The Case of The Killers of Uthman Ibn Affan Between Ali Ibn Abi Taleb and his Opponents.

Abstract

This paper deals with the situation following the killing of Uthman Ibn Affan, especially the paying of homage to Ali Ibn Abi Talib as caliph, the attitudes towards the killing and killers of Uthman, and the results arising therefrom.
The historical sources which deal with the case of the killing and killers of Uthman show that this case was the most important issue which governed the course of events in those days. These sources reveal that disagreement arose between the Caliph Ali on one side, and Talhah, Al-Zubayr, Asyeshah, and later Mu’aawiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan on the other. These opponents of Ali requested that the Quranic rules concerning killers should be applied on the killers of Uthman. As for the attitude of Ali Ibn Abi Taleb concerning this case, historical sources differ and show that the stand of Ali was ambiguous.
The paper studies the Quranic verses concerning the killing of human beings and finds that these verses relate to cases of killing which are individualistic. As for the killing of Uthman, the case is controversial. Sources differ widely in their answers to the question of who killed Uthman. Some sources go as far as accusing whoever criticised Uthman, of participating in shedding his blood. It is obvious that the circumstances of the killing of Uthman had no precedents.
The paper then studies the sources that claim that Ali’s failure to investigate the case and to punish the killers was dictated by the confused and unsettled conditions that followed the killing of Uthman. The paper shows that these conditions developed and improved in Ali’s favour: after the Battle of the Camel all Islamic dominions except Syria stood on Ali’s side. Yet, Ali failed to investigate the case in interpreting and justifying Ali’s conduct than in conveying the realities of the situation.
Historians such as Abu Ja’afar al-Tabari, Al-Balathuri, Ibn Muzahim, Al-Daynouri and others deal with the case as if Ali Ibn Abi Taleb did not consider the case as a case of a person killed by unknown killers, nor did he consider the case as an individualistic case of killing to which the Quranic verses on killing apply. It seems that he considered the killing of Uthman a case of ‘Killing by a group’ to which the Quranic verses on killing do not apply, and thus he did not investigate the case to punish the killers. Later, his attitude towards fighting a group was in agreement with his stand in relation to the killing of Uthman. Historical reports and studies in Islamic jurisdiction have reinforced this.
However, since the killing of Uthman and Ali’s stand in relation to it were unprecedented and unfamiliar events to the newly born Islamic society, Muslims were not certain as to what should be done.
Many hesitate to support Ali, and many opposed his views on the case. This was one of the strongest factors that undermined his position, weakened his party in the face of his opponents especially Mua’awiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan, and consequently made it easier for Mua’awiyah to become a caliph.