The Iraqis answered him as follows...

The Iraqis answered him as follows: "The swords of Madhhaj and Hamdan prevented Na'thal 'Uthman from returning safe and sound." 'Amr ibn al-'As exclaimed again: "Restore to us our master, and that is enough for us." The Iraqis answered221: "How can we restore Na'thal to you now that he has gone rotten and decayed?" A survey of 'A'ishah's verdict Although before 'A'ishah's issue of the verdict for killing 'Uthman there existed a slight hope of reconciliation and compromise between him and the people through the mediation of 'Ali and others, yet with her explicit order there was an end to that hope and 'Uthman's death became inevitable.

We know that 'A'ishah had secured that strong position since the time of the two elder caliphs; for they showed such a respect and homage to her and consulted her in high matters that she found an exalted rank in the Muslims' eyes. Moreover, what enhanced the effect of her verdicts and orders, was her particular opportunism and the perfect readiness of its enforcers.

For example she issued the order for 'Uthman's death at a time when there existed a violent difference and conflict between the Umayyad leaders who ruled the land on the one hand and other classes of Muslims on the other and the flames of sedition and riots in various parts oft he country seriously threatened the center and seat of the caliphate. We have narrated some of these events, and avoided further details for the sake of brevity.

The issue of the verdict left two alternatives for all the Muslims including the Prophet's companions and others who wished to carry it out with determination, namely: war or neutrality.

For war, too, there existed two ways: either to fight on the caliph's front which was besieged by the people and against them, or to join the ranks of the people and take part in the revolution against the caliph and his government 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas of the council of six remained neutral but Talhah and az-Zubayr took sides with the people and also acted as commanders of the rebels.

Those who called 'Uthman "Na'thal" The word "Na'thal" became a publicly used terminology and 'A'ishah's verdict about killing 'Uthman a slogan. Although she is the first person who used that word for 'Uthman and made it common, but in his life time, too, those who were deeply annoyed with him, used it to his face. One of these people was 221. Book of Siffin, pages 256, 257,454, and Ibn Abi al-Hadid 1/482. Jabalah ibn 'Amr as-Sa'idi222.