Khilafat-e-Rashidah — Page 158
158 KHILAFAT-E-R A SHIDAH Hadrat Muawiyah came for Hajj during these disturbances. On his way back to Syria he met Hadrat Usman ra in Medina, and requested him to accompany him to Syria where he would be safe from all the disturbances. He said to Muawiyah that he could not give preference to any thing other than the neighbourhood of the Holy Prophet sa. Muawiyah offered him an army of Syrian soldiers for his security if he did not like to move to Syria. Hadrat Usman ra declined the offer saying that by keeping an army for his protection he did not want to lessen the food for the Muslims. Hadrat Muawiyah made a submission, “Am i r-ul-Mu’min i n, people will either kill you by fraud or there is a possibility of making a war against you”. Hadrat Usman ra replied, “I do not care about it. My God is sufficient for me”. At last he said, “If you do not agree upon anything then, at least, exile all the mischievous people from Medina. They are proud of some great Companions ra about whom they think that they will take over the charge after him, and they deceive the people by naming some of them. They should be spread in foreign lands to discourage the rebels who may stop their resistance with the mind that it is of little gain, when there is no one to take the charge of Medina. But Hadrat Usman ra did not accept it and asked how he could exile the people who were brought together by the Holy Prophet sa. On hearing this, Hadrat Muawiyah wept and begged him to make an announcement that the revenge of his blood would