▁may ▁have ▁stem med ▁from ▁his ▁respect ▁for ▁the ▁family , ▁their ▁bur geon ing ▁al liance ▁with ▁the ▁powerful ▁Ban u ▁Kal b ▁tribe ▁as ▁a ▁counter bal ance ▁to ▁the ▁influ ential ▁Him yar ite ▁sett lers ▁in ▁H oms ▁who ▁viewed ▁themselves ▁as ▁equals ▁to ▁the ▁Q ur ay sh ▁in ▁nob ility ▁or ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁a ▁suitable ▁candidate ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁particularly ▁amid ▁the ▁pl ague ▁of ▁Am was ▁which ▁had ▁already ▁killed ▁Ab u ▁U bay da ▁and ▁Y az id . ▁Under ▁Mu ' aw i ya ' s ▁ste ward ship , ▁Sy ria ▁remained ▁dom est ically ▁peace ful , ▁organized ▁and ▁well - def ended ▁from ▁its ▁former ▁By z antine ▁r ul ers . ▁ ▁C ali ph ate ▁of ▁U th man ▁U mar ' s ▁successor , ▁U th man ▁ibn ▁Aff an , ▁was ▁a ▁wealth y ▁Um ay y ad ▁and ▁early ▁Muslim ▁convert ▁with ▁mar ital ▁t ies ▁to ▁Muhammad . ▁He ▁was ▁elected ▁by ▁the ▁sh ura ▁council , ▁composed ▁of ▁Muhammad ' s ▁cousin ▁Ali , ▁al - Z ub ay r ▁ibn ▁al - A ww am , ▁Tal ha ▁ibn ▁U bay d ▁Al lah , ▁Sa ' d ▁ibn ▁Ab i ▁Wa qq as ▁and ▁Abd ▁al - R ah man ▁ibn ▁Aw f , ▁all ▁of ▁whom ▁were ▁close , ▁early ▁compan ions ▁of ▁Muhammad ▁and ▁belonged ▁to ▁the ▁Q ur ay sh . ▁He ▁was ▁chosen ▁over ▁Ali ▁because