Setelah para mubaligh berjaya menubuhkan pusat-pusat mereka di Negara Islam, mereka mula mencari peluang untuk menghasut rakyat Negara Islam. Satu peluang itu datang apabila Ibrahim Pasha berundur dari al-Sham. Tindakannya itu menimbulkan kekacauan dan ketakutan dalam kalangan rakyat, dan huru-hara yang meletus telah memecahbelahkan mereka. Para utusan asing, terutamanya para mubaligh, merebut peluang tersebut dan mula mencetuskan perbalahan dalam kalangan masyarakat. Para mubaligh mampu melakukan tindakan khianat sedemikian kerana mereka tahu bahawa Negara ‘Uthmani mempunyai pengaruh yang kecil di al-Sham pada ketika itu. Selepas tempoh hanya setahun, pada tahun 1841, kekacauan serius meletus di pergunungan Lubnan antara orang Kristian dan kaum Druze. Keadaan semakin memburuk, dan di bawah tekanan serta pengaruh negara-negara asing, Khilafah ‘Uthmani dipujuk untuk merangka satu sistem pemerintahan yang berasingan bagi Lubnan, dengan membahagikan wilayah itu kepada dua bahagian; satu bahagian didiami oleh orang Kristian, manakala kaum Druze mendiami bahagian yang satu lagi. Khilafah ‘Uthmani melantik seorang wali (gabenor) ke atas kedua-dua bahagian, dengan tujuan untuk mengelakkan sebarang pertelingkahan antara kedua-dua mazhab tersebut. Sistem ini tidak berjaya.

Once the missionaries had succeeded in establishing their centres in the Islamic State, they began to look for opportunities of agitating the citizens of the Islamic State. One such opportunity presented itself when Ibrahim Pasha retreated from al-Sham. His move created unrest and fear amongst the people and the anarchy that broke out divided them. The foreign delegates, especially the missionaries, seized the opportunity and began igniting civil strife. The missionaries were able to take such a treacherous action because they knew that the ‘Uthmani State had little influence in al-Sham at that time. After a period of just one year, in 1841, serious disturbances broke out in the mountains of Lebanon between the Christians and the Druze. The situation deteriorated and under the pressure and influence of the foreign states the ‘Uthmani Khilafah was persuaded to design a separate ruling system for Lebanon, dividing the province into two parts; one part would be occupied by the Christians, while the Druze would occupy the other. The ‘Uthmani Khilafah appointed a wali (governor) over both parts, aiming therefore to avoid any clashes between the two sects. This system did not succeed.

Britain dan Perancis turut terlibat dalam pertikaian tersebut dan mencetuskan perpecahan dalam negeri setiap kali pihak berkuasa rasmi cuba meredakan kekacauan.

Britain and France became involved in the dispute and incited civil strife wherever the official authorities attempted to quell trouble.

Pergaduhan-pergaduhan ini digunakan sebagai alasan oleh British dan Perancis untuk campur tangan dalam urusan Lubnan. Perancis menyebelahi kaum Maronit dan British menyebelahi kaum Druze, sehingga menyebabkan kekacauan kembali tercetus pada tahun 1845. Serangan-serangan itu turut dilanjutkan sehingga merangkumi gereja-gereja dan biara-biara. Kecurian, pembunuhan dan rompakan menjadi amalan biasa, lalu mendorong kerajaan 'Uthmani menghantar pemeriksa hal ehwal luarnya ke Lubnan bagi menggunakan kuasa mandatorinya untuk memadamkan kekacauan itu sekali dan untuk selamanya. Namun, beliau tidak dapat mencapai apa-apa yang bermakna, walaupun beliau berjaya mengurangkan ketegangan sedikit. Sementara itu, para mubaligh meningkatkan kegiatan mereka dan pada tahun 1857 kaum Maronit mula menyeru revolusi dan perjuangan bersenjata. Para paderi Maronit menghasut para petani menentang tuan-tuan tanah feudal dan menyerang mereka dengan sengit di bahagian Utara negara, maka revolusi pun tercetus dan merebak ke Selatan. Para petani Kristian kini bangkit menentang tuan-tuan tanah feudal Druze, manakala British dan Perancis masing-masing menyokong sekutu mereka. Akibatnya, pergolakan awam merebak dengan pantas ke seluruh Lubnan. Kaum Druze mula membunuh semua orang Kristian tanpa pilih bulu, sama ada mereka paderi atau rakyat biasa. Pergolakan awam ini menyebabkan kematian lebih sepuluh ribu orang Kristian, dan ramai lagi yang terpaksa berpindah atau menjadi tunawisma.

These clashes were used as an excuse by the British and the French to interfere in Lebanon’s affairs. The French sided with the Maronites and the British sided with the Druze, leading to the renewal of disturbances in 1845. The attacks were extended to include churches and monasteries. Theft, killing and pillage became common practice, prompting the ‘Uthmani government to send her foreign affairs inspector to Lebanon in order to use his mandatory powers to quell the trouble once and for all. He, however, could not achieve anything significant, although he managed to reduce the tension a little. Meanwhile, the missionaries intensified their activities and in 1857 the Maronites began calling for revolution and armed struggle. The Maronite clergy incited the farmers against the feudal lords and attacked them fiercely in the North of the country, thus the revolution was ignited and it spread to the South. The Christian farmers now rose against the Druze feudal lords and the British and the French backed their respective allies. Civil strife rapidly spread all over Lebanon as a result of this. The Druze began to kill all Christians indiscriminately, whether they were clergy or ordinary people. This civil strife led to the death of over ten thousand Christians, and many more were either displaced or became homeless.

Perang saudara di kawasan Lubnan itu merebak ke seluruh wilayah al-Sham yang lain. Di Damsyik, berlaku kempen kebencian yang mendalam dan sengit antara penduduk Muslim dan Kristian, yang akhirnya membawa kepada serangan orang Islam ke atas daerah Kristian pada tahun 1860.

The civil strife in the area of Lebanon spilled over to rest of al-Sham. In Damascus a fierce campaign of deep hatred was waged between its Muslim and Christian inhabitants which finally led to the Muslims attacking the Christian district in 1860

yang mengakibatkan mereka melakukan pembunuhan beramai-ramai. Peristiwa ini disertai dengan rompakan dan kemusnahan besar-besaran sehingga Negara terpaksa campur tangan secara ketenteraan untuk menamatkan kekacauan tersebut. Walaupun Negara berjaya memulihkan ketenangan dan ketertiban, negara-negara Barat melihatnya sebagai peluang untuk campur tangan di al-Sham, lalu mereka menghantar kapal perang mereka ke pantainya. Pada Ogos 1860, Perancis menghantar satu bahagian tentera wilayahnya ke Beirut, yang memulakan tugas untuk memadamkan revolusi tersebut.

resulting in them committing a massacre. This was accompanied by pillaging and mass destruction until the State was forced to intervene militarily in order to put an end to the disturbances. Although the State managed to restore calm and order, the Western countries saw it as an opportunity to interfere in al-Sham and so they dispatched their warships to its shores. In August 1860 France sent a division of her territorial army to Beirut which began the task of quashing the revolution.

Beginilah cara Negara 'Uthmaniyyah dilanda pergolakan awam di Syria dan Lubnan. Punca sebenarnya ialah negara-negara Barat yang cuba campur tangan dalam urusan dalaman Khilafah 'Uthmaniyyah. Mereka berjaya memaksa Negara 'Uthmaniyyah merangka sistem pemerintahan khas bagi Syria, dengan membahagikannya kepada dua wilayah dan memberikan keistimewaan kepada Lubnan. Daripada peristiwa-peristiwa ini, Lubnan terpisah daripada seluruh al-Sham dan diberikan autonomi tempatan, ditadbir oleh pentadbiran tempatan yang diketuai oleh seorang penguasa Kristian dan dibantu oleh sebuah majlis pentadbiran yang mewakili penduduk tempatan. Sejak itu, negara-negara asing telah menguruskan hal ehwal Lubnan dan menjadikannya pusat aktiviti mereka. Lubnan oleh itu menjadi batu loncatan yang digunakan kuasa-kuasa asing untuk menyusup masuk ke jantung Negara 'Uthmaniyyah dan tanah Muslim.

This was how the ‘Uthmani State was infested by civil strife in Syria and Lebanon. Its true cause was the Western states who were trying to meddle in the internal affairs of the ‘Uthmani Khilafah. This they did and they managed to force the ‘Uthmani State to design a special ruling system for Syria, dividing her into two provinces and giving Lebanon special privileges. From out of these events Lebanon became separated from the rest of al-Sham and it was granted local autonomy, governed by a local administration headed by a Christian ruler and assisted by an administrative council representing the local residents. Since then, foreign countries have managed the affairs of Lebanon and have made it the centre for their activities. Lebanon therefore became the bridgehead from which the foreign powers infiltrated into the heart of the ‘Uthmani State and Muslim land.