The Outset of Dissension in Islam — Page 126
126 H A D RAT MIRZA BASHIR-UD-DIN MAHMUD AHMAD they would provoke the members of the household so that they too would throw stones in retaliation; so the rebels could say that they [the household of Hadrat ‘Uthm a n ra ] initiated the attack and they were compelled to respond. However, Hadrat ‘ Uthm a n ra had prohibited all the members of his household from retaliating. One day, upon finding an opportunity, he approached the wall and said: ‘O people! In your view I am a sinner, but what wrong have the others committed? When you throw stones there is also a risk of others being injured. ’ The rebels plainly denied and said that they had not thrown any stones. Hadrat ‘Uthm a n ra said, “If you do not throw them, then who does?” The rebels replied, “God the Exalted probably throws them. ” 109 نَعُوْذ ُ بِاللّٰه ِ مِن ْ ذَالِک َ. To this, Hadrat ‘Uthm a n ra responded: ‘You speak lies! If God the Exalted had thrown stones at us, then not one of His stones would have missed; but the stones thrown by you fall off target as well. ’ 110 After saying this, Hadrat ‘Uthm a n ra left them to their work. 109. We seek refuge with Allah from such a thing. [Publishers] 110. T a r i khu t-T abar i , vol. 5, p. 177, Dhikrul-Khabari ‘ An Qatlih i Wa Kaifa Qutila, Published by D a rul-Fikr, Beirut, 2002 edition [Publishers]