طَلَبِ قِصَاصِ عُثْمَانَ
Seeking retribution for ʿUthmān’s killing.
The assassination of ʿUthmān produced serious political instability. The principle that wrongdoing requires justice differs from the practical question of how immediately and through what authority retribution should be implemented. Identifying perpetrators, restoring order, and estimating the risk of further violence all mattered.
In the historical explanation given here, one group emphasized prompt retribution, while ʿAlī’s attributed policy prioritized stabilizing authority. These are different practical assessments of the same crisis.