As for the third (Uthman) again Ali did not find an...

As for the third (Uthman) again Ali did not find an opportunity to express his judgment. The handicap was Imam’s soldiers in Kufa were those who had acknowledged the authority of Abu Bakr and Umar. So in their presence Imam could not speak freely. Only once he got the opportunity. He gave expression to his agonies suffered at the hands of those two.

Then all of a sudden he stopped and shifted to some other subject.” [3] Because: “Although he had a multitude of political supporters during his own Caliphate mostly they had belief in competency of Abu Bakr and Umar. So it was difficult for him state the facts about them or do anything contrary to their attitude as it would have created difficulties for him.” [4] In short it can be said that: Amirul Momineen (a.s.) had to face insurmountable difficult conditions.

“Any change in political trend from the past two Caliphs was, for Ali, a change from a norm to which the people had become familiar and habituated for a quarter of a century. A multitude of people had come [1] Refer: Sharh Nahjul Balagha, Ibne Abil Hadeed, Vol. 17, Pg. 223 [2] Rasool Ja’faryan: Tarikh wa Seerah Siyasi Amir-e-Mominaan Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a.s.) [History and political biography of Ali (a.s.)], Pg. 17 [3] Ibid. Pg. 18 [4] Yusuf Gholami: Pas az Ghuroob (After Sunset), Pg.

239 under Ali’s banner because they were critics of Uthman as to why he was not following in the footsteps of Abu Bakr and Umar. (It shows how hard it would have been for Ali himself.)” [1] Therefore before dwelling on analysis of Imam Ali’s (a.s.) speeches, it would be interesting to see the trend of the people: “People of those days…came after Ali to persuade him to become Caliph.

But they expected him to follow the track of Umar.” [2] “Some people clearly told the Imam (a.s.) that he must act on the practice of the past Caliphs.” [3] “Ezzat-al-Din Abu Hamid Motazalli has gone a step forward and says: People’s getting accustomed to Umar was the main reason for their opposition to Ali bin Abi Talib. Ebb and flow of their opposition kept playing for long, Sometimes it caused Ali’s anger and anguish.

He used to ask whether the tradition of the Prophet was better or that of Umar?!... [4] Ali himself says that innovation in religion had taken a deep and strong root. If I were to disclose the real ruling or decree of faith in such regard, people would have left me and dispersed from around me.