This was one of the grievances they voiced against ʿUthmān: that he dismissed Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ from Kūfa and installed this man in his place.
For all his openly sinful behavior—may Allah pardon him—he was courageous and diligent in the cause of jihād.
Ibn Abī Laylā narrated from al-Ḥakam, from Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said:
Al-Walīd ibn ʿUqba said to ʿAlī, “My spearpoint is keener than yours, my tongue more far-reaching, and my battalion more fully manned.”
ʿAlī replied, “Be quiet; you are nothing but a transgressor.”
Then the verse was revealed: “Is he then who is a believer like him who is a transgressor?” (Sūrat al-Sajdah ⦗1⦘: 18).
I (the author) say: its chain of transmission is sound, yet the context of the verse shows that it speaks about the people of Hellfire.
It has also been said that the exchange of insults was between ʿAlī and ʿUqba himself. This was stated by Ibn Lahīʿa, from ʿAmr ibn Dīnār, from Ibn ʿAbbās. ⦗2⦘
He has lengthy notices in Tārīkh Dimashq ⦗3⦘, but that work does not record his date of death.
Jarīr ibn Ḥāzim narrated: ʿĪsā ibn ʿĀṣim told us that al-Walīd sent to
Two men—one of them Humran—testified that the man had drunk wine, and another witness stated that he had seen him vomit. ʿUthman said, “He would not have vomited unless he had drunk it.” He then ordered, “ʿAli, stand up and flog him.” ʿAli told al-Hasan, “Stand up and administer the lashes.” Al-Hasan replied, “Let him who heated it taste its heat,” meaning that the one who initiated the case should carry it out; ʿAli appeared displeased with this response. He therefore said, “ʿAbd Allah ibn Jaʿfar, stand up and flog him.” ʿAbd Allah carried out the punishment while ʿAli counted the strokes until they reached forty. ʿAli then said, “Stop.” He added, “The Prophet administered forty lashes, Abu Bakr forty, and ʿUmar eighty. Each of these is sunna, but forty is the one I prefer.”
See Ibn ʿAsakir, 17/444a, and al-Aghani, 5/126.
(1) Al-Suyuti cites this report in al-Durr al-Manthur, 5/177–178, attributing it to al-Aghani, 5/140; al-Wahidi; Ibn ʿAdi; Ibn Mardawayh; al-Khatib; and Ibn ʿAsakir, 17/439a, all through various chains from Ibn ʿAbbas.
(2) Al-Suyuti, al-Durr, 5/178, also attributes it to Ibn Mardawayh, al-Khatib, and Ibn ʿAsakir.
(3) Ibn ʿAsakir, 17/434b–443b; Abu’l-Faraj likewise gives a lengthy biography in al-Aghani, 5/122–153.