ctes, leaving their claims to be decided by a reference, to the award of
which each party bound himfelf to adhere.
A mroo was appointed referee on the part o f Mo a v iah , and the lefs
artful A boo Moosa on that o f A l e e . In the courfe of their conferences,
A mroo had the addrefs to perfuade his co-arbiter that, in order to reftore
peace to the Mujfulmam, it was abfolutely neceffary to depofe both their
principals, and to eleft a Khali/ who ffiould meet the approbation of all
parties: and for this purpofe a tribunal w'as erefted between the two
armies. A boo Moosa fir ft mounted, and proclaimed the depofition of
A l e e and Mo a v iah . A mroo fucceeded him, and announced Moav
iah “ as the legal Khalif, who had been nominated by O th m a n , and
“ flood pledged to revenge his blood.” T h e friends o f A l e e , fup-
pofing this to be done with his connivance, retired from the place afto-
nifhed and difcouraged. When recovered from their confufion and
furprife, the compromife was declared void. Each party proceeded to
vilify and excommunicate the other ; and the anathemas uttered on this
occafion have continued to be folemnly repeated ever fince, in the
mofques o f the refpedtive fedts, as one o f the offices o f religion. T h e
war was refumed with greater fury than ever. A mroo was difpatched
into Egypt With a confiderable force, and feized the government of that
province in the name o f Mo a v ia h . T h e Mujfulmans, inflead of feek-
mg foreign enemies, turned their fwords againfl each others breads ; and
the power of their empire was likely to periffi by an internal difeafe, when
an event took place which, for the prefent, put an end to the contefl,
and reflored peace, if not unity, among them.
T hree of the Kharegkes ( infurgents againfl A l e e ) happening to
meet at the temple^ of Me c c a , difcourfed concerning the many friends
and companions they had lofl in this fruitlefs war, and deplored their
deaths, as well as the danger which threatened the general caufe from a
continuance of thofe unhappy diyifions.— One o f them at length, in an
extafy of fanaticifm and defpair, propofed to end thefe troubles at once
by the death o f A l e e , M oa v iah , and his friend A mroo.— His two comrades
d i s c o u r s e .. xvn
rades immediately agreed to take their fhare in this defperate enteipnze
- T h e y prepared their daggers, and proceeded,-one for Damafcus,
another for Egypt, and the third for Koofa; each fully refolved to facn-
fice his allotted v ia im . - T h e event proved' that their determination was as,
firm as their undertaking was defperate: but one only fucceeded. ■ |
firfl, having arrived in Egypt, miftook the perfon of A mroo, and flabbe
another who happened to prefide that day in the charaaer o f in his-
Head and on being conducted to punifhment, fatisfied^himfelf wi h
exclaiming,. 1 1 intended to flrike A mroo, but G od willed it flioffid be.
“ another.” — T h e fecond repaired to Damafcus, there wounded Moav
ia h , but not mortally, and was fuffered to live long enough to difcover
the confpiracy.— T h e third accomplifhed his fangmnary purpofe.-Hav-
ing arrived .at Koofa, and engaged two affiflants, he, on Friday the
j 7th of Ramzan, A . H. 40, waylaid the K M lif as he was going to the
Mofque, and gave him a wound, of which he foon after died.
T hus perifhed A l e e , after a fhort and turbulent reign of four years
and nine months.— His partizans, however, were not difmayed by this
event - T h e murdered K h a lifa t feveral children by nine different wives 4
the two eldefl, H assan and Hoosein, by F a t im a the daughter of
Mohammed, during whofe lifetime he contraded no other marriage.
H assan was by his adherents proclaimed K h a lif on- the death of
his father; but MoAv ia h , who had affumed the dignity of K bdlif in
Egypt and Syria fome time before, was in poffeffion of thofe countries,
and refufed to acknowledge him‘ on account o f the fufpicion which attached
to him as being concerned in the death of O t h m a n .— Hence a
new competition arofe, which could not have failed to rekindle the fame-
of war, had not H assan, who inherited more the piety than the valour
of his predeceflor, and was more ambitious to diftinguilh himfelf in the
performance of religious ceremonies than in the fupport o f his regal pre-
tenfions, agreed to relinquish his claim in favour of his rival; and thus
was transferred the dignity of the Khalifat from the tribe of H a sh im to
that of O mm iah.
H assan,