Had it not been for their (A’isha...

Had it not been for their (A’isha,Talha, and al-Zubayr) revolt, their declaring rebellion, and avenging Uthman, Mu’awiya would not have been able to divide the Muslims’unity, revolt against the Imam, and fight against him. D. There is another thing worthy of taking care and through which Mu’awiya justified his rebellion and revolt against the then government. This thing has been mentioned by Mu’awiya in the letter he sent to Muhammad bin Abi [^1] ‘Abqariyat al-Imam Ali, p. 115.

Bakr: “Your father and his Faruq (Umar bin al-Khattab) were the first to usurp his (Ali) right and oppose his matter (the caliphate). They agreed on that and then they summoned him to pledge allegiance to them. But he was slow and tardy in responding to them and so they intended to cause him troubles and wanted to kill him. Then he paid homage to and submitted to them.

However, they did not make him take part in their affairs, nor did they inform him of their secrets until Allah took them unto Him.” He added: “So if that ,which we are in, is right, then your father had possessed it (the caliphate) alone, and we are his partners. If your father had not done what he did, we would not have opposed (Ali) bin Abi Talib, and we would have submitted to him.

Your father had done that toward him before us, and we have followed his example.”[^1] This justification is very true, for had it not been for that the two Sheikhs disputed with Imam Ali and usurped his right of authority, Mu’awiya would not have been able to oppose or revolt against him. Mu’awiya followed their example and their way.

He aggressed against the Imam, spoiled his army, and left him in the suburbs of Kufa wishing for death, that he might get rid of the misfortunes and sorrows that had befallen him. E. Yet, from among the things that moved Mu’awiya to declare the rebellion and the mutiny against Imam Ali was to avenge Uthman. He used Uthman’s murder as means to get his own objectives and reach his wishes.

He employed all his hirelings to magnify his affair and to laud his name to deem him above all sins, to the extent that all the hearts of the people in al-Sham yielded to him and their souls were full of harboring malice and hatred against Imam Ali. They showed sadness and sorrow greater than that he showed. They urged and hurried him to war against Imam Ali and to avenge Uthman more than he himself did.