If three are on one side and three on the other...

If three are on one side and three on the other, you should opt for the side in which `Abd al-Rahman is there.”[2] `Umar expired after three days of struggle between life and death. When his burial was over, at `A’ishah’s room or the house of `Abd al-Rahman ibn [1] Al-Imāmah was-Siyāsah, Page 24. [2] Tārīkh al-Tabarī, Vol 3, Page 265 `Awf’s nephew, Musawwir ibn Makhramah the Committee of the Shūra met. Abū-Talhah stood with a contingent of fifty persons at the door.

Mughirah ibn Shu`bah and `Amr ibn al-`As too came and sat near the door to make their personalities prominent. When Sa`d ibn Abi-Waqqas saw them, he threw pebbles at them and said, “Do you want to show off that you too are the members of the Shūra?”[1] Both of them escaped from there when Sa`d threw pebbles on them and the proceedings of the Shūra commenced. Talhah and Sa`d gave their vote to `Uthman. Al-Zubayr voted for `Ali (a.s).

Now `Ali (a.s), `Uthman and `Abd al-Rahman remained to cast their lot. `Abd al-Rahman told `Ali (a.s) and `Uthman to withdraw from the contest and take the right of selecting one from the remaining two, or that he will withdraw from the contest and take the…