The Chaliphate - Muir - The Search For Mecca

CHAPTER XXXIII
ELECTION OF 'ALT
35-36 A.H. 656 A.D.
Revuliion of On the Caliph's deatli, his kinsfolk, and such as had helped
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in his defence, retired from the scene. The City was horrorstruck.
They had hardly anticipated the tragic end. Many
who had favoured or even joined the rebels, started back
now the deed was done. The relatives of the murdered
Caliph fled to Mecca with vows of vengeance. A citizen
of Medina, wrapping carefully the severed fingers of Nfi'ila
in the blood-stained shirt of 'Othman, meet symbols of
revenge, carried them off to Damascus, and laid them at
Mu'avviya's feet.
'All elected For several days anarchy reigned in Medina. The
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regicides had mastery of the cit}\ The Egyptians were
June 23, 656. foremost amongst these in the first days of terror ; and
prayer was conducted in the Mosque by their leader. Of
the inhabitants few ventured out. At last on the fifth day
the rebels insisted that, before the}- quitted Medina, the
citizens should elect a Caliph, and restore the empire to its
normal state. Shrinking, no doubt, from the task which
'Othman's successor would have to face, 'All held back, and
offered to swear allegiance to either Talha or Az-Zubeir.
But in the end, pressed by the threats of the regicides and
entreaties of his friends, he yielded ;
and so, six days after
the fatal tragedy, 'All took the oath to rule " according to
the Book of the Lord," and was saluted Caliph. Az-Zubeir
and Talha were themselves the first to acknowledge him.
They asserted afterwards that they swore unwillingly,
through fear of the conspirators. The mass of the people
followed. There were exceptions ; but 'All was lenient, and
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