The Outset of Dissension in Islam — Page 69
69 Al-Yam a n, Ab u Hurairah, ‘ Abdull a h bin Sal a m, ‘ Ub a dah bin Sa mit and Muhammad bin Maslamah, may Allah be pleased with all of them, not Yaz i d bin Qais and Ashtar. The messenger reached Jazirah with the letter and handed it over to the people who had been exiled from Kufah. When they read it, except for Ashtar, all the others disliked it as they had already witnessed the influence of ‘ Abdur-Ra h m a n bin Kh a lid. However, as for Ashtar, who had gone to Madinah in order to seek forgiveness from Hadrat ‘Uthm a n ra , was unable to keep his repentance intact and immediately set out for Kufah. When his friends saw that Ashtar had left for Kufah, they became frightened that ‘Abdur-Ra h m a n would not believe them and think that all of this had taken place on their suggestion. So, out of this fear, these people fled as well. When ‘Abdur-Ra h m a n bin Kh a lid bin Wal i d learned of this he sent his men in pursuit of them, but they were unable to apprehend them. One manzil 62 after another, M a likul-Ashtar reached Kufah in no time. He deemed it against his honour to enter the city empty handed. This person, who came from Jazirah to meet his companions, having covered two manzils at a time as if they were one, began to announce his arrival from Madinah. In order to incite the people, he began to say: “I have just left behind Sa‘ i d bin Al-‘ As ra , who I accompanied for a distance of one manzil. He openly says, ‘I will stain the chastity of the women of Kufah,’ and he also says, ‘The properties in Kufah are the wealth of the 62. A distance equivalent to 19 miles or 25 kilometers. [Publishers]