According to al-Waqidi-—'Abdallah b. Muhammad--his father: the year 34 (6 54-5 5] certain of the Companions (Sahaba) of the Messenger of God wrote to others [as follows]: "Come, for if you desire the jihad, then the jihad is here with us." The people maligned 'Uthman and censured him in the harshest language ever used against anyone, while the Companions of the Mes- senger of God were giving their opinions and listening, and among them no one forbade or prevented this save a few indi- viduals: Zayd b. Thabit, Abit Usavd al-Sa'idi, Ka'b b. Malik, and Hassan b. Thabit. The people assembled and spoke to 'Ali b. Abi Talib, and he entered 'Uthman's presence and said, "The people stand behind me, and they have spoken to me about you. By God, I do not know what to say to you. I know nothing of which you are ignorant, nor can I point out to you any affair with which you are not well acquainted. Indeed you know what we know. We have not per- ceived something before you have, so that we must inform you of it. Nor have we gained sole knowledge of anything so that we must bring it to your attention. In no affair have we been assigned greater distinction than you. You have seen and heard the Mes- senger of God, you were one of his Companions and became a son-in—law to him. (Abu Bakr) b. Abi Quhafah was not better suited than you to act rightly, nor did (‘Umar) b. al-Khattab enjoy greater merit in any way, and indeed you had a closer blood- relationship to the Messenger of God [than either of them]. You obtained a marriage tie to the Messenger of God such as they never did, nor did they have any precedence over you. Re- member God! You are not being given your sight after you were blind, by God, nor are you being instructed after you were in ignorance. Verily the path is manifest and clear, and the signposts of true religion are standing upright. "Know, 'Uthman, that the best of God’s servants in His eyes is a just imam, one who has been guided aright and who himself gives right guidance, for he upholds accepted prescriptions and destroys rejected innovations (bid'ah ma- Q trukahj. By God, everything is clear. Sound prescriptions stand I clearly marked, as do blameworthy innovations. The worst of men in God's sight is a tyrannical imam, one who has gone astray himself and by whom others are led astray, for he destroys an accepted prescription and revives a rejected innovation. Verily, I heard the Messenger of God say, .’The Day of Resurrection will be brought by the tyrannical imam, he will have no helper and no advocate, so that he will be cast into Hell, turning about in Hell as the mill turns, and then he will plunge into the fiery flood of Hell.' I tell you to beware of God and His sudden assault and His vengeance, for His punishment is harsh and painful indeed. I tell you to beware lest you be the murdered imam of this Community. Indeed it is said that an imam will be killed in this Community, and that bloody strife will be loosed upon it until the Day of Resurrection, and its affairs will become hopelessly entangled. (God) will leave them as sects (shiycfj, and they will not see the truth due to the great height of falsehood. They will toss therein like waves and wander in confusion."
Then ‘Uthman replied, "By God, I knew that (people) would be saying what you have said. But by God, if you were in my place I would not have berated you nor left you in the lurch nor shamed you nor behaved foully. If I have favored kinsmen, filled a need, sheltered an impoverished wretch, and appointed as governors men like those whom 'Umar used to appoint, {then what have I done-wrong?] I adjure you by God, O 'Ali, do you know that al- Mughirah b. Shu‘bah is not there?" "Yes," he answered. (Uthman) said, "Do you know that 'Umar made him a gover- nor?"’ "Yes," he answered. Then ('Uthmanj said, "So why do you blame me for having appointed Ibn 'Amir, simply because of his close kinship [with me]?"
'Ali said, "I will tell you that everyone appointed by 'Umar b. al- Khattab was kept under close scrutiny by him.253 If (Umar) heard a single word concerning him he would flog him, then punish him with the utmost severity. But you do not do (that). You have been weak and easygoing with your relatives." "They are your relatives as well," answered Uthman. 'Ali said, "By my life, they are closely related to me indeed, but merit is found in others." Uthman said, "Do you know that Umar kept Mu'awiyah in of- fice throughout his entire caliphate, and I have only done the same." 'Ali answered, "I adjure you by God, do you know that Mu'awiyah was more afraid of Umar than was Umar's own slave Yarfa’?" "Yes," said (Uthman). 'Ali went on, "In fact Mu'awiyah makes decisions on issues without (consulting) you, and you know it. Thus, he says to the people. ’This is Uthman's com- mand.' You hear of this, but do not censure him."254 Then 'Ali left him, and Uthman went out on his heels. Then (Uthman) took his seat upon the pulpit and said, "To proceed: For everything there is some bane and in every situation there is some defect. The bane of this Community (ummah) and the defect in this [divinely bestowed) beneficence are the malign- . ers and slanderers who let you see what is pleasing to you and conceal what is hateful to you. They talk and talk to you. Men who resemble ostriches follow the first one to make a noise. Their favorite watering place is the one far away, they fail to quench their thirst and they get only the sediment. No leader arises, affairs have worn them out, and they possess no means of .; gain." "By God, you have surely blamed me for things like those which you accepted from Ibn al-Khattab. But he trampled you underfoot, smote you with his hand, and subdued you by his tongue, and so you submitted to him whether you liked it or not. I ( have been lenient with you. I let you tread on my shoulders while I restrained my hand and tongue, and therefore you have been insolent toward me. By God, I am stronger [than he] in kinsmen, I have allies closer at hand, I possess more supporters. It is more fitting for me [than for him] to say 'Come!’ and have [men] come to me. I have appointed over you your peers.255 I have cheerfully lavished benefits upon you. But you have attributed to me a nature that I do not possess and statements that I have not ut- tered. Restrain your tongues and your slandering and maligning of your rulers (wulat), for I have kept from you a man who would satisfy you with less than these words of mine were he the one [now] speaking to you. Nay, but which of your rights are you deprived of? By God, I have achieved no less than did my prede- cessors or those about whose [standing in the Community] you have not disagreed. There is a surplus of wealth, so why should I not do as I wish with the surplus? Why otherwise did I become imam?"