Conspiracy
of Abdullah bin Saba
Abdullah bin Saba had already
finalized his nefarious plan during his stay in Egypt. He had won Companions
like Ammâr bin Yâsir and Warqa bin Râfi' to his side. But, none besides his
small group was aware of his game. His love for Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and the family of the Prophet was nothing more than a ploy for
inciting people against the caliphate. A considerable number of Muslim soldiers
had joined his party. Gradually Abdullah bin Saba won the hearts of enough
people to challenge the authority of Uthmân bin Affân and bring about his
deposition or do away with him. But the issue of his successor was still the
bone of contention. Gradually his party was divided in three groups each
supporting its own candidate from among Ali, Talhah and Zubair. Since Abdullah
bin Saba had no interest in the unity and strength of Islam, he held back his
support from Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
and left the matter to the contenders. His main issue was the liquidation of
Uthmân's caliphate.
Departure
of the Caravan of Mischief-Mongers
At first a group of one thousand
people were sent in advance pretending to be a Hajj mission. The party
consisted of Abdur-Rahmân bin Udais, Kinânah bin Bishr Laithi, and Sudân bin
Humrân and was headed by Ghâfiqi bin Harb Akki. It was decided that the entire
party should not proceed at one time from Egypt. The party was thus divided
into four groups to leave Egypt separately and then to meet after several
stages. Another party of one thousand left Kufah in four groups including Zaid
bin Suhân Al-Abdi, Ziyâd bin Nadr Al-Hârithi, Abdullah bin Al-Asam and Amr bin
Al-Asam led by Mâlik Ashtar; and yet another of the same number marched from
Basrah including Hukaim bin Jabalah, Dharih bin Abbâd Al-Abdiyân, Bishr bin
Shuraiq Qaisi, and Ibn Muharrish Al-Hanafi with Hurqus bin Zuhair Saadi at its
head. All these parties left their cities in the month of Shawwâl 35 AH, under
the pretext of going to Hajj. However, the mission before one and all was to
get rid of the Caliph either by deposing or by killing him. At the appointed
time, the parties coming from different directions joined one another and proceeded
to Al-Madinah. Three stages from Al-Madinah, the party divided itself into
three separate groups each supporting its own candidate for the caliphate. Thus
the supporters of Talhah halted at Dhu Khushub, those of Zubair bin Al-Awwâm at
A'was and the followers of Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
at Dhul-Marwah. The majority of Talhah's supporters belonged to Basrah and the
major part of Zubair bin Al-Awwâm's and Ali's supporters were from Kufah and
Egypt respectively.
Ziyâd bin Nadr and Abdullah bin
Al-Asam asked the rioters to hold at their respective spots until they went
into Al-Madinah to look into the prevailing situation there. In case the people
of Al-Madinah were prepared to face them, their attempt would prove abortive.
The rioters kept quiet and those two persons called on Ali, Talhah, Zubair and
the Mothers of the believers and acquainted them with the purpose of their
arrival. All of them deplored their intentions and ordered them to go back.
It is worth mentioning here that the
followers of Abdullah bin Saba in Al-Madinah had written forged letters in the
names of Ali, Talhah, Zubair, and the Mothers of the believers, to their
followers in Kufah, Basrah and Egypt who were against Abdullah bin Saba and his
group. The letters emphasized that Uthmân bin Affân was no longer able to
shoulder the heavy burden of the caliphate. Therefore the matter should be
brought to its end in the month of Dhul-Hijjah. Encouraged by these forged
letters, the rioters found it easy to indulge in acts of plunder, massacre and
doing away with the present caliphate. They could not have, otherwise, mustered
courage to plan an invasion as regards Al-Madinah, the city of the Prophet,
where even a strong army of the disbelievers failed to make inroads during the
battle of the Trench. All the distinguished persons rejected their nefarious
plan outright but they found no preparations of any kind whatsoever in
Al-Madinah. They went back to the rioters and assembled their chiefs and
representatives for an emergency consultation. Allaying fears of any defensive
preparations in Al-Madinah from their minds, they placed before them a
suggestion that the parties belonging to Egypt, Basrah and Kufah should contact
Ali, Talhah and Zubair respectively. They should make an attempt during
separate meetings to bring them round to their viewpoint saying that at no cost
did they like the caliphate of Uthmân bin Affân.
Accordingly, they then offered their
allegiance to them. But each of them rejected their offer very rudely.
Thereupon the party from Egypt said to Ali, "Since Abdullah bin Saad, the
governor of our province is cruel, we cannot leave Al-Madinah without getting
him deposed." With an eye on their obstinacy and nerve, Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and some other
Companions called on the Caliph and advised him to fulfill their demand to stop
the trouble and depose Abdullah bin Saad as the governor of Egypt. "Who
will then be appointed the governor of Egypt?" Uthmân bin Affân asked.
Ali
intercedes
Ali and other Companions took the
name of Muhammad bin Abu Bakr who happened to be the supporter of Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and was entrapped by
Abdullah bin Saba. Therefore, the Caliph issued an edict appointing Muhammad
bin Abu Bakr, governor of Egypt. After this Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) sent the rioters out. But the third or fourth day, all the parties
joined together and came into Al-Madinah crying Takbir with the utmost fervor
and cordoned off the house of the Caliph. Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) saw them and said, "You had already left this place, what
made you come back?" They said, "The Caliph has sent a letter to
Abdullah bin Saad through his slave to kill us as soon as we reach there. We
have seized the letter and have come here with it and along with the parties
from Egypt and Kufah who want to share our problem." Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) said, "By Allâh
this is an act of conspiracy and you are ill-intentioned." They replied,
"Whatever be the case, we have decided to kill the Caliph, and we seek
your assistance in the task." Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) angrily said, "How can I help you?" Hearing this
they said, "Why had you then written about this?" Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) firmly replied,
"I have never written you anything." Hearing this they looked towards
each other with amazement. Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
then left Al-Madinah to stay in Ahjâr-uz-Zait and the rioters surrounded the
house of Uthmân bin Affân. They followed the Caliph in prayers but they now
gave it up and began also to hold others back from standing in prayer behind
him.
Witnessing the lurking danger around
him, the Caliph wrote letters to various provinces and sought their help, and
in some cases the news reached those places on its own. However, virtuous men
and the Companions persuaded the people in Egypt, Syria, Kufah and Basrah to
rush to the help of the Caliph. Mu’âwiyah (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and Abdullah bin Saad sent Habib bin Maslamah Fihri and
Mu’âwiyah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) bin Hudaij
respectively while Qa'qâ' bin Amr set out at the head of a party from Kufah. A
party from Basrah also proceeded to Al-Madinah. But none of them were able to
reach Al-Madinah before the martyrdom of Uthmân bin Affân. The mosque was under
siege and after that, the rioters prevented him from coming out of his home and
cut off the supply of water too. Although Uthmân bin Affân persistently tried
to convince the rioters that the letter was not written by him and asked them
to produce any witness but his plea was ignored by them.
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