5 6 ▁and ▁ 6 6 1 ▁CE , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁hard est ▁periods ▁in ▁Muslim ▁history , ▁coinc iding ▁with ▁the ▁first ▁Muslim ▁civil ▁war . ▁He ▁re igned ▁over ▁the ▁R ash id un ▁emp ire ▁which ▁extended ▁from ▁Central ▁Asia ▁in ▁the ▁east ▁to ▁North ▁Africa ▁in ▁the ▁west . ▁He ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁both ▁just ▁and ▁fair ▁r uler . ▁ ▁Selection ▁as ▁C ali ph ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁assass ination ▁of ▁the ▁third ▁C ali ph , ▁U th man ▁I bn ▁Aff an , ▁at ▁the ▁close ▁of ▁the ▁Sie ge ▁of ▁U th man , ▁the ▁selection ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁C ali ph ▁ ▁encountered ▁difficulties . ▁The ▁reb els , ▁compr ising ▁Mu h aj er in , ▁Ans ar , ▁Egypt ians , ▁K uf ans ▁and ▁Bas nt es , ▁and ▁the ▁K har ij ites , ▁were ▁divided ▁between ▁three ▁candidates : ▁Ali , ▁Tal h ah ▁and ▁Al - Z ub ay r . ▁First ▁they ▁referred ▁to ▁Ali ▁and ▁asked ▁him ▁to ▁accept ▁the ▁cal i ph ate . ▁Also ▁some ▁Sah aba ▁tried ▁to ▁persu ade ▁him ▁to ▁accept ▁the ▁office . ▁But ▁he ▁refused ▁and ▁answered :' Le ave ▁me ▁and ▁seek ▁someone ▁else . ▁We ▁are ▁facing ▁a ▁matter ▁which ▁has ▁( se ver al ) ▁faces ▁and ▁colors , ▁which ▁neither ▁hearts ▁can ▁stand ▁nor ▁intelligence ▁can ▁accept . ▁Cloud s ▁are ▁hover ing ▁over ▁the ▁sky , ▁and ▁faces ▁are ▁not ▁disc ern