THE OUTLOOK DARKENS.
A.H. XXXIV.--XXXV. A.D. 655.
[Sidenote: Contumelious treatment of Othmân.]
The unhappy Caliph was now being hurried on, by the rapid course of
events, helplessly to his sad end. Abd al Rahmân, who, no doubt,
felt a large measure of responsibility from the share he took in the
nomination of Othmân, was about this time removed by death. But even he
was dissatisfied; and one of the first open denunciations of Othmân’s
unscrupulous disregard of law--small it might be, but significant--is
attributed to him. A fine camel, having come in with the tithes of a
Bedouin tribe, was presented by the Caliph, as a rarity, to one of
his kinsfolk. Abd al Rahmân, scandalised at the misappropriation of
religious property devoted to the poor, laid hands upon the animal,
slaughtered it, and divided the flesh among the people. The personal
reverence attaching heretofore to the ‘Successor of the Prophet of the
Lord,’ gave place to slight and disregard. Even in the streets, Othmân
was greeted with cries, demanding that he should depose Ibn Aámir and
the godless Abu Sarh, and put away from him Merwân, his chief adviser
and confidant. Nor had he any countenance or support whatever from the
people excepting his immediate kinsmen, and reliance upon them only
aggravated the clamour of the discontented.[472]
[Sidenote: Othmân sends forth messengers to inquire into the feeling in
the provinces.]
The conspirators canvassed in the dark. They had been hitherto
burrowing carefully under ground. But now their machinations every
here and there were coming to the light, and rumours of treason began
to float abroad. The better affected classes in the great cities felt
uneasy; alarm crept over all hearts. Letters were continually received
at Medîna, asking what these ominous sounds of warning meant, and
what catastrophe was at hand. The chief men of Medîna kept coming
to the Caliph’s court for tidings; but, notwithstanding the sullen
mutterings of nearing tempest, the surface yet was still. At last, by
their advice, Othmân despatched four trusty persons one to each of the
great centres, Damascus, Kûfa, Bussorah, and Fostât, with a commission
to watch and report whether any suspicious symptoms were transpiring
anywhere.[473] Three returned saying that they discovered nothing
unusual in the aspect of affairs. The fourth, Ammâr, was looked for
in vain; he had, in fact, been tampered with and gained over by the
Egyptian faction. Thereupon Othmân despatched a royal edict to all the
provinces as follows:--At the coming pilgrimage the various governors
would, according to custom, present themselves at court; whoever,
then, had cause of complaint against them, or any other ground of
dissatisfaction, should come forward on that occasion and substantiate
the same, when wrong would be redressed; or else it behoved them to
withdraw the baseless calumnies which were troubling men’s minds.
Proclamation was made accordingly. The plaintive appeal was understood;
and the people in many places when they heard it wept, and invoked
mercy on their Caliph.
[Sidenote: Conference of Governors at Medîna. A.H. XXXIV. A.D. 655.]
The governors repaired to Medîna at the time appointed, but no
malcontent came forward to make complaint. Questioned by Othmân, his
lieutenants knew not of any grievance, real and substantial. To the
outward eye, everything was calm; and even the royal messengers sent to
make inquisition had returned without laying hand on anything amiss.
But all knew of the cancerous sore in the body politic, and of its
spreading rapidly. The wretched Caliph invoked their pity and their
counsel. But they could offer nothing of which he might lay hold. One
advised that the conspirators should be arrested and the ringleaders
put to death; another that the stipends should be forfeited of all
disloyal men; a third that the unquiet spirits amongst the people
should be diverted by some fresh campaign; others that the governors
should amend their ways. Othmân was bewildered; one thing only he
declared, that to measures of severity he never would assent; the
single remedy he could approve was the sending of fresh expeditions to
foreign parts.[474]
[Sidenote: Othmân declines help from Muâvia.]
Nothing was settled to avert the crisis, and the governors departed as
they came. When Muâvia made ready to leave, he once more warned Othmân
of his danger, and entreated that he would retire with him to Syria,
where a loyal people were ready to rally round him. But the Caliph
answered: ‘Even to save my life I will not quit the land wherein the
Prophet sojourned, nor the city wherein his sacred person resteth.’
‘Then let me send an army to stand by thee.’ ‘Nay, that I will not,’
responded Othmân firmly; ‘I never will put force on those who dwell
around the Prophet’s home, by quartering bands of armed men upon them.’
‘In that case,’ replied Muâvia, ‘I see nought but destruction awaiting
thee.’ ‘Then the Lord be my defence,’ exclaimed the aged Caliph, ‘and
that sufficeth for me.’[475] ‘Fare thee well!’ said Muâvia, and he
departed, to see his face no more.
[Sidenote: Muâvia retires, warning the Coreish.]
As he took the road to Syria, Muâvia passed by a group of the Coreish,
amongst whom were Aly and Zobeir. He stayed for a moment to drop a
warning word into their ears. They were drifting back, he said, into
the anarchy of ‘the days of Ignorance’ before Islam. The Lord was a
strong Avenger of the weak and injured ones. ‘To you’--and these were
his last words--‘to you I commit this helpless aged man. Help him, and
it will be the better for you. Fare ye well.’ And so saying he passed
on his way. The company remained some time in silence. At last Aly
spoke: ‘It will be best done as he hath said.’ ‘By the Lord!’ added
Zobeir, ‘there never lay a burden heavier on thy breast, nor yet on
ours, than this burden of Othmân’s to-day.’