58 DESTINY DISRUPTED
embraced Islam, he or she became part of the family, and so it was with the
Umayyads. The Prophet thought Mu'awiya especially competent and kept
him close after his conversion.
No doubt Omar appointed Mu'awiya governor of Damascus because he
got things done, but perhaps Omar should have paused to consider why
Mohammed had kept the man so close: once ensconced in Damascus,
Mu'awiya put his brilliance to work assembling a standing army loyal to
himsel£ This would have grim consequences after Othman's untimely death.
Toward the end of Othman's twelve-year reign, grumbling began to
sound throughout the empire. In Egypt, his foster brother was squeezing
people so hard for money that riots broke out. Egyptian notables wrote to
the khalifa, begging him to recall the governor. Hearing nothing back,
they sent a delegation to petition him in person. As it happened, at this
very time, groups of disgruntled citizens were converging on the city from
the north as well. Apparently, Othman had displeased a lot of people.
All these petitioners made Othman nervous. He begged Ali to go out
and talk to the malcontents on his behalf, placate them and persuade them
to go home, but Ali refused, perhaps because he himself disapproved of the
third khalifa's policies and practices. He advised Othman to secure himself
by addressing the people's legitimate complaints. Finally, Othman gave in
and met with the Egyptian delegation. He promised to replace his foster
brother and told the Egyptians to go home and let the governor know a
new man would soon be coming to replace him.
The Egyptians started back, feeling pretty good, but along the way they
caught up with a slave of Othman's. Something about the man aroused
their suspicions. They searched him and found a letter on his person,
seemingly signed by the khalifa and addressed to the governor of Egypt,
which told Governor Abdullah to arrest the delegation of malcontents as
soon as they showed up at his court and to execute them as soon as it
seemed politic!
The delegation returned to Medina in a fury. Othman came dithering
out of the palace to meet them on the steps: Back so soon? What was
wrong? They showed him the letter and Othman expressed shock. He
swore he had never written such a thing, never heard of it until this mo-
ment. In fact, his troublemaking cousin Marwan, a relative and ally of the
governor of Damascus, might have penned the letter and forged the khal-