Yūnus related from al-Zuhrī: When news reached Muʿāwiyah of the deaths of Ṭalḥah and al-Zubayr and of ʿAlī’s growing ascendancy, he summoned the people of Syria to fight at his side in defense of the principle of shūrā (collective consultation) and in pursuit of retaliation for ʿUthmān’s blood. They pledged allegiance to him on that basis—as commander, not as caliph.

Yahyā al-Juʿfī reports in his “Book of Ṣiffīn,” with his chain of transmission, that Muʿāwiyah said to Jarīr ibn ʿAbd Allāh, “Write to ʿAlī and ask him to grant me Syria; in return I will give him my pledge.” Al-Walīd ibn ʿUqbah also sent him the following verses:
“Muʿāwi, Syria is yours—so cling to your land,
let no serpents intrude upon your domain.
Guard it with massive maces and with spears;
do not meet the fray weak-armed or slack.
For ʿAlī is watching to see your reply—
send him a war that will turn forelocks grey.”

Yaʿlā ibn ʿUbayd told me—citing his father—that Abū Muslim al-Khawlānī and a group said to Muʿāwiyah, “Are you contending with ʿAlī? Are you his equal?” He answered, “No, by Allah, I know full well that ʿAlī is better than I am and more entitled to authority than I am. But surely you know that ʿUthmān was murdered wrongfully, and I am his cousin; I seek only vengeance for his blood. Go to ʿAlī and tell him: let him hand over ʿUthmān’s killers and I will give him my allegiance.” They went to ʿAlī and conveyed this, but he would not surrender the men to them.

Khalād ibn Yazīd al-Juʿfī narrated to me: ʿAmr ibn Shumayr related from Jābir al-Juʿfī, from al-Shaʿbī— or from Abū Jaʿfar al-Bāqir; Khalād was uncertain—who said: “When …”