Page:William Muir, Thomas Hunter Weir - The Caliphate; Its Rise, Decline, and Fall (1915).djvu/292

 657] words. And so forthwith they fixed the sacred leaves on the points of their lances, and raising them aloft, called out along the line of battle: "The law of the Lord! the law of the Lord! Let that decide betwixt us!" No sooner heard, than the men of Al-Kūfa leapt forward, re-echoing the cry: "The law of the Lord, that shall decide between us!" As all were shouting thus with one accord, ʿAlī stepped forth and expostulated with them: "It is the device," he cried, "of evil men; afraid of defeat, they seek their end by guile, and cloak rebellion under love of the Word." It was all in vain. To every argument they answered (and the Readers loudest of all):—"We are called to the Book, and we cannot decline it," At last, in open mutiny, they threatened the unfortunate Caliph that, unless he agreed, they would desert him, drive him over to the enemy, or serve him as they had served ʿOthmān. Seeing opposition futile, ʿAlī said: "Stay wild and treasonable words. Obey and fight. But if ye will rebel, do as ye list." "We will not fight," they cried; "recall Al-Ashtar from the field." Al-Ashtar, thus summoned, at the first refused. "We are gaining a great victory," he said, "I will not come;" and he turned to fight again. But the tumult increased, and ʿAlī sent a second time to say:—"Of what avail is victory when treason rageth? Wouldst thou have the Caliph murdered, or delivered over to the enemy?" Al-Ashtar unwillingly returned, and a fierce altercation ensued between him and the angry soldiery. "Ye were fighting," he said, "but yesterday for the Lord, and the choicest among you lost their lives. What is it but that ye now acknowledge yourselves in the wrong, and the martyrs therefore gone to hell?" "Nay," they answered, "yesterday we fought for the Lord; and to-day, for the same Lord we stay the fight." On this Al-Ashtar upbraided them as "traitors, cowards, hypocrites, and villains." In return, they reviled him, and struck his charger with their whips. ʿAlī interposed. The tumult was stayed. And Al-Ashʿath, chief of the Beni Kinda, was sent to ask Muʿāwiya "what his meaning in raising the Ḳorʾān aloft might be." "It is this," he sent answer back, "that we should return, both you and we, to the will of the Lord, as set forth in the Book. Each side shall name an umpire, and their verdict shall be binding." ʿAlī's army shouted assent. The unfortunate Caliph was forced to the