of the Believers.’

So I went out, and there he was standing at the door waiting for me. He took me by the hand, drew me aside, and said, ‘What was it that you found objectionable in what that man just said?’

I replied, ‘O Commander of the Believers, if I have done wrong I seek Allah’s forgiveness and repent to Him, and I shall stay wherever you wish.’

He said, ‘You must tell me.’

I said, ‘Whenever they rush ahead with such haste they make light of the matter (1); when they make light of it they begin to argue; once they argue they differ; and when they differ they fight.’

He said, ‘May Allah bless your father! I had been concealing this from the people until you voiced it.’ (2)

Ibn Saʿd reports: Abū Bakr ibn Muḥammad ibn Abī Murrah—of Mecca—told us; Nāfiʿ ibn ʿUmar narrated to us; ʿAmr ibn Dīnār told me:

The people of Medina spoke to Ibn ʿAbbās, asking him to lead them in the pilgrimage. He went in to ʿUthmān, who appointed him, so he performed the pilgrimage. When he returned he found that ʿUthmān had been killed, whereupon he said to ʿAlī, ‘If you now assume this authority, the people will saddle you with the blood of ʿUthmān until the Day of Resurrection.’ (3)

And ʿUbaydullāh ibn ʿAbdullāh relates from Ibn ʿAbbās:

That he said to ʿAlī, when the latter said, ‘Set out, for I have appointed you over Syria,’ ‘This is not sound policy. Rather, write to Muʿāwiyah, show him favor, and make him promises.’

He replied, ‘That will never be!’ (4)

ʿIkrimah also reported: I heard ʿAbdullāh say:

I said to ʿAlī, ‘Do not appoint Abū Mūsā as arbitrator, for with him there is a man who is wary, seasoned, a veteran among men; press me to…’