Sa'id ibn al-As

The dissent was largely driven by Sa'id and Uthman's policy of consolidating ownership of the productive Sawad lands of Iraq into the hands of the Quraysh and Muslim veterans from Medina.

Sa'id had the dissidents exiled, but during a visit to Medina, rebels in Kufa led by Yazid ibn Qays al-Arhabi took control of the city.

He declined to fight alongside the Banu Umayya and A'isha against Caliph Ali (r. 656–661) during the First Fitna, an act for which he was favorably remembered in Islamic historiography.

[1] His grandfather Abu Uhayha Sa'id ibn al-As (d. 622/23)[2] was a ruler in Mecca and, in deference to his status among the Quraysh, was referred to as dhū al-tāj (owner of the crown) and no Meccan wore a turban the same color as his, though he was not a formal king.

[4] According to the historian Clifford Edmund Bosworth, Sa'id "speedily achieved great prestige in Islam not only as the leader of an aristocratic family group, but also for his liberality, eloquence and learning".

[1] However, from the start, he faced issues with the Kufan elite, which consisted of Arab tribal settlers, Muslim veterans from the Battle of Qadisiyya and the qurra (Qur'an reciters).

[9] Many among the elite were incensed by Uthman's seizure of the conquered lands of the Sasanian royals and nobility in Iraq, which he planned to distribute to the tribesmen of Quraysh and certain men from Medina, in exchange for their properties in the Arabian Peninsula.

[12] Uthman's policy was meant to be a solution to this situation and stood in stark contrast to Caliph Umar (r. 634–644), under whom the Sawad lands were collectively held by the Muslim community.

The young man's father insisted the remark was innocent, but Malik believed Sa'id had the event staged to justify the impending property confiscations.

[15] Ibn Hubaysh and his father were severely beaten, prompting the Banu Asad to besiege Sa'id's residence demanding retribution.

[18] During his absence, the qurra and other dissidents led by a certain Yazid ibn Qays al-Arhabi and Malik seized control of Kufa, preventing Sa'id from returning at the end of the year.

[1] He was survived by some fourteen of his sons, including Amr al-Ashdaq, who became the leader of his family until his execution in 689 for revolting against the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik (r. 685–705).