy
documentation which is being distributed everywhere.

These
traditions do NOT mention the presence of Ibn Saba in the revolt against Uthman.

c) Amr Ibn al-Aas It is amazing that such an important role in the
revolution against Uthman is attributed to a Jew for whose existence neither Shia
nor Sunni have any strong evidence.

Yet historians forget the
important role which was played by a person well known in Islamic history, namely Amr Ibn
al-Aas.

He was more intelligent and more clever than any Jew ever existed
in that era.

Amr had all the reasons to conspire against the Caliph, and he
had all the abilities to instigate most of the people of Medina
against him.

Amr Ibn al-Aas was one of the most dangerous agitators
against Uthman.

He was the governor of Egypt during the reign of the second
Caliph.

However, the third Caliph dismissed him and replaced him with his
foster brother, Abdullah Ibn Sa'd Ibn Abu Sharh.
As a result of
this, Amr became extremely hostile towards Uthman.

He returned to
Medina and started a malicious campaign against Uthman, accusing him of many
wrong doings.

Uthman blamed Amr and spoke to him harshly.

This
made Amr even more bitter.

He used to meet Zubair and Talha and conspire against
Uthman.

He used to meet pilgrims and inform them of the numerous deviations
of Uthman.

According to Tabari, when Uthman was besieged, Amr settled
in the palace of al-Ajlan and used to ask from people about the situation
of Uthman:

Amr had not left
his seat before a second rider passed by.

Amr called him out: How is
Uthman doing? The man replied: He has been killed.

Amr then
said: I am Abu Abdillah.

When I scratch an
ulcer, I cut it off.
(i.
e.
,
when I desire an object, I attain it).

I have been provoking (people) against
him, even the shepherd on the top of mountains with his flock.

Then Salamah Ibn Rawh said to him: You, the Quraishites, have broken a
strong tie between yourselves and the Arabs.

Why did you
do that? Amr replied: We wanted to draw
the truth out of the pit of
falsehood, and to have people be on an equal footing as regards the truth.

Sunni reference:

History of al-Tabari, English version,
v15, pp 171-172

The divider of Muslims ignored what is well known in the
history of Islam which was reported by important Sunni reporters.

The
revolt against Uthman was as a result of the efforts of prominent personalities
in Medina, such as Aisha, Talha, Zubair, Aburrahman Ibn Ouf, and Amr Ibn
al-Aas.

Instead of attributing the revolution to real people who rebelled
against Uthman, the dividers of Muslims refuse to accept the truth or to
mention it.
They attribute the revolution to a fictitious Jew, relying on
the reports of Sayf Ibn Umar al-Tamimi, a man who was accused by
prominent Sunni scholars to be a man of lies and innovations.
They chose
to accept Sayf's report in order to cover up for the Caliph, Aisha, Talha, and Zubair.

It is even more amazing that Aisha, Talha, and Zubair, and
Muawiyah Ibn Abu Sufyan fought Imam Ali in two wars, unprecedented in the
history of Islam, yet non of them accused the followers of Imam Ali to be
students of Ibn Saba.

Sunni history books and Sunni
collections of traditions clearly state that Muawiyah commanded all the Imams of the mosques
throughout the Muslim world to CURSE Imam Ali in every Friday prayer.

If
the fictitious Jew, Ibn Saba, had any small role in the revolt against
Uthman, Muawiyah would have made it the main topic of his defamation
campaign against the Imam and his supporters.
He would have
publicized throughout the world that those who killed Uthman were the student of Abdullah Ibn
Saba, and that they were ones who brought Ali to power.

However
neither Muawiyah nor Aisha took this route, because such stories attributed to Ibn
Saba was invented by Sayf Ibn Umar who lived in the second century after
Hijrah, long after their death.
The murder of Uthman provided a nice scapegoat for those
who were fighting over more power, while serving under the government of
Uthman.
They were mainly his relatives, the Umayads such as Muawiyah and
Marwan, who thoroughly took advantage of Uthman's life as well as his
death.

The story of Ibn Saba in this regard has served to cover the face of
those power- hungry individuals, and yet another way to attack Imam Ali
and his true followers.

Few Reasons behind the Revolt Against Uthman The Third Caliph, Uthman, was given the allegiance of the
people with the stipulation that he would manage the affairs of the nation
according to the book of God and the teachings of the Prophet (PBUH&HF).

He
was to follow the method of Abu Bakr and Umar, if there was no
instruction from the Quran or the Prophet.

It is well-known that the first two caliphs lived simple
lives.

They did not give members of their clans a preference over
other people, nor did they appoint any of their relatives to prominent positions
in the State.

Uthman, on the other hand, had his own opinions.
He
allowed himself to live luxuriously.
He put members of his clan (Umayad)
in prominent and strong positions in the State, preferring them over other
Muslims, without monitoring their affairs.

However, his relatives
were not righteous.
Perhaps Uthman thought that his preference towards them
was in accordance with the Book of God because Quran urges people to be kind
to their relatives! This method of handing the affairs of the
State did not please many companions.

They found it extravagant and
extreme.

The Companions criticized the Caliph for the following
issues:

1.
He brought his uncle, al-Hakam Ibn Abi al-Aas
(son of Umayyah, son of Abd Shams), to Medina after the Prophet had exiled him
from Medina.

It was reported that al-Hakam used to hide and listen to
the words of the Prophet as he spoke secretly to prominent companions, and
then circulated what he heard.

He used to imitate and ridicule
the Prophet in the way he walked.

The Prophet one time looked at him while
he was being imitated and said: This way you will be.

al-Hakam
immediately started shaking and continued that way until he died.

It is also
reported that:

One day, while sitting with some
of his companions, the Messenger of God said, A cursed man will
enter the room.
Shortly thereafter, al-Hakam entered.

(He
was the cursed man.
)

Sunni reference:

al-Isti'aab, by Yusuf Ibn Abd al-Barr,
v1, pp 359-360 2.

After bringing him to Medina, Uthman gave his
uncle al-Hakam 300,000 Dirhams.

3.
He made Marwan, son of al-Hakam, his highest
assistant and top advisor, giving him influence equal to his own.

Marwan
bought a fifth of the revenues of the North Africa for 500,000 Dinars!!!
However, he did not pay this amount.

The Caliph allowed him to keep the
money.
This amount was equal to ten million dollars!!!

Imam Ali (AS) frequently reminded Uthman about the danger
of Marwan, but in vain.

The following conversation between Imam
Ali and Uthman testifies this fact.

It happened when Uthman was being
attacked, and thus he asked Ali for help.

Uthman said to Imam Ali:

You see the trouble caused
by this band of dissidents when they came to me today.
I know
that you enjoy prestige among people and that they will listen to you.

I
want you to go to them and send them away from me.

I do not wish them
to come before me, for that would be an insulting act toward me on their
part.

Let others hear this as well.

Ali said: On what grounds
shall I send them away?

Uthman replied: On the
grounds that I shall carry out what you have counseled me to do and you
thought right, and I will not deviate from you direction.

Then Ali said: In fact I have spoken to you time after time, and you and I
discussed such matters at length.

All this is the doing of Marwan
Ibn al-Hakam, Saeed Ibn al-Aas, Ibn Amir, and Muawiyah.

You
have listened to them and defied me.
Uthman said: then I shall defy
them and listen to you.

Sunni reference:

History of al-Tabari, English version,
v15, p173

Then Imam Ali spoke to people and asked them to go away
from Uthman, and thus many of them retreated.

Then Imam came to
Uthman and informed him that people are gone, and said:

Make a statement which the
people will testify that they have heard from you, and God will be witness
as to whether or not you desire to repent in your heart.
Thus, Uthman went out and
preached the sermon in which he laid before the people his heartfelt desire
to repent, and said: By God, O people, if any one of you has
blamed (me), he has not done anything that is unknown to me.
I
have done nothing unknowingly.

But my soul has raised vain hopes within me
and lied to me, and my virtue has slipped away from me.

I
ask God's forgiveness for what I have done and I turn to him.

A
man like me yearns to repent.

Then people had pity on him, and
some among them wept.

Saeed Ibn Zayd stood up before him (Uthman) and
said: O commander of faithful, (from now on) no one comes to you who
does not support you.

Fear God, in your soul fear God, and fulfill
what you have said!
When Uthman descended (from the
pulpit), he found Marwan Ibn al-Hakam and Seed Ibn al-Aas, and a few
other Umayad at his house.

Marwan said:

Should I speak (to people)
or remain silent? Uthman's wife said:

Nay! Be silent, for they
will kill him of sin.
He has made a public statement from which he can not
rightfully withdraw.

Marwan said:

What does this have to do
with you?
Then Marwan said to Uthman:
To persist in an error for which you must seek God's forgiveness is better
that to repent because you are afraid.
If you so will,
you may seek repentance without acknowledging error.

Uthman said:
Go out and speak to them, for I am ashamed to do so.
So Marwan went (to people) and
said: Why have you gathered here like looters? .
You
have come to snatch our power (Mulk; kingship) from us.

Go! By God, if you
mean us (any harm), you will encounter something distasteful from us,
and you will not praise the result of your opinions.
Return
to your homes, for by God we are not men to be robbed of our possessions.

People informed Ali of the news.

Then Ali came to Uthman and said: Surely you have
satisfied Marwan (again), but he is satisfied with you only if you deviate from
your religion and reason, like a camel carrying a litter that is
led around at will.

By God, Marwan is devoid of sense in regard to his
religion and his soul.

I swear by God, I think he will bring you in
and then not send you out again.

After this visit, I will not come
again to chide you.

You have destroyed your own honor and you
have been robbed of your authority.

When Ali departed, Uthman's wife
told him: I have heard that Ali said to you that he will never return
to you, and that you have obeyed Marwan (again), who leads you
wherever he wishes.

Uthman said: What shall I do? She responded:
You should fear God alone, who has no partner, and you should adhere to
the practice of your two predecessors (Abu Bakr and Umar).

For
if you obey Marwan, he will kill you.

Marwan enjoys no
prestige among the people, and inspires neither awe nor love.

People
have only abandoned you due to Marwan's position (in your councils).

Send
to Ali, then, and trust in his honesty and uprightness.

He is
related to you and he is not a man whom people disobey.

So
Uthman sent to Ali, but he refused to come, saying:
I told him I would not return.

Sunni reference:

History of al-Tabari, English version,
v15, pp 176-179

On the death of Uthman, Imam Ali (AS) said:

By God! I have persisted in
defending him (Uthman) until I was filled with shame.
But Marwan,
Muawiyah, Abdullah Ibn Amir, and Sa'd Ibn al- Aas have dealt with him as you
witnessed.
When I gave him sincere counsel and directed him to send
them away, he became suspicious of me, until what you now see has
happened.

Sunni reference:

History of al-Tabari, English version,
v15, p198

Marwan and his descendants were the basis for some of the
most serious charges of corruption and nepotism levied against Uthman.

Marwan,
of course, ultimately seized the Caliphate and ascended the
throne in year 64/684, and was the lineal ancestor of all succeeding
Umayad kings in Damascus as well as the Amirs of Cordoba till after 756
AD.

4.
The Caliph appointed his foster brother,
Abdullah Ibn Sa'd, as the governor of Egypt.

At that time, Egypt was the
largest province in the Muslim State.

Ibn Sa'd had declared his Islam
and moved from Mecca to Medina.

The Prophet listed him as a recorder of
the revelation.

However, Ibn Sa'd then deserted the faith and returned to Mecca.

He
used to say: I shall reveal equal to what God revealed to Muhammad.

When Mecca was conquered, the Prophet ordered the Muslims
to kill Ibn Sa'd.

He was to be killed even if he was found tying himself to
the cloth of the Ka'aba.

Ibn Sa'd hid himself at the house of
Uthman.

When the situation calmed down, Uthman brought Ibn Sa'd to the Prophet and
informed him that he had put Ibn Sa'd under his protection.

The
Prophet remained silent for a long while, hoping that one of those who were present,
would kill Ibn Sa'd before he honors Uthman's request.

The
companions, however, did not understand what the Prophet meant by his long silence.

Since
no one moved to kill Ibn Sa'd, the Prophet approved the protection of
Uthman.

5.
The Caliph Uthman appointed Walid Ibn Aqabah
(one of his Umayad relatives) as the governor of Kufa after dismissing the
previous governor, the famous companion of Prophet, Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas.

Sa'd was a famous marksman known for combating the enemies of Islam in the
Battle of Uhud.

On the other hand, the behavior of Walid during the time
of the Prophet was not honorable.

Quran discredited him and
called him a transgressor.

For instance, the Messenger sent him to Bani al-Mustalaq
to collect their Zakat.

Walid witnessed from a distance that
Mustalaqites coming toward him on their horses.

He became frightened due to a
previous hostility between the Mustalaqites and him.

He returned to the
Messenger of God and informed him that the Mustalaqites wanted to kill him.

This
was not true.

However, Walid's information infuriated the Muslims of Medina, and
they wanted to attack the Mustalaqites.

At this time, the
following revelation came down:

O you who believe, if a
transgressor comes to you with news, try to verify it, lest you inflict
damage on people unwittingly; then you may consequently regret your hasty
action.

Walid continued in his non-Islamic way for the rest of his
life.

He used to drink wine and several witnesses testified to the Caliph
that they had witnessed Walid drunk while leading a congregational
prayer!!! Upon the testimony of good witnesses, Walid was lashed eighty times
and was dismissed by the Caliph.

The Caliph was expected
to replace this transgressor with a good companion of the Prophet but,
instead, he replaced Walid with Saeed Ibn al-Aas, another member of his Umayad
relatives!

The following dialog between Imam Ali (AS) and Uthman, is
also written in the History of al-Tabari which gives more insight to the
situation of Uthman long before his murder:

People gathered and talked to Ali
Ibn Abi Talib.

Thus Ali went to Uthman and said:

People came to me, and they have
spoken to me about you.

Remember God! You will be not
awarded your sight after you become blind, by God!, nor you are being
instructed after you were in ignorance.
Verily the
Path is manifest and clear, and the signs of true religion are standing
upright.
Know, Uthman, that the best
servant in the eyes of God, is a JUST IMAM (leader), one who has been
guided to the way, and who himself gives the right guidance (to
people), for he upholds the true Sunnah and destroys rejected
innovations.

By God, every thing is clear.
Sound and true Sunnah stands clearly,
as do blameworthy innovations.

The WORST IMAM in the eyes of God, is
a tyrannical leader, the one who has gone astray himself, and by
whom others are led astray, for he destroys a true Sunnah and
revives a rejected innovation.

Verily I heard the messenger of
Allah saying: 'In The Day of Resurrection, the tyrannical
leader will be brought while he will have no helper and no advocate,
so that he will be cast to the Hell, and he will be turning about in
Hell as the mill turns, and he then will plunge into the fiery flood
of Hell.

' I tell you (Uthman), to be aware
of God and His sudden assault and His retaliation, for His
punishment is harsh and painful indeed.

I tell you to beware lest you be
the murdered leader of this community.

Indeed it is
said that a leader will be killed in this community, and its bloody strife
will be loosed upon it until the day of rising (of Imam Mahdi),
and its affairs will become hopelessly entangled.

It will
leave people as sects, and they will not see the truth due to the great height of
falsehood.

They will toss therein like waves and wander in
confusion.

Then Uthman replied:

By God, I knew that (people)
would be saying what you have said.

But by God, if you were in my place,
I would not have blame you nor left you in the lurch nor shamed you
nor behaved unfairly.

If I have favored my relatives, and
appointed them as governors, some of them are those whom Umar used to
appoint.

I appeal you by God, O Ali, do you know that al-Mughirah Ibn
Shubah is not there? Ali said: Yes.

Then Uthman said: Do you know
that Umar made him a governor? Ali said: Yes.

Then Uthman
said: So why do you blame me for having appointed him Amir, simply
because he is my relative?

Then Ali said:

I would tell you that every one
appointed by Umar, was kept under close inspection by him, and Umar
would trample on his ear.

If Umar would hear a single word
concerning him, he would flog him and punish him with the utmost
severity.
But you do not do that.
You have been weak and easygoing with
your relatives.

Uthman said: They are your relatives as well.
Ali
replied: By my life, they are closely related to me, but merit
is found in other people.

Then Uthman said:

Do you know that Umar was the one
who kept Muawiyah in the office throughout his entire reign, and
I have only done the same.

Then Ali said:

I ask you by Allah, do you know
that Muawiyah was more afraid of Umar than was Umar's own slave,
Yarfa? Uthman said: Yes.
Ali continued: Now it has been
reached to the point that Muawiyah makes decisions on the issues without
consulting you, and you know it.

Muawiyah says to people
This is Uthman's command, and you hear of this, but you do not denounce
him.

Then Ali left Uthman, and Uthman
went out on his heels.

Then Uthman ascended the pulpit and said:

By God, you have surely blamed me
for things like those you accepted from Umar.

But he
trampled you underfoot, smote you with his hand, and subdued you by his tongue, and
thus you submitted to him whether you liked it or not.

But I
have been lenient with you.

I let you step on my shoulders while I restrained
my hand and tongue, and therefore you have been rude toward me.

By
God, I am stronger in the number of relatives, and have allies closer
at hand, and possess more supporters.

I have
appointed your peers over you.

But you have attributed to me a nature that I
do not possess.

Restrain your tongue from slandering your rulers.

By
God! I have achieved no less than my predecessors or those about whom
you have not disagreed.

There is a surplus wealth, so why should I
not do as I wish with the surplus?

Otherwise why did I become
leader?

Sunni reference:

History of al-Tabari, English version,
v15, pp 141-144