Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

332 The oath ofallegiance to 'Ali, his characteristics & his way of life
division. So he accepted and was keen to push the rebels a step
backwards by stipulating that allegiance should be swom to him
openly in the mosque. The people of prominent position and the
decision-makers are the ones who should appoint the caliph; as for
the common folk, their place is in swearing the general oath of
allegiance, which is to he done openly.86 He was keen to confirm this
principle from the minbar when he said: "0 people, this matter of
yours (appointing someone to the caliphate) is your affair, and no one
has the right to take that position except the one whom yon
appoint."87
1.5.4. Response to some contemporary writers
who talk about the oath of allegiance to 'Ali (&)
AlL'Aqqiid says, speaking about the election of the caliph after
the murder of 'Uthmin (&): "This report, even though it is brief,
listed for us the names of 2 the possible candidates for the caliphate
in Madinah after the killing of 'Uthmiin (4). Perhaps those who
sought it most were Talhah and az-Zubayr, who declared war on 'Mi
(&) later on. They were paving the way for that during 'Uthmin's
Lifetime; they thought that Quraysh had already decided that no
Hishimi should take that position, and that 'Ali (&) would soon be
pushed away from the post of caliph after 'Uthm2n (&), as he had
been before. 'A'ishah (&) preferred for the caliphate to end up with
one of these two or wi& Abdullah ibn ai-Znbayr, because Talhah
was from the tribe of Taym, and az-Zubayr was the husband of her
sister Asma'. The support of 'A'ishah for one of them would give
great hope of success."s8
Elsewhere, he said: "The matter concerning which there is no
doubt is that Imam ['Ali (&>)I was annoyed at the injustice done to
him when allegiance was sworn to someone else after the death of his
cousin (B), and he thought that his kinship with the Prophet was an