128 No god but God
his home, while his second son, Husayn, transported water and food
to the Caliph throughout the siege at great risk to his own life.
Madelung is probably correct in suspecting the true culprit to
have been Marwan, who many in Uthman’s own circle believed had
written the letter. It was Marwan who had advised Uthman to deal
harshly with the rebels when they first arrived with their grievances. It
was Marwan’s influence that kept Uthman from repenting of his more
detrimental actions, like heaping riches upon his family from the pub-
lic treasury. In fact, when the Companions criticized Uthman for pre-
cisely this kind of behavior, Marwan, who benefited most richly from
Uthman’s nepotism, drew his sword and threatened to kill the most
respected members of the Ummah in the presence of the Prophet’s
successor.
Regardless of who wrote the letter, the Egyptian, Basran, and
Kufan rebels—and nearly everyone else in Medina—believed that
Uthman had, according to all customs, failed in his leadership and
must, as a result, voluntarily step down as Caliph. He had, in one
sense, forfeited his oath of allegiance as Shaykh of the Ummah, and
violated Abu Bakr’s declaration that if the Caliph neglects the laws of
God and the Prophet, he has no right to obedience.
But there was also a small faction of Muslims who called for
Uthman’s abdication not on the grounds that he had forfeited his oath
of allegiance, but because they believed that only a Caliph who was
free from sin could be worthy to lead the holy community of God.
This faction would come to be known as the Kharijites, and despite
their small numbers, they and their uncompromising beliefs would
soon play an important role in determining the fate of the Muslim
community.
Even as nearly everyone had turned against him, Uthman still
refused to give up power. As far as he understood, his position as
Khalifat Allah had been bestowed upon him by God, not by man; only
God could remove the mantle of leadership from him. However, as a
pious Muslim, Uthman refused to attack the rebels who besieged him,
hoping he could maintain control of the Caliphate without shedding
Muslim blood. He therefore commanded his supporters not to fight,
but to go home and wait for order to be restored naturally. But it was
far too late for that.