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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