I swear to God that if anyone covets the lands and fields of that region...

I swear to God that if anyone covets the lands and fields of that region, we will pound him so heavily as to be a lesson to him "(126) Then al-Ashtar rushed upon the chief of the police, but he was checked by those present.

Sa'id ibn al-'As wrote an account of this incident to 'Uthman and stated: "So long as al-Ashtar and his friends, who are called the Qaris of Kufah and are nothing but ignorant and stupid people, remain in this city, I cannot keep contro1 of anything." 'Uthman wrote back: "Send them to ash-Sham.' Thus these Kufah Qaris, namely these Quranic interpreters who had quarreled with Sa'id, left Kufah and settled in Damascus in ash-Sham.

Mu'awiyah with his particular cunningness Considered it necessary at first to show a welcome to these exiled Qaris, and thus he treated them kindly and respectfully. But this treatment could not last long, since al-Ashtar and his friends were valiant, honest and devout individuals who could not sincerely associate with such a cunning, hypocritical and ungodly man as Mu'awiyah.

At last what was expected to happen, took place and a violent altercation occurred between Mu'awiyah and al-Ashtar, and a severe quarrel ensued al-Ashtar was seized and imprisoned for quite a long time. After he was set free, conditions assumed a different form. Now al-Ashtar and his friends, who stayed away from the ruler of ash-Sham, chose to associate with the people of the streets and markets of Damascus.

Mu'awiyah reported this matter to 'Uthman and stated: "You have sent to me such individuals who have corrupted their own city and caused a riot there. I am not secure from the danger of there corrupting my entourage and the people of Damascus, too, and teach them things, which they had not known so far.

Thus the people of ash-Sham will be as corrupt as the Kufans and will lose their mental health and equilibrium 'Uthman thought of a way, namely to send al-Ashtar and his friends to a remote and insignificant town where they could not do much harm.

So he ordered to deport them to the town of Hims, and this order was carried out.(127) al-Mada'ini the famous historian of the early centuries of Islam, narrates that they had some gatherings with Mu'awiyah in ash-Sham where they had heated arguments with each other. For instance, one day Mu'awiyah said to them: "All the Qurayshis know that Abu Sufyan was the noblest and most exalted member of them, with the exception of the Prophet who was chosen by God and respected by all.