[2] This refers to the saying of the Holy Prophet about the children of Umayyah and the children of Abī al-‘Āṣ ibn Umayyah (the grandfather of ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān and the dynasty of Marwān’s caliphs) as related by Abū Dharr al-Ghifārī that the Holy Prophet said: When the number of Banū (children of) Umayyah reaches forty men they will make Allāh’s people their slaves, grab Allāh’s funds as their own property and make the Book of Allāh a cause of corruption. (al-Mustadrak, vol. 4, p. 479; Kanz al-‘ummāl, vol. 11, p. 149). About the children of Abī al-‘Āṣ it is related by Abū Dharr, Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī, Ibn ‘Abbās, Abū Hurayrah and others that the Holy Prophet said: When the number of Banū (children of) Abī al-‘Āṣ reaches thirty men, they will grab the funds of Allāh as their own property, make Allāh’s people their slaves and make the religion of Allāh a cause of corruption. (al-Musnad, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, vol. 3, p. 80; al-Mustadrak, al-Hākim, vol. 4, p. 480; al-Maṭālib al-‘āliyah, Ibn Ḥajar, vol. 4, p. 332; Majma‘ az-zawā’id, al-Haytamī, vol. 5, pp. 241,243; Kanz al-‘ummāl, al-Muttaqī, vol. 11, pp. 148, 149, 351, 354). The history of Islam (after the death of the Holy Prophet) has enough evidence to prove this prophecy of the Holy Prophet; and the fear of Amīr al-mu’minīn for the Muslim community was based on this reason.

[3] The man who drank wine was al-Walīd ibn ‘Uqbah ibn Abī Mu‘ayṭ. He was of the same mother as Caliph ‘Uthmān and his Governor of Kūfah. al-Walīd on an occasion in a state of intoxication led the morning prayers in the Central mosque of Kūfah with four units (raka‘ah) instead of the usual two as prescribed by the Holy Prophet. The congregation, which consisted of several pious persons like Ibn Mas‘ūd, was much incensed and still more irritated when, finishing the four units, al-Walīd said: What a pleasant morning! I would like to extend the prayers further if you consent. Repeated complaints had already been made to the Caliph against al-Walīd on account of his debauchery, but as often dismissed. People now reproached ‘Uthmān for not listening to their grievances, and favouring such a scoundrel. By chance they succeeded in taking off the signet ring from the hand of the Governor while he lay senseless from the effects of a debauch, and carried it off to Medina. Still the caliph was slow and hesitated to enforce punishment upon his Governor (of the same mother); giving cause to be himself reproachfully accused of ignoring the law; though at last he was persuaded to have al-Walīd scourged with forty strokes. He was consequently deposed from his office. Sa‘īd ibn al-‘Āṣ, a cousin of ‘Uthmān was appointed to take his place, and this was a matter of great reproach against ‘Uthmān. (Ansāb al-ashrāf, al-Balādhurī, vol. 5, pp. 33-35; al-Aghānī, Abu’l-Faraj al-Iṣfahānī, vol. 4, pp. 174-187; al-Istī‘āb, vol. 4, pp. 1554—1557: Usd al-ghābah, vol. 5, pp. 91—92; aṭ-Ṭabarī, vol. 1, pp. 2843 — 2850; Ibn al-Athīr, vol.3, pp. 105—107; Ibn Abi’l-Ḥadīd, vol. 17, pp. 227-245)

[4] The man who accepted Islam after securing financial gain was Mu‘āwiyah who was adhering to Islam only for worldly benefits.