After Uthman was assassinated, Ibn Maslamah was one of the few who did not give allegiance to Ali. Later, when a messenger from Basra asked if the Muslims had sworn allegiance to Ali freely or under coercion, Usama ibn Zayd replied, "They were definitely coerced!" Some of Ali's supporters leapt to attack Usama, and Ibn Maslamah was among those who jumped up to protect him. Suhayb ibn Sinan managed to calm down the immediate situation, but the reports of half-hearted support for Ali returned both to him and to his opponents.