CHAPTER XXXIII
ELECTION OF ʿALĪ
35–36 A.H. 656 A.D.
Revulsion of feeling.On the Caliph's death, his kinsfolk, and such as had helped in his defence, retired from the scene. The City was horror-struck. They had hardly anticipated the tragic end. Many who had favoured or even joined the rebels, started back now the deed was done. The relatives of the murdered Caliph fled to Mecca with vows of vengeance. A citizen of Medīna, wrapping carefully the severed fingers of Nāʾila in the blood-stained shirt of ʿOthmān, meet symbols of revenge, carried them off to Damascus, and laid them at Muʿāwiya's feet.
ʿAlī elected Caliph,
24 xii. 35
June 23, 656.For several days anarchy reigned in Medīna. The regicides had mastery of the city. The Egyptians were foremost amongst these in the first days of terror; and prayer was conducted in the Mosque by their leader. Of the inhabitants few ventured out. At last on the fifth day the rebels insisted that, before they quitted Medīna, the citizens should elect a Caliph, and restore the empire to its normal state. Shrinking, no doubt, from the task which ʿOthmān's successor would have to face, ʿAlī held back, and offered to swear allegiance to either Ṭalḥa or Az-Zubeir. But in the end, pressed by the threats of the regicides and entreaties of his friends, he yielded; and so, six days after the fatal tragedy, ʿAlī took the oath to rule "according to the Book of the Lord," and was saluted Caliph. Az-Zubeir and Ṭalḥa were themselves the first to acknowledge him. They asserted afterwards that they swore unwillingly, through fear of the conspirators. The mass of the people followed. There were exceptions; but ʿAlī was lenient, and
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