Bahanad
When the authority of Egypt was entrusted to Abdullah ibn Abi al-Sarh (may Allah be pleased with him), the Kharijites attempted to incite rebellion against him as well. However, their efforts failed when Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) decided to conquer Africa, as previously, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had instructed Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) not to advance beyond Tripoli.
Following the Kharijites’ fruitless attempts against Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), they turned their attention towards inciting the populace against Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). They sowed seeds of doubt among the people of Egypt regarding his character, spreading rumors alleging that:
1. Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) had burned copies of the Quran.
2. He had appointed his relatives to prominent positions and significant duties.
3. He issued a command to perform the full prayer in Mecca, among other accusations.
The Kharijites discussed these minor issues with such fervor in every gathering that even the sons of prominent Sahaba were influenced by them. As a result, the people of Egypt decided to go to Madinah Munawwarah and depose Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) from the position of caliph.
The people of Egypt assembled a group of six hundred individuals and began advancing towards Madinah under the pretense of performing Umrah. When they arrived, Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) sent Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) to address them because Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) had informed Uthman that the Egyptians were coming and that their intentions were not good.
Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) answered their questions and sent them back to Egypt. However, on their way back, the Kharijites made another attempt and lied, claiming that Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) had sent a letter to Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) instructing him to kill them all upon their arrival. Believing this falsehood, they turned back to Madinah and subsequently martyred Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), the third caliph of Islam.
To be continued…
