Balazari has narrated from Abbas bin Hisham from his father from Abu
Mikhnaf that: When Uthman suspended Walid bin Uqbah from governorship of
Kufa, he appointed in his stead, Saeed bin Aas and ordered him to be cordial to
the people of Kufa. But he gathered the wanton people there to have night parties.
Some people discussed his acts; among them being: Malik bin Harith Ashtar
Nakhai, Zaid bin Saasa, two sons of Sauhan, both being called by the title of
Abdi, Harqus bin Zuhair Saadi, Jundab bin Zuhair Azdi, Kudam bin Hadhrami
bin Aamir, Malik bin Habib bin Kharash, Qays bin Atarad bin Hajib, Ziyad bin
Khasfa bin Thaqaf, Yazid bin Qays Arhabi, and others.
They met him after the Asr Prayer and compared Iraq with Kohistani
(probably Shaam) and giving preference to Iraq, said: “What grows in Shaam
also grows in Iraq; in addition to that there are dates in Iraq as well,” and Hassan
bin Mahduz Zuhli was one who started this discussion.
Abdur Rahman bin Khunais Asadi, his military commander said: “I like this
land [Iraq] to belong to the chief and you know better than that.”
And argument ensued and Saeed said: “The land of Iraq is the orchard of
Quraish.”
Ashtar said: “Would he make it a place of casting of our spears and what
Almighty Allah gives us as booty? By God, if anyone wants arrows to be shot at
him such that he would be terrified.” And he attacked Ibne Khunais, but they
caught him. Saeed bin Aas wrote about the matter to Uthman and said: “I am not
the master of anything in Kufa in presence of Ashtar and his companions, who
incite reciters and all are fools.”
Uthman replied: Banish them to Shaam. And he wrote to Ashtar: “I see that
you have something in your mind, which if you make apparent, your blood will
be lawful to be shed, and I don’t think that you would refrain from that, except
that a terrible calamity should befall you. When my letter reaches you, go to
Shaam, because you have corrupted your companions and put in great effort for
their destruction.”
So Saeed banished Ashtar and all those who had attacked him and they were
Zaid, Saasa, two sons of Sauhan, Ayez Hamla Tohvi from Bani Tamim, Kumail
bin Ziyad Nakhai, Jundab bin Zuhair Azdi, Harith bin Abdullah Awar Hamadani,
Yazid, bin Mukaffaf Nakhai, Thabit bin Qays bin Manqa Nakhai, Asar1 bin Qays
bin Harith Harithi.
So the reciters of Kufa, who were exiled to Damishq gathered and became
guests of Amr bin Zurarah and Muawiyah did a good turn to them and accorded
honor to them. Then there was an argument between Muawiyah and Ashtar; they
spoke to each other harshly and Muawiyah had him arrested.
Amr bin Zurarah rose up and said: “If you imprison him, you will get
someone who defends him.” So he issued orders for the arrest of Amr as well.
The other people of that group said: “O Muawiyah, conduct with us nicely.”
Then they fell silent. Muawiyah said: “What has happened to you that you are not
speaking?” Zaid bin Sauhan said: “What shall be we say? If we are unjust, we
repent to God, and if we are victims, we seek relief and help from God.”
Muawiyah said: “O Abu Ayesha, you are a truthful man,” and allowed him to
return to Kufa.
He wrote to Saeed bin Aas: So to say: when I saw the excellence, justice and
good conduct of Zaid bin Sauhan, I allowed him to return to his house in Kufa, so
be nice to him and don’t harass him and behave with him cordially, because he
has promised me that you will not see any untoward act from him. Zaid thanked
Muawiyah and asked him at the time of departure to release those he had
imprisoned and he did that.
It was reported to Muawiyah that some people of Damishq cultivate the
company of Ashtar and his companions. He wrote to Uthman: You sent such
people to me, who corrupted and destroyed their country, and I am not assured
that they would not destroy the obedience of my people, teach them what they
don’t know, and destroy their obedience, and change their rightfulness into
deviation.
Uthman wrote to Muawiyah and ordered him to banish them to Homs, and
he did that and the governor of Homs was Abdur Rahman bin Khalid bin Walid
bin Mughira.
It is also said that Uthman wrote to Muawiyah to send them back to Kufa.
Saeed complained about them for the second time, so Uthman wrote to banish them to Homs, so they settled them at the coast.2
Allamah Amini says: Great excellence of these people and their
righteousness, which was established and their piety, which was testified by
others, should have prevented their victimization and their being driven away
from the place where they receive respect and which was their native place; and
exiling them from one place to another and giving ear to the statements of that
wanton young man while Allah, the Mighty and the High says:
إِن جَآءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌۢ بِنَبَإٍۢ فَتَبَيَّنُوٓا۟ أَن تُصِيبُوا۟ قَوْمًۢا بِجَهَـٰلَةٍۢ فَتُصْبِحُوا۟ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَـٰدِمِينَ (٦)
“If an evil-doer comes to you with a report, look carefully into it,
lest you harm a people in ignorance, then be sorry for what you
have done.”3
The Caliph should have condemned him, on the contrary, due to his
shortcoming regarding devotees of God and calling them fools, whereas they
were reciters of the country, elders of community, worshippers of that area,
jurists of that land, leaders in piety and worship acts, exemplars in jurisprudence
and morals – he penalized them whereas they had not committed any crime,
except that they did not approve him in lusts and his view.
Why did the Caliph not investigate regarding the reality of their dispute, so
that he could have adjudicated the matter properly. But religion and its elders,
condemned this conduct and history has recorded the instances in which Uthman
was criticized.
On the other hand Muawiyah resorted to a soft approach. When Uthman
asked for help, he freed those people and avoided helping Uthman, as would
come in detail – till Uthman was killed and Muawiyah was among those, who
had deserted him.
Here, we would explain the circumstances of these righteous people, who
were banished, and information about their valuable life, which is important for
you, so that you may know what they were attributed with and what they were
conducted with; and know that Ibne Hajar, who describes Malik Ashtar to have
apostatized from religion,4 and in this attribution has not stated the facts and in
defense of Uthman he says:
“In matters of independent judgment (Ijtihad) it is not appropriate to object
against the jurist, and these accursed and critics have no understanding, on the
contrary they have no reasoning,”5 he became inclined to sins.