Chapter 1: A meeting with the Governor
60 years after the hijra of the Muslims from Mecca to Madina, Khalifa Muawiya dies in Damascus, Syria.
Muawiya had accompanied his father and brother in the army that conquered Syria. And after a plague killed the first 2 governors, Umar, the Khalifa at that time appointed Muawiya. He was an able administrator, and his strong leadership earned the loyalty of the army and his clan, the Banu Umayya, most of whom had settled in Syria. He was reconfirmed as governor when his cousin Uthman became the Khalifa after Umar. And he eventually took the Khalifate a few years after Uthman.
But before Muawiya's death is made public in Madina, a pledge of allegience to his son Yazid needs to be taken from a couple of important people. The Umawi governor of Madina and his closest advisor recieve orders from Damascus to get the pledge.
A prominant 56 years old man of Madina, sitting in the Prophets mosque with his companions, is summoned to the governor's house. He decides to go, but not alone. He tells his companions to prepare themselves. The Banu Umayya cannot be trusted. Accompanying him are some of his Banu Hashim cousins as well as his half-brothers, sons of Ali with wives after the death of Fatima az-Zahra, daughter of the Prophet. They are coming along to protect their imam, their amir, their chief, al-Husayn, the beloved grandson of Prophet Muhammad.
As he gets closer to the residence,
Husayn sees the gate where it all began,
the day that Khalifa Uthman was murdered...
24 years earlier, Husayn the son of Ali, along with his brother Hasan, his cousin Abdullah the son of Zubayr, and Marwan the Khalifa's first cousin and secretary, all stood together to keep out the rowdy mob of Iraqis and Egyptians determined to break down the gate and drag the Khalifa out. All four of them were about 30 years old, just a couple of years apart in age, in the prime of their lives. Three of these four would later go on to become Khalifas. Three would die tragic deaths. Peace would elude them all. But we'll get to that later in the story. On that day, 24 years earlier, they all stood together at the gate of what was then the Khalifa's residence, the gate of what would later become the governor's residence when Madina was no longer the Muslim capitol city.
The four young men stood at the gate trying to keep order and peace as the angry mob grew rowdier. A few men broke in through the window during the commotion. One of them was a young man about 22 years old named Muhammad. And although he was the son of Abu Bakr, his mother had married Ali after Abu Bakr's death. He had never known his real father, having been born after Abu Bakr died, it was Ali who raised him and loved him like a son. And it was Khalifa Uthman who, in the past few days, had appointed him the new governor of Egypt.
Muhammad was furious at the Khalifa, in his hand were two official letters, both with the Khalifa's seal. Uthman had been sitting on the floor reading a Quran with his wife. "So you give me a letter appointing me the new governor of Egypt, and then you send your fastest messenger with another one ordering your current governor to execute me upon my arrival there?!" As Muhammad said this, the other men who came with him, grabbed the nearly 80 year old Khalifa and picked him up off the floor. His wife Naila was pushed to the corner of the room.
The holy book dropped from Uthman's hands, open to the pages that Uthman had been reading. Muhammad grabbed the Khalifa by the beard, saying "let's see who executes who." "I did not order your death, that letter is not by me, I have never seen it before," said Uthman. "Is this not your seal?" asked Muhammad, with anger in his voice. The stately Uthman, unafraid of death, replied calmly, "Yes, it is. But I did not write any other letter then the one I gave you. You must believe me. I am innocent," "Who is in charge of your seal?" asked Muhammad. But Uthman continued as if he did not hear the question, "It was your father who brought me to Islam, you know. He was a good friend. You are a good man, Muhammad. Fear Allah, you are not a murderer. Oh Abu Bakr!, I am glad you are not alive to see things come to this."
Hearing this, Muhammad let go of the beard and backed away. "This was a mistake, lets go." said Muhammad as he walked back towards the window through which they had entered. But the men who were holding Uthman started to beat the old man till he died. Muhammad tried to pull them off but it was too late. They all hurried out the window as Uthman fell to the floor, splattering blood onto the Quran that lay nearby. Outside the Khalifa's house, there was still disorder. Things didn't get better when Uthman's wife came out screaming "Somebody Help! The Khalifa has been murdered!" The four young men at the gate rushed inside to help.
Some in the crowd started to celebrate, others were shocked at the news. The leaders among the rebel mob called out for Ali as they backed away from the gate and turned towards the Prophet's mosque. As the four young men entered the room where Uthman lay, they see the blood and his motionless body and realize there is nothing they can do. "It is to Allah we belong and to him that we return." they all said as they leaned over the body of the man known as the "possesor of two lights" due to his marriage to two of the Prophet's daughter's.
The chanting of Ali's name could be heard outside the house. Marwan looked up at Hasan and Husayn, "I guess your father needs you two right now. I'll take care of things here." Abdullah stayed behind to help Marwan as Hasan and Husayn ran towards the Prophet's mosque in search of their father.
Ali, was elected the new Khalifa by the mob that same day. Regardless of his denials, the Banu Ummaya felt that, while he was not guilty of the murder of Uthman, Ali had a hand in the events. He too had criticized Uthman and the Banu Ummaya family members that Uthman had appointed in high places during the past 6 years of his Khilafat.
The Banu Ummaya did not acknowledge Ali's khilafat. So what, if Ali told the Iraqis or Egyptians who regularly came to him that rebellion against Khalifa Uthman was not going to solve their problems. So what, if he sent his own sons to defend Uthman's house. His actions before the murder of Uthman was outweighed by his inaction after being elected Khalifa. They began to claim in Syria that Ali would not punish their Umawi brother Uthman's murderers. That Ali let the murderers fight in his army. That in fact some of the angry mob who had celebrated the death of Uthman were now generals in Ali's army. No reply Ali gave against these accusations was accepted by Banu Ummaya.
Ali moved the capital to the troublesome garrison town of Kufa in Iraq, and Malik ibn Ashtar became his right hand man. His step-son Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr was sent to govern Egypt. And his Hashimi cousin Abdullah ibn Abbas was sent to govern Basra. Amr ibn al As joined forces with Umawi Syrian governor Muawiya seeking vengence for Uthman's murder. Nevermind that Amr too had been the orchestrator of the events that led to Uthman's death. And nevermind that Muawiya was surely strong enough to come to the defence of his cousin Uthman but did nothing.
Khalifa Uthman had many critics during the later part of his 12 year rule. Among them were some of the bravest warriors who had helped expand the Muslim empire. Amr ibn al As, the conqueror and then governor of Egypt was removed from his post. He had been one of the key organizers of the Egyptians that beseigeing Uthman's house, but when things grew out of his control he had convieniently retired to his estate in Palestine. Malik ibn Ashtar had brought a group of angry Iraqis to demand the removal of an unjust governor, not kill the Khalifa.
Uthman's critics also included Ali, Zubayr, and Talha. All four of these men were members of the group of six legendary Shahaba that Khalifa Umar had appointed to select a his successor among themselves. Ali, the cousin and son in law of the Prophet, although always bypassed for the Khilafat, was seen by many as the spiritual heir of the Prophet. Ali had always been critical of Uthman's bringing his cousin Marwan back from exhile and making him a close advisor and secretary. The Prophet himself had expelled Hakam and his son Marwan from Madina. So what if Marwan was just a little boy then, how dare Uthman undo an order of the Prophet.
Zubayr was just as close a relative of the Prophet as Ali, in fact he was also the Prophet's wife's nephew. He was a warrior in the armies that conquered Iraq, Egypt, and Syria. The citizens of the garrison town of Basra in Iraq would come to him often for advise during Uthman's land reforms, and Talha was Zubayr's closest friend. Both of them were heroic defenders of the Prophet during the Battle of Uhad. Both of them were married to daughters of Abu Bakr. Where the two of them were, their sister in law Ayesha, the widow of the Prophet was not far behind.
After Ali relocated to Kufa, Marwan started organizing the Banu Umayya. They invited Zubayr, Talha, and Ayesha to lead their cause. They wanted justice for the death of Uthman. The Basrans who had wanted Zubayr to become the next Khalifa called him and encouraged him to make a move against Ali. Zubayr's son Abdullah rode by his side as they went to Basra at the head of a large army.
.2002
What followed was the first civil war among Muslims. Hasan and Husayn went with their father to Kufa, to be by his side. Marwan became a young leader among the Banu Ummaya in Madina. And while Abdullah went with his father Zubayr to pledge allegiance to his uncle Ali, he too started to wonder why the new Khalifa did not punish the rebels.
Eventually Ali was murdered by extremists, who rebelled against his attempts at peace.
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