Page:William Muir, Thomas Hunter Weir - The Caliphate; Its Rise, Decline, and Fall (1915).djvu/253

224 answered: "Even to save my life I will not quit the land wherein the Prophet sojourned, nor the City wherein his sacred body resteth." "Then let me send an army to stand by thee." "Nay, that I will not," responded ʿOthmān firmly; "I never will put force on those who dwell around the Prophet's home, or quarter bands of armed men upon them." "In that case," replied Muʿāwiya, "I see naught but destruction awaiting thee." "Then the Lord be my defence," exclaimed the aged Caliph, "and that sufficeth for me" "Fare thee well!" said Muʿāwiya, as he departed to see his face no more.

Leaving the City by the road for Syria, Muʿāwiya passed a group of Ḳoreish, amongst whom were ʿAlī and Az-Zubeir. He stayed for a moment to drop a warning word into their ears. They were drifting back, he said, into the anarchy of "the days of the Ignorance" before Islām. The Lord was a strong Avenger of the weak and injured ones. "To you"—and these were his last words—"to you I commit this helpless aged man. Help him, and it will be the better for you. Fare ye well." So saying he passed on his way. The company remained some time in silence. At last ʿAlī spoke: "It will be best done as he hath said." "By the Lord!" added Az-Zubeir, "there never lay a burden heavier on thy breast, nor yet on ours, than this burden of ʿOthmān's just now."