The Great Sedition, Part 2 - Taha Hussein

Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib assumed the caliphate under exceptional circumstances, as sedition was rampant throughout the lands of Islam, and the blood of its caliph had been shed. Ali faced many momentous tasks that could not be postponed, one of the most serious of which was retribution against Othman's killers. However, Imam Ali believed it was necessary to wait until he had established control over the state, while Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan and his followers demanded swift retribution. This was the source of the sedition that claimed the lives of the best Muslims, transforming the system of governance from consultation to hereditary rule. The Shiites—supporters of Ali ibn Abi Talib—and the Khawarij—his opponents—emerged as political parties before taking on a social and religious character. Yet, the most painful outcome is that many of the calamities afflicting Muslims today have their roots in that sedition, whose embers still glow brightly to this day.