Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

31 6 The oath of allegiance to 'Ali, his characteristics & his way of life
give you my allegiance." Talhah said: "You are more desenring, you
are Amir al-Mu'mineen; give me your hand." So 'Ali gave him his
hand, and Talhah swore allegiance to him."'32
It was narrated from 'Abd Khayr al-Khaywihi that he went to
Ahu Moosa and said: "0 Abu Moosa, were these two men -
meaning Tabah and ai-Zubayr - among those who swore
allegiance to 'Ali (&)?" He said: "~es."~~
Imam al-M&aqqiq ihn al-'Arahi also stated that the claim that
they swore allegiance reluctantly is false; he said that this was not
something befitting them or 'Ali. He said: "If it is said that they
@&ah and az-Zuhayr) swore allegiance reluctantly, we say: Allah
forbid that they could ever have been reluctant. If they were reluctant,
that could not have affected them because a ruler may become fully
legitimate with the allegiance of one or two people. But this view is
not acceptable, and whoever swore allegiance after that, it was
something that he had to do and was compelled to do so by Shacia.
But if they maah and az-Zuhayr) did not swear allegiance, that
would not have affected them, and it would not have affected the
validity of the leader to whom allegiance had already been sworn. As
for the suggestion that he had a paralysed hand, so his oath of
allegiance was not valid,34 the one who said that thought that Ta&ah
was the first one to swear allegiance, hut that was not the case. If it
was said that Talhah said: 'I swore allegiance with the sword over my
head,' we would say that this is a fabricated report, for Linguistic
reasons."35 So it is a lie.
As for the idea that someone objected on the grounds that his
hand was paralysed, even if that were so, it is irrelevant, because a
hand that was paralysed as a result of defending the Messenger of
Allah (g) is a blessed hand.36 The reports which say that Taah and
az-Zubayr were forced to swear allegiance are false.37 As we have
mentioned, there are sound reports indicating that they gave their