Chapter Four

During the time of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs .......................... 143 4.1 During the caliphate of Abu Bakr a~-$iddeeq. . . . . . . . . . . 143 4.1.1 Abu Bakr's reaction to the Prophet's death ......... 144 4.1.2 Saqeefah Bani Sa'idah ........................ 145 4.1.3 Some characteristics of Abu Bakr's rule ........... 149 4.1.4 'Ali's oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr a~-$iddeeq.... 150 4.1.5 Abu Bakr sends out the army ofUsamah .......... 153 4.1.6 The apostasy wars ............................ 156 4.2 During the caliphate of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab . . . . . . . . . . 158 4.3 During the caliphate of 'Othman ibn 'Affan. . . . . . . . . . . . 160 4.3.1 During the conquest ofNorthAfrica .............. 161 4.3.2 'Ali's attitude concerning the turmoil faced by 'Uthman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 4.4 During the caliphate of his father, 'Ali binAbi Talib ..... 166 4.4.1 Commander of the Faithful 'Ali ibnAbi Talib sets out for Kufa ............. 166 4.4.2 Al-l:fasan's advice to his father. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 4.4.3 Al-l:fasan's impact on mobilising the people of Kufa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 4.4.4 Attempts at reconciliation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 4.4.5 The Battle of the Camel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 4.4.6 Tlle Battle of $iffeen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 4.4.7 Al-l:fasan's view concerning the wars ........................... 177

/ Contents 4.4.8 The martyrdom of Commander of the Faithful 'Ali ................ 179 4.4.9 Final advice of Commander of the Faithful 'Ali to his sons ..................... 180 4.4.10 Commander of the Faithful 'Ali prohibits mutilating his killer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 4 .4 .11 Al-l:f asan 's speech after his father was slain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 4.4.12 Mu'awiyah's reaction to the martyrdom of 'Ali ........................ 186