Khilafat-e-Rashidah — Page 71
KHILAFAT-E-R A SHIDAH 71 Nevertheless, they called upon an assembly of people to announce their decision. Hadrat ‘Amr bin Al-‘ As asked Hadrat Abu Musa Ash‘ari to announce his decision first, and said that he would do the same after him. Hadrat Abu Musa announced the dismissal of Hadrat Ali ra from his office. After this, Hadrat ‘Amr bin Al-‘ As stood up and said, Abu Musa has dismissed Hadrat Ali ra from his office, and I agree with him in this respect and remove Hadrat Ali ra from Khilafat, but I do not dismiss Muawiyah, rather, I reinstate him to his office. ( Hadrat ‘Amr Bin Al-‘ As himself was a very pious man, but, at this time I do not want to enter into a discussion of the reasons behind his decision. ) On this, the companions of Hadrat Muawiyah ra started saying that the arbiters had given their verdict in favour of Hadrat Muawiyah ra instead of Hadrat Ali ra. However, Hadrat Ali ra refused to accept this decision, because the arbiters were not appointed for this purpose, and their decision was not based on any Quranic injunction. On this, the same hypocrite associates of Hadrat Ali ra , who had pressured him to appoint arbiters, started questioning him as to why arbiters were appointed when there could not be any arbiter in religious matters. Hadrat Ali ra replied that first of all, there was a provision in the agreement that the decision would be according to the Quran, which had not been followed, and secondly, the arbiter was appointed on their demand, and now they were questioning the authenticity of that