Chapter Three: The Origins of `Uthman’s Caliphate

Encyclopedia of Imam Ali (AS), written by Muhammad Muhammadi Rayshahri, abridged by Mahdi Gholamali, translated by Zaid Alsalami and Safyullah Khan, edited by Hamid Reza Salarkia and published by NORPUB.

166. صحيح البخاري عن عمرو بن ميمون :

166. Sahih al-Bukhari, narrating from `Amr ibn Maymun, who said:

قالوا] لِعُمَرَ بَعدَ إصابَتِهِ[ : أوصِ يا أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ استَخلِف .

“The people said [to `Umar after being stabbed]: “O Commander of the Faithful, deliver your speech and appoint a successor.”

قالَ : ما أجِدُ أحَدا أحَقَّ بِهذَا الأَمرِ مِن هؤُلاءِ النَّفَرِ ـ أو الرَّهطِ ـ

`Umar said: “I found no one more suitable for this affair [of government]

الَّذينَ تُوُفِّيَ رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله وهُوَ عَنهُم راضٍ ،

than those with whom the Messenger of Allah (SA) was pleased before he died.”

فَسَمّى عَلِيّا وعُثمانَ وَالزُّبَيرَ وطَلحَةَ وسَعدا وعَبدَ الرَّحمنِ ، وقالَ :

He mentioned Ali, `Uthman, al-Zubayr, Talha, Sa`d and `Abd al-Rahman. He then said:

يَشهَدُكُم عَبدُ اللّهِ بنُ عُمَرَ ،

“`Abdullah ibn `Umar will be a witness against you,

ولَيسَ لَهُ مِنَ الأَمرِ شَيءٌ ـ كَهَيئَةِ التَّعزِيَةِ لَهُ ـ

but he will have no share in the rule.

فَإِن أصابَتِ الإِمرَةُ سَعدا فَهوَ ذاكَ ،

If Sa`d becomes the ruler, it will be alright;

وإلّا فَليَستَعِن بِهِ أيُّكُم ما اُمِّرَ ،

otherwise, whoever becomes the ruler should seek his help,

فَإِنّي لَم أعزِلهُ عَن عَجزٍ ولا خِيانَةٍ .

for I have not dismissed him because of disability or dishonesty.”

صحيح البخاري : ج3 ص1355 ح3497 .

Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 3, p. 1355, h. 3497.

167. الطبقات الكبرى عن عمرو بن ميمون:

167. Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, narrating from `Amr ibn Maymun, who said:

 شَهِدتُ عُمَرَ يَومَ طُعِنَ . . .

 “I saw `Umar on the day he was stabbed......

ثُمَّ قالَ :

He then said:

اُدعوا لي عَلِيّا ، وعُثمانَ ، وطَلحَةَ ، وَالزُّبَيرَ ، وعَبدَ الرَّحمنِ بنِ عَوفٍ ، وسَعدا ؛

“Call the following for me: Ali, `Uthman, Talha, al-Zubayr, `Abd al-Rahman ibn `Awf and Sa`d.”

فَلَم يُكَلِّم أحَدا مِنهُم غَير عَلِيٍّ وعُثمانَ .

However, he only spoke to Ali and `Uthman.

 فَقالَ : يا عَلِيُّ ،

He said: “O Ali,

لَعَلَّ هؤُلاءِ القَومَ يَعرِفونَ لَكَ قَرابَتَكَ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و آله ، وصِهرَكَ ،

this people might know your kinship to the Prophet (SA)

وما آتاكَ اللّهُ مِنَ الفِقهِ وَالعِلمِ ،

and what Allah has bestowed upon you of understanding and knowledge,

فَإِن وَليتَ هذَا الأَمرَ فَاتَّقِ اللّهَ فيهِ !

so if you take control of this affair, you must be wary of Allah with reguard it!”

 ثُمَّ دَعا عُثمانَ فَقالَ :

He then invited `Uthman and said:

يا عُثمانُ ، لَعَلَّ هؤُلاءِ القَومَ يَعرِفونَ لَكَ صِهرَكَ مِن رَسولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله

“O `Uthman, these people might know your relation to the Messenger of Allah (SA),

وسِنَّكَ وشَرَفَكَ ،

and your age and nobility,

فَإِن وَليتَ هذَا الأَمرَ فَاتَّقِ اللّهَ ،

so if you take control of this you must be wary of Allah

ولا تَحمِلَنَّ بَني أبي مُعَيطٍ عَلى رِقابِ النّاسِ !

and do not let the Bani Abi Mu`ayt rule over the people!”

ثُمَّ قالَ : اُدعوا لي صُهَيبا ،

He then said: “Call Suhayb for me.”

فَدُعِيَ ، فَقالَ :

He was called, and `Umar said to him:

صَلِّ بِالنّاسِ ثَلاثا ،

“Lead the people in prayer for three days,

وَليَخلُ هؤُلاءِ القَومُ في بَيتٍ ،

and let these people be secluded in a house.

فَإِذَا اجتَمَعوا عَلى رَجُلٍ ،

Once they agree on a man,

فَمَن خالَفَهُم فَاضرِبوا رَأسَهُ .

strike the neck of whoever opposes.”

 فَلَمّا خَرَجوا مِن عِندِ عُمَرَ ، قالَ عُمَرُ :

When they left `Umar, he said:

لو وَلَّوها الأَجلَحَ 

“If the bald headed person [referring to Ali] assumes the government,

سَلَكَ بِهِمُ الطَّريقَ !

he will lead the people to the right path.”

فَقالَ لَهُ ابنُ عُمَرَ : فَما يَمنَعُكَ يا أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ ؟

Ibn `Umar said to him: “O Commander of the Faithful, then what prevents you [from electing him]?”

قالَ : أكرَهُ أن أتَحَمَّلَها حَيّا ومَيِّتا .

He said: “I cannot bear (the burden of) the idea whether I am alive or dead.”

الطبقات الكبرى : ج3 ص340 .

Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, vol. 3, p. 340.

168. تاريخ الطبري:

168. Tarikh al-Tabari:

 قالَ عَلِيٌّ لِقَومٍ كانوا مَعَهُ مِن بَني هاشِمٍ :

“Ali said to a group from Bani Hashim who were with him:

إن اُطيعَ فيكُم قَومُكُم لَم تُؤَمَّروا أبَدا . وتَلَقّاهُ العَبّاسُ

 “You will never rule the government. When al-`Abbas saw him,

فَقالَ : عُدِلَت عَنّا !

he said to him: “It [the caliphate] has been taken from us.”

فَقالَ : وما عِلمُكَ ؟

He said: “How do you know?”

قالَ : قُرِنَ بي عُثمانُ ،

Ali said: “` He has joined men to ‘Uthman.

وقالَ : كونوا مَعَ الأَكثَرِ ، فَإِن رَضِيَ رَجُلان رَجُلاً ،

`Umar said: “Be with the majority, so if two men are well-pleased with one man

ورَجُلانِ رَجُلاً ،

and two men are well-pleased with another man,

فكونوا مَعَ الَّذينَ فيهِم عَبدُ الرَّحمنِ بنُ عَوفٍ ،

be on the side of `Abd al-Rahman ibn `Awf.

فَسَعدٌ لا يُخالِفُ ابنَ عَمِّهِ عَبدَ الرَّحمنِ ، وعَبدُ الرَّحمنِ صِهرُ عُثمانَ ؛

Sa`d will not oppose his cousin `Abd al-Rahman and `Abd al-Rahman is the `Uthman’s in-law,

لا يَختَلِفونَ ،

and they will not differ,

فَيُوَلّيها عَبدُ الرَّحمنِ عُثمانَ

so `Abd al-Rahman will appoint `Uthman for the caliphate,

أو يُوَلّيها عُثمانُ عَبدَ الرَّحمنِ ،

or `Uthman will appoint `Abd al-Rahman for the caliphate.

فَلَو كانَ الآخَرانِ مَعي لَم يَنفَعاني .

If the two other people were with me, they would not benefit me.”

تاريخ الطبري : ج 4 ص 229 .

Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 4, p. 229.

169. الإمام عليّ عليه السلامـ

169. Imam Ali (AS) said,

مِن كَلامٍ لَهُ لَمّا عَزَموا عَلى بَيعَةِ عُثمانَ ـ:

when men decided to pledge their allegiance to ‘Uthman,

لَقَد عَلِمتُم أنّي أحَقُّ النّاسِ بِها مِن غَيري ،

 “You have certainly come to know that I have a better right to the Caliphate.

ووَاللّهِ لَاُسلِمَنَّ ما سَلِمَت اُمورُ المُسلِمينَ ،

By Allah, so long as the affairs of Muslims remain sound

ولَم يَكُن فيها جَورٌ إلّا عَلَيَّ خاصَّةً ؛

and there is no injustice save to myself,

اِلتِماسا لِأَجرِ ذلِكَ وفَضلِهِ ،

I shall keep quiet for seeking reward from Allah,

وزُهدا فيما تَنافَستُموهُ مِن زُخرُفِهِ وزِبرِجِهِ .

keeping aloof from its attractions and allurements over which you compete.”

نهج البلاغة : الخطبة 74 .

Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 74.

170. الإمام عليّ عليه السلامـ مِن خُطبَةٍ لَه عليه السلام ـ:

170. Imam Ali (AS) said, in one of his sermons:

أما وَاللّهِ لَقَد تَقَمَّصَها فُلانٌ،

“By Allah, Ibn Abi Quhafah (i.e. Abu Bakr) took on its [i.e. the caliphate’s] clothes

وإنَّهُ لَيَعلَمُ أنَّ مَحلّي مِنها مَحَلُّ القُطبِ مِنَ الرَّحا ،

although he was aware that my position with regard to it was like the position of the axle of a hand-mill.

يَنحَدِرُ عَنِّي السَّيلُ ،

The stream (of knowledge) flows from me

ولا يَرقى إلَيَّ الطَّيرُ ؛

and the birds cannot rise to (the exaltedness of) my position.

فَسَدَلتُ دونَها ثَوبا ،

I allowed myself to let another robe cover me instead of it

وطَوَيتُ عَنها كَشحا ،

and I turned aside from it.

وطَفِقتُ أرتَئي بَينَ أن أصولَ بِيَدٍ جَذّاءَ ،

I began to consider whether I should attempt to attack (when I would be like a man) with a hand cut off

أو أصبِرَ عَلى طَخيَةٍ عَمياءَ ،

or I should endure the blind darkness (of oppression),

يَهرَمُ فيهَا الكَبيرُ ،

in which the old man would grow decrepit

ويَشيبُ فيهَا الصَّغيرُ ،

and the young become white-haired,

ويَكدَحُ فيها مُؤمِنٌ حَتّى يَلقى رَبَّهُ !

while 'a [true] believer' would toil until he meets his Lord.

 فَرَأَيتُ أنَّ الصَّبرَ عَلى هاتا أحجى ،

I realized that endurance in this was wiser.

فَصَبَرتُ وفِي العَينِ قَذىً ،

So I endured while all the time there was a mote in my eye

وفِي الحَلقِ شَجا ،

and an obstruction in my throat.

أرى تُراثي نَهبا ،

I could see my inheritance plundered

حَتّى مَضَى الأَوَّلُ لِسَبيلِهِ ،

until the time of the first one's death came to him

فَأَدلى بِها إلى فُلانٍ بَعدَهُ .

and he handed it over to so-and-so [i.e. ‘Umar].

 ثُمَّ تَمَثَّلَ بِقَولِ الأَعشى :

  (He then quoted a verse of a poem from al-A‘sha):

 شَتّانَ ما يَومي عَلى كورِها            

What a difference between my time [when days are passing in difficulty] on the camel’s back

ويومُ حَيَّان أخي جابِرِ

And the time [of ease] when I enjoyed the company of Jabir’s brother Hayyan!

 فَياعَجَبا ! !

How amazing that,

بَينا هُوَ يَستَقيلُها في حَياتِهِ

while he (i.e. Abu Bakr) requested to be released from it (i.e. the caliphate) during his life,

إذ عَقَدَها لِاخر بَعدَ وَفاتِهِ ـ

but he confirmed it for the other one after his death!

لَشَدَّ ما تَشَطَّرا ضَرعَيهَا ! ـ

How eagerly the two divided its two udders between them.

فَصَيَّرَها في حَوزَةٍ خَشناءَ يَغلُظُ كَلمُها ،

This one put the Caliphate in a tough enclosure where the utterance was haughty

ويَخشُنُ مَسُّها ،

and the touch was rough.

ويَكثُرُ العِثارُ فيها ،

Mistakes were in plenty

وَالاِعتِذارُ مِنها ،

and so also the excuses therefore.

فَصاحِبُها كَراكِبِ الصَّعبَةِ

One in contact with it was like the rider of an obstinate camel.

إن أشنَقَ لَها خَرَمَ ،

If he pulled its reins, the very nostril would be slit.

وإن أسلَسَ لَها تَقَحَّمَ ،

If he held its reins loosely, he caused it to go at random so that [it would stumble and] he would be thrown.

فَمُنِيَ النّاسُ ـ لَعَمرُ اللّهِ ـ بِخَبطٍ وشِماسٍ ،

By Allah, as a result people were afflicted with recklessness, wickedness,

وتَلَوُّنٍ وَاعتِراضٍ ؛

unsteadiness and deviation.

فَصَبَرتُ عَلى طولِ المُدَّةِ ،

Nevertheless, I remained patient despite the length of period

وشِدَّةِ المِحنَةِ ؛

and stiffness of trial,

حَتّى إذا مَضى لِسَبيلِهِ جَعَلَها في جَماعَةٍ زَعَمَ أنّي أحَدُهُم ،

till when he [`Umar] went his way [of death]; he put the matter [of Caliphate] in a group and regarded me to be one of them.

فَيا لِلّهِ وَلِلشّورى !

O Allah, what kind of council was it?

مَتَى اعتَرَضَ الرَّيبُ فِيَّ مَعَ الأَوَّلِ مِنهُم ،

At what time was there any doubt about me with regard to the first of them [Abu Bakr]

حَتّى صِرتُ اُقرَنُ إلى هذِهِ النَّظائِرِ !

that I was now considered akin to these ones?

لكِنّي أسفَفتُ إذ أسفّوا ،

But I remained low when they were low

وطرِتُ إذ طاروا ؛

and flew high when they flew high.

فَصَغا رَجُلٌ مِنهُم لِضِغنِهِ ،

One of them turned against me because of his hatred

ومالَ الآخَرُ لِصِهرِهِ ،

and the other got inclined the other way due to his in-law relationship

مَعَ هَنٍ وهَنٍ ،

and this thing and that thing,

إلى أن قامَ ثالِثُ القَومِ نافِجا حِضنَيهِ ،

till the third man [`Uthman] of these people stood up with heaving breasts

بَينَ نَثيلِهِ ومُعتَلَفِهِ ،

between his dung and fodder.

وقامَ مَعَهُ بَنو أبيهِ يَخضَمونَ مالَ اللّهِ خِضمَةَ الإِبِلِ نِبتَةَ الرَّبيعِ ،

With him his cousins [the Umayyads] also stood up swallowing up Allah’s wealth like a camel devouring the foliage of spring,

إلى أنِ انتكَثَ عَلَيهِ فَتلُهُ ،

till his rope broke down,

وأجهَزَ عَلَيهِ عَمَلُهُ ،

his actions finished him

وكَبَتَ بِهِ بَطنَتُهُ !

and his gluttony led him to his own destruction.

 فَما راعَني إلّا وَالنّاسُ كَعُرفِ الضَّبُعِ إلَيَّ ،

At that moment, nothing took me by surprise, but the crowd of people rushing to me.

يَنثالونَ عَلَيَّ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ ،

It advanced towards me from every side like the mane of the hyena so much

حَتّى لَقَد وُطِئَ الحَسَنانِ ،

so that Hasan and Husain were getting crushed

وشُقَّ عِطفايَ ،

and both the ends of my shoulder garment were torn.

مُجتَمِعينَ حَولي كَرَبيضَةِ الغَنَمِ ،

The people collected around me like the herd of sheep and goats.

فَلَمّا نَهَضتُ بِالأَمرِ نَكَثَت طائِفَةٌ ،

When I took up the reins of government one party broke away

ومَرَقَت اُخرى ،

and another turned disobedient

وقَسَطَ آخَرونَ :

while the rest began acting wrongfully

كَأَنَّهُم لَم يَسمَعُوا اللّهَ سُبحانَهُ يَقولُ :  

as if they had not heard the word of Allah saying:

«تِلْكَ الدَّارُ الْأَخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِى الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فَسَادًا وَ الْعَـقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ» القصص : 83 .

 “This is the abode of the Hereafter which We shall grant to those who do not desire to domineer in the earth nor to cause corruption, and the outcome will be in favour of the God wary.” Qur’an, 28:83.  

بَلى ! وَاللّهِ لَقَد سَمِعوها ووَعَوهَا ،

Yes, by Allah, they had heard this verse and understood it,

ولكِنَّهُم حَلِيَتِ الدُّنيا في أعيُنِهِم وراقَهُم زِبرِجُها !

but the world appeared glittering in their eyes and its embellishments seduced them.

أما وَالَّذي فَلَقَ الحَبَّةَ ،

Behold, by He who split the grain

وَبَرأَ النّسَمَةَ ،

and created living beings,

لَولا حُضورُ الحاضِرِ ،

if people had not come to me

وقِيامُ الحُجَّةِ بِوُجودِ النّاصِرِ ،

and supporters had not exhausted the argument

وما أخَذَ اللّهُ عَلَى العُلَماءِ

and if there had been no pledge of Allah with the learned to the effect that

ألّا يُقارّوا عَلى كِظَّةِ ظالِمٍ ،

they should not acquiesce in the gluttony of the oppressor

ولا سَغَبِ مَظلومٍ ،

and the hunger of the oppressed,

لَأَلقَيتُ حَبلَها عَلى غارِبِها ،

I would have cast the rope of Caliphate on its own shoulders,

ولَسَقيتُ آخِرَها بِكَأسِ أوَّلِها ،

and would have given the last one the same treatment as to the first one.

ولَأَلفَيتُم دُنياكُم هذِهِ أزهَدَ عِندي مِن عَفطَةِ عَنْزٍ !

Then you would have seen that in my view this world of yours is no better than the sneezing of a goat.”

 قالوا : وقامَ إلَيهِ رَجُلٌ مِن أهلِ السَّوادِ عِندَ بُلوغِهِ إلى هذَا المَوضِعِ مِن خُطبَتِهِ ، فَناوَلَهُ كِتابا ـ

They said: “When he got to this part in the sermon, a man from Iraq stood up and came to him [Ali (AS)] handing him a letter.”

قيلَ : إنَّ فيهِ مَسائِلَ كانَ يُريدُ الإِجابَةَ عَنها ـ

It was said that this letter had questions that he wanted to be answered,

فَأَقبَلَ يَنظُرُ فيهِ ،

so he read it

فَلَمّا فَرَغَ مِن قِراءَتِهِ ،

and when he finished reading it,

قالَ لَهُ ابنُ عَبّاسٍ :

Ibn `Abbas said to him:

يا أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ ،

“O Commander of the Faithful,

لَوِ اطَّرَدَت خُطبَتُكَ مِن حَيثُ أفضَيتَ !

if only you can continue your sermon from where you stopped.”

 فَقالَ : هَيهاتَ يَابنَ عَبّاسٍ ! تِلكَ شِقشِقَةٌ هَدَرَت ثُمَّ قَرَّت !

He (AS) said: “O Ibn `Abbas, far be it, as it was a loud call (like the foam on a camel’s mouth) that gushed out but subsided.” [That is, such speech cannot be delivered at any time or on any occasion. Editor’s note: Shiqshiqa is something like a piece of lung that a bull camel sticks out (from its mouth) when it brays while getting excited (as if it is foams at the mouth), and restores it immediately. Shiqshiqatun hadarat thummaqarrat is an Arabic idiom denoting that a cry was made then subsided. Here it implies that the Imam (AS) poured out his heart for the audience just for a short period of time.]

 قالَ ابنُ عَبّاسٍ : فَوَاللّهِ ،

Ibn `Abbas said: By Allah,

ما أسَفتُ عَلى كَلامٍ قَطُّ كَأَسَفي عَلى هذَا الكَلامِ

I never grieved over any utterance as I did over this one,

ألّا يَكونَ أميرُ المُؤمِنينَ عليه السلام بَلَغَ مِنهُ حَيثُ أرادَ .

because the Commander of the Faithful could not finish what he wished to say.”

نهج البلاغة : الخطبة 3 .

Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 3.