Hadith 43

at the conquest of Makkah). They proceeded to Al-Basra and killed the Muslims at it, and they did the evil. And O how strange of their straying straight to Abu Bakr and Umar and their rebellion against me-asws, and they both knew that I-asws am not below them, and if I-asws so desired to say, I-asws would say, and Muawiya had written a letter to them both from Syria, deceiving them in it. They concealed it from me-asws and went out as deluded common people and Bedouins. They were seeking the blood of Usman. By Allah-azwj! They have neither denied upon me a (justifiable) denial nor have they made fairness to be between me-asws and them, and surely the blood of Usman is to be attained from them both and sought from them. O the disappointment of the claimant, what he has called for and what he has been answered with. By Allah-azwj! They are both upon straying, deaf and ignorant, blind, and the Satan-la has instigated his-la party for them and lured his-la allurements from them, his-la cavalry and his-la infantry, in order to return the tyranny to its homelands and return the falsehood to its spot’. Then he-asws raised his-asws hand and said: ‘O Allah-azwj! Surely Talha and Al-Zubeyr have cut off from me-asws and have wronged me-asws, and rallied against me-asws, and broken my-asws allegiance, so Loosen whatever they tie, and Break whatever they mend, and do not Forgive (their sins) for them, ever, and Show them both the evil in what they are doing and wishing for’. Abu Mikhnaf said, ‘Al-Ashtar stood up to him-asws and said, ‘The Praise is for Allah-azwj Who Conferred upon us, and Preferred and Favoured to us, and most beautiful. We have heard your-asws speech, O Amir Al-Momineen-asws, and we have got it right, and harmonised, and you-asws are a son-asws of an uncle-as of our Prophet-saww, and his-saww in-law, and his-saww successor-asws, and the first one to have ratified him-saww, and prayed Salat with him-saww. You-asws have attended all of his-saww events, so there was a merit for you-asws in it over the entirety of the community. One who follows you-asws has attained his share and would be joyful with his victory, and one who disobeys you-asws and turns away from you-asws, then he will go to Al-Hawiya (Hell) as his mother. By my life, O Amir Al-Momineen-asws! The matter of Talha, and Al-Zubeyr and Ayesha is not in the imagination, and the men have entered into what they are entered into, and they separated upon without any innovation you-asws have innovated, nor any tyranny you-asws having had done. So, if they are both claiming to be seeking the blood of Usman, let them be chained from themselves, for they are the first ones to have rallied against him and are (now) deceiving the people with his blood, and I keep Allah-azwj as Witness, if they do not enter (back) into what they have exited from, we shall join them both with Usman, for our swords are in our shoulders and our hearts are in our chests, and today we are just as we were yesterday’. Then he sat down’’. [47]