Al-Shariah li-al-Ajurri - Al-Ajurri - (4/1980)

Al-Shariah li-al-AjurriAl-Ajurri

If he asks, “Why, then, did the Companions of the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—not fight in his defense?” he is told: Uthmān—may Allah be pleased with him—and the Companions had no warning until events suddenly overtook them, and there was no army in Medina prepared for war. When this took them by surprise, they—may Allah be pleased with them—exerted every effort to support and defend him, but they were unable to do so. They offered their lives in his defense, even if it meant their death, but he refused their offer and said, “I release you from your pledge of allegiance to me, and I forbid you to defend me. I truly hope to meet Allah—Glorified and Exalted—in innocence, having been wronged.”

Ali ibn Abī Tālib, Talha, al-Zubayr—may Allah be pleased with them—and many other Companions addressed those people with stern remonstrances and spoke forcefully to them. When they realized that the Companions of the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—had denounced their actions, each faction among them made a show of loyalty to the Companions. One faction took up position at the door of Ali ibn Abī Tālib—may Allah be pleased with him—and claimed allegiance to him, though Allah—Glorified and Exalted—had absolved him of them. They prevented him from going out. Another faction took up position at Talha’s door and claimed allegiance to him, though Allah—Glorified and Exalted—had absolved him of them. Yet another faction took up position at al-Zubayr’s door and claimed allegiance to him, though Allah—Glorified and Exalted—had absolved him of them.

Their sole purpose was to keep the Companions occupied and prevent them from coming to the aid of Uthmān—may Allah be pleased with him. They concealed their true purpose from the people of Medina, as part of the decree Allah—Glorified and Exalted—had ordained: that Uthmān would be killed as one wronged. The Companions were thus confronted with a situation beyond their power. Nevertheless, despite their small number, they offered themselves to Uthmān—may Allah be pleased with him—and asked him to permit them to defend him, but he refused. Had he permitted them, they would have fought.

فَإِنْ قَالَ: فَلِمَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلْ عَنْهُ أَصْحَابُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ؟ قِيلَ لَهُ: إِنَّ عُثْمَانَ ﵁ وَصَحَابَتَهُ لَمْ يَعْلَمُوا حَتَّى فَاجَأَهُمُ الْأَمْرُ , وَلَمْ يَكُنْ بِالْمَدِينَةِ جَيْشٌ قَدْ أُعِدَّ لِحَرْبٍ , فَلَمَّا فَجَأَهُمْ ذَلِكَ اجْتَهَدُوا ﵃ فِي نُصْرَتِهِ وَالذَّبِّ عَنْهُ , فَمَا أَطَاقُوا ذَلِكَ وَقَدْ عَرَضُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ عَلَى نُصْرَتِهِ وَلَوْ تَلِفَتْ أَنْفُسُهُمْ , فَأَبَى عَلَيْهِمْ وَقَالَ: أَنْتُمْ فِي حِلٍّ مِنْ بَيْعَتِي , وَفِي حَرَجٍ مِنْ نُصْرَتِي , وَإِنِّي لَأَرْجُو أَنْ أَلْقَى اللَّهَ ﷿ سَالِمًا مَظْلُومًا , وَقَدْ خَاطَبَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وَطَلْحَةُ وَالزُّبَيْرُ ﵃ وَكَثِيرٌ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ لِهَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمِ بِمُخَاطَبَةٍ شَدِيدَةٍ , وَغَلَظُوا لَهُمْ فِي الْقَوْلِ , فَلَمَّا أَحَسُّوا أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَدْ أَنْكَرُوا عَلَيْهِمْ؛ أَظْهَرَتْ كُلُّ فِرْقَةٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ يَتَوَلُّونَ الصَّحَابَةَ , فَلَزِمَتْ فِرْقَةٌ مِنْهُمْ بَابَ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ﵁ , وَزَعَمَتْ أَنَّهَا تَتَوَلَّاهُ , وَقَدْ بَرَّأَهُ اللَّهُ ﷿ مِنْهُمْ , فَمَنَعُوهُ الْخُرُوجَ وَلَزِمَتْ فِرْقَةٌ مِنْهُمْ بَابَ طَلْحَةَ , وَزَعَمُوا أَنَّهُمْ يَتَوَلُّونَهُ , وَقَدْ بَرَّأَهُ اللَّهُ ﷿ مِنْهُمْ، وَلَزِمَتْ فِرْقَةٌ مِنْهُمْ بَابَ الزُّبَيْرِ وَزَعَمُوا أَنَّهُمْ يَتَوَلُّونَهُ، وَقَدْ بَرَّأَهُ اللَّهُ ﷿ مِنْهُمْ، وَإِنَّمَا أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَشْغَلُوا الصَّحَابَةَ عَنِ الِانْتِصَارِ لِعُثْمَانَ ﵁ , وَلَبَّسُوا عَلَى أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ أَمْرَهُمْ لِلْمَقْدُورِ الَّذِي قَدَّرَهُ ﷿ أَنَّ عُثْمَانَ يُقْتَلُ مَظْلُومًا , فَوَرَدَ عَلَى الصَّحَابَةِ أَمْرٌ لَا طَاقَةَ لَهُمْ بِهِ , وَمَعَ ذَلِكَ فَقَدْ عَرَضُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ عَلَى عُثْمَانَ ﵁ لِيَأْذَنَ لَهُمْ بِنُصْرَتِهِ مَعَ قِلَّةِ عَدَدِهِمْ , فَأَبَى عَلَيْهِمْ , وَلَوْ أَذِنَ لَهُمْ؛ لَقَاتَلُوا