The Outset of Dissension in Islam — Page 107
107 professed their love for Hadrat ‘Al i ra. Hence, the fact that the letter attributed to Hadrat ‘ Uthm a n ra was seized by the Egyptian caravan is overwhelming evidence that the person who wrote it was not a person from Madinah; rather, he belonged to the caravan from Egypt. Since the ‘letter incident’ is the most significant occurrence in the eyes of those who raise an allegation against Hadrat ‘Uthm a n, may Allah be pleased with him, I have expounded my research on this incident in detail. Although this incident can be described even more extensively, I believe that what I have mentioned thus far is sufficient to prove that this letter was a forged counterfeit; and that the people who crafted this letter were ‘ Abdull a h bin Sab a and his accomplices, not Marw a n or anyone else; as for Hadrat ‘Uthm a n ra , his person is far above such an allegation. CRUELTIES OF THE REBELS UPON THE PEOPLE OF MADINAH I now return to the series of events, once again. On the basis of this forged letter and due to their pride of having taken control of Madinah, the rebels began to openly perpetrate cruelties. On the one hand, Hadrat ‘Uthm a n ra was being pressed to step down from Khilafat and on the other hand, the people of Madinah were being harassed so that they would refrain from attempting to help him. The people of Madinah were completely helpless as 2,000 to 3,000 armed soldiers were blockading the streets, junctions and gates of the city. As it was, to fight such an army was not easy, but it was a far-fetched idea to even consider confronting the rebel army in conditions where they would not