The same thing is versified beautiful way by a poet thus...

The same thing is versified beautiful way by a poet thus: “In what a nice way someone has said That Husain was killed in Saqifah.”[^3] Also another poet has said about your second Caliph: “The evil deed of Shimr was due to what he had done. The blood of all the martyr is upon his neck.”[^4] These are open secrets well understood by your Imam Ghazzali and other scholars.

Hence he issued the verdict, “It is prohibited for a preacher and a non-preacher to speak about Imam Husain (as) and his companions because it instigates enmity of companions (of Prophet).” The question is if Imam Ghazzali was not aware that this event of martyrdom occurred by courtesy of your ‘blessed companions’ and that the foundation of this tragedy has been laid at the hands of the companions, why else would he say that it causes incitement of the enmity of companions?

Also note that even during that period the common man was so conscious of history that he could estimate the causes of events. Otherwise how could the enmity of the companions develop just because a preacher is talking about Husain (as)? The reason is, when an event is viewed in a true light, the mind is led to the incidents prior to that event and one can reach a conclusion based on the relationship between them. It could thus be understood that ‘Husain was killed in Saqifah’.

And in this way they would develop hatred to those companions. Thus even the common people understood these historical facts but who would explain them to the Rizwan editor? “Who does not know this secret? Though these are the secrets known to all.”[^5] What to say about others, Muawiyah himself has explained this fact. He says that he was the follower of the three caliphs especially the first caliph, in all these oppressive deeds.

If Abu Bakr had not usurped the caliphate, he would never have opposed Ali (as). To be more precise, when Imam Ali (as) accepted the apparent caliphate, Muawiyah began to oppose him. Muhammad bin Abu Bakr, the son of the first caliph, wrote to Muawiyah describing the defects of Bani Umayyah and excellences of Amirul Momineen (as). He asked him to start obeying Amirul Momineen (as) or be prepared to face the chastisement of the Judgment Day.

Muawiyah replied as follows: “ This is a letter from Muawiyah bin Sakhr to Muhammad bin Abu Bakr who accuses his own father. So to say: I received you letter in which you have described the power, highness and majesty of God, which He indeed is worthy of.