In Al-Ghadeer, Allamah Amini1 has mentioned some falsehoods and
fabrications regarding attack on Uthman’s house, among them being the
traditional report which Mohib Tabari has mentioned and its text is:
“Then it was reported to Ali that they wanted to slay Uthman; so he said:
We only wanted Marwan from him and we don’t want Uthman. He said to Hasan
and Husain: Go with your swords and stand at the house of Uthman and don’t
allow anyone to reach him. Zubair sent his son, and Talha sent his son, and some
companions of Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) sent their sons, so that they may
prevent people from entering to Uthman and they demanded him to send Marwan
out.
When people witnessed this scene, they rained arrows on the house of
Uthman till Hasan bin Ali was smeared in his blood and an arrow injured
Marwan, who was inside the house, and an arrow also pierced Muhammad bin
Talha and the head of Qamber, slave of Ali (a.s.) was broken.
Then some of those, who has besieged Uthman feared that Bani Hashim
would be infuriated due to Hasan and Husain and mischief would spread
everywhere, so they held the hands of two men and said: If Bani Hashim arrive
and see the blood on the face of Hasan they would remove people away from
around Uthman and what you seek would be lost, but come with us and let us
climb the wall to enter the house and let us kill him without anyone coming to
know about it.
They climbed the wall of an Ansar to enter the house of Uthman and those
who were with him did not notice this as all those with him were on the roof and
only his wife was with him. Then they killed him and fled from the route they
had entered and his wife screamed, but due the general uproar, no one heard her
screams. Then she went up to the people and said: The chief of believers is slain.
Immediately Hasan and Husain and their companions entered and saw that
Uthman was slain. So they fell upon him and wept. At this point people entered
and found Uthman slain.
This was reported to Ali, Talha, Zubair, Saad and all who was present in
Medina. So they came out while they were in complete shock and they entered
the house of Uthman and found that he was slain. Indeed we belong of Allah and
Him we shall return.
Ali asked his sons: How was the chief of believers slain when you present there and he raised his hand and slapped Hasan and hit Husain, and scolded
Muhammad bin Talha and cursed Abdullah bin Zubair and came out from there
infuriated.
Talha saw him and said: “O Abul Hasan what happened to you that you beat
up Hasan and Husain?”
Ali knew that he had helped in the killing of Uthman. So he said: “May so
and so be upon you, a companion of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.), who
participated in the Battle of Badr, without any reasoning against him [he was
killed].”
Talha said: “If he had surrendered Marwan, he would not have been killed.”
Ali said: “If he had surrendered Marwan to you, he would be killed before a
case is framed against him.”
Ali went out to his home and all the people came towards Ali in order to
pledge allegiance to him. Ali said: “This is not upon you and it is only upon the
folks of Badr and only the one they approve would be the Caliph.”
No one remained from the folks of Badr, but that he said: “We don’t know
of anyone more worthy of Caliphate.”When Ali saw this, he came to the Masjid and mounted the pulpit. The first
of those, who came to him and pledge allegiance was Talha, Zubair, Saad and
companions of Muhammad (s.a.w.a.). Then he asked for Marwan and wept and
he called some sons of Marwan – sons of Abu Muit – and they also wept.2
Then Allamah Amini says: This fabricated report is opposed to authentic
history, on which there is consensus and it is taken through hundreds of writings
each of which strengthen others.
What we mentioned from the discussions of the companions regarding
Uthman and those negative statements and character contradict this report.
Among these companions, were the ten companions, who were given glad
tidings of Paradise and some of them had participated in Battle of Badr. More
than 150 traditions are recorded about this.
Also, a large number of traditions falsify this report; that is traditions
containing the statements of Muhajireen and Ansar and also traditions, which
show that they were killers of Uthman, and tradition of the killing of Uthman and
his funeral in Hash Kaukab near synagogue in the cemetery of Jews.
Also traditions, which mention condition of these persons, who are thought
to have sent their sons for defending Uthman. And that they continued to be
inimical to him till he was killed. And after being killed till he was buried in the
worst of circumstances.
As for Ali (a.s.), it is confirmed that he was not present in Medina at the
time of Uthman’s assassination; so how it is possible that they came to him a little while after Uthman’s killing and wept near him and that he hit at the face
and chest of Hasan and Husain and scolded and abused them; and speak about the
incident.
In Majmauz Zawaid, Haithami says in refutation of Tabari that:3
“Apparently this tradition is weak, because when Uthman was besieged, Ali
was not present in Medina.”
Ali (a.s.) is one, whose point of view about Uthman was mentioned so refer
it to it so that you may realize that we was not like a person, who was grieved and
on the day of attack on the house of Uthman, he had not been shattered. Only
such a one can accuse His Eminence of such acts who is overpowered by
arrogance and selfishness and who has gone insane due to the effect of Shaitan
(and is unable to maintain his balance; sometimes he falls down and sometimes
rises up) and affection for the progeny of Umayyah has corrupted him and he
does not know what he is saying; and what he fabricates carelessly.
Among the things which are really funny is the statement, which Balazari
has narrated in Ansab from Ibne Sirrin:4
Uthman was killed and there were seven hundred people in his house:
among them were Hasan and son of Zubair and if he had accorded permission,
they would have driven the killers outside Medina.
It is narrated from Hasan Basri that:5
Ansar came to Uthman and said: “O chief of believers, we will assist God
twice: we assisted the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) and we also help you too.”
Uthman said: “I have no need of this, go back.”
Hasan Basri says: By God, if they wanted they would have defended him
with their cloak; indeed they were able to defend him.
What a logical and intellectual excuse is this? That the Caliph of Muslims is
killed in his house among 700 just companions and they watch this scene and
Muhammad bin Abu Bakr seizes his beard and mounts him, till the sound of his
teeth breaking was also heard and they killed him inside his house.
Amr bin Hamaq threw him down and sat upon his chest and Umair bin Zabi
broke his teeth. And his forehead was injured by the arrow Kinana bin Bashar,
and his head was split with the mace of Tajeebi; and Ghafiqi hit on his mouth
with an iron; while he was still alive he was stabbed with a number of daggers till
his wounds made him weak and lifeless. They wanted to decapitate him, but two
of his wives threw themselves over him.
All this occurred in the presence of just individuals, who were companions
of Caliph, but till then, they were waiting to be given permission to fight so that
they may expel the killers out of Medina. If they wanted, they would have defended him with their cloaks they would have definitely done that! What is the
value of this laughable statement with relation to Islam, Quran, Sunnah, reason,
feelings, logic, consensus and history?