The Outset of Dissension in Islam — Page 149
149 companions had no objection against the Khilafat of Hadrat ‘Uthm a n ra. Until the very last breath, they were loyal and even when it was impossible for them to help in any way, putting their own lives in danger they continued to protect Hadrat ‘Uthm a n ra. These events also establish that neither did the appointment of governors by Hadrat ‘Uthm a n ra have anything to do with these conflicts, nor was the tyranny of these governors a cause. The allegation against Hadrat ‘ Al i ra , Hadrat T al h ah ra and Hadrat Zubair ra of secretly conspiring, is also absolutely false. All three of these companions strove to remove this conflict with such loyalty and sympathy that even biological brothers cannot match [their efforts], let alone exceed them. The allegation which is levelled against the an sa r that they were displeased with Hadrat ‘Uthm a n ra is false because we see that all the chiefs among the an sa r endeavoured to ward off this conflict. The real cause of this disorder was that upon witnessing that Islam could not be destroyed by overt schemes, the enemies of Islam turned their attention towards hatching secret conspiracies. Using the name of prominent companions, they secretly began to create factions among the Muslims. The means that they had employed have now become manifest to the people. The rebels persuaded criminals who had served sentences to join them and bribed robbers. They weakened the administration of the State by spreading false concepts of equality. They weakened the faith of people under the guise of religion and prepared a community through thousands of schemes and tactics. Then, through lies, fabrication and deception, these people created such circumstances that it became difficult for Hadrat ‘ Uthm a n ra and the other