Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

286 'Ali ibn Abi Tlilib at the time of the Rightly Guided Caliphs
The criminals who fabricated these letters and attributed them
falsely to the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) are the
same ones who fanned the flames of turmoil from beginning to end
and stirred up all the far-reaching corruption. They are the ones who
invented and propagated all these lies against 'UthmSm (&) and
tried to spread them among the people, until the hooligans began to
accept them. Then they forged that letter which they attributed to
'Uthmin (&), so that 'Uthmin (&) would end up as a victim and
thus become, a blessed martyr.
But the m-r 'UthrnSm (4) was not the only victim of this
Saba'i conspiracy. Islam itself was a victim before that, and the many
generations who leamed that distorted history were also victims of
this evil Jew and his helpers, who were motivated by greed, whim
and desires, and grudges. Is it not time for the Muslims to learn the
truth about their history and its great men? Rather, is it not time for
contemporary Muslim writers to fear Allah (&) and not have the
audacity to criticize the innocent before examining the reports and
investigating thoroughly, so that they do not fall into the same trap as
others?z52
3.5.2. 'Ali's attitude during the siege
The siege against 'Uthmin (&) intensified until he was even
prevented from attending prayers in the mosque, but he bore this
calamity with patience, as the Messenger of Allah (g) had
commanded him to do. Guided by his strong belief in the divine wiU
and decree, be tried to find a solution to this calamity. Sometimes he
addressed the people and told them of the sanctity of Muslim blood,
and that it was not permissible to shed it except as dictated by Sharia.
At other times, he highlighted his virtues and great services to Islam,
calling as witnesses those who remained of the ten who bad been
given the glad tidings of paradise (may Allah be pleased with