Summary of AbuBakr's Argument Provided Before the Ansar
AbuBakr stated: "We, the Muhajirs, preceded others in embracing Islam. Others are only our followers. We are also the Prophet's clan. Besides, we are enjoying the best lineage among the Arabs. Every Arab clan must have a relation in Quraish."
Summary of Omar's Argument Provided Before the Ansar
Omar said: "Nay, by God. The Arab shall never accept your being the leaders while the Prophet is another clan's. The Arab should never select but those from whom prophesy came forth. The evident argument and the manifest evidence is ours against our opposers. Who dare to litigate with us about the authority and the heritage of Mohammed while we are his backers and people? None but the wrong, the sinful or the involved in a disaster may do so."
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The Ansar's Replication
The Ansar said: "We should declare our fealty only to Ali." Some of the Ansar, according to another narrative, repeated the same previous statement while Ali was absent. What should have occurred if only Ali had been present?!
Expectation and Substantiation
Any problem should have never occurred, and the Islamic political system should have been operative naturally had those three Muhajirs admitted to Ali's leadership. They, however, are too short to do so, since they believed in the impracticality of the Hashemites' joining leadership to prophesy. The Hashemites did seize prophesy exclusively; therefore, they should not have any governmental position since this is the right of the other Quraishi clans.
The Caliph Should Be One of Those Three
The Ansar's slogan of "We should declare our fealty only to Ali." went in one ear and out the other. AbuBakr suggested: "I do advise you to accept
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189 Al-Imametu Wes-Siyaseh, page 6-8.
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one of these two men; AbuUbeidehbnAlJarrah or Omar, for caliphate. You may declare your fealty to any of them." Omar replied: "God forbidden! Such a thing should never occur while you are among us… Open your hand and I will swear allegiance to you."
The First Declarer of Fealty
As he realized that the three Muhajirs had rejected Ali's leadership, BashirbnSa'd knew the new caliph should be inevitably designated on that very session. He desired to have priority in this affair; therefore, he declared: "Mohammed, the Apostle of God has been a Quraishi man. Hence, his people are the most meritorious of receiving his heritage and power…" immediately, he jumped towards AbuBakr and declared his fealty to him.
190 By the way, this BashirbnSa'd became, later on, the second Ansari who stood with in the line of Muawiya against Ali.
Nominating and Swearing Allegiance to the Caliph
UseidbnHudheir, the chief of the Aws, scrutinized the situation of Sa'dbnEbadeh, the chief of the Khazraj, and the three Muhajirs' situations. Immediately, he realized that AbuBakr should be soon nominated as the new caliph. Hence, he ordered his group to swear allegiance to AbuBakr. They did at once. In order that the Khazraj would seize a part of that honor for themselves, most of them imitated the Aws.
The Reward
BashirbnSa'd was appointed as one of the most significant counselors and viziers of the caliphs. It was he who advised AbuBakr and Omar not to kill Sa'dbnEbadeh. UseidbnHudheir became the commander of "the internal security forces." It was he who backed Omar in leading the phalanx that took the responsibility of subjecting the Hashemites, AzZubeir and the rebellious ones. SelemehbnAslem aided Omar in using force for dragging those groups to declaring fealty to the new caliph!
191
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190 Al-Imametu Wes-Siyaseh, page 8-9.
191 Al-Imametu Wes-Siyaseh, page 9 and up.
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Spreading of the News of the Declaration
People were gathering in the grand mosque when AbuBakr and AbuUbeideh advanced towards them after the Ansar had declared their fealty to AbuBakr. Omar spoke: "What for are you grouping yourselves in scattered crowds? Come on and swear allegiance to AbuBakr. The Ansar and I have just declared our fealty to our new leader!!" Immediately, Othman and the Umayids rose up and declared fealty. Sa'd, AbdorRahman and their relatives did so, too. The Ansar attending in the mosque rose up and swore allegiance as it had been publicized that the other Ansar had declared their fealty to AbuBakr. This is a typical result especially when BashirbnSa'd and UseidbnHudheir were behaving as if they had been a part of that new power. Ali, AlAbbasbnAbdilMuttelib and the Hashemites left that place directing towards their pack animals. This matter incited the prime vizier of the new caliph to lead a phalanx of the supporters, including UseidbnHudeir and SelemehbnAslem, to take that group by force and lead them to declaring fealty. He insisted on that order even if it required setting fire in Fatima's house, the place at which they were residing. More than once, we proved the episode of burning Fatima's house. However, this action was not too astonishing to expect. Fatima was not more significant than her father, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), whom had been already prevented from recording his will, and accused of speaking out of senility!! Far is the Prophet from such an accusation.
The Unequal Confrontation Between the Divinely
Nominated Leader and the New Power
After the Prophet's decease, the divinely nominated leader was stripped from his entire authorities. He was enchained and attended before AbuBakr. In this situation, he was shouting: "I am the slave of Allah and His Apostle's brother." "Declare your fealty to AbuBakr." some ordered. "I am the most rightful in this affair. It is you whom are to be submitted to my leadership. You seized it from the Ansar claiming of the Prophet's kinship. Now, you intend to seize it from the Prophet's household coercively?! Have you not argued before the Ansar that you are more rightful in holding this affair due to your relation to the Prophet? And they complied to your claim and gave it to you. Now, I do provide the very same argument before you; we are the most rightful in enjoying the Prophet's authority and heritage in and after his life. Be just with us, if you were believers. Lest, live in your wrong, while
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you are aware."
These words were too genuine to be replied by the ruling authorities. Nevertheless, Omar answered him instantly: "You shall never be let alone unless you swear allegiance." "You are milking for gaining the half of the product, and strengthening his position so that he will hand it to you in the morrow." answered Ali, and added: "O Omar! By God I am neither to welcome your words nor am I to swear allegiance to him." AbuUbeideh intruded: "O cousin! You are middleaged. Those are the oldaged men of your people. You do not enjoy their experience and sagacity. I see AbuBakr be fitter, more tolerant and more broadminded than you in this affair. You should submit to AbuBakr. You are, however, fitting this matter and rightful of receiving it for your virtue, piety, knowledgeability, cogency, precedence, lineage and matrimonial relation. This is only if you live and endure." Contiguously, Ali shouted: "By God I ask you, Muhajirs! Do not take Mohammed's sovereignty of the Arabs out of his area and his own house, and transmit it to your areas and houses. Do not push his people away from his standing and right among people. O groups of Muhajirs! We, by God, are the most meritorious of him. We are his household and we are the fittest to this position whilst the perceiver of God's Book, the studious of God's religion, the most familiar to the traditions of God's Apostle, the wellacquainted of people's affairs, the defender of people in misfortunes and the distributor between them in full justice is among us. He is, by God, among us that who carries such attributes. Follow not your fancies that you shall be certainly deviated and be remoter and remoter from the right."
The Foremost Declarer's Judgment
Unmistakably, the ruling authorities had nothing adapted to reply the decisive argument of the Imam. BashirbnSa'd, the foremost declarer, was attendant. Before the columns of the new power, he spoke: "O Ali! If only had the Ansar heard your current words, they should never have agreed upon declaring fealty to AbuBakr and, as a result, no any two of them would have litigated about your meritoriousness in this position."
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192 Al-Imametu Wes-Siyaseh, pages 11-2.
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An Activity
At night, Ali (God may dignify his face) took his wife, Fatima AzZahra (peace be upon her), on a pack animal and passed by the Ansar's sessions asking for support. The Ansar said: "O daughter of God's messenger! We have already declared loyalty to that man. We would not have elected other than your husband and cousin had he come to us before AbuBakr." Ali answered them: "Should I have left the Prophet's body in his house without burying him and gone out for contesting people in his government?" Fatima commented: "AbuHassan did exactly what was required from him. They did what Allah shall penalize and amerce for."
193 From this cause, the Imam realized that people had betrayed him as exactly as the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) had informed.
Humiliating and Threatening the Divinely Nominated Leader for
Taking His Declaration of Fealty
As we have previously referred, the ruling authorities menaced of setting Fatima's house on fire if the group of the Imam's acceders would not leave it. "Fatima is in that house." some reminded Omar. "Even so!" challenged Omar. The sitters in Fatima's house realized Omar's seriousness in his menace. Thereupon, they went out and swore allegiance to the new ruler. Ali, the owner of that house, remained there. Fatima stood at the door of her house and shouted: "I have never known people had been in a situation more offensive than yours. You left the funeral of Allah's Apostle between our hands, and settled your own affair without seeking our opinions or observing our right…"
AbuBakr sent a man for summoning Ali. These summons were frequently rejected. Hence, Omar took a group of people and came to Fatima's house. They knocked the door. As she recognized their voiced, Fatima shouted: "O Father! O Allah's Apostle! What misfortunes we have encountered after you from the son of AlKhattaab and the son of AbuQehafeh!" The group left that place weeping as soon as they heard her groan. They were so touched that their hearts were about to be ruptured. Omar, the rigid, who had never known lenience and had never been influenced by any matter for the sake of the right, remained there accompanied by small group. They took Ali, by force, out of that house and dragged him to AbuBakr. "You should declare
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193 Al-Imametu Wes-Siyaseh, page 12.
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your fealty now." they ordered him. "What if I do not?" answered Ali. "Then, we, by Allah but whom there is no god, shall behead you." they threatened. "Then you shall be killing the salve of Allah and the brother of His Apostle." clarified Ali. "It is yes that you are the slave of God, but it is no that you are the brother of His Apostle." commented Omar. (Anyhow, Ali's enjoying brotherly relation with the Prophet is a matter too authentic to be denied.) Omar, therewith, urged AbuBakr to issue the order of killing him. AbuBakr answered: "As long as Fatima is next to him, I am not to drive him to any matter."
Thus, Ali went directly towards the Prophet's tomb weeping and crying: "(Son of my mother! Surely the people reckoned me weak and had wellnigh slain me.)"
An Endeavor for Seeking AzZahra's Affability
After their frequent importunate insistence, AlFaruq and AsSiddiq were permitted to meet AzZahra. She spoke: "I adjure you both by God; have you heard the Apostle of Allah say 'Fatima's satisfaction is a part of mine, and her ire is a part of mine. He whoever cherishes my daughter, Fatima, is cherishing me. He whoever pleases Fatima, is pleasing me. He whoever enrages Fatima is enraging me.'?" "Yes, we have." they answered. She, then, declared: "I do ask the witness of Allah and His angels, that you have enraged me indeed, and that you have not pleased me. I shall surely complain against you both before the Prophet when I shall meet him." AbuBakr wept heavily while she was addressing at him: "By God I swear, I will supplicate Allah against you at every prayer I am to perform." Hence, he went out while he was weeping.
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AbuBakr Aimed At Abdicating
When AbuBakr left that place, people encircled him. "You are passing your night each hanging his woman and leaving me alone in my torment! I do not lack your allegiance. Draw your declarations of fealty." shouted he. Naturally, his surrounders should be rejecting this demand and finding legal excuses for it.
195
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194 Al-Imametu Wes-Siyaseh, page 13.
195 Al-Imametu Wes-Siyaseh, page 11, and An-Nidhamus-Siyasi Fil-Islam.
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The Final Situation of the Divinely Nominated Leader
Actually, affairs were settled for the new authorities. The divinely nominated leader became an ordinary citizen who has nothing more than the normal rights enjoyed by any civilian. The ruling authorities had the actual right in favoring or disapproving him. As a matter of fact, although it was his divinely dedicated right, authority was usurped from him for good. He might be killed for his keeping on opposing that ruling authorities. There were tens of amends the authorities would provide for sentencing him to death penalty. They could easily accuse him of mutiny, dissension and competing the rightful owners.
Saving his household, none stood with him. Describing that period, Ali says: "I looked around me and recognized that saving my household, none was with me. I banked them away from death, and closed my eyes on the mote, and drank on that suffocation, and endured adopting selfpossessedness and suffered a matter more bitter than coloquintida."
196 On another occasion, Imam Ali said: "…The Quraishis retaliated me so heavily. They disconnected my relations and expropriated my brother's mastery, (This indicated that Imam Ali had believed that leadership had been his right exclusively)
197, and agreed upon usurping an affair exclusively dedicated to me. One might address at me: You are so interested for this matter, son of AbuTalib! Nay, you are for this matter more interested than me. I have demanded with my right, and you are standing between it and me. By God I swear, since the Prophet's death up to now, I am pushed away from my right."
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hence, Imam Ali had nothing remained except keeping his right in caliphate and providing arguments before those who took it away from him provided that he should neither cause an opposition or rebellion, nor should he be the originator of a seditious matter used by the enemies of Islam. Consequently, he confined himself in his house till they compelled him to leave. He would have lost his arguments and could have not provided proofs for his group had he overdone in that situation. He, however, reserved the religion and his right in caliphate together. As long as he conceived that conserving Islam
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196 bn-Abil-Hadid's Sharhu Nahjil-Belagha, part. 1, page 62.
197 bn-Abil-Hadid's Sharhu Nahjil-Belagha, part. 1, page 67.
198 bn-Abil-Hadid's Sharhu Nahjil-Belagha, part. 2 and 1, pages 103 and 37, and An-Nidhamus-Siyasi Fil-Islam.
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and defeating the enemies had been achieved only by affability and pacification, he took that way and favored ameliorating relations with the ruling authorities for conserving the nation, choosing the better for people, saving the religion, preferring the present to the future and performing the intellectual and legal duty of favoring the most important to the important in case of contrast between the two.
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Mystery of the Quraishis' Rejecting Ali's Leadership
The mystery beyond the Quraishis' rejecting Ali's leadership is hiding in the political education of Quraish that is relying upon the contribution of positions of honor in the preIslamic period. Every Quraishi clan enjoyed an inevitable share of these positions. The Hashemite prophecy destroyed that political form totally. Hence, the Hashemites had that inescapable prophesy solely in spite of the Quraishis' ultimate struggle for undermining it. During the Prophet's lifetime, Imam Ali was divinely nominated as the leader and the successor since he was the most knowledgeable, the keenest, the most favorable and the fittest for captaining the ship of Islam.
Anticipating The Falling Of The Critical Matter
Supposing the leadership of Ali falls in action, this shall means that the Hashemites seize the whole honor by joining leadership besides prophesy. By any criterion, this matter is unacceptable at all. Furthermore, it is required to stand against the occurrence of such an affair till the last breath. The other Quraishi clans embraced Islam and became equal to each other. Islam, however, eradicates whatever preceded it originally. So, what is the incentive beyond the Hashemites' keeping distinguishability, preference and dedicated glorification?
The Fair Partitioning
The Hashemites did enjoy prophesy exclusively, none will partake them in this honor at all. They, however, are the brothers of the other Quraishi clans. What is the wrong if the other Quraishi clans have leadership exclusively and keep any Hashemite away from it? This is the best and the fairest sharing. Let the Hashemites enjoy prophesy alone, and let the other Quraishi clans enjoy leadership alone, too.
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199 Sharafuddin Al-Amili's Al-Muraja'at, pages 332-4, and An-Nidhamus-Siyasi Fil-Islam, pages 33 and up.
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The Quraishi Clans' Forming a Team
The entire Quraishi clans formed a united team since their aim was the same; preventing the Hashemites from joining leadership to prophesy.
In BaniSa'ideh's Saqeefashed, AbuBakr addressed at the Ansar: "I do advise you to accept one of these two men; AbuUbeidehbnAlJarrah or Omar, for caliphate. You may declare your fealty to any of them." Omar replied: "God forbidden! Such a thing should never occur while you are among us…"
200 AbuUbeideh had surely the same situation. Those three Muhajirs had the same situation. They were forming a united team. Similarly, they all rejected the Ansar's statement of swearing allegiance to Ali only.
201
People of Quraish, congregationally, stood against AbuBakr's decision of abdication. The divinely nominated leader referred to this congregational situation in his sayings: …the Quraishis retaliated me so heavily. They disconnected my relations and expropriated my brother's mastery." "O Allah! I seek Thy aid against people of Quraish. They disconnected my relations and demeaned my great position and agreed upon usurping an affair exclusively dedicated to me."202 When AbuBakr was arduously affected by his disease, he summoned Othman alone. "Write down:" AbuBakr asked just before he was fainted. During these moments, Othman wrote: "I do nominate OmarbnAlKhattaab as my successor to caliphate." When AbuBakr regained his consciousness, he ordered Othman to read what he had written down. "You would have been fitting for it had you written your own name instead." said AbuBakr.
203 This indicated that it had been no difference at all between Omar and Othman since both were playing to the same team. In his final disease, Omar said: "Had AbuUbeideh been alive, I would have nominated for the caliphate. Had KhalidbnAlWaleed been alive, I would have nominated for the caliphate. Had Salim, AbuHutheifeh's slave, been alive, I would have nominated for the caliphate." This indicated that there had been no difference between
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200 Al-Imametu Wes-Siyaseh, page 9.
201 At-Tabari's book of history, part. 3, page 198, and bn-Abil-Hadid's Sharhu Nahjil-Belagha, part. 2, page 265.
202 bn-Abil-Hadid's Sharhu Nahjil-Belagha, part. 2, page 103 and part. 1, page 37.
203 At-Tabari's book of history, part. 3, page 429, Ibnul-Jawzi's Siretu Omar, page 37 and bn-Khuldoun's book of history, part. 2, page 85.
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AbuUbeideh and Khalid since both were belonging to the same party. Moreover, it was not unacceptable to elect Me'athbnJabal, the Ansari, for occupying the position of leadership despite the fact that few years ago it was impracticable for the Ansar to be the leaders since leadership, as AlFaruq adjudged, was restricted to the Prophet's clan. Similarly, what was the wrong of granting a slave, such as Salim, Hutheifeh's slave, the position of caliphate? The most important thing was that Ali or any Hashemite should never hold such a position. Had Ali been out of the picture of the sixmember advisory board decided by Omar for electing the new caliph, affairs would not have been so complicated, and the other four members — since Talha was absent — would have immediately elected Othman.
Othman, however, was the first Muhajir, after Omar and AbuUbeideh, who swore allegiance to AbuBakr. He was also that clerk who wrote: "I do use OmarbnAlKhattaab as my successor to caliphate." Besides, he was the only candidate nominated by Omar in whose reign, Othman was named 'the successor.' Little study of Omar's will reveals the fact that the winner would be none other than Othman.
Othman declared his readiness to concede caliphate to Talha who had just arrived after a journey. This matter was natural since the all were brothers of the same team and purpose. It was also unproblematic in case AbdullahbnOmar was his father's successor. They, in fact, advised Omar to nominate his son for caliphate since, according to their claim, he had enjoyed some attributes making him qualified enough for such a position. The entire Quraishis were a united team of the same degree of standing and purpose, which was preventing the Hashemites from joining leadership to prophesy.
