The Outset of Dissension in Islam — Page 53
53 Having said this, Hadrat Mu‘ a wiyah ra left the gathering and sent them back to Kufah. He then wrote to Hadrat ‘ Uthm a n ra : “These people are not the least worthy of attention due to their foolishness and ignorance. We should not give them any attention. It should also be written to Sa‘ i d, the governor of Kufah, not to pay any attention to them. They are irreligious people and averse to Islam. They desire to rob the wealth of those in a position of responsibility and have the habit of creating disorder. They do not have the strength to cause harm themselves without the aid of others. ” 51 The opinion of Hadrat Mu‘ a wiyah ra was absolutely correct but he was unaware that there was a soul hiding outside his territory, in Egypt, who was using all of them; and his cause was best served by their ignorance and foolishness. When these people left Damascus, they abandoned their plan of going to Kufah, since the people who lived there were already familiar with their mischief. They also feared that they would suffer harm there; hence they went towards Jaz i rah. The governor of this region, ‘ Abdur-Ra h m a n, was the pious son of the renowned general who had left behind a shining legacy of courage and bravery for the whole world, i. e. , Kh a lid bin Wal i d. When he learnt of their arrival, he immediately called for them and said: “I have heard of your state of affairs. May Allah ruin me if I am unable to reform you. You are aware that I am 51. T a r i khu t-T abar i , vol. 5, pp. 134-135/138, Dhikru Tasy i ri Mann Sayyara Min Ahlil-K u fat Ilaih a , Published by D a rul-Fikr, Beirut, 2002 edition [Publishers]