The Outset of Dissension in Islam — Page 31
31 he was highly skilled in identifying such people who could serve his motives. He would speak to everyone according to their dispositions and instigate vice in the veil of virtue. It is for this reason that even sincere people would fall victim to his deception. He became a Muslim in the first half of the Khilafat of Hadrat ‘ Uthm a n ra and toured all the Muslim States in order to personally gain insight as to the circumstances of each region. However, it was impossible for him to fulfil his ends in Mad i nah Munawwarah. 30 At the time, Makkah was completely disconnected from politics. Apart from the capital – Basrah, Kufah, Damascus and Fustat were the political centres at the time. First he visited these places. He adopted a practice, whereby, he searched for such people who had been punished and were therefore displeased with the State. He would visit them and stay at their residence. First, he went to Basrah and stayed with H ak i m bin Jabalah, a robber who was under house arrest. He began to gather people of his own mentality and formed a party. As this was only the beginning of his mission and he was also a clever man, therefore, he would not speak openly; rather, he would call people towards mischief through subtle indications. Moreover, as was his long-standing custom, he continued his practice of admonition and exhortation as well. As a result of this, people began to develop reverence in their hearts for him and they began to accept his words. When ‘ Abdull a h bin ‘ A mir, the governor of Basrah, came to know of this, he asked him how he was doing and enquired as to why he had come. At this, he sent a reply saying, “I am a person from ‘the 30. Literally means, ‘Madinah, the Enlightened’ [Publishers]