A.H. 35–36.
would not press the adherents of the late Caliph to swear allegiance. The insurgents, having themselves done homage, departed to tell the tale at Al-Kūfa, Al-Baṣra, and Fusṭāṭ.
Declines to punish regicides.No bed of roses was strewn for ʿAlī. Whether at home or abroad, work rough and anxious was before him. To the standing contention between the Bedawīn and Ḳoreish was now added the cry of vengeance on the regicides. Red-handed treason had loosened the bonds of society, and constituted authority was set at nought. Bands of Bedawīn, scenting plunder from afar, hung about the City. Encouraged by the servile population now broken loose, they refused to depart.[1] ʿAlī was pressed to vindicate the majesty of law, and punish the men who had stained their hands with the blood of ʿOthmān. Even Ṭalḥa and Az-Zubeir, awakening too late to the portentous nature of the crime enacted, with little check from them, and before their very eyes, urged this. "My brothers," replied ʿAlī, "I am not indifferent to what ye say, but helpless. The wild Bedawīn and rampant slaves will have their way. What is this but an outburst of paganism long suppressed;—a return, for the moment, to the days of Ignorance, a work of Satan? Just now they are beyond our power. Wait; and the Lord will guide us." This waiting, hesitating mood was the bane of ʿAlī's life. He was over fifty years of age, and, though vigorous in his earlier years, had become corpulent and inactive now. He loved ease; and while sometimes obstinate and self-willed, his ordinary maxim was that things left to themselves would surely mend.
Ḳoreish alarmed.Ḳoreish were anxious and alarmed. The revolt, ostensibly against ʿOthmān's ungodly rule, was taking now far
- ↑ A servile population, captives of war, had been pouring for years into Medīna as into other centres. They were employed as domestics, warders, bodyguards, or followed trades, paying profits to their masters. On the outbreak they broke away into defiant attitude. This would occur the more readily at Medīna, as they formed the guards of the Treasury and mansions of the great men; and, being the only trained force there, they felt their power. We find them similarly taking part in the outbreaks at Al-Baṣra and elsewhere. Like the Janissaries or Memlūks of later days, they were a petulant brood. Immediately on homage being done to ʿAlī, they lampooned him in minatory verses, to which ʿAlī (not to be outdone in the poetry even of slaves) replied in extempore couplets. Proclamation was made that slaves not returning to their masters would be treated as outlaws; but it had no effect.
