After the killing of Uthman, two factors drew the people toward Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him): the absence of a caliph at the head of the government, and the unparalleled reputation of that noble figure for seeking justice.
The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) showed no desire to accept this responsibility. Nevertheless, due to the people’s insistence and in order to prevent the Muslims from deviating towards the system of Saqifah, he finally accepted the people’s pledge of allegiance.
The story of the pledge and the Imam’s condition
After the killing of Uthman, Islamic society fell into a critical situation and needed a leader who could set things in order. The people, especially in Medina, turned to Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) and asked him to accept the forced caliphate.
After Uthman was killed, a group of the Prophet’s Companions (peace be upon him and his family) from the Muhajirun and Ansar, including Talhah and Zubayr, came to the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) and said that the people needed a leader.
The Imam said:
“I do not have to be the leader, and whoever you choose is acceptable to me.”
But they insisted and said that there was no one more worthy than you, with such a long history in Islam and closeness to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family).
Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) replied:
“Do not pressure me, for if I am a minister that is better than being a commander.” Nevertheless, they swore that they would pledge allegiance to no one but him. The Imam accepted, but made it a condition that the pledge of allegiance must take place openly in the mosque, not in secret.
The hand of the first one to pledge allegiance
At that time, the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) was in his house, but according to one narration he may also have been in the garden of Bani Amr ibn Mabdhul. Then the Imam headed toward the mosque. He was wearing trousers and a shirt, had a turban made of fur on his head, carried his shoes in his hand and leaned on a staff. The people came to him and pledged allegiance to him.
The first person to pledge allegiance was Talhah ibn Ubaydullah. At that moment, Habib ibn Dhu’ayb said: “Surely we belong to God and to Him we shall return,” and pointing to Talhah’s paralyzed hand, added:
“The first hand stretched out to pledge allegiance is a crippled hand – this matter will not succeed!”
After him, Zubayr pledged allegiance.
The Imam addressed those two men: “If you wish, pledge allegiance to me, otherwise, if you wish, I will pledge allegiance to you.” They said:
“We pledge allegiance to you.”
But later they admitted that they had done so out of fear for their lives, because they knew the Imam would not pledge allegiance to them. Four months later, those two fled to Mecca!
After Talhah and Zubayr pledged allegiance, the people also pledged allegiance to the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him). Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas was brought before the Imam. Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) asked him to pledge allegiance. Sa‘d said:
“I will not pledge allegiance before the others do, but by God, you will face no danger from me.”
The Imam said:
“Leave him.”
Then the son of Umar was brought, and he too was asked to pledge allegiance. He said:
“As long as the people have not pledged allegiance, I will not pledge allegiance either.”
The Imam asked:
“Will you bring someone as a guarantor?”
He answered that he had no guarantor. Malik al Ashtar said to the Imam:
“Allow me to kill him.”
But the Imam replied:
“Leave him; I am his guarantor. I make no distinction between the great and the small among ill mannered people.”
Then the Ansar came and pledged allegiance to the Imam. After this ceremony the people dispersed and agreed to gather again the next day (Friday) to renew their pledge.
The blood stained shirt of Uthman
At the time of the people’s pledge of allegiance to Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), eight men from the Ansar who leaned toward Uthman refused to pledge allegiance. They were: Hassan ibn Thabit, Ka‘b ibn Malik, Salamah ibn Mukhallad, Abu Sa‘id al Khudri, Muhammad ibn Maslamah, Nu‘man ibn Bashir, Zayd ibn Thabit, Rafi‘ ibn Khadij, Fadalah ibn Ubayd and Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah.
Nu‘man ibn Bashir took Uthman’s blood stained shirt and the severed fingers of Uthman’s wife Na’ilah and set out for Syria. Mu‘awiyah hung up Uthman’s shirt along with the fingers of his wife Na’ilah. This act increased the anger of the people of Syria and made them more resolute.
The first strategic sermon
After accepting the forced caliphate, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) , in the first Friday prayer, delivered a sermon in which he explained the principles and goals of Islamic government and outlined for the people his justice centered path for managing Islamic society.
On Friday, the day appointed for the pledge, the people gathered in the mosque. The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) went up the pulpit and said:
“O people from various groups and tribes, the caliphate belongs to you, and only the person you choose has the right to undertake it. Yesterday we disagreed about the caliphate, and I had no desire to accept it, but you insisted. Know that I have nothing except the management of the affairs entrusted to me, and I have no right to take anything for myself above you.”
The people insisted that he accept the caliphate.
The Imam then said:
“God is my witness. The pledge of allegiance took place on Friday, five days before the end of Dhu al Hijjah in the year 35 AH.”
Then, after praising and glorifying God, he said:
“God has sent down a guiding Book in which He has clearly distinguished the path of good and evil, of righteousness and wickedness. You too must adopt righteousness and avoid evil. Fulfil your religious obligations so that you may be guided to Paradise. God has made the forbidden things clear, and what He has made lawful is without flaw. God has also deemed the respect of a Muslim higher than anything else and has established their rights on the basis of sincerity and monotheism. A true Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand other Muslims are safe, except where right demands otherwise. People must know that no Muslim should be harmed without cause, except in matters that are obligatory.
Pay attention to death – it is a path that everyone must inevitably tread. Now, groups have gone before you, and the Resurrection also summons you. Travel lightly so that you may catch up with those who have gone ahead. They are waiting for those who remain. Adopt piety and protect the rights of God’s servants and His lands, for you will be questioned even about cities, houses and animals. Obey God’s commands. If you see something good, choose it, and if you encounter something evil, keep away from it.” (1)
The way to overcome difficulties
In his first sermon during the Friday prayer, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), pointed to the consequences of actions, divided the people into several categories, and specified the way to overcome the difficulties facing society. He said: “No one can do good to another unless he first does good to himself. And whoever has Paradise and Hell before him must be vigilant and engaged in action.
“People are of five categories: a group who strive and are active; a group who strive with eagerness and hope for nearness to God; and a group who neglect their duties and their path leads to Hell. Apart from these three groups, the fourth are the angels who fly with their wings in obedience to God, and the fifth are the prophets whom God always supports. There is no other group. Whoever makes a false claim will perish, and whoever transgresses the rights of others will be destroyed.”
He also stated that inclining to the right or left deviation leads to misguidance, and the right path is the one whose correctness is attested by the Book of God, the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and the traces of prophethood.
God has placed two means for curing the community’s ills: one is the whip and the other the sword, and the Imam will not be lenient in using them. Therefore, it is better for people to stay in their homes, correct their wrong deeds and seek forgiveness from God. He warned that if someone acts unilaterally and does not make the truth manifest, he will eventually perish.
Correcting the mistaken path of the past
In his first sermon, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) criticized the mistaken path taken by the predecessors that diverted the Islamic nation from felicity, and said:
“In the past, deeds were done for which you bear responsibility in part. Know that if I wish to say what must be said, I will say it: We ask God to forgive past mistakes. Those two first (Abu Bakr and ‘Umar) went ahead and passed on, and the third (‘Uthman) arose like a crow that thought only of its belly. Woe to him – if his wings had been plucked and his soul taken, it would have been better for him. Look at my conduct; if you find my words wrong, reject them, and if you find them correct, abandon obstinacy. Truth and falsehood always exist, and each has its followers and its people. Falsehood has always been abundant, but truth, even if little, can grow and return again. If matters return to their correct path, you will be fortunate. But I fear that you will become like the period of ignorance before Islam and abandon what you ought to do. My duty is only to strive to set things right. “Know that my Ahl al Bayt (people of my household) are the worthiest of people – in childhood the most forbearing, and in adulthood the most knowledgeable. We are a family whose knowledge springs from divine wisdom and whose judgement is based on God’s judgement. Our words are founded on truth.
If you follow our path, you will find the right way. But if you turn away from this path, God will punish you at our hands. The banner of truth and righteousness is with us; whoever joins it has followed the right path, and whoever distances himself from it goes astray. The blood of every believer is demanded through us, and the shackle of humiliation will be removed from your necks by us. The beginning and the end of all matters are in our hands, not yours.” (2)
Bihar al Anwar, vol. 32, p. 7
Bihar al Anwar, vol. 32, p. 9 / Al Irshad, p. 136
