[74] ﻭﻣﻦ ﻛﻼﻡٍ ﻟﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﺍﻟﺴﻼﻡ ﻟﻤّﺎ ﻋﺰﻣﻮﺍ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺑﻴﻌﺔ ﻋﺜﻤﺎﻥ ﻟَﻘَﺪْ ﻋَﻠِﻤْﺘُﻢْ ﺃَﻧَّﻲ ﺃَﺣَﻖُّ ﺑِﻬَﺎ ﻣِﻦْ ﻏَﻴْﺮِﻱ، ﻭَﻭَﺍﻟﻠﻪِ ﻻََُﺳْﻠِﻤَﻦَّ ﻣَﺎﺳَﻠِﻤَﺖْ ﺃُﻣُﻮﺭُ ﺍﻟْﻤُﺴْﻠِﻤِﻴﻦَ، ﻭَﻟَﻢْ ﻳَﻜُﻦْ ﻓِﻴﻬِﺎ ﺟَﻮْﺭٌ ﺇِﻻَّ ﻋَﻠَﻲَّ ﺧَﺎﺻَّﺔً، ﺍﻟِْﺘﻤَﺎﺳﺎً ﻻََِﺟْﺮِ ﺫﻟِﻚَ ﻭَﻓَﻀْﻠِﻪِ، ﻭَﺯُﻫْﺪﺍً ﻓِﻴَﻤﺎ ﺗَﻨﺎﻓَﺴْﺘُﻤُﻮﻩُ ﻣِﻦْ ﺯُﺧْﺮُﻓِﻪِ ﻭَﺯِﺑْﺮِﺟِﻪِ SERMON 73 When the Consultative Committee (or Shura) decided to swear allegiance to `Uthman, Amir al- mu'minin said: You have certainly known that I am the most rightful of all others for the Caliphate. By Allah, so long as the affairs of Muslims remain intact and there is no oppression in it save on myself I shall keep quiet seeking reward for it (from Allah) and keeping aloof from its attractions and allurements for which you