Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2019
The Caliphate of ʿUthmān b. ʿAffān
ثُمَّ دَخَلَتْ سَنَةُ أَرْبَعٍ وَثَلَاثِينَ قِيلَ: فِيهَا كَانَتْ غَزْوَةُ الصَّوَارِي، فِي قَوْلِ بَعْضِهِمْ، وَقَدْ تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُهَا. وَفِيهَا تَكَاتَبَ الْمُنْحَرِفُونَ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ لِلِاجْتِمَاعِ لِمُنَاظَرَتِهِ فِيمَا كَانُوا يَذْكُرُونَ أَنَّهُمْ نَقِمُوا عَلَيْهِ. ذكر الْخَبَرِ عَنْ ذَلِكَ وَعَنْ يَوْمِ الْجَرَعَةِ قَدْ ذَكَرْنَا خَبَرَ الْمُسَيَّرِينَ مِنَ الْكُوفَةِ وَمُقَامَهُمْ عِنْدَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ خَالِدِ بْنِ الْوَلِيدِ، وَوَفَدَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْعَاصِ إِلَى عُثْمَانَ سَنَةَ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ مِنْ خِلَافَةِ عُثْمَانَ، وَكَانَ سَعِيدٌ قَدْ وَلَّى قَبْلَ مَخْرَجِهِ إِلَى عُثْمَانَ بِسَنَةٍ وَبَعْضِ أُخْرَى الْأَشْعَثَ بْنَ قَيْسٍ أَذْرَبِيجَانَ، وَسَعِيدَ بْنَ قَيْسٍ الرَّيَّ، وَالنُّسَيْرَ الْعِجْلِيَّ هَمَذَانَ، وَالسَّائِبَ بْنَ الْأَقْرَعِ أَصْبَهَانَ، وَمَالِكَ بْنَ حَبِيبٍ مَاهَ، وَحَكِيمَ بْنَ سَلَامٍ الْحِزَامِيَّ الْمَوْصِلَ، وَجَرِيرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَرْقِيسِيَا، وَسَلْمَانَ بْنَ رَبِيعَةَ الْبَابَ، وَجَعَلَ الْقَعْقَاعَ بْنَ عَمْرٍو عَلَى الْحَرْبِ، وَعَلَى حُلْوَانَ عُتَيْبَةَ بْنَ النَّهَّاسِ، وَخَلَتِ الْكُوفَةُ مِنَ الرُّؤَسَاءِ. فَخَرَجَ يَزِيدُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ وَهُوَ يُرِيدُ خَلْعَ عُثْمَانَ، وَمَعَهُ الَّذِينَ كَانَ ابْنُ السَّوْدَاءِ يُكَاتِبُهُمْ، فَأَخَذَهُ الْقَعْقَاعُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو فَقَالَ: إِنَّمَا نَسْتَعْفِي مِنْ سَعِيدٍ. فَقَالَ: أَمَّا هَذَا فَنَعَمْ، فَتَرَكَهُ وَكَاتَبَ يَزِيدُ الْمُسَيَّرِينَ فِي الْقُدُومِ عَلَيْهِ، فَسَارَ الْأَشْتَرُ وَالَّذِينَ عِنْدَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ، فَسَبَقَهُمُ الْأَشْتَرُ، فَلَمْ يَفْجَأِ النَّاسُ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ إِلَّا وَالْأَشْتَرُ عَلَى بَابِ الْمَسْجِدِ يَقُولُ: جِئْتُكُمْ مِنْ عِنْدِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عُثْمَانَ وَتَرَكْتُ سَعِيدًا يُرِيدُهُ عَلَى نُقْصَانِ نِسَائِكُمْ عَلَى مِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ، وَرَدِّ أُولِي الْبَلَاءِ مِنْكُمْ إِلَى أَلْفَيْنِ، وَيَزْعُمُ أَنَّ فَيْئَكُمْ بُسْتَانُ قُرَيْشٍ. فَاسْتَخَفَّ النَّاسُ وَجَعَلَ أَهْلُ الرَّأْيِ يَنْهَوْنَهُمْ فَلَا يُسْمَعُ مِنْهُمْ. فَخَرَجَ يَزِيدُ وَأَمَرَ مُنَادِيًا يُنَادِي: مَنْ شَاءَ أَنْ يَلْحَقَ بِيَزِيدَ لِرَدِّ سَعِيدٍ فَلْيَفْعَلْ، فَبَقِيَ أَشْرَافُ النَّاسِ وَحُلَمَاؤُهُمْ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ. وَعَمْرُو بْنُ حُرَيْثٍ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَلِيفَةُ سَعِيدٍ، فَصَعِدَ الْمِنْبَرَ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِالِاجْتِمَاعِ وَالطَّاعَةِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ الْقَعْقَاعُ: أَتَرُدُّ السَّيْلَ عَنْ أَدْرَاجِهِ ؟ هَيْهَاتَ لَا وَاللَّهِ لَا يُسْكِنُ الْغَوْغَاءَ إِلَّا الْمَشْرَفِيَّةُ، وَيُوشِكُ أَنْ تُنْتَضَى وَيَعُجُّونَ عَجِيجَ الْعَدَّانِ، وَيَتَمَنَّوْنَ مَا هُمْ فِيهِ الْيَوْمَ فَلَا يَرُدُّهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَبَدًا، فَاصْبِرْ. قَالَ: أَصْبِرُ. وَتَحَوَّلَ إِلَى مَنْزِلِهِ، وَخَرَجَ يَزِيدُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ فَنَزَلَ الْجَرَعَةَ، وَهِيَ قَرِيبٌ مِنَ الْقَادِسِيَّةِ، وَمَعَهُ الْأَشْتَرُ، فَوَصَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْعَاصِ، فَقَالُوا: لَا حَاجَةَ لَنَا بِكَ. قَالَ: إِنَّمَا كَانَ يَكْفِيكُمْ أَنْ تَبْعَثُوا إِلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَجُلًا وَإِلَيَّ رَجُلًا، وَهَلْ يَخْرُجُ الْأَلْفُ لَهُمْ عُقُولٌ إِلَى رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ ؟ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ عَنْهُمْ، وَتَحَسَّوْا بِمَوْلًى لَهُ عَلَى بَعِيرٍ قَدْ حُسِرَ فَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ مَا كَانَ يَنْبَغِي لِسَعِيدٍ أَنْ يَرْجِعَ. فَقَتَلَهُ الْأَشْتَرُ. وَمَضَى سَعِيدٌ حَتَّى قَدِمَ عَلَى عُثْمَانَ، فَأَخْبَرَهُ بِمَا فَعَلُوا وَأَنَّهُمْ يُرِيدُونَ الْبَدَلَ وَأَنَّهُمْ يَخْتَارُونَ أَبَا مُوسَى، فَجَعَلَ أَبَا مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيَّ أَمِيرًا، وَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِمْ: أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَقَدْ أَمَّرْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ مَنِ اخْتَرْتُمْ وَأَعْفَيْتُكُمْ مِنْ سَعِيدٍ، وَاللَّهِ لَأُقْرِضَنَّكُمْ عِرْضِي وَلَأَبْذُلَنَّ لَكُمْ صَبْرِي وَلَأَسْتَصْلِحَنَّكُمْ بِجُهْدِي، فَلَا تَدَعُوا شَيْئًا أَحْبَبْتُمُوهُ لَا يُعْصَى اللَّهُ فِيهِ إِلَّا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ، وَلَا شَيْئًا كَرِهْتُمُوهُ لَا يُعْصَى اللَّهُ فِيهِ إِلَّا مَا اسْتَعْفَيْتُمْ مِنْهُ، أَنْزِلُ فِيهِ عِنْدَمَا أَحْبَبْتُمْ حَتَّى لَا يَكُونَ لَكُمْ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ، وَلَنَصْبِرَنَّ كَمَا أُمِرْنَا حَتَّى تَبْلُغُوا مَا تُرِيدُونَ. وَرَجَعَ مِنَ الْأُمَرَاءِ مَنْ قَرُبَ مِنَ الْكُوفَةِ، فَرَجَعَ جَرِيرٌ مِنْ قَرْقِيسِيَا، وَعُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ النَّهَّاسِ مِنْ حُلْوَانَ، وَخَطَبَهُمْ أَبُو مُوسَى وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِلُزُومِ الْجَمَاعَةِ، ( وَطَاعَةِ عُثْمَانَ )، فَأَجَابُوا إِلَى ذَلِكَ وَقَالُوا: صَلِّ بِنَا فَقَالَ: لَا إِلَّا عَلَى السَّمْعِ وَالطَّاعَةِ لِعُثْمَانَ. قَالُوا: نَعَمْ. فَصَلَّى بِهِمْ وَأَتَاهُ وِلَايَتُهُ فَوَلِيَهُمْ. وَقِيلَ: سَبَبُ يَوْمِ الْجَرَعَةِ أَنَّهُ كَانَ قَدِ اجْتَمَعَ نَاسٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَتَذَاكَرُوا أَعْمَالَ عُثْمَانَ فَأَجْمَعَ رَأْيُهُمْ، فَأَرْسَلُوا إِلَيْهِ عَامِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ التَّمِيمِيَّ ثُمَّ الْعَنْبَرِيَّ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي يُدْعَى عَامِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْقَيْسِ، فَأَتَاهُ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ: إِنَّ نَاسًا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ اجْتَمَعُوا وَنَظَرُوا فِي أَعْمَالِكَ، فَوَجَدُوكَ قَدْ رَكِبْتَ أُمُورًا عِظَامًا، فَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَتُبْ إِلَيْهِ. فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ: انْظُرُوا إِلَى هَذَا فَإِنَّ النَّاسَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُ قَارِئٌ، ثُمَّ هُوَ يَجِيءُ يُكَلِّمُنِي فِي الْمُحَقَّرَاتِ، وَوَاللَّهِ مَا يَدْرِي أَيْنَ اللَّهُ ! فَقَالَ عَامِرٌ: بَلَى وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لَأَدْرِي أَنَّ اللَّهَ لَبِالْمِرْصَادِ ! فَأَرْسَلَ عُثْمَانُ إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ وَإِلَى سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْعَاصِ وَعَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَامِرٍ فَجَمَعَهُمْ فَشَاوَرَهُمْ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: إِنَّ لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ وُزَرَاءٌ وَنُصَحَاءُ، وَإِنَّكُمْ وُزَرَائِي وَنُصَحَائِي وَأَهْلُ ثِقَتِي، وَقَدْ صَنَعَ النَّاسُ مَا قَدْ رَأَيْتُمْ وَطَلَبُوا إِلَيَّ أَنْ أَعْزِلَ عُمَّالِي، وَأَنْ أَرْجِعَ عَنْ جَمِيعِ مَا يَكْرَهُونَ إِلَى مَا يُحِبُّونَ، فَاجْتَهِدُوا رَأْيَكُمْ. فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ عَامِرٍ: أَرَى لَكَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْ تَشْغَلَهُمْ بِالْجِهَادِ عَنْكَ حَتَّى يَذِلُّوا لَكَ وَلَا يَكُونَ هِمَّةُ أَحَدِهِمْ إِلَّا فِي نَفْسِهِ وَمَا هُوَ فِيهِ مِنْ دُبُرِ دَابَّتِهِ وَقَمْلِ فَرْوَتِهُ. وَقَالَ سَعِيدٌ: احْسِمْ عَنْكَ الدَّاءَ فَاقْطَعْ عَنْكَ الَّذِي تَخَافُ، إِنَّ لِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ قَاعِدَةً مَتَى تَهْلِكْ يَتَفَرَّقُوا وَلَا يَجْتَمِعْ لَهُمْ أَمْرٌ. فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ: إِنَّ هَذَا هُوَ الرَّأْيُ لَوْلَا مَا فِيهِ. وَقَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ: أُشِيرُ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تَأْمُرَ أُمَرَاءَ الْأَجْنَادِ فَيَكْفِيَكَ كُلُّ رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ مَا قِبَلَهُ وَأَكْفِيَكَ أَنَا أَهْلَ الشَّامِ. وَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعْدٍ: إِنَّ النَّاسَ أَهْلُ طَمَعٍ، فَأَعْطِهِمْ مِنْ هَذَا الْمَالِ تَعْطِفْ عَلَيْكَ قُلُوبُهُمْ. ثُمَّ قَامَ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ فَقَالَ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِنَّكَ قَدْ رَكِبْتَ النَّاسَ بِمِثْلِ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ، فَقُلْتَ وَقَالُوا وَزُغْتَ وَزَاغُوا، فَاعْتَدِلْ أَوِ اعْتَزِلْ، فَإِنْ أَبَيْتَ فَاعْتَزِمْ عَزْمًا وَاقْدُمْ قُدُمًا. فَقَالَ لَهُ عُثْمَانُ: مَا لَكَ قَمِلَ فَرْوُكَ ؟ أَهَذَا الْجِدُّ مِنْكَ ؟ فَسَكَتَ عَمْرٌو حَتَّى تَفَرَّقُوا فَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَأَنْتَ أَكْرَمُ عَلَيَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، وَلَكِنِّي عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ بِالْبَابِ مَنْ يُبَلِّغُ النَّاسَ قَوْلَ كُلِّ رَجُلٍ مِنَّا، فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ يَبْلُغَهُمْ قَوْلِي فَيَثِقُوا بِي، فَأَقُودَ إِلَيْكَ خَيْرًا وَأَدْفَعَ عَنْكَ شَرًّا. فَرَدَّ عُثْمَانُ عُمَّالَهُ إِلَى أَعْمَالِهِمْ، وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِتَجْهِيزِ النَّاسِ فِي الْبُعُوثِ، وَعَزَمَ عَلَى تَحْرِيمِ أُعْطِيَّاتِهِمْ لِيُطِيعُوهُ، وَرَدَّ سَعِيدًا إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ، فَلَقِيَهُ النَّاسُ مِنَ الْجَرَعَةِ وَرَدُّوهُ، كَمَا سَبَقَ ذِكْرُهُ. قَالَ أَبُو ثَوْرٍ الْحَدَّانِيُّ: جَلَسْتُ إِلَى حُذَيْفَةَ، وَأَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ بِمَسْجِدِ الْكُوفَةِ يَوْمَ الْجَرَعَةِ، فَقَالَ أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ: مَا أَرَى أَنْ تُرَدَّ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهَا حَتَّى يَكُونَ فِيهَا دِمَاءٌ. فَقَالَ حُذَيْفَةُ: وَاللَّهِ لَتُرَدَّنَّ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهَا وَلَا يَكُونُ فِيهَا مَحْجَمَةُ دَمٍ، وَمَا أَرَى الْيَوْمَ شَيْئًا إِلَّا وَقَدْ عَلِمْتُهُ وَالنَّبِيُّ ﷺ حَيٌّ. فَرَجَعَ سَعِيدٌ إِلَى عُثْمَانَ وَلَمْ يُسْفَكْ دَمٌ، وَجَاءَ أَبُو مُوسَى أَمِيرًا، وَأَمَرَ عُثْمَانُ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنَ الْيَمَانِ أَنْ يَغْزُوَ الْبَابَ فَسَارَ نَحْوَهُ. سَبَبَ تَأَلُّبِ الْأَحْزَابِ عَلَى عُثْمَانَ وَذَكَرَ سَيْفُ بْنُ عُ?َرَ أَنَّ سَبَبَ تَأَلُّبِ الْأَحْزَابِ عَلَى عُثْمَانَ أَنَّ رَجُلًا يُقَالُ لَهُ: عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَبَأٍ. كَانَ يَهُودِيًّا فَأَظْهَرَ الْإِسْلَامَ وَصَارَ إِلَى مِصْرَ، فَأَوْحَى إِلَى طَائِفَةٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ كَلَامًا اخْتَرَعَهُ مِنْ عِنْدِ نَفْسِهِ مَضْمُونُهُ أَنَّهُ يَقُولُ لِلرَّجُلِ: أَلَيْسَ قَدْ ثَبَتَ أَنَّ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ سَيَعُودُ إِلَى هَذِهِ الدُّنْيَا ؟ فَيَقُولُ الرَّجُلُ: بَلَى ! فَيَقُولُ لَهُ: فَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، أَفْضَلُ مِنْهُ فَمَا تُنْكِرُ أَنْ يَعُودَ إِلَى هَذِهِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُوَ أَشْرَفُ مِنْ عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ ! ثُمَّ يَقُولُ: وَقَدْ كَانَ أَوْصَى إِلَى عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ؛ فَمُحَمَّدٌ خَاتَمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، وَعَلِيٌّ خَاتَمُ الْأَوْصِيَاءِ. ثُمَّ يَقُولُ: فَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِالْإِمْرَةِ مِنْ عُثْمَانَ، وَعُثْمَانُ مُعْتَدٍ فِي وِلَايَتِهِ مَا لَيْسَ لَهُ. فَأَنْكَرُوا عَلَيْهِ وَأَظْهَرُوا الْأَمْرَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ. فَافْتُتِنَ بِهِ بَشَرٌ كَثِيرٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ مِصْرَ، وَكَتَبُوا إِلَى جَمَاعَاتٍ مِنْ عَوَامِّ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ وَالْبَصْرَةِ؛ فَتَمَالَئُوا عَلَى ذَلِكَ، وَتَكَاتَبُوا فِيهِ، وَتَوَاعَدُوا أَنْ يَجْتَمِعُوا فِي الْإِنْكَارِ عَلَى عُثْمَانَ، وَأَرْسَلُوا إِلَيْهِ مَنْ يُنَاظِرُهُ وَيَذْكُرُ لَهُ مَا يَنْقِمُونَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ تَوْلِيَتِهِ أَقْرِبَاءَهُ وَذَوِي رَحِمِهِ وَعَزْلِهِ كِبَارَ الصَّحَابَةِ. فَدَخَلَ هَذَا فِي قُلُوبِ كَثِيرٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ فَجَمَعَ عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عَفَّانَ نُوَّابَهُ مِنَ الْأَمْصَارِ، فَاسْتَشَارَهُمْ فَأَشَارُوا عَلَيْهِ بِمَا تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُنَا لَهُ. وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.
Translation
✧ Then the Year Thirty-Four Began It is said: In it was the expedition of the Masts, according to the saying of some of them, and its mention has already come before. In it, those who had deviated from ʿUthmān corresponded with one another to gather for debating with him about what they mentioned they resented against him. Account of that and of the Day of al-Jaraʿah We have already mentioned the account of those sent away from al-Kūfah and their stay with ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Khālid b. al-Walīd. Saʿīd b. al-ʿĀṣ came as a delegate to ʿUthmān in the eleventh year of ʿUthmān's caliphate. Saʿīd had, a year and part of another before his departure to ʿUthmān, appointed al-Ashʿath b. Qays over Adharbayjān, Saʿīd b. Qays over al-Rayy, al-Nusayr al-ʿIjlī over Hamadhān, al-Sāʾib b. al-Aqraʿ over Iṣbahān, Mālik b. Ḥabīb over Māh, Ḥakīm b. Salām al-Ḥizāmī over al-Mawṣil, Jarīr b. ʿAbd Allāh over Qarqīsiyā, and Salmān b. Rabīʿah over al-Bāb. He placed al-Qaʿqāʿ b. ʿAmr over the war, and over Ḥulwān ʿUtaybah b. al-Nahhās. Al-Kūfah was thus emptied of the leaders. Yazīd b. Qays set out, intending to depose ʿUthmān, and with him were those to whom Ibn al-Sawdāʾ used to write. Al-Qaʿqāʿ b. ʿAmr seized him and said: "We only seek to be excused from Saʿīd." He replied: "As for this, then yes." So he left him. Yazīd wrote to the exiles urging them to come to him. Al-Ashtar and those with ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Khālid set out, and al-Ashtar preceded them. The people were not taken by surprise on Friday except that al-Ashtar was at the door of the mosque saying: "I have come to you from the Commander of the Faithful ʿUthmān and I left Saʿīd intending to reduce your women's allowances to one hundred dirhams, and to return those of you who had distinction to two thousand, and he claims that your fayʾ is the garden of Quraysh." The people were stirred up, and the people of sound judgment began to forbid them but their words were not heeded. Yazīd went out and commanded a crier to call out: "Whoever wishes to join Yazīd to send back Saʿīd, let him do so." The nobles and the forbearing of the people remained in the mosque. ʿAmr b. Ḥurayth was that day the deputy of Saʿīd. He ascended the pulpit, praised and extolled God, and commanded them to unity and obedience. Al-Qaʿqāʿ said to him: "Will you turn back the flood from its courses? Far from it! No, by God, nothing settles the rabble but the Mashrafī swords. Soon they will be unsheathed and they will bellow like the bellowing of the ʿaddān, and they will wish for what they are in today, but God will never return it to them. So be patient." He said: "I will be patient." He then withdrew to his house. Yazīd b. Qays went out and encamped at al-Jaraʿah, which is near al-Qādisiyyah, and with him was al-Ashtar. Saʿīd b. al-ʿĀṣ reached them, and they said: "We have no need of you." He said: "It would have sufficed you to send one man to the Commander of the Faithful and one man to me. Do a thousand people with intellects go out against one man?" Then he turned away from them. They set upon a client of his on a camel that had become exhausted, and he said: "By God, it was not fitting for Saʿīd to return." Al-Ashtar killed him. Saʿīd went on until he came to ʿUthmān and informed him of what they had done, and that they wanted a replacement, and that they were choosing Abū Mūsā. So he made Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī governor, and wrote to them: "To proceed: I have appointed over you the one you have chosen, and I have excused you from Saʿīd. By God, I will lend you my honor, expend for you my patience, and seek your welfare with all my effort. So do not leave anything you love, in which God is not disobeyed, but that you ask it of me; nor anything you hate, in which God is not disobeyed, but that you seek exemption from it. I will descend in it according to what you love, until there is no argument for you against God. We will surely be patient as we have been commanded, until you attain what you desire." Of the governors, those who were near al-Kūfah returned: Jarīr returned from Qarqīsiyā, and ʿUtaybah b. al-Nahhās from Ḥulwān. Abū Mūsā addressed them and commanded them to adhere to the community and to obedience to ʿUthmān. They responded to that and said: "Pray with us." He said: "No, except upon hearing and obedience to ʿUthmān." They said: "Yes." So he prayed with them, and his appointment reached him, and he took charge of them. It is said: The cause of the Day of al-Jaraʿah was that people among the Muslims had gathered and discussed the actions of ʿUthmān. Their opinion was unanimous, so they sent to him ʿĀmir b. ʿAbd Allāh al-Tamīmī, then al-ʿAnbarī, who is called ʿĀmir b. ʿAbd al-Qays. He came to him and entered upon him and said to him: "Some of the Muslims have gathered and looked into your actions, and they found that you have committed grave matters. Fear God and repent to Him." ʿUthmān said: "Look at this man, for the people claim that he is a reciter, then he comes and speaks to me about trivialities. By God, he does not know where God is!" ʿĀmir said: "Yes, by God, I know that God is indeed lying in wait!" ʿUthmān sent to Muʿāwiyah, ʿAbd Allāh b. Saʿd, Saʿīd b. al-ʿĀṣ, ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ, and ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿĀmir, and gathered them and consulted them. He said to them: "Every man has ministers and counselors, and you are my ministers, my counselors, and the people of my trust. The people have done what you have seen, and they have asked me to dismiss my governors and to retract from all that they hate to what they love. So exert your judgment." Ibn ʿĀmir said to him: "I think, O Commander of the Faithful, that you should occupy them with jihād away from you, so that they become submissive to you and the concern of each one of them is only for himself and what he is in, regarding the soreness of his mount and the lice of his fur garment." Saʿīd said: "Cut off the disease from you, so sever from you what you fear. Every people has a foundation; when it perishes, they disperse and their affair is not united." ʿUthmān said: "This is indeed the right opinion, were it not for what is in it." Muʿāwiyah said: "I advise you to command the governors of the garrisons, so that each man among them suffices you for what is in his region, and I will suffice you for the people of Syria." ʿAbd Allāh b. Saʿd said: "The people are people of greed, so give them from this wealth and their hearts will incline to you." Then ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ stood up and said: "O Commander of the Faithful, you have ridden the people with the like of the Banū Umayyah. You spoke and they spoke; you deviated and they deviated. So be just or step aside. If you refuse, then resolve firmly and advance boldly." ʿUthmān said to him: "What is with you? Has your fur garment become lousy? Is this seriousness from you?" ʿAmr remained silent until they dispersed, then he said: "By God, O Commander of the Faithful, you are dearer to me than that, but I knew that at the door there is someone who will convey to the people the words of each one of us. I intended that my words reach them so that they trust me, and so that I may lead good to you and ward off evil from you." ʿUthmān returned his governors to their posts, commanded them to equip the people for expeditions, resolved to withhold their stipends so that they would obey him, and sent Saʿīd back to al-Kūfah. The people met him at al-Jaraʿah and turned him back, as has been mentioned before. Abū Thawr al-Ḥaddānī said: I sat with Ḥudhayfah and Abū Masʿūd al-Anṣārī in the mosque of al-Kūfah on the Day of al-Jaraʿah. Abū Masʿūd said: "I do not think it will be turned back upon its heels until there is bloodshed in it." Ḥudhayfah said: "By God, it will indeed be turned back upon its heels and there will not be in it even a cupping-glass of blood. I do not see anything today except that I knew it while the Prophet ﷺ was alive." Saʿīd returned to ʿUthmān and no blood was shed. Abū Mūsā came as governor, and ʿUthmān commanded Ḥudhayfah b. al-Yamān to raid al-Bāb, and he set out toward it. The cause of the factions banding together against ʿUthmān Sayf b. ʿUmar mentioned that the cause of the factions banding together against ʿUthmān was that a man called ʿAbd Allāh b. Sabaʾ, who was a Jew, had professed Islam and went to Egypt. He whispered to a group of people speech that he invented from his own mind, the gist of which was that he would say to a man: "Has it not been established that Jesus son of Mary will return to this world?" The man would say: "Yes!" Then he would say to him: "The Messenger of God ﷺ is superior to him, so what do you deny about his returning to this world, since he is nobler than Jesus son of Mary ﷺ !" Then he would say: "He had indeed bequeathed to ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib. So Muḥammad is the seal of the prophets, and ʿAlī is the seal of the legatees." Then he would say: "He is therefore more entitled to the command than ʿUthmān, and ʿUthmān is a transgressor in his governorship, taking what is not his." So they disapproved of it and manifested the enjoining of good and forbidding of evil. Many people of Egypt were beguiled by him, and they wrote to groups of the common people of al-Kūfah and al-Baṣrah. They conspired together on that, corresponded about it, and appointed one another to gather in disapproval of ʿUthmān. They sent to him someone to debate him and to mention to him what they resented against him, namely his appointing his relatives and kin and dismissing the senior Companions. This entered the hearts of many people. So ʿUthmān b. ʿAffān gathered his deputies from the garrison cities and consulted them, and they advised him as we have previously mentioned. And God knows best.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.