Prophet, who as fuch (hould be univerlally obeyed.— T h e matter was not
fettled without much contention : but at length A boo Bekr, the father-
in-law o f Mohammed, who had exerted himfelf as a mediator among
the difputants, was unaninioufly elected by the elders, and acknowledged
by the people.— It was in vain that the Hcifhimees, and other partizans
of A lee, vehemently oppofed this defeafance o f his right, and obftinately
maintained that he alone had an indilputable and exclufive claim to fuc-
ceed, as well on account o f his near relation to Mohammed, as becaufe
of a declaration of the latter to that effect *.— Their remonftrances were
difregarded, their clamours drowned amidft the acclamations of the multitude,
and they were compelled to remain fatisfied with refuting to
acknowledge the Khcilif.
A lee himfelf retired from the feene o f his mortification, and fuftained
the difappointment of his ambition with filent difguft; nor did he pay his
homage to the appointed “ C ommander of the F aithful” until
fome time after, when the death of his wife Fdtima had weakened his
party, and he perceived that a perfeverance in his diffent might indeed
create ftrife, but could not be productive of advantage.
W ithin little more than two years after his elevation, Aboo Bekr,
finding himfelf attacked by a mortal diftemper, nominated Omar to be his
fucceflor, who accordingly affumed the title without oppofition, and after
a mod fuccefsful and victorious reign of above ten years, died of a wound
he received from one Firooz, a P e r f an Have, whom he had offended by
a farcaftic obfervation concerning a fuit which the Have had referred to
his tribunal.—'When dying, Omar refufed to appoint any particular fuc-
ceflor, declaring the Khalifat to reft among fix perfons, who fhould
fucceed to each other agreeably to the order o f their election or ballot;
namely, A lef, Othman, Sa ad, A bdulrihman, T a lh a * and Z o -
bair. O f thefe A bdulrihman agreed to forego his right altogether,
* The ftory cited by the partizans of A lee, on this occafion, is related at length, in treating
of the term Mawla. (See Manumission, vol. I. p. 425.)
4 provided
provided he might have the privilege of naming the fuceeffor to Omar ;
a propofal to which all his colleagues affented, except only A lee, who
took this opportunity to urge his fuperior and exclufive pretenfions to
the Khalifat. A bdulrihman, however, notwithftanding his oppofition,
being fupported by his four other colleagues, offered the Khalifat
to O thman, and he was proclaimed and recognized as fucceflor to the
Prophet, and fovereign of the Muffulmans. A le e, on this fecond
defeat, aCted with a moderation which, however laudable in ltfelf, was
much blamed by fome of his adherents. He paid his homage to O thman
without murmuring, and appeared content to fubmit to the fuccefs of his
competitor.
If O thman was really delirous of the rank which he had thus
attained, he exhibited a powerful inftance of the deluiions of ambition.
Whilft his armies were extending the empire o f IJlam in every direClion,
and penetrating into Khorafan and Mauritania, the venerable Khcilif found
his reign difturbed by inteftine commotions, and his perfon expofed to
the violence of faction. His declining age had unnerved his arm; he
was unable to hold the reins of dominion with the fteady hand of his pre-
deceflors ; and he, perhaps too late, difeovered that he had undertaken
a talk to which he was unequal.— T h e governors of his provinces, en-‘
eouraged by the growing imbecility o f their prince, plundered and op-
prelfed thofe whom it was their duty to eherifh and proteCt.— He had
difobliged A ysha, “ the Mother o f the F aithful,” who excited a
powerful cabal againft him at Mecca, whilft A lee and his difeontented
Hajhimites connived at, perhaps inflamed, thefe diforders. T h e malcontents
at length being joined by thé deputies from the opprefled finbjeels
o f Egypt and Syria took to arms, and Othman found himfelf befieged
in his own palace.— Superftition and relpe£t for a time withheld the aftaii-
ants. Their fcruples, however, were foon overcome: they forced the
gates ; and the unfortunate K hcilif expiated his errors or his weaknefs by
his blood.
b 2 T he