# The Caliphate: Its Rise, Decline, and Fall/Chapter 39

CHAPTER XXXIX
DECISION OF THE UMPIRES
37 A.H. 658 A.D.
Interregnum.Thr interval passed uneasily. Muʿāwiya ruled in Syria; ʿAlī, over the rest of the Muslim world. Neither, for the moment, interfered with the other. The Empire was for the moment in suspense.
Umpires meet, viii. 37 A.H. Feb., 658 A.D.Within the time appointed, ʿAmr appeared at Dūma, half way across the desert, and, shortly after, Abu Mūsa, each followed, as agreed upon, by a retinue of 400 horse. Thither also flocked multitudes from Al-ʿIrāḳ and Syria, from Mecca also and from Medīna. With intense interest they watched the strange proceeding, which was to decide the future of Islām. The leading chiefs, too, of Ḳoreish were there; some with the distant hope that the choice might haply fall on one of them.
Their conferenceThe umpires met in a pavilion pitched for the occasion; and there a private conference was held between the two alone. The account preserved is brief and uncertain. Abu Mūsa, pressed by his astute colleague, admitted that the assassination of ʿOthmān was a wicked and unjustifiable act. "Then why," rejoined ʿAmr, "wilt thou not take Muʿāwiya, the avenger of the Caliph's blood, for his successor?" "If it were a mere question of blood-feud or kinsmanship," said Abu Mūsa, "then ʿOthmān's sons would have the nearer claim. But succession to the throne must be determined by the chief Companions' vote." ʿAmr then proposed his own son. "A just and good man," replied Abu Mūsa, "but one whom thou hast already made to take sides in the civil war; and above all things we must beware of kindling mutiny again amongst the Arab tribes." A similar objection shut out ʿAbdallah son ​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."
and judgement,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:deposing ʿAlī. "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 people staggered.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 ​ʿAmr, and was roughly handling him, when the people interposed to set him free. ʿAmr returned forthwith to Damascus, where by acclamation Muʿāwiya was saluted Caliph, though he did not assume the title until some years later.
Muʿāwiya saluted Caliph by Syrians.How the startling intelligence affected ʿAlī, may be judged by the fact that to the prescribed daily service he now added a petition cursing by name Muʿāwiya, ʿAmr, and their chief adherents. Muʿāwiya was nothing loth to follow his example. And so the world was edified by the spectacle of the two rival commanders of the Faithful uttering commination one against the other in the public prayers.
* ↑ Rather he wished to leave the choice to a Shūrà or Council such as had elected ʿOthmān. Muʿāwiya could afford to agree to this since he was not proclaimed Caliph till the year 40 A.H. ʿAlī, on the other hand, claimed to be Caliph already. His refusal to submit to the decision of a council was a breach of faith, and Wellhausen thinks the story in the last paragraph was an invention of his party to hide his breach of faith, and lay the blame on the arbiters.
* ↑ The imprecation used by ʿAlī was as follows: "O Lord, I beseech Thee, let Muʿāwiya be accursed, and ʿAmr," and so on with the chief leaders by name. "Let them be accursed all!" Muʿāwiya's imprecations, in the same way, included ʿAlī, his sons Al-Ḥasan and Al-Ḥosein, and Al-Ashtar.