and I even hope you will be one of those whom Allah causes him to kill.
Shabath ibn Ribʿī and Ziyād ibn Khaṣafah then spoke, extolling ʿAlī’s merits and saying, “Fear Allah, Muʿāwiyah, and do not oppose him, for by Allah we have never seen a man who acts more upon God-consciousness, is more indifferent to the world, or gathers within himself every quality of virtue more completely than he does.”
Muʿāwiyah answered, praising and glorifying Allah, and continued:
“To proceed: you summon me to unity and obedience. As for unity, it is with us; as for obedience, how am I to obey a man who helped in the murder of ʿUthmān yet claims he did not kill him? We do not deny him that claim nor do we charge him with the deed, but he has sheltered the killers (1). Let him hand them over to us so that we may execute them; then we will comply with unity and obedience.”
Shabath ibn Ribʿī said, “I adjure you by Allah, Muʿāwiyah: were you able to seize ʿAmmār, would you kill him for ʿUthmān’s sake?”
Muʿāwiyah replied, “By Allah, if I could lay hold of the son of Sumayya I would not kill him over ʿUthmān; I would kill him for the sake of ʿUthmān’s servant.”
Shabath retorted, “By the Lord of earth and heaven, you will not reach ʿAmmār to kill him until heads are severed from shoulders and the vast earth grows tight around you.”
Muʿāwiyah said, “And if that happens, it will be tighter on you.”
The delegation withdrew, went to ʿAlī, and reported what Muʿāwiyah had said (2).
Muʿāwiyah then sent Ḥabīb ibn Maslama al-Fihrī, Shuraḥbīl ibn al-Simṭ, and Maʿn ibn Yazīd ibn al-Akhnas to ʿAlī. When they entered, Ḥabīb spoke first, praising and extolling Allah, and said:
“To proceed: ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān was a rightly guided caliph who acted by the Book of Allah and held fast (3) to the command of Allah. You found his life burdensome and thought his death long overdue (4); you assaulted him and killed him. Hand over his killers—if you claim you were not among them—then step aside from the people’s affair so that it may be settled by consultation among them, and they will entrust leadership to whomever they unanimously approve.”
ʿAlī replied, “And who are you—may your mother be bereft of you—to speak of removing me from office? Be silent; you have no standing in this, nor are you qualified for it.”
Ḥabīb retorted, “By Allah, you shall indeed see me where you dislike (5).”
ʿAlī said, “And who are you—even if you muster your cavalry and infantry? May Allah not spare you if I spare you. Go, range high and low as you please.”
The historians then relate a lengthy dialogue that allegedly passed between them and ʿAlī. Its authenticity on both sides is debatable, for woven into it are statements ascribed to ʿAlī belittling Muʿāwiyah and his father, claiming they embraced Islam only under duress and long remained hesitant, and other remarks—including, “I do not say that ʿUthmān was killed as one wronged, nor yet as an oppressor.”
They replied, “We disown anyone who does not hold that ʿUthmān was killed unjustly,” and they left his presence.
ʿAlī then recited: “Indeed, you cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs and retreat. Nor can you guide the blind out of their straying. You can make none hear except those who believe in Our signs, and they are Muslims.” (Sūrat al-Naml 27:80–81)