وَمِنۡ كَلَامٍ لَهُ عَلَيۡهِ السَّلَامُ
From one of his statements
لَمَّا قَلَّدَ مُحَمَّدَ بۡنَ أَبِي بَكۡرٍ مِصۡرَ فَمُلِكَتۡ عَلَيۡهِ وَقُتِلَ:
When Amīr al-Muʾminīn appointed Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr [1] as the governor of Egypt, and he was overpowered and killed, Amīr al-Muʾminīn said:
وَقَدۡ أَرَدۡتُ تَوۡلِيَةَ مِصۡرَ هَاشِمَ بۡنَ عُتۡبَةَ، وَلَوۡ وَلَّيۡتُهُ إِيَّاهَا لَمَّا خَلَّى لَهُمُ الۡعَرۡصَةَ، وَلَا أَنۡهَزَهُمُ الۡفُرۡصَةَ، بِلَا ذَمٍّ لِمحَمَّدِ بۡنِ أَبِي بَكۡرٍ، فَلَقَدۡ كَانَ إِلَيَّ حَبِيباً، وَكَانَ لِي رَبِيباً.
I had intended to send Hāshim ibn ʿUtbah to Egypt, and had I done so, he would not have made way for the opponents nor given them time (to get hold of him). This is without reproach to Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr as I loved him and had brought him up.
Notes:
[1] Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr’s mother was Asmāʾ bint ʿUmays, whom Amīr al-Muʾminīn married after Abū Bakr’s death. Consequently, Muḥammad lived and was brought up under the care of Amīr al-Muʾminīn, and he imbibed his ways and manners. Amīr al-Muʾminīn too loved him much and regarded him as his son, and used to say “Muḥammad is my son from the loins of Abū Bakr.” He was born in the journey for the last ḥajj (of the Prophet) and died as martyr in 38 A.H. at the age of twenty eight years.
On accession to the Caliphate, Amir at-mu’minin had selected Qays ibn Saʿd ibn ʿUbādah as the Governor of Egypt, but circumstances so developed that he had to be removed and Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr had to be sent there as governor. The policy of Qays there was that he did not want to take any serious step against the ʿUthmānī group, but Muḥammad’s view was different. After the lapse of a month, he sent them word that in case they did not obey him, their existence there would be impossible. Upon this, these people organized a front against him, and engaged themselves in secret wirepullings. but became conspicuous soon. After the decision of arbitration they openly came forward and, raising the slogan of revenge, began spreading evil and disorder and polluted the atmosphere of Egypt.
When Amīr al-Muʾminīn came to know these deteriorated conditions, he gave the governorship of Egypt to Mālik ibn al-Ḥārith al-Ashtar and sent him off there in order that he might suppress insurgent elements and save the administration from getting worse, but he could not escape the evil designs of the Umayyads and was killed by poison while on his way. Thus, the governorship of Egypt remained with Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr.
On this side, the performance of ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ in connection with the Arbitration made Muʿāwiyah recall his own promise. Consequently, he gave him six thousand combatants and set him off to attack Egypt. When Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr knew of the advancing force of the enemy, he wrote to Amīr al-Muʾminīn for help. Amīr al-Muʾminīn replied that he would be soon collecting help for him, but in the meantime he should mobilise his own forces. Muḥammad mobilised four thousand men under his banner and divided them into two parts. He kept one part with himself and on the other he placed Kinānah ibn Bishr at-Tujībī in command and ordered him to go forward to check the enemy’s advance. When they settled down in camp before the enemy, various parties of the enemy began attacking them, but they faced them with courage and valour. At last Muʿāwiyah ibn Ḥudayj al-Sakūnī al-Kindī made an assault with full force. These people did not turn away from the enemy’s swords but faced them steadfastly and fell as martyrs in action. The effect of this defeat was that Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr’s men got frightened and deserted him. Finding himself alone, Muḥammad fled away and sought refuge in a deserted place. The enemy however got news about him through someone and traced him out when he was dying with thirst. Muḥammad asked for water but these cruel men refused and butchered him thirsty. Then they put his body in the belly of a dead ass and burnt it.
Mālik ibn Kaʿb al-Arḥabī had already left Kūfah with two thousand men, but before he could reach Egypt it had been occupied by the enemy.
[1] Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr’s mother was Asmāʾ bint ʿUmays, whom Amīr al-Muʾminīn married after Abū Bakr’s death. Consequently, Muḥammad lived and was brought up under the care of Amīr al-Muʾminīn, and he imbibed his ways and manners. Amīr al-Muʾminīn too loved him much and regarded him as his son, and used to say “Muḥammad is my son from the loins of Abū Bakr.” He was born in the journey for the last ḥajj (of the Prophet) and died as martyr in 38 A.H. at the age of twenty eight years.
On accession to the Caliphate, Amir at-mu’minin had selected Qays ibn Saʿd ibn ʿUbādah as the Governor of Egypt, but circumstances so developed that he had to be removed and Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr had to be sent there as governor. The policy of Qays there was that he did not want to take any serious step against the ʿUthmānī group, but Muḥammad’s view was different. After the lapse of a month, he sent them word that in case they did not obey him, their existence there would be impossible. Upon this, these people organized a front against him, and engaged themselves in secret wirepullings. but became conspicuous soon. After the decision of arbitration they openly came forward and, raising the slogan of revenge, began spreading evil and disorder and polluted the atmosphere of Egypt.
When Amīr al-Muʾminīn came to know these deteriorated conditions, he gave the governorship of Egypt to Mālik ibn al-Ḥārith al-Ashtar and sent him off there in order that he might suppress insurgent elements and save the administration from getting worse, but he could not escape the evil designs of the Umayyads and was killed by poison while on his way. Thus, the governorship of Egypt remained with Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr.
On this side, the performance of ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ in connection with the Arbitration made Muʿāwiyah recall his own promise. Consequently, he gave him six thousand combatants and set him off to attack Egypt. When Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr knew of the advancing force of the enemy, he wrote to Amīr al-Muʾminīn for help. Amīr al-Muʾminīn replied that he would be soon collecting help for him, but in the meantime he should mobilise his own forces. Muḥammad mobilised four thousand men under his banner and divided them into two parts. He kept one part with himself and on the other he placed Kinānah ibn Bishr at-Tujībī in command and ordered him to go forward to check the enemy’s advance. When they settled down in camp before the enemy, various parties of the enemy began attacking them, but they faced them with courage and valour. At last Muʿāwiyah ibn Ḥudayj al-Sakūnī al-Kindī made an assault with full force. These people did not turn away from the enemy’s swords but faced them steadfastly and fell as martyrs in action. The effect of this defeat was that Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr’s men got frightened and deserted him. Finding himself alone, Muḥammad fled away and sought refuge in a deserted place. The enemy however got news about him through someone and traced him out when he was dying with thirst. Muḥammad asked for water but these cruel men refused and butchered him thirsty. Then they put his body in the belly of a dead ass and burnt it.
Mālik ibn Kaʿb al-Arḥabī had already left Kūfah with two thousand men, but before he could reach Egypt it had been occupied by the enemy.
