The Great Sedition - Part Two

Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib assumed the caliphate under extraordinary circumstances, as turmoil was shaking the Islamic lands and the blood of the slain Caliph Uthman had yet to dry. Ali faced enormous and urgent challenges, the most critical of which was seeking retribution for Uthman's killers. However, Imam Ali believed it was necessary to wait until he firmly consolidated his control over the state, whereas Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan and his supporters demanded immediate retribution. This disagreement became the core of the Great Sedition, which claimed the lives of some of the noblest Muslims. It also marked a turning point in Islamic governance, shifting the system from consultative leadership (shura) to hereditary rule. During this period, the Shiites - supporters of Ali - and the Kharijites - his opponents - emerged as political factions before later evolving into movements with social and religious dimensions. Perhaps the most painful consequence is that many of the crises afflicting Muslims today trace their roots back to that sedition, whose embers still burn to this day.