Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

'Ali ibn Abi Trilib 553
(&) has sent you, then you are welcome, but if anyone else has sent
you, then go hack."37 Syria was seething with anger at the unjust and
wrongful murder of 'Uthmin (&). The chemise that was stained
with his blood had reached them, along with the fingers of his wife
Ni'ilah, which had been cut off as she was defending him. This story
of his martyrdom was tenifying and painful; it shook them
emotionally and moved them to tears. They had also heard the news
that the thugs had taken over Madimah and that Banu Umayyah had
fled to Makkah.
All of this, as well as other events and factors, had a strong
effect on the people of Syria and their leader Mu'iwiyah (&). He
said that he had the responsibility of standing up for 'Uthmin (&,)
and wreaking vengeance on his killers, since he was his kinsman, and
Allah (&) says: (And whoever is killed wrongfully [MazlGman
intentionally with hostility and oppression and not by mistake], We
have given his heir the authority [to demand Qiscij, - Law of
Equality in punishment - or to forgive, or to take Diyah (blood
money)]. But let him not exceed limits in the matter of taking life [i.e.
he should not kill except the killer]. Verily, he is helped by the
Islamic law]) (Qur'an 17: 33). Mu'iwiyah gathered the people
together and addressed them, telling them that 'Uthmin (&) had
been killed unlawfully at the hands of foolish hypocrites whodid not
respect blood that is protected in Sharia; they had shed his blood
during the sacred month in the sacred land.
The people got angry and denounced what had happened, and
their voices became loud. Among them were a number of the
Companions of the Messenger of Allah (s,). One of them named
Murrah ibn Ka'b stood up and said: "Were it not for a hadith I heard
from the Messenger of Allah (g), I would not have spoken. The
Prophet (&) ~~ a mentioned the &moil and gave some details
concerning it. Then a man passed by whose face was covered with a