Page:William Muir, Thomas Hunter Weir - The Caliphate; Its Rise, Decline, and Fall (1915).djvu/299

 270 of Az-Zubeir; and ʿOmar's son was put aside as not having qualities fitted for command. "Then," asked ʿAmr, when all possible candidates had been named and negatived, "what may be the judgment thou wouldst give?" "My judgment," answered Abu Mūsa, "would be to depose both ʿAlī and Muʿāwiya, and then leave the people free to choose as Caliph whom they will." "Thy judgment is also mine," said ʿAmr promptly; "let us go forth."

The people, in breathless expectation, crowded round the pavilion as the umpires issued from it. "Let them know," said ʿAmr to his fellow, "that we are agreed." Abu Mūsa advanced, and with voice loud and clear, said: "We are agreed upon a decision such as, we trust, will reconcile the people, and reunite the empire." "He speaketh true," said ʿAmr: "step forth, O Abu Mūsa, and pronounce thy judgment." Then spoke Abu Mūsa: "Ye people! we have considered the matter well. We see no other course for peace and concord, but to depose ʿAlī and Muʿāwiya, both one and other. After that, ye shall yourselves choose a fit man in their room. This is my judgment." He stepped aside, and ʿAmr advancing said: "Ye have heard the sentence of Abu Mūsa. He hath deposed his fellow; and I too depose him. But as for my chief, Muʿāwiya, him do I confirm. He is the heir of ʿOthmān, the avenger of his blood, and the best entitled as Caliph to succeed."

The assembly was thunderstruck. Even the Syrians had never dreamed of Muʿāwiya achieving such a triumph; nor had it entered the minds of those on ʿAlī's side, that their umpire could be overreached thus shamefully. "What could I do?" cried Abu Mūsa, assailed on every hand; "he agreed with me, then swerved aside." "No fault of thine," said Ibn al-ʿAbbās: "the fault of those who put thee in the place." Overwhelmed with reproaches, Abu Mūsa escaped to Mecca, where he thenceforward lived in obscurity. In the heat of indignation, the commander of the Al-Kūfa bodyguard seized