The Outset of Dissension in Islam — Page 70
70 H A D RAT MIRZA BASHIR-UD-DIN MAHMUD AHMAD Quraish. ’ Furthermore, he boastfully recites the following couplet: ّ أنَّنِی ْ مِن ْ جِن ا ْصَمَحْمَح ٌ کَ وَیْل ٌ لِاَشْرَاف ِ النِّسَاء ِ مِنِّی Meaning, ‘Noble women shall fall to trial because of me! I am a man so powerful as if from among the Jinn. ’” 63 The ordinary masses lost their senses due to his statements and they believed everything that he said. Fury instantly surged forth. The wise and learned tried their utmost to convince them and said, ‘This is deception, do not be mislead,’ but who could tame the public outrage; no one paid heed to them. A man stood up and announced: “Whoever wishes to request the dismissal of Sa‘ i d bin Al-‘ As ra , the governor of Kufah, and the appointment of another governor, should immediately join Yaz i d bin Qais. ” People rushed out upon hearing this announcement and no one remained in the mosque except for the learned and noble, and those who were in authority. ‘ Umar bin Al-Juraid was the acting governor for Sa‘ i d in his absence. He began to deliver an exhortation to the remaining people and said: ‘O people! Remember the favour of God the Exalted upon us when we were enemies. He united your hearts and you became as brothers. You were on the brink of a pit of destruction and God the Exalted saved you from it. So do not cast yourself into the affliction which God the Exalted 63. T a r i khu t-T abar i , vol. 5, pp. 141-142, Dhikrul-Khabari ‘ An Ijtim a ‘ ihim Li-Dh a lika Wa Khabarul-Jur ‘ ati, Published by D a rul- Fikr, Beirut, 2002 edition [Publishers]