Soon after the holy Prophet’s (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) demise, I think the hardest part of the Commander of the Faithful’s (P.B.U.H.) life in the thirty years after the demise of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) began; those days were the hardest period of the Commander of the Faithful’s (P.B.U.H.) life. The day when the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) was adored and venerable; and they were striving and fighting under his shadow; those days were sweet-the good old days. The darkest days were started after the demise of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) when tribulations like a dark night cast a shadow on the path of those seeking to walk on the right path. In such circumstances, the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) passed the hardest exams.
First of all, after the demise of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.), the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) was doing his duty. This was not because he did not know there was or might have been a gathering where the fate of the power and the state of the Islamic world would be determined. This was not an important issue to him. For him what was not important was the “self”. Immediately after the issue of the Caliphate was settled and the people swore allegiance to Abū Bakr and everything was over, ‘Alī (P.B.U.H.) stepped down; not a sentence, not a word, not any statement which were indicative of the opposition of the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) to the [then] government, were heard from him. Yes, on the early days after the demise of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) [he did so], the Imam (P.B.U.H.) struggled to be able to prove what he thought was right and should have been done. Then [when] he saw people swore allegiance, the issue was over and Abū Bakr became the Caliph, here the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) had been known as a man who although opposed, there was no harm, no danger, and no threat from him for this government in the Islamic history. The Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) during this period–which was not much, [indeed,] this period lasted a short time, perhaps a few months, I do not remember exactly–stated, “You have certainly known that I am the most rightful of all others for it.”, You know this too. “By Allah, I shall keep quiet”, this means he swear to Allah he shall do nothing and submit; “so long as the affairs of Muslims remain intact”,, as long as he feels the affairs of Muslims are carried out well and no one is oppressed; “and there is no oppression in it save on myself”,, as long as people are not oppressed and there is no oppression in the society, [as long as] he is the only one who is oppressed in the society. As long as it is so, he shall have nothing to do with anyone, he shall not interrupt, he shall not object.
After a short time, perhaps a few months afterward, some groups started apostasy; maybe there were some provocations too. Some Arab tribes felt that now there was not the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.), there was not the Leader of Islam (P.B.U.H. & H.H.), it might be a good time to make troubles, problems, conflicts and thus start a fight, perhaps the hypocrites had incited them to. Finally “Radda” occurred i.e. the apostasy of some of the Muslims–the Radda Battles started. When such things happened, the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) saw there was no time to remain quiet and the [Islamic] government should be defended; in this regard, the Imam (P.B.U.H.) says, “I kept myself aloof.”, I stayed away after the issue of Caliphate happened and Abū Bakr became the Caliph. This is the stance of secession; “till I found the heretics were trying to undermine Islam.”, I saw that some people were renouncing [Islam], they were trying to ruin Islam, here I took action straight away. And the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) took action actively; and the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) was present in all important social issues.
The Imam himself (P.B.U.H.) referred to his presence in the twenty-five years of Caliphate of the first three Caliphs as vizierate. After people came to choose the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) for the Caliphate right after the murder of ‘Uthmān, the Imam (P.B.U.H.) said, “I am better for you as a vizier than as emir.”, This means he saw his twenty-five-year position, place, and status as vizierate. This means that in the course of affairs, he constantly worked and helped [in line with] the aims of the authorities and the Caliph who were at the helm of affairs. This is such a great sacrifice which makes one really confused as one thinks how generously disposed the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) in his affairs.
In all of these twenty-five years, he did not think of uprising, coup, conflict, gathering some people, taking power and preempting the government. These things come to mind. When the holy Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) passed away, the Imam (P.B.U.H.) was almost thirty or thirty-three years old. Even later when he was passing the years of his youth and physical strength, was spending his days of vitality, he had a good standing and approval among the masses, he was sagacious and knowledgeable, and the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) already had all the attractions that might exist in a human being. If he wanted to do something, he could certainly do it. In all of these twenty-five years, the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) did not take any action but working for the same general and common goals of the Islamic system on which some caliphs were governing; and nothing was heard of them. And there are great wonderful adventures which I do not like to go through talking about historical events.
The Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) was invited to the six-member council after the death of the second Caliph. The Imam (P.B.U.H.) did not grump but went there. He did not say he was not equal to the other members. He did not say that Ṭalḥa, Zubayr, ‘Abdul Raḥmān b. ‘Awf, ‘Uthmān and him were not in the same rank. According to ‘Umar’s will, they formed a council consisting of six people to elect one person from among them as the next Caliph. Among these six people, ‘Alī (P.B.U.H.) had a fair chance of gaining the Caliphate and the vote of ‘Abdul Raḥmān b. ‘Awf was decisive in the six-member council. In other words, the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) had two votes: his and Zubayr’s; ‘Uthmān had also two votes: his and Ṭalḥa’s; ‘Abdul Raḥmān b. ‘Awf had two votes as well: his and Sa‘d b. Abī Waqqāṣ’s. Thus, the vote of ‘Abdul Raḥmān b. ‘Awf was decisive in the six-member council. If he pledged allegiance to the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.), the Imam (P.B.U.H.) would become the Caliph. And if he pledged with ‘Uthmān, ‘Uthmān would become the next Caliph. At first, ‘Abdul Raḥmān b. ‘Awf turned to ‘Alī (P.B.U.H.) and put to him the question whether the Imam (P.B.U.H.) pledged to follow the Book of Allah, the tradition of the holy Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) and the conducts (sīra) of the two Sheikhs–i.e. the previous Caliphs. [The Imam (P.B.U.H.)] replied, “Nay, I (will follow) the Book of Allah and the tradition of the holy Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.). I have nothing to do with the conducts of the two Sheikhs. I will act according to my own judgment and have nothing to do with their judgment”. With the slightest negligence of what the Imam (P.B.U.H.) considered right and proper, he was able to take the government and seize the power. The Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) did not even let such thought cross his mind and therefore, he lost the government and power. Here, too, he made sacrifice; here, too, he did not raise [the issue of] selfishness and trampled it. Such feeling may have never been aroused in the Imam (P.B.U.H.).
After twelve years of ‘Uthmān’s rule and at the end of his life, ‘Uthmān was much protested, those who opposed him accused ‘Uthmān of making many problems; they were from Egypt, Iraq, and Baṣra and elsewhere; at last, a large number of people gathered, surrounded the house of ‘Uthmān and threatened ‘Uthmān’s life. Well, here what would a person in the position of the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) have done? At such a time, this great person, who considered himself entitled to the Caliphate and it had been about twenty years that he had been excluded from his own [inalienable] right as well as having strongly objected the manner of the then ruler, found that people had gathered around the ruler’s house and surrounded it. What would ordinary people, even the chosen and magnificent figures have done in such situations? They would have done what the others did. They would have done what Ṭalḥa, Zubayr, ‘Āyisha and all those who were involved in the incident of ‘Uthmān did. The murder of ‘Uthmān is one of the most important incidents of Islam and that who caused the murder of ‘Uthmān. When one looks at Nahj al-Balāgha, other precious Islamic works, and history, it becomes quite clear who killed ‘Uthmān and who caused his murder. The same people, who had based their activities later upon a false claim of having friendship with ‘Uthmān, stabbed him in the back at that time. They tried to induce people. Someone asked ‘Amr b. al-‘Āṣ, “Who killed ‘Uthmān?” He replied, “Such and such a person–he named one of the companions of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.)–made the sword, another person sharpened it and the other one poisoned it, and someone else put ‘Uthmān to the sword.” This is the truth.
In this incident, the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) sincerely carried out that Divine and Islamic duty which he felt he was bound to perform. He sent Ḥasan and Ḥusayn (P.B.U.T.), the two precious gems and the reminiscent of the holy Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.), to the house of ‘Uthmān in order to defend him. This is very obvious. The opponents had surrounded ‘Uthmān’s house and did not let water get into his house; the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) sent water and food to ‘Uthmān’s house. Imam ‘Alī (P.B.U.H.) repeatedly negotiated with those who were angry at ‘Uthmān and made his best effort to subside their anger; and when they killed ‘Uthmān, the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) got angry at them.
Here, too, the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) absolutely had no egocentrism, selfishness and self-centeredness that normally exist in all human beings. After ‘Uthmān was killed, the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) could take advantage of the situation as a well-reputed person, an opportunist, and a savior and say, “O’ people! Now you are relieved; you got rid (of him)”. People would have definitely loved him as well, but nay. Even after the incident of ‘Uthmān, the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) did not use the opportunity to take the government and seize the power. What a great spirit he has! “Leave me and seek someone else,”, here the Imam (P.B.U.H.) means if you choose someone else for the government, I will be his counselor and stay by him. These are the statements which the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.) uttered in those days. People did not accept it. They did not like to choose anyone except the Commander of the Faithful (P.B.U.H.).
