for if Alī had a valid excuse under Islamic law for not executing Uthmān’s killers, Abū Bakr had an even stronger excuse for not executing the killer of Mālik ibn Nuwayra. If Abū Bakr had no excuse for that, then Alī was even less entitled to an excuse for not executing Uthmān’s killers.
As for the Rāfidah condemning Abū Bakr over this lesser matter while failing to condemn Alī for something far graver, this stems from their profound ignorance and inconsistency.
Likewise, their condemnation of Uthmān for not executing Ubayd Allāh ibn Umar in retaliation for al-Hurmuzān belongs to the same category (1).
If someone were to say:
“Alī was excused for not executing Uthmān’s killers because the conditions required to exact retribution were not met: either because the killers’ precise identities were unknown, or because he was unable to overcome them since they constituted a powerful armed faction, or for some similar reason.”
The reply would be:
The conditions required to exact retribution were likewise not met for putting Mālik ibn Nuwayra’s killer to death or for putting al-Hurmuzān’s killer to death, because each case involved a legal doubt. Legal penalties are averted in cases of doubt.
(1) See Ibn al-Arabī, *al-Awāsim min al-Qawāsim*, pp. 106–108 (al-Salafiyya edition, 1371 AH), edited by my teacher Muhibb al-Dīn al-Khatīb, may Allah have mercy on him. He writes: “As for the criticism that Uthmān refrained from executing Ubayd Allāh [ibn] Umar ibn al-Khattāb in retaliation for al-Hurmuzān, it is unfounded. Even if he did refrain, the Companions were still numerous and the matter was in its early stages. It has also been said that al-Hurmuzān conspired in Umar’s killing, that he carried the dagger, and that it was seen beneath his clothing. Ubayd Allāh had killed him before Uthmān assumed office. Perhaps Uthmān believed that no legal claim lay against Ubayd Allāh because of what had been established concerning al-Hurmuzān’s circumstances and actions.” See also Muhibb al-Dīn’s annotations and the report he cites from al-Tabarī concerning al-Qamādhbān ibn al-Hurmuzān. Al-Qamādhbān stated that Uthmān placed Ubayd Allāh ibn Umar ibn al-Khattāb at his disposal and told him: “My son, this is your father’s killer, and you have a greater claim over him than we do. Go and kill him.” See also how al-Qamādhbān pardoned him, and so forth. See further *al-Awāsim min al-Qawāsim*, p. 146.