A literary history of Persia

2l6Arabs in general were embittered against the tribe of Quraysh,whose supremacy they watched with growing jealousy and;now 'Uthman's open partialityfor the Umayyad branch ofthat tribe,which had strenuously and bitterly opposed theProphet so long as opposition was possible, and had onlymade a tardy and unwilling profession of Islam when itcould no longer be resisted, thoroughly alienated the Hashimitebranch, so that even Quraysh was no longer united.Some of the most inveterate enemies of the Prophet, suchas Abu Sarh, 'Uthman's foster-brother, whom Muhammadwould have put to death on the capture of Mecca but for'Uthman's intercession, were raised to the highest commandsand enriched with the most princely salaries. Men notoriouslylax in their religious duties, like Walid b. 'Uqba, whose fatherhad been put to death by the Prophet after the battle of Badrwith a " promise of hell-fire," and Sa'id b. al-As, whose fatherwas slain at the same battle in the ranks of the heathen, weregiven rich governments. Walid, to whom the government otKufa was given, came drunk to the mosque, said the wrongprayers, and then asked the congregation whether they hadhad enough, or would like some more. He was ot coursedismissed, but the further chastisement ordained by Islam wasonly inflicted by 'All's insistence against 'Uthman's wish.Ibn 'Amir, the Caliph's young cousin, was made governorof Basra, on hearing which the old governor, Abu Musa,whom he had supplanted, said," Now ye will have a taxgathererto your heart's content, rich in cousins, aunts, anduncles, who will flood you with his harpies." x Sa'id b. al-'As,the new governor of Kufa, was as bad as his predecessor, so thatthe people murmured and said, "One of Quraysh succeedethanother as governor,the last no better than the first. It is butout of the frying-paninto the fire."The growing discontent had other grounds, which led tothe alienation of many old Companions of the Prophet remark-1Muir's Calij>hatet p. 217.