—fingers that had been struck off when she fended him off (1) with her hand, so that part of her palm was cut away with them. He carried the shirt and the fingers to Muʿāwiyah in Syria, where Muʿāwiyah set the shirt upon the pulpit for all to see and hung the fingers inside its sleeve. He then urged the people to seek revenge for this blood and for the one who had shed it. The crowd around the pulpit broke into tears; the shirt was raised at times and lowered at times while they wept around it for a whole year. They encouraged one another (2) to take vengeance, and most people abstained from their wives throughout that year.

Muʿāwiyah himself, together with a group of Companions, stood before the people, rousing them to demand retribution for ʿUthmān from those Khārijites who had killed him. Among those Companions were ʿUbādah ibn al-Ṣāmit, Abū al-Dardāʾ, Abū Umāmah, ʿAmr ibn ʿAbasah (3) and others; and among the Successors were Shurayk ibn Ḥubāshah, Abū Muslim al-Khawlānī, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Ghanm, and others.

When ʿAlī’s allegiance was firmly established, Ṭalḥah, al-Zubayr, and the leading Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) came to him and asked him to enforce the legal penalties and to avenge ʿUthmān’s blood. He excused himself, saying that the killers enjoyed support and allies and that he could not do this that very day. Al-Zubayr therefore asked to be made governor of Kūfah so that he could bring troops to him, while Ṭalḥah asked for the governorship of Basrah, that he might likewise bring troops to strengthen him against the power of those Khārijites and the ignorant Bedouins who had helped them kill ʿUthmān (may Allah be pleased with him).

He said to them, “Wait (4) a while, until I look into this matter.”

Mughīrah ibn Shuʿbah then came in and said, “My view is that you should confirm your present governors over the provinces; once their obedience reaches you, you can afterwards replace whomever you wish and keep whomever you wish.”

He returned the next day and said, “I now think you should dismiss them, so that you may know who obeys you and who disobeys you.”

ʿAlī laid the matter before Ibn ʿAbbās, who said, “Yesterday he advised you sincerely, but today he has deceived you.” When this reached Mughīrah he said, “Yes, I advised him; when he would not accept it, I deceived him.” Mughīrah then departed for Mecca, and a group followed him, among them Ṭalḥah and al-Zubayr. They had sought ʿAlī’s permission for ʿumrah, and he had granted it.

After that, Ibn ʿAbbās advised ʿAlī to keep his governors in place until (5) his authority was fully secured, and especially to leave Muʿāwiyah over Syria. He said, “I fear that if you remove him he will demand of you ʿUthmān’s blood, and I cannot be sure that Ṭalḥah and al-Zubayr will not speak (7) against you over the matter.”

ʿAlī replied, “I do not see it that way. Rather, go yourself to Syria, for I have appointed you over it.”

Ibn ʿAbbās said to ʿAlī, “I fear Muʿāwiyah may kill me for ʿUthmān, or imprison me because of my kinship with you. But write (6) to Muʿāwiyah along with me, offer him inducements and make him promises.”

ʿAlī said, “By Allah…"