The Outset of Dissension in Islam — Page 56
56 H A D RAT MIRZA BASHIR-UD-DIN MAHMUD AHMAD joining a certain party would develop, then it would also become easier to incite them against Hadrat ‘Uthm a n ra. This person realised that whenever the shortcomings of provincial governors were mentioned, the wise would refuse to accept them, because these people knew that they were false and unfounded based on their own observation; and widespread uproar would not arise throughout the country. Therefore, he undertook another dangerous scheme. Instead of defaming the governors of various regions in their own jurisdictions, he ordered his representatives to write the failings of governors to other provinces, because the people of other regions would easily accept such statements due to their unfamiliarity with the circumstances of that area. According to this proposal, the rebels of all the various regions would write false complaints and cruelties of their local governors to the sympathetic people of other towns. These people would then read such letters to others and many of them would be convinced of their truth due to being unaware of the circumstances in foreign lands. They would feel grieved at the thought that their brethren were afflicted by extreme difficulties in such and such land. At the same time, they would also be grateful that by the grace of Allah their own governors were kind and they were at ease. However, they were unaware that the people in other provinces believed themselves to be in a state of comfort and others in difficulty, and they were thankful for their own condition and felt concern for the state of others. Since the people of Madinah were receiving correspondence from all four fronts, those among them who considered these letters as being true would think that perhaps atrocities were being perpetrated in every province and