Nasb-and-the-Nawasib

especially in Kūfah which was the epicentre of Shīʿism. And so the Ummah disputed
regarding ʿAlī and ʿUthmān L in to four groups as stated by al-Shaʿbī: 1
أصبحت المة على أربع فرق:‏ محب لعلي مبغض لعثمان،‏ ومحب لعثمان مبغض لعلي،‏ ومحب لهما
ومبغض لهما.‏
The Ummah parted into four groups: a group that loved ʿAlī and hated
ʿUthmān, a group that loved ʿUthmān and hated ʿAlī, a group that loved
both of them, and a group that hated both of them. 2
And many people adopted either side of the balanced stance regarding ʿUthmān
and ʿAlī I 3 in such a way that it settled in their minds that partisanship for one
implies aversion for the other. Hence the partisan of ʿUthmān would criticise ʿAlī
I and the partisan of ʿAlī I would criticise ʿUthmān I
Ibn Taymiyyah mentions:
قد كانت الفتنة لما وقعت بقتل عثمان وافتراق المة بعده صار قوم ممن يحب عثمان ويغلو فيه ينحرف عن
علي مثل كثير من أهل الشام ممن كان إذ ذاك يسب عليا ويبغضه،‏ وقوم ممن يحب عليا ويغلو فيه ينحرف
عن عثمان مثل كثير من أهل العراق ممن كان يبغض عثمان ويسبه.‏
When the Fitnah ensued after the murder of ʿUthmān, many a people who
loved ʿUthmān and exaggerated regarding him detracted from ʿAlī I, like
the people of Shām who would revile and despise ʿAlī I. Similarly those
who loved ʿAlī I and exaggerated regarding him detracted from ʿUthmān
I, like the people of Iraq who would hate ʿUthmān I and revile him. 4
1 ʿĀmir ibn Sharāḥīl ibn ʿAbd al-Shaʿbī al-Hamdānī, Abū ʿAmr al-Kūfī. One of the leading scholars of
the successors and a prominent figure for his knowledge, his jurisprudence and piety. He was born in
the Khilāfah of ʿUmar I and was fortunate to meet five hundred Ṣaḥābah M. He was famous for
his retentive memory and was a reliable narrator. His narrations appear in the six canonical works. He
passed away in 104 A.H. See: Tārīkh Baghdād 12/227; Tārīkh Madīnah Dimashq 25/335; Tahdhīb al-Kamāl
34/133; Tahdhīb al-Tahdhīb 5/57.
2 Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ 4/308.
3 Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ 4/308.
4 Majmūʿ Fatāwā Shaikh al-Islām 3/408.
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