2. The Battle of Siffeen (37 AH)

2.1. Chain of events leading up to the battle 2.1.1. Umrn Habeebah bint Abi Sufycn (I&) sends an-Nulm%n ibn Basheer with ' U W n f s chemise to Mu'swiyah and the people of Syria After 'Uthmin (A) was killed, the Mother of the Believers Umm Habeebah bint ~ b i Sufyh (I&,) sent word to 'Uthmb's family, saying: "Send me the garment in which 'Uthm2n was killed." They sent her his bloodstained chemise, along with pieces of hair that had been plucked kom his beard. Umm Habeebah called an-Nu'min ibn Basheer and sent him to Mu'iwiyab, so he left carrying that and 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib her letter.498 According to one report, an-Nu'm2n ibn Basheer took with him the bloodstained chemise of ' U W and the fingers of N2ilah that had been cut off when she tried to defend him with her hand.499 N2ilah bint al-Farifisah d-Kdbiyyah was the wife of 'Uthmin (&), from the tribe of Kalb in ~yria.5" An-Nu'm2n came to Mu'iwiyah (&) in Syria; Mu'gwiyah placed him on the minbar so that the people could see him, and he hung the fingers on the sleeve of the chemise, raising it sometimes and lowering it sometimes. The people around him were weeping, urging one another to seek vengeance.501 Shur&beel ibn as-Samat al-Kindi came and said to Mu'iwiyah: '"Utbm&~ was our caliph. If you are able to bring his murderers to justice, then do so; otherwise, resign."50z The men of Syria swore that they would not be intimate with their wives or sleep on their beds until they killed the murderers of 'Uthm2n (&) and those who tried to prevent them from doing so, or they died trying?03 This was what Mu'iwiyah wanted.

The picture that an-Nu'm2n ibn Basheer presented to the people of Syria was an ugly one: the murder of the caliph, swords unsheathed by the thugs and wielded over the people's necks, the public treasury plundered and the fingers of N2'ilah cut off. The people were deeply moved; their hearts were shaken and their eyes filled with tears. After this, it is little wonder that the people's feelings ran high and that Mu'iwiyah, and the people who were with him in Syria, insisted on bringing the murderers of 'Uthmin (&) to justice. They wanted the murderers to be handed over for retaliatory punishment before they would agree to swear allegiance. Can we imagine the caliph and leader of the Muslims being murdered by haters and conspirators who had come from outside Madinah and taken over the city, and the Muslim world not becoming outraged and sending demands from the farthest comers of the Islamic regions for the perpetrators of this heinous crime to be brought to justice?504 The Battles of the Camel and Siffeen, and the issue of arbitration 2.1.2. Mu'swiyah's motives for not swearing allegiance Mu'iwiyah (&) had been the governor of Syria during the caliphates of 'Umar and 'Uthmh.

When 'Ali (a) was appointed as caliph, he wanted to dismiss Mu'iwiyah and appoint Abdullah ihn 'Umar in his place, but Ibn 'Umar apologised and declined the post. 'Ali (&) sent Sahl ibn Hunayf instead, but he had hardly reached the border of Syria (Wadi alQura) when he was met by Mu'gwiyah's cavalry under the leadership of Habeeb ibn Maslamah al-Fihri, who said to him: "If you have been sent by 'Uthmiin, then you are welcome, but if you have been sent by anyone else, then go back."505 He turned around and went back. Mu'iwiyah and the people of Syria refused to swear allegiance to 'Ali (&). They thought that 'Ali (&) should bring the murderers of 'Uthmau (&) to justice first, and then they would swear allegiance to him.'06 They said: "We will not swear allegiance to one who gives refuge to the murderer^."^^' They feared for their lives because of the murderers of 'Uthrnih (&) who were in 'Ali's army; . . his killers were in 'Ali's camp, and they were powerful. They thought that swearing allegiance to 'Ali (&) was not obligatory for them and that if they fought him, they would be the ones who were being wronged because 'Uthmh (&) had been killed wrongfully, according to the consensus of the Muslims. They said: "If we swear allegiance, they will wrong us and transgress against us, and the blood of 'Uthmh will go unavenged." Mu'iwiyah (&) was related to 'Uthmiin, and he thought that it was 'Ali's duty to stand up for 'Uthmin and bring to justice those who had killed him.

Allah (&) says: BAnd whoever is killed wrongfully [Mazl2iman intentionally with hostility and oppression and not by mistake], We have given his heir the authority [to demand QisLis, - Law of Equality in punishment - or to forgive, or to take 'Ali ibn Abi Trilib Diyah (blood money)]. But let him not exceed limits in the matter of taking life [i.e. he should not kill except the killer]. Verily, he is helped [by the Islamic 1awI.B (Qur2an 17: 33) Hence MuC2wiyah brought the people together and addressed them concerning 'Uthmh's case, stating that he had been killed unlawfully at the hands of foolish hypocrites who did not respect sacred blood (referring to blood that was protected by Shariah); they had shed his blood during the sacred month in the sacred land. The people were agitated, and their voices grew loud in denouncing the murder of 'Uthmin (&). Among them were a number of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (g). One of them, whose name was Murrah ibn Ka'b, stood up and said: 'Were it not for a hadith I heard from the Messenger of Allah (gJ, I would not have spoken.

The Prophet &) mentioned the turmoil and gave some details concerning it. Then a man passed by whose face was covered with a cloth, and the Prophet ( g ) said: 'This man will be following true guidance at that time.' I went up to him and found that he was 'Uthmh ihn 'Affk. I turned to the Prophet (s) and asked: 'This man?' He (g) said: There is another hadith that had an effect on the pursuit of justice for the killers of 'Uthm2n (&); it motivated Mu'2wiyah and his followers and strengthened their resolve to achieve this goal. It was narrated from an-Nu'mh ihn Basheer that 'k'ishah (@) said: i "The Messenger of Allah (@) sent for 'Uthmiin ibn 'Aff2n. He came, and the Messenger of Allah ( g ) turned to him. The last words he said, when tapping his. shoulder, were: '0 'Uthmgn, Allah may clothe you with a chemise which, if the hypocrites want you to take it off, do not take it off until you meet me.' He said it three times." I [anNu'mk] said to her: "0 Mother of the Believers, why did you not tell us this before?" She said: "I forgot it, and by Allah I did not remember it." He said: "I told MuC2wiyah ibn Abi Sufyin about it, fie Battles of the Camel and Szffeen, and the issue of arbitration and he did not like what I told him.

He wrote to the Mother of the Believers, asking her to write to him about it, and she wrote a letter to him about it.'09 This great keenness to implement the ruling of Allah (B) on the murderers was the main reason for the refusal of the people of Syria, led by Mu'iwiyah ibn Abi Sufyh (&), to swear allegiance to 'Ali ibn Abi Taib (&). They thought that implementiug the ruling of retaliation took precedence over swearing allegiance. It was not a matter of Mu'iwiyah's having ambitions in Syria or his demanding something that was not rightfully his; he fully understood that the issue of caliphate was limited to whoever was left of the six members of the consultative committee, and that 'Ali (&) was superior to him and more entitled to it than he was.510 However, allegiance had been sworn to 'Ali on the basis of the consensus of the Companions in Madinah, so Mu'iwiyah's view was contrary to what was correct. 2.1.3. Mu'gwiyah (&) responds to Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi Tglib (4) 'Ali (&) sent letters to Mu'iwiyah (&), but he did not respond. This happened several times in the hrst few months after the murder of 'Uthmh (&), ,. then Mu'iwiyah sent a man to take a letter to 'Ali (&) in the month of Safar. 'Ali (&) said to him: 'Tell me what you have for me." He said: "I bave come to you from people who do not want anything but the $add punishment for the murderers, and each of them is seeking vengeance.

I bave left behind sixty thousand men who are weeping in front of 'UthmWs chemise, which is on the minbar of Damascus." 'Ali (&) said: "0 Allah, I declare my innocence before You of the blood of 'Uthrnh." As the envoy of Mu'iwiyah left 'Ali (&), some of those rebels who had killed 'Uthmh (&) tried to kill him, and he only escaped with d i f i ~ ~ ~ t y . ~ ~ ~ 'Ali ibn Abi Tiilib 2.1.4. Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali's preparations for the march to Syria, and al-Hasan's objection to that After Mu'iwiyah's response reached Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali, the caliph decided to fight the people of Syria. He wrote to Qays ibn Sa'd in Egypt, instrncting him to mobilise people to fight them, and he sent similar instructions to Abu Moosa in Kufah and to 'Uthmk ibn Hunayf. He addressed the people, urging them to join the fight, and he started to make preparations. He was determined to fight with those who obeyed him against those who disobeyed him and did not swear allegiance to him. His son al-Hasan ihn 'Ali came to him and said: "0 my father, do not do this, because it involves shedding the blood of the Muslims and creating division among them." 'Ali (&) did not accept that from him, though; he insisted on . . fighting.

He organised the army, giving the banner to Muhammad ihn al-Banafiyyah and putting Ibn 'Ahhb in charge of the right flank and 'Umar ibn Abi Salamah in charge of the left. It was also said that he put 'Arnr ibn Sufyin ihn 'Abdul-Asad in charge of the left flank and Abu Layla ihn 'Umar ibn al-Jarrih, his nephew, in charge of the vanguard. He appointed Qutham ibn 'Ahbis to he in charge of Madinah in his absence, and there was nothing left to do except to leave Madinah and bead for Syria, when something happened to distract him from that.''' We have. discussed in detail bow 'A'ishah, Tabah and az-Znbayr went out to Basra and the Battle of the Camel. 2.1.5. After the Battle of the Camel, Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (A&) sent Jareer ibn Abdullah to Mu'Swiyah It is said that the period between the appointment of Amir alMu'mineen 'Ali (&) to the caliphate and the second Saba'i fitnah, which is called Basra or the Battle of the Camel, was five months and twenty-one days. Between that and his entering Kufah was one The Battles of the Camel a d Siffeen, and the issue of arbitration month, and between his entering Kufah and his going out to Siffeen was six months,513 or it was said that it was two or three months.514 Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) entered Kufah on Monday, 12 Rajab 36 AH. It was suggested to him that he should stay in the white palace, but he said: "No, 'Umar ibn al-Kha@b (&) would not like to stay there, so I dislike it too." He stayed in ar-Ratah and prayed two raka'ahs in the great mosque, then he addressed the people, urging them to do good and forbidding them from doing evil.

He praised the people of Kufah in his speech, then be sent word to Jareer ibn Abdnllah, who had been the governor of Hamadhiin from the time of 'Uthmh, and al-Asb'ath ibn Qays, who had been governor of Azerbaijan from the time of 'Uthmk (&), telling them to accept the oath of allegiance to him from the people there, then to come to him, and they did that. When 'Ali (&) wanted to send word to Mu'iiwiyah (a) calling on him to swear allegiance to him, Jareer ibn Ahdullah alBaj& said: "I will go to him, 0 Amir al-Mu'mineen, for there was friendship between me and him, and I will accept his oath of allegiance to you." Al-Ashtar said: "Do not send him, 0 Amir alMu'mineen, for I fear that he is inclined towards him." 'Ali (&) said: "Let him be," and he sent him with a letter to Mu'iwiyah. The letter told him that there was consensus among the Muhiijireen and An$% on swearing allegiance to 'Ali (&), informed him of what had happened at the Battle of the Camel, and called on him to join the people in swearing allegiance. When Jareer ibn Abdullah reached Mu'iwiyah and gave him the letter, Mu'iwiyah summoned 'Am ihn al-'AS and the leaders of the people of Syria and consulted them. They refused to swear allegiance to 'Ali (&) until the murderers of 'Uthmin (&) were executed or handed over to them. They said that if 'Ali (&) did not do that, they would not swear allegiance to him, and they would fight to the last man.

'Ali ibn Abi Ttlib Jareer went hack to 'Ali (&) and told him what they had said. Al-Ashtar said: "Did I not tell you, 0 Amir d-Mu'mineen, not to send Jareer? If you had sent me, Mu'iwiyah would not have opened any door hut I would have closed it." Jareer said to him: "If you had gone there, they would have killed you in retaliation for 'Uthmin." Al-Ashtar said: "By Allah, if you had sent me, I would have found an answer to Mu'iwiyah's questions, and I would have given him an answer before he even asked. If Amir d-Mu'mineen had listened to me, he would have detained you and others like you until the affairs of this Ummah were straightened out." Jareer got up angrily and went to stay in Qarqaysa'. He mote to Mu'iwiyah, telling him what he had said and what had been said to him; Mu'iwiyah wrote hack, telling him to come to himhi' Thus al-Ashtar was a factor in the alienation of the Companion Jareer ihn Ahdullah, who was 'Ali's governor in Qarqaysa' and elsewhere, and the leader of his tribe Bajeelah. This Companion, Jareer ihn Ahdullah al-Bajali said: "The Messenger of Allah (g) never saw me without smiling at me." The Prophet (g,) said concerning him: "There will enter upon you from this door a man who is the best of those who are blessed; on his face there is an angelic 2.1.6.

'Ali's march to Syria Amir d-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) prepared to go on the campaign to Syria, and he sent word to mohilise the people.517 He prepared a huge army; the reports differ concerning the size, hut they are all weak reports"' apart from one with a reliable chain of narration, which states that he set out with fifty thousand men.519 The place where the troops of Amir d-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) gathered was a n - ~ u k h a ~ l a h , ~ ~ ~ which was two miles from Kufah. The tribes came to it from all regions of ~ r a ~ . ~ " Amir al-Mu'mineen appointed Ahu Mas'ood al-Anviki and sent Ziyid ihn an-Na* alThe Baffles of the Camel and Siffeen, and the issue of arbitration Hikithi from an-Nukhaylah ahead of the army with eight thousand fighters, and Shurayh ihn Hki' with four thousand. Then 'Ali (4) set out with his army towards Baghdad, where he was joined by more men; he appointed Sa'd ibn Mas'ood ath-Thaqafi in charge of them. From there he sent a detachment of three thousand to ~ o s u l . ~ ~ ~ 'Ali (&)travelled on the main road to al-Jazeerah along the eastern bank of the Euphrates, until he drew close to ~ a r ~ a ~ s i ~ a ' ? ' ~ News reached him that Mu'fiwiyah had set out to meet him and was camping in Siffeen, so 'Ali went to ar-~aqqa,~'~ from which he crossed the Euphrates, heading west, and came to ~iffeen.5'~ 2.1.7. Mu'gwiyah's going out to Siffeen Mn'iwiyah was serious about bringing the murderers of 'Uthmk (&) to justice.

He managed to ambush and kill a group of Egyptians who had invaded Madinah, including Abu 'Amr ihn Bndayl al-Khuzfi'i, as they were returning to ~ ~ ~ p t . 5 ' ~ Moreover, he had supporters in Egypt and among the people of Kharbata who were also seeking vengeance for the murder of 'Utbmk (&). This group managed to defeat Muhammad ihn Ahi Hudhayfah a number of confrontations in 36 AH. Mu'fiwiyah also managed to capture the Egyptian leaders and planners of the invasion of Madinah, such as 'Ahdur-Ralpnk ihn 'Udaysi, Kinkah ihn Bishr and Muhammad ihn Hudhayfah, whom he detained in Palestine during the period that preceded his going out to Siffeen. He executed them in Dhul-Hijjah 36 AH?" When Mu'iwiyah learned of the movements of the Iraqi army, he gathered his consultants among the prominent people of Syria and addressed them, saying: " 'Ali is coming towards yon with the people of Iraq." Dhul-Kil2' al-JJimyari said: '"Tell us what to do, and we will do it."528 The people of Syria gave their pledge to Mu'iwiyah that they would fight to seek vengeance for the murder of 'Uthmk (&)?29 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib 'Amr ibn al-'AS (&) ,. prepared the army and appointed commanders, and he stood up to address and encourage the army, saying: "The people of Iraq are divided and weak. The people of Basra are opposed to 'Ali because he killed some of them, and the strongest of the people of Kufah were killed in the Battle of the Camel. 'Ali is marching with a small group, among whom are those who killed your caliph, so do not fail in your duty to bring them to justice."530 Mu'iiwiyah set out with a huge army.

Reports differ on the number, but they all have interrupted chains of narration; they are the same reports that estimated the size of 'Ali's army. The number was put at one hundred and twenty thousand,531 or seventy thousand, or much more than that.532 The closest to the truth is a report that they numbered sixty thousand. Although the chain of narration of this report is interrupted, its narrator is Safw2n ibn 'Amr as-Saksi, a Homsi from Syria who was born in 72 AH and is proven to be trustworthy. He met a number of those who had been present at Siffeen, as is clear from studying his biography.533 The chain of narration to him is The commanders of Mu'2wiyah's army were as follows: 'Am ibn al-'AS in charge of the entire cavalry of Syria; ad-l?a&% ibn Qays in charge of the entire infantry; Dhul-Kilii' al-Himyari in charge of the right flank of the army; Habeeb ibn Maslamah in charge of the left flank, and Abu al-A'war as-Sulami in charge of the vanguard. These were the senior commanders; with each of these commanders, there were other officers, organised along tribal lines. They marched to Siffeen in this order, but during the battle, some of the commanders were changed and other commanders appointed, as dictated by circumstances.

This may be the reason for the differences concerning the names of the commanders in some Mu'iiwiyah sent Abu al-A'war as-Sulami in the vanguard of the army, and their route led northeast from Damascus. When he The Battles of the Camel and Siffeen, and the issue ofarbitration reached Siffeen, by the lower part of the Euphrates, he camped in a vast plain beside a branch of the Euphrates; in that place there was no other branch on the river. so he made it his 2.1.8. The fight for the water The army of 'Ali (&) reached Siffeen, where Mu'iwiyah (&) was already camping. 'Ali (&) could not find sufficient level ground for the army, so they camped in a place that was somewhat rugged, on land that was mostly covered with jagged His army was caught by surprise when Mu'iwiyah prevented them from reaching the water, and some of them rushed to complain to 'Ali (4) about that. He sent d-Ash'ath ibn Qays out with two thousand men, and the first battle took place between the two sides. Al-Ash'ath was victorious and gained control of the water.538 Mowever, there is a repoa denying that any fighting took place at all.

This report says that d-Ash'ath ibn Qays went to Mu'iwiyah and said: "I urge you by Allah, 0 Mu'iwiyah, to think of the Ummah of Muhammad (g)! Suppose you kill the people of Iraq. Who will guard the border and the women and children? Allah (&) says: (And if two paaies [or groups] among the believers fall to fighting, then make peace between them both.8 (Quran 49: 9) Mu'iwiyah said: "What do you want?' They said: "Let us reach the water." He said to Abu d-A'war: "Let our brothers reach the water.")539 The fight for the water took place on the first day they met at the beginning of Dhul-IJijjah, and this was a had start for both parties of Muslims, because fighting continued between them for the entire month. The fighting took the form of encounters between small groups. 'Ali (4) would send out a small group led by a commander, and it would engage in fighting once a day, either in the morning or the afternoon; on a few occasions they fought twice in a day.

On most occasions, the commanders in 'Ali's army who would go out with 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib small groups to fight were al-Ashtar, Hajar ibn 'Adiyy, Shabath ibn Rab'i, Kh2lid ibn al-Mu'tamir and Ma'qil ihn Yas& ar-Riy& In Mu'iwiyah's army, those who went out most often were Habeeb ibn Maslamah, 'Abdur-Rb2n ibn Kh2lid ibn al-Waleed, 'Ubaydullah ihn 'Umar ihn al-Kha@b, Abu al-A'war as-Sulami and Sbur&beel ibn as-Samat. They avoided fighting with the entire army for fear of complete destruction and rnin of the Ummah, and in the hope of reaching a peace deal between the two sides whereby loss of lives and bloodshed could be avoided.540 2.1.9. Cooling off and attempts at reconciliation No sooner had the month of M&arram begun than the two sides hastened to suspend the fighting and call for a truce, in the hope of reconciliation that would protect Muslim lives. They took advantage of this month to correspond with one another, hut the information about the correspondence during this period - the month of Muhmam - was narrated via weak but well-known chains of narrati~n?~' The fact that they are weak does not mean that it did not take place, though. The one who started the correspondence was Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi T%b (&). He sent Basheer ibn 'Amr al-AnsZ, Sa'eed ibn Qays al-Hamad2ni and Shabath ibn Rab'i at-Tameemi to Mu'iwiyah (&), calling on him as he had before to join the main body of Muslims and swear allegiance to 'Ali.

Mu'iwiyah responded in the same manner as he had previously, demanding that 'Ali hand over 'Uthmk's killers or bring them to justice before he would give him his oath of allegiance. We have already discussed 'Ali's attitude concerning this matter?42 The pious worshippers on both sides, of whom there was a large number, had camped in an area separate from Siffeen. Tbey tried to mediate between the two sides, hut their efforts did not succeed because each group insisted on its own opinion?43 Two of The Battles of the Camel and Siffeen, and the issue of arbitration the Companions, Abu ad-Dard2 and Abu Umhah, also tried to reconcile the two parties but were not able to, for the same reasons; they abandoned both parties and did not get involved in this issue of fighting?& Masrooq ibn al-Ajda', one of the senior Tibi'oon, also came and exhorted them and told them to fear Allah (&), but he did not fight.545 Ibn Katheer criticised the lengthy details that were narrated in reports of Abu Makhnaf and Nasr ibn Muz%im with regard to the correspondence between the two sides. He said: "...Then the biographers mentioned a lengthy discussion that took place between them and 'Ali. The soundness of this material is subject to further examination. In the reports, there are some words which are attributed to 'Ali in which there is criticism of MuC2wiyah and his father; it says that they entered Islam but still had some doubts about it, and other things that undermine Mu'iwiyah.

It also says that 'Ali said concerning that: 'I do not say that 'Uthm2n was killed unlawfully or lawfully.' In my view, this cannot be soundly attributed to 'Ali (&)."546 The attitude of 'Ali (&) concerning the murder of 'Uthmh (&) is quite clear. I have discussed it in my book about 'Uthmin ibn 'Affan (4) and in the present volume. 2.2. Outbreak of fighting Fighting resumed after the sacred months, in the month of Dhnl-Hidah, with encounters between battalions, groups and individuals, for fear of all-out fighting taking place. More than twenty skirmishes had taken place between the two sides during the first week of Dbul-Hijjah; it was also said that the number was ninety?47 'Ali (&) announced to his m y that on the next day, Wednesday, there would be an all-out battle involving the entire army; then he sent word to Mu'iwiyah informing him of that.548 That 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib night, the people rnshed to repair and sharpen their weapons. 'Amr ibn al-'As brought weapons out of storage for those whose weapons had worn out and who needed them, and he encouraged people to be steadfast in fighti11g.5~~ Both armies spent the night planning and organising the commanders and banners. 2.2.1. The first day of the battle On Wednesday morning, the two armies had organised their ranks in the manner followed in major battles, with a core, a right flank and a left flank.

'Ali's army was organised in the following manner:550 'Ali ibn Abi T Z b (&) was in charge of the core, Abdullah ibn 'AbbL was in charge of the left flank, 'Ammir ibn Ybir was in charge of the infantry, Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah was carrying the flag, H i s h h ibn 'Utbah (al-Marqiil) was carrying the banner and alAsh'ath ibn Qays was in charge of the right flank. As for the Syrian army, Mu'iwiyah was in charge of the ashShahba' battalion, with their helmets and shields, on a hill, and he was the commander of the army; 'Amr ibn d-'& was in charge of the entire Syrian cavalry; Dhul-Kili' al-Wmyari was in charge of the right flank, which was composed of Yemeni troops; qabeeb ibn Maslamah al-Fihri was in charge of the left flank, which was composed of Mudar tribesmen; and al-Makhkiq ibn as-Saba alKili'i was the banner The two Muslim armies faced one another, filling the horizon with their vast numbers. Ka'b ibn Jn'ayl at-~a~hlibi,'~' one of the Arab poets, said when he saw the people on Tuesday night, rushing to mend their arrows and swords in preparation for battle: This Ummah is in a very odd situation; power will belong tomorrow to the one who prevails. The Battles of the Camel and Siffeen, and the issue of arbitration I shall say something true, not a lie: tomorrow prominent Arabs are going to die.553 Some weak reports say that 'Ali (&) addressed his troops and urged them to be patient and courageous, and to remember Allah (g) a great deal.554 They also say that 'Amr ibn al-'AS inspected his troops and instructed them to straighten their ranks.555 There is no reason not to accept these reports, because all commanders encourage and motivate their troops and pay attention to anything that may lead to victory. The two armies met in a violent conflict that remained intense until sunset, and they only stopped to offer the prayers. Each group prayed in its own camp, with the bodies of the slain in the battlefield between them.

When 'Ali (&) finished praying, one of his troops asked him: "What do you say about our dead and their dead, O Amir d-Mu'mineen?" He said: "Whoever has been killed among us and them, seeking the countenance of Allah and the home of the hereafter will enter paradise."556 The two armies stood fum, and neither prevailed; no one was seen fleeing until that day ended. In the evening, 'Ali (&) went out to the battlefield and looked at the people of Syria, and he called upon his Lord, saying: "0 Allah, forgive me and them."557 2.2.2. The second day On Thursday, the reports say that 'Ali (&) prayed the dawn prayer when it was still quite dark. He prepared to attack, and he changed some of his commanders. He put Abdullah ibn Budayl alKhuzs'i in charge of the right flank instead of d-Ash'ath ibn Qays alKindi, whom he moved to the left flank.558 The two parties marched towards one another and engaged in fighting that was even more intense than the day before. The people of lraq began to advance, and they started to gain the upper hand over the people of Syria.

Ahdullah ibn Budayl managed to penetrate Mu'2wiyah's left flank, which was 'Ali ibn Abi Trilib led by Habeeb ibn Maslamah, and he advanced towards Mu'iiwiyah's battalion (ash-Shahba'), demonstrating unparalleled courage and zeal. This partial advance was accompanied by a general advance of the Iraqi army, until Mu'iiwiyah thought of leaving the battlefield, but be stood firm and urged his batralion asbShahba' to do likewise. They managed to kill Abdullah ibn Budayl, who was replaced by Al-Ashtar as commander of the right flank. The people of Syria stood firm, and some of them swore to fight to the death. They attacked again with firm resolve, and a number of them were killed, the most prominent of whom were Dhul-Kilii', Hawshab and 'Ubaydnllah ibn al-Kha@b (&). Then . . the balance tipped in favour of the Syrian army, and they gained the upper hand, while the Iraqi army started to fall back, with many of them being killed and wounded.

When 'Ali (&) saw that his army .. was falling back, he began calling out to them and encouraging them. He fought fiercely, aiming for the core where the Rabee'ah tribe was. They were incensed by this, and their commander Khzlid ibn alMu'tamir swore to fight to the death, for they were people who excelled at fighting.559 'Ammk ibn Y%ir (&), who was over ninety-four years old, fought fiercely and encouraged and motivated the people to do likewise, but he was far removed from extremism. He heard a man next to him saying: "The people of Syria have become disbelievers." 'Ammk rebuked him for saying that and said: "Rather they have transgressed against us, and we are fighting them because of their transgression. Our God is One, our Prophet is one, and our qiblah is one."560 When 'Ammi% (4) saw his companions falling back and his opponents advancing, he started encouraging them and telling them that they were in the right and should not be deceived by the heavy blows of the Syrians. He (&) sajd: "Whoever would like the hoor The Battles of the Camel and Siffeen, and the issue of arbitration 'een ('firm-breasted' women with beautiful eyes, promised to male believers in paradise) to surround him, let him advance between the ranks, seeking reward with Allah, for I can see that the Syrians are fighting us so fiercely that it may create doubt in the minds of some.

By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if they pushed us back until they made us reach SaCf2t Hajar, we would still believe that we are in the right and they are in the wrong; we would still believe that our righteous people are in the right, and they are the wrong."561 Then he began to advance with a spear in his hand, trembling because of old age. He was urging the banner carrier Hbhim ibn 'Utbah ibn Abi Waqqi~ to advance and seek the blessings that are with Allah (B), and encouraging his companions too, saying: "Paradise is close at hand, and the hoor 'een are adorned. Whoever would l i e to be surrounded by the hoor 'een, let him advance between the ranks, seeking the reward of Allah (s)." This was a moving scene, for he was a great Companion who had been present at Badr. He was over ninety-four years of age and possessed great zeal, resolve, high morale and strong faith. He was an important factor in the enthusiasm of the Iraqi army and in raising their morale, which made them tougher and fiercer and willing to sacrifice until they managed to tip the balance in their favour. Hishim ibn 'Utbah ibn Abi Waqqis advanced as 'Amm21 was saying: "Advance 0 Hishh, for paradise lies in the shade of the swords, and death is at the edges of the spears; the gates of heaven are open and the hoor 'een are adorned.

Today I will meet my loved ones, Muhammad and his companions."56z When the sun set that Thursday, 'Ammk asked for a drink of milk, then he said: 'The Messenger of Allah (g) said to me: 'The last drink you will drink in this world will be a drink of milk."'563 Then he advanced and urged the banner carrier Hishim ibn 'Utbah ibn Abi Waqqis az-Zuhri to advance with him, and neither of them came back; both were slain.564 May Allah have mercy on them and be pleased with them. 'Ali ibn Abi TElib 2.2.3. The night of clamor and Friday Fighting resumed the same night, with energy that had not been seen before. The people of Iraq fought with enthusiasm and high spirits until they pushed the people of Syria back from their positions. Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) fought fiercely and pledged to fight to the death.565 It was said that 'Ali (&) led his army in praying the fear prayer at the time of sunset.566 Ash-Sh2fa'i said: "It was narrated from 'Ali (&) that he offered the fear prayer on the night of clamor."567 An eyewitness said: "We fought for three days and three nights until the spears were broken and the arrows ran out, then we started using swords. We battled until the middle of the night, until we reached the point of hand to hand combat.

When the swords became like sickles, we started hitting one another with pieces of iron, and we could hear nothing except the grunting and groaning of the people. Then we threw stones at one another, threw dust at one another, and bit one another with our teeth until morning came on Friday and the sun rose, although it could not be seen because of the dust of battle. The banners and flags fell, and the army was worn out; our hands were exhausted, and ow throats were dry."568 Ibn Katheer said, describing the night of clamor and the following Friday: "They started fighting one another, and two men would fight until they were exhausted. Then they would sit down to rest, each one grunting at the other; then they would get up and fight again. To AUah we belong, and unto Him is our return. They continued like that until Friday morning came, and the people prayed the dawn prayer with gestures while still fighting, until it became very light outside, and the people of Iraq began to gain the upper hand over the people of ria."^^^ %e Battles o f the Camel and Szffeen, and the issue ofarbitration 2.2.4.

The call for arbitration After the night of clamor, the two armies found themselves in such a state that they could not withstand any more fighting. AlAsh'ath ibn Qays, the leader of Kindah, addressed his companions after the night of clamor and said: "0 Muslims, you have seen what happened yesterday and how many of the Arabs were killed. By Allah, I have reached old age as AUah willed, and I have never seen anything like this. Let those who are present tell those who were absent. If we resume fighting tomorrow, that will be the end of the Arabs, and there will be no one left to protect what is sacred. By Allah, I am not saying this for fear of fighting, but I am an old man, and I fear that there will be no one to protect the women and children if we all die tomorrow. 0 Allah, You know that my intention is to do what is best for my people and my co-religionists, and I have not fallen short."57o News of that reached Mu'iwiyah, who said: "He is right, by the Lord of the Ka'bah.

If we meet in battle tomorrow, the Byzantines will attack our women and children, and the Persians will attack the people of Iraq and their children. Only those with wisdom and understanding can see that." Then he said to his companions: "Tie the mushafs to the ends of the spears."571 This is an Iraqi report in which there is no mention of 'Amr ibn al-'As or any trick or deceit; rather it was the desire of both parties. Neither Mu'iiwiyah nor 'Amr would be harmed if one of them had the courage to take this initiative and save what was left of the strength of this Ummah that was fighting itself. It was only the Saba'is who were upset by that; they had started this turmoil, and they left for us a pile of misleading r e p o ~ , which presented truth as falsehood and virtue - such as calling for referral to the Quran for judgement in order to protect Muslim life - as a crime, a conspiracy and a 'Ali ibn Abi Tiilib They attributed to Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) words that he did not say and that were contrary to what is mentioned in the sound reports. They attributed to him the words, "They never held it in high esteem, and they will never act upon it; they have only raised it as a trick and a plot to appease One of the obscene things that they said about the lifting up of the mushafs was: "This is the idea of the son of the promiscuous woman."574 They also widened the circle of propaganda against 'Amr ibn al-'As (&), to the extent that you can hardly find any book of history that does not contain words undermining 'Amr ibn al-'A$ and claiming that he was a trickster and plotter; this is because of the fabricated reports made up by the enemies of the noble Companions and transmitted by at-Tabari, Ibn al-Atheer and others. Many contemporary historians, such as Hasan Ibraeem Hasan in Tareekh al-Islam, Muhammad al-Khudari Beg in Tareekh ad-Dawlah al-Urnawiyyah, 'Abdul-Wahh2b an-Najj2r in Tareekh al-Khulafa' ar-Rcishideen and others were fooled by them and played a role in distorting the historical facts.

The report of Abu Makhnaf suggests that 'Ali (&) rejected the idea of refening to the Quran for judgement when it was first suggested by the people of Syria, then he accepted it due to pressure from the worshippers who later became known as ~ h a r i j i t e s . ~ ~ ~ This report suggests that 'Ali (&) slandered Mu'iwiyah and his companions, which is beneath the people of that blessed generation, so how about their leaders, foremost among whom was Amir alMu'mineen 'Ali (&)?It is sufficient reason to reject the report that it was narrated by the R a d i fabricator Abu Makhnaf. It is a report that cannot stand up to unbiased review, and it cannot stand before other reports whose narrators cannot be accused of bias, such as that which was narrated by Imam A b d ibn Hanbal via Habeeb ibn Abi Thibit, who said: "I came to Abu Wi'il, one of the men of 'ALi ibn Abi Tilib, and he said: 'We were in Siffeen, and when many of the people of The Battles of the Camel and Siffeen, and the issue of arbitration Syria were killed, 'Amr said to MuC2wiyah: "Send the mushaf to 'Ali, and call him to the Book of Allah; he will not refuse." A man brought the mu~haf to 'Ali and said: "Between us and you is the Book of Allah: 4Have you not seen those who have been given a portion of the Scripture? They are being invited to the Book of Allah to settle their dispute, then a party of them turn away, and they are averse8 (Quran 3: 23)." 'Ali (&) said: "Yes, I should be the first to accept that." The worshippers - those who rebelled later on and became h o w n as Khaijites - stood up with their swords on their shoulders and said: "0 Amir al-Mu'mineen, shouldn't we keep on fighting these people until Allah decides the matter between us and them?" Sahl ihn Hunayf al-Ans2ri (&) stood up and sajd: "0 people, you should be suspicious of your motives. We were with the Messenger of Allah (B) on the day of Hudaybiyah, and if we had the opportunity to fight, we were ready to fight." He was referring to the peace deal that was drawn up between the Messenger of Allah (g) and the polytheists. Then he told them about 'Umar's objection to the treaty on the day of Hudaybiyah and the revelation of Soorat al-Fath to the Messenger of Allah (gJ. 'Ali said: "0 people, this is a victory." 'Ali accepted the offer and went hack, and the people went hack too."'576 Sahl ibn Hunayf (&) expressed his annoyance with those who called for continuing the war between brothers, saying: "0 people, you should he suspicious of your He explained to them that there was no option except dialogue and a peace deal, because the alternative was ongoing internal conflict, the consequences of which no one knew.

He said: "Before this, whenever we went out to fight for a cause, we were certain of the result and how far we would go with it; we do not h i s h with one opponent but another opponent appears to us, and we do not h o w how to deal with him."578 In these sound reports is a refutation of those who advocated fitnah and hated the Companions, who 'Ali ibn Abi Tcilib fabricated false reports and poehy, which they then falsely amibuted to the most prominent Companions and Tibi'oon who took part in the Battle of Siffeen. They tried to make them appear very eager for this war, so as to instil hatred in people's hearts; they did their utmost to perpetuate the The call for referring to the Book of Allah for judgement without any assurance that the killers of 'Uthmk would be banded over to Mu'iiwiyah, and the acceptance of this arbitration without any assurance that Mu'iwiyah would obey 'Ali and swear allegiance to him, are developments that were dictated by the consequences of Siffeen. The battle had led to the killing of a large number of Muslims, and it created a common inclination towards the idea that stopping the fighting and bloodshed had become a necessity because it was important to preserve the Ummah's strength against its enemies. This was indicative of the vitality and awareness of the Ummah and its impact on d e c i s i ~ n - m a k i n ~ . ~ ~ ~ Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) agreed to stop fighting at Siffeen and he agreed to arbitration, which he regarded as a breakthrough; then he went back to ~ u f a h . ~ ~ ' He hoped that the arbitration would put an end to the dispute, unite the Ummah, strengthen the state and revita!ise the conquest movement. A number of factors contributed to both sides reaching the idea of arbitration and accepting it: (a) It was a final attempt to stop the conflict and bloodshed. Previous attempts, both collective and individual, had begun after the Battle of the Camel but had not succeeded.

The letters that had been exchanged between the two sides, expressing the view of each, did not lead to any resolution either. The last of these attempts was that made by Mu'iwiyah during the days when fighting had intensified. He wrote to 'Ali (&), . . asking him to stop fighting; he said, The Battles of the Camel and Siffeen, and the issue of arbitration "I think that if you and we had known that the fighting would reach the level that it has reached, we would not have brought it upon ourselves. If we did not use our reason before, then it is not too late to refer to reason so that we may regret what has passed and put right what is @) Many had been slain, and a great deal of blood had been shed. There was the fear that the Ummah might be wiped out; thus the call to stop the fighting was something that everyone was hoping for. (c) The people were exhausted from the fighting that had gone on for so long; it was as if the call for a peace deal and reconciliation came at the right time.

The majority of 'Ali's army was inclined towards making peace, and they kept saying: "War has consumed us. We think that we cannot survive unless we make a peace deal."583 This is contrary to the worthless view alleging that raising the mu~hafs on the spears was a hick suggested by 'Amr ibn al-'As. In fact, the idea of raising the mushafs was not invented by 'Amr ibn al-'AS; the mu~haf had been raised during the Battle of the Camel when its canier Ka'b ihn Soor, the judge of Basrah, was struck by an arrow and killed. (d) This was a response to the verse that calls for peace. Allah says: %[And] if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger) (Quran 4: 59). This is supported by what 'Ali ibn Ahi Tilib said when he was called to refer to the Book of Allah for judgement.

He said: "Yes, I should be the first to accept that; between us and you is the Book of ~ l l a h . " * ~ ~ 'Ali ibn Abi Trilib 2.2.5. The killing of 'AmnGr ibn YSsir (&) and its effect on the Muslims The hadith of the Messenger of Allah (B), in which he said to 'Ammk (&): "You will he killed by the group that is in the is a sound hadith that is proven from the Prophet (B). The killing of 'Ammi% (&) had an impact on the outcome of the Battle of Siffeen. He was one of the prominent Companions of the Messenger of Allah (s), who had followed him wherever he went. Khnzaymah ibn hih hit was present at Siffeen, and he kept his sword sheathed.

When he saw that 'Ammk had been killed, he unsheathed his sword and fought the people of Syria, because he had heard this hadith.586 He continued fighting until he was killed.587 The killing of 'Ammk had an impact on Mu'iwiyah's camp. Abn 'Abdur-R&& asSulami entered the camp of the Syrians and saw Mu'iwiyah, 'Amr ibn al-'.&, 'Amr's son Abdullah ihn 'Amr and Abu al-A'war as-Snlami drinking at the water source, which was the only water source available to both sides. They were talking about the killing of ' A m m ~ ibn YLir, and Ahdullah ibn 'Amr said to his father: 'We have killed this man, and the Messenger of Allah (@) said concerning him: 'He will be killed by the group that is in the wrong."' 'Amr said to Mu'zwiyah: "We have killed the man of whom the Messenger of Allah (B) said what he said." Mu'iwiyah said: "Be quiet! By Allah, yon are unstable. Did we kill him? Those who brought him out are the ones who killed him."588 Mu'2wiyah's interpretation spread like wildfire among the Syrians.

It is narrated in a sound report that 'Amr ibn Hazm entered upon 'Amr ibn al-'AS and said: " 'Ammk has been killed, and the Messenger of Allah (g) said of him: 'He will be killed by the group that is in the wrong."' 'Amr ibn al-'AS got up in a panic and went to Mu'iwiyah, who said to him: "What is the matter with you?" He said: " 'Ammi% has been killed." Mu'iwiyah said: "So what?" 'Amr The Battles of the Camel and Siffeen, and the issue of arbitration said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (&) say to him: 'You will he killed by the group that is in the wrong."' Mu'zwiyah said to him: 'Yon are unstable. Did we kill him? He was killed by 'Ali and his companions; they brought him out and threw him among our spears (or our swords)."589 According to another sound report, two men came to Mu'iwiyah arguing over the killing of 'Arnmir, with each of them saying: "I killed him." Abdullah ibn 'Amr ihn al-'& said: "Let one of you give up this claim to the other, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (g) say: 'He will be killed by the group that is in the wrong."' Mu'2wiyah said: "?Vhy are you with us then?" Abdullah said: "My father complained about me to the Messenger of Allah (g), and he said: 'Obey your father as long as he is alive, and do not disobey him.' I am with you, but I am not fighting."590 From the above reports, we may note that the Companion with deep understanding, Abdullah ibn 'Amr (&), was keen to speak the @nth and offer sincere advice. He thought that Mu'2wiyah and his troops were the group that was in the wrong because they killed 'Ammir, and he repeated this denunciation on different occasions. No doubt the killing of 'Ammk (&) had an effect on the Syrians because of this hadith, but Mu'iwiyah (&) interpreted the hadith inappropriately. It is not right to say that those who killed 'Ammir were those who brought him to the The killing of 'Ammk also upset 'Amr ihn al-'As; in fact, the martyrdom of 'Ammk motivated him to try to bring an end to the 'Amr (&) said: "Would that I had died twenty years before this day."593 In al-Bukhari, it is narrated that Abu Sa'eed al-Khndri (&) said: "We would carry one brick, and 'Ammir would carry two bricks that time.

The Prophet @) saw him, and he wiped the dust from him and said: 'Poor 'Amm&, he will be killed by the group that is in the wrong. He will call them to paradise, and they will call him to hell.' 'Amm2r 'Ali ibn Abi Ttlib said: 'I seek refuge with~llahfrombibulations.'"~~~ Ibn 'Abdul-Barr said: There are many reports that the Prophet (g) said: " 'Arnmiir will be killed by the group that is in the wrong." This is an example of the Prophet's giving news of the unseen. It is one of the signs of his prophethood, and it is one of the soundest hadith~.~~' Adh-Dhahabi said, after quoting the hadith: "This was narrated from a number of the Companions, and thus reaches the level of being m ~ t a w i t i r . " ~ ~ ~ 2.2.6. The scholars' understanding of the hadith (a) Ibn Hajar said: "This hadith contains one of the signs of prophethood and reflects the clear virtue of 'Ali and 'Ammk. It is also a refutation of the Ni~ibis who claimed that 'Ali (&) was not in the right with regard to his He also said: "The hadith says, " A d will be killed by the group that is in the wrong,' but 'Ali was in the right in those battles, because it was the companions of Mu'iwiyah who killed him."598 (b) Al-Nawawi said: "On the day of Siffeen, the Companions followed him ('Ammk) wherever he went, because they knew from this hadith that he would be with the group that was in the right."599 (c) Ibn Katheer said: " 'Ali and his companions were the closer of the two groups to the truth than the companions of Mu'iwiyah, and the companions of Mu'2wiyah were transgressing against them.

It is proven in sahih Muslim, in the hadith of Shu'bah from Abu Salamah from Abu Nadrah that' ~ b u Sa'eed al-Khudri said: 'One who is better than me - meaning Abu Qatgdah - told me that the Messenger of Allah (g) said to 'Ammik "You will be killed by the group that is in the wrong.""'600 He also said: "Here we see that 'Ammiir ibn Yisir (&) was fighting alongside Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi T a b (&), and he was killed by the people of Syria. This was the manifestation of The Battles of the Camel and Szffeen, and the issue of arbitration the hidden meaning of the words of the Prophet (g), who said that he would be killed by the group that was in the wrong. Thus it became clear that 'Ali (&) was in the right, and Mu'Zwiyah was in the wrong. This was one of the signs of prophethood."601 (d) Adh-Dhahahi said: "They were a group of the believers who transgressed against Imam 'Ali (&>), according to the statement of the Prophet (g) to 'Amm2r: 'YOU will be killed by the group that is in the wrong."'602 (e) Al-QZdi Abu Balcr ihn al-'Arabi said concerning the verse, (And if two parties [or groups] among the believers ... # (Quran 49: 9): "This verse provides basic guidelines with regard to Muslims fighting Muslims and is the reference point with regard to fighting those who justify their transgression on the basis of misinterpretation. The Companions referred to it, and the prominent people of this Ummah also turned to it. This is what the Prophet (gg) meant when he said: ' 'Amm2r will be kZed by the group that is in the wrong."'603 ( Ibn Taymiyah said: "This is indicative of the soundness of 'Ali's caliphate -that it was obligatory to obey him, and that the one who called for obeying him was calling people to paradise and the one who called for fighting him was callimg people to hell, even if he had some justification for that based on misinterpretation.

It also indicates that it was not permissible to fight 'Ali (&); based on that, the one who was fighting him was wrong, even if he thought that he had a reason, or was transgressing without any justification. This is the more correct of the two views of our companions; it is the d i n g that those who fought 'Ali (a) were wrong. This is also the view of the leading jurists, who based their research on that verse with regard to fighting rebels and transgressors who have their own justifi~ation."~~~ 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib He also said: "Although 'Ali was closer to the mth than his opponents, and although 'Ammiir was killed by the group that was in the wrong, as is mentioned in the text, we have to believe everything that came from Allah (g) and submit to the truth in totality; we should not follow whims and desires or speak without knowledge. Rather we should follow the path of knowledge and justice, which means following the Quran and Snnnah. As for those who adhere to part of the truth and not other parts, this is the cause of division and disputes."605 (g) 'Abdul-'Azeez ihn B k said: "The Prophet (g) said in the hadith of 'Ammk "Ammir will be killed by the group that is in the wrong,' and he was killed by Mu'iwiyah and his companions in the Battle of Siffeen. Therefore Mu'swiyah and his companions were transgressors and were in the wrong, but their stance was based on their own reasoning, as they thought that they were doing right in seeking vengeance for the murder of ' ~ t h m h .

" ~ ' ~ 01) Sa'eed Hawa said: "After 'Ammir - whom the texts confirmed would be killed by the group that was in the wrong - was killed, it became clear to those who had been hesitant that 'ALi (4) was in the right, and that fighting on his side was obligatory. Hence Ibn 'Umar expressed his regret for keeping out of it, and he felt sony for that because he had abandoned his duty, which was to support the true leader against those who had rebelled against him without properjustification, as was stated by the j~rists."~'' 2.2.7. Refuting the statement of Mu'gwiyah (&) that 'AmmC was killed by those who had brought him to the battlefield6'' The majority of the Companions and T2biZoon understood from the words of the Messenger of Allah (&) to 'Am&, "You will be killed by the group that is in the wrong,';609 that what was meant 7'he Battles of the Camel and Sifeen, and the issue of arbitration was the army of Mu'iwiyah (&), even though Mu'iwiyah and his army may be excused for basing their decision on their own reasoning, as their aim was to do the right thing. But what they did was not the right thing, and 'Ali's group was closer to the truth than they were, as the Prophet (g) said.610 Even though the scholars did not like Mu'Zwiyah's interpretation - as we shall see below -they tried to find an excuse for him because he based his decision on his own reasoning. With regard to the Prophet's words, "He will call them to paradise, and they will call him to hell," Ibn Hajar says:61' "If it is said that he was killed at Siffeen when he was with 'Ali (&), and those who killed him were on Mn'iwiyah's side, and there was a group of the Compauions with Mu'iwiyah, then how can we say that that they were calling people to hell? The answer is that they thought that they were calling him to paradise, and they had their own reasoning for that, so there should be no blame on them for following what they thought best.

What is meant by calling to paradise is calling to the means that lead to paradise, which is obeying the caliph. What 'Ammik was doing was calling them to obey 'Ali (&), who was the caliph who was to be obeyed at that time. They were calling him to something other than that, but they are to he excused because they had their own reasoning that they thought was correct."612 Al-Qnrtubi said: "Imam Abu al-Ma'% said in al-Zrshzd: "Ali (&) became the true Imam or leader after he was appointed to the caliphate, md those who fought him were transgressing, but thinking positively of them requires us to think that their intention was good, even though they got it wrong."'613 He also said: " 'Ali (&) responded to Mu'iwiyah's argument by saying: 'Then in that case, the Messenger of Allah @) killed Hamzah when he took him out with him in the army.' what 'Ali (g) said was to draw attention to 'Ali ibn Abi Trilib the implications of such a statement. This was suggested by Imam alHifidh Abu al-Khat~ib ibn Ibn Katheer said: "MuZ2wiyah's suggestion that 'Amm2r 'was killed by those who brought him to our swords' is a very far-fetched misinterpretation, because if that were so, then the commander of the army would be the killer of those who were killed fighting for the sake of Allah (a), as he brought them to the swords of the ,3615 . enemy. Ihn Taymiyah said: "I do not know of anyone who held this view among the followers of the four Imams and others among Ah1 as-Sunnah, although it is the opinion of a large number of the Manvinis and those who agreed with them."616 Ibn al-Qayyim said, commenting on this misinterpretation: "Yes, the misinterpretation of the people of Syria is invalid, because the Prophet (&) said to 'Ammk 'Yon will be killed by the group that is in the wrong.'617 They said: 'We did not kill him; rather he was killed by those who brought him and make him stand in front of our spears.' This is an invalid interpretation that is conhary to the wording and apparent meaning. The one who killed him is the one who did the action of killing him, not the one who had him on his side fighting for 2.2.8.

Who was the killer of 'AmmGr ibn YGsir? Abu al-Ghidiyah alJuhani said, speaking of his killing of 'Ammk "On the day of Siffeen, I marched to the area between the two armies, and I saw a man with his 'awrah 619 showing. I stabbcd him on his knees with a spear, and he fell. His helmet fell from his head, and I struck him on his head, then I realised that it was the bead of 'Ammk Thus 'Amm2r was killed." The narrator said: "Abu alGhidiyah asked for water, and water was brought in a glass, but he The Battles ojthe Camel and SifSeen, and the issue of arbitration refused to drink from it; then water was brought in an (eaahenware) vessel, and he drank. A man said: 'He is too pious to drink from a glass, but he is not too pious to kill ' ~ m m k ! " ' ~ ~ ~ 'Amr ibn al-'& (&) commented on this report: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (g) - a say: 'The one who kills 'Ammk and the one who strips the booty from h i will be in hell."'62L Ibn Katheer said: "It is known that 'Amm% was in 'Ali's army at the Battle of Siffeen, and he was killed by the Syrian companions of Mu'iwiyah.

The one who actually killed him was called Abu al-Ghgdiyah, who was an ordinary man, and it was said that he was a Ibn Hajar said: "Our view of the Companions who were involved in these wars is that they had their own reasons and justifications for doing so. The one who bases his action on valid reasoning but gets it wrong will have one reward, and if this is the case for ordinary people, then it is likely to be even more applicable to the ~ o m ~ a n i o n s . " ~ ~ ~ Adh-Dhahabi said: "According to the Rifi&s, Ibn Maljam (the one who killed 'Ali) will be the most wretched of creation in the hereafter. For us Sunnis, he is one of those whom we hope will be in hell, but it is possible tbat Allah (B) may forgive him, contrary to the view of the Kharijites and Rifidis. He comes under the same ruling as those who killed 'Uthmh, az-Zubayr, Talhah, Sa'eed ibn Jubayr, ' A m % , Khzjah and al-Husayn; we disavow ourselves of them and hate them for the sake of Allah (s), but we leave their cases to Allah, may He be glorified and e x a ~ t e d . " ~ ~ Al-Albhi made an intelligent comment on what Ibn Hajar said: "This is true, but applying it to every individual involved is problematic, because this contradicts what is mentioned in the hadith under the chapter heading, 'The one who kills 'Amm% and the one who strips the booty from him will be in hell.'625 It is not possible to say tbat Abu al-Ghsdiyah, the killer of 'Ammi%, will be rewarded 'Ali ibn Abi Trilib because he killed him on the basis of some justification that he had in his mind, when the Messenger of Allah (B) said that the killer of 'Ammir would be in The correct view is to say that the principle is sound unless there is definitive evidence to the contrary, in which case it is an exception, as is the case here.

This way of understanding the issue is better than contradicting the sound hadith."627 Ibn 'Abdul-Barr mentioned the biography of Abu al-Gh2diyah al-Juhani and said: "There was a difference of opinion concerning his name. It was said that it was Yasir ibn Sabu', or Yasir ihn Azhar, or Muslim. He lived in Syria, in Wisit, and is regarded as Syrian. He met the Prophet (s) when he was young, and it is narrated that he said: 'I met the Prophet &) when I was a teenager, tending my family's sheep.' He heard from the Prophet (@) the words, 'Do not return to disbelief after I am gone, striking one another's necks.' He loved 'Uthmh (&), and he is the one who killed 'Ammi% ibn YLir. He would describe how he killed 'Ammir if he was asked, and he would not mind. His story is astounding to scholars."6z8 2.2.9.

Noble conduct during battle The Battle of Siffeen was one of the most remarkable battles among Muslims. This conflict was so amazing that the reader cannot believe what he is reading, and he is shocked by the behaviour of people on both sides. Each of them stood in the midst of battle, with his sword unsheathed and firmly convinced of the cause for which he was fighting. It was not a battle in which people were driven by leaders who were pushing the troops into a fight of which they were not convinced. Rather it was a battle that was unique in its motives and in the way it was conducted, as well as the impact it left behind. The motives in the hearts of the participants were highlighted by some stories that have reached us in the historical sources.

The Battles of the Camel and Siffeen, and the issue of arbitration They were like brothers, going together to the water source, all drinking from it and crowding one another, scooping up the water, hut no man harmed another.629 When the fighting stopped, they behaved like brothers living together. One of the participants said: "When we had a break from fighting, we would go to one another's camp and speak to one another."630 They were members of one tribe, each with his own opinion, so people of one tribe on one side might fight bitterly with people of the same tribe on the other side,631 each believing that he was in the right and prepared to be killed for his cause. Two men would fight until they were exhausted, then they would sit and rest and talk to one another a great deal, then they would get up and tight again.632 They belonged to one religion, which was dearer to them than their own souls. When the time for prayer came, they would stop fighting so that they could pray.633 When 'Ammir (&) was killed, both sides offered the funeral prayer for him.634 An eyewitness who took part in the Battle of Siffeen said: "Fighting broke out at Siffeen, and we kept fighting for days; many of us were killed until even the horses were stabbed and killed. 'Ali (4) sent word to 'Amr ibn al-'AS telling him that the number of slain bad increased, and he should stop fighting so that each side could bury its dead. He agreed, and the people mixed with one another until they were like that," and he intertwined his fingers.

"One of the companions of 'Ali would charge and be killed in the camp of Mu'Zwiyah, then he would he brought out from it. The companions of 'Ali (&) , ., carried one of their dead before 'Amr, and when he saw him, he said: 'He strove hard and adhered strongly to the command of Allah (&). ,,r635 They would hasten to forbid evil, even in this situation, There was a group of pious people who were among the Syrian students of Abdullah ibn Mas'ood; they did not join either Amir al-Mn'mineen 'Ali or Mu'Zwiyah ibn Abi Sufyk. They said to Amir al- 'Ali ibn Abi Ttlib 1 75 Mu'mineen: "We will go out with you, hut we will not join your camp. We will camp on our own until we see how things turn out between you and the people of Syria. If we see someone wanting that which is not permissible for him or transgressing, then we will he against him. 'Ali (&) said: 'Welcome; this is a deep understanding of Islam and knowledge of the Sunnah.

Whoever does not approve of this is a transgressor and betrayer."'636 In fact, this attitude is based on conviction and views that were deeply rooted in their souls, and they fought on that 2.2.10. Treatment of captives Good treatment of the captives and kindness towards them is something to he expected at Siffeen, since we have discussed the noble conduct of both sides when fighting. Islam has outlined how captives are to be treated. The Messenger of Allah (gJ encouraged kind treatment of captives and giving them the best available food. This was in the case of non-Muslims, so how about if the captives are Muslims? Undoubtedly honouring them and treating them kindly is emphasised even more.

However, a prisoner of war is regarded as a potential reinforcement for his group if he is released.638 Hence 'Ali (&) instructed that they should be detained. If any prisoner swore allegiance to him, he was to he released; if he refused, his weapon and mount were to he confiscated or given to the one who had captured him, and he was asked to swear an oath that he would not fight. According to one report, he would give him four dirhams.639 'Ali's aim in doing that is quite clear; it was to weaken the rebel side. A prisoner was brought to him on the day of Siffeen, and he said: "Do not kill me in captivity." 'Ali (&) said: ''I will not kill you in captivity, for I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds." He let him go, then he said: "Is there any goodness in you to swear a~legiance?"~~ The Battles of the Camel and Siffeen, and the issue of arbitration From these reports, it seems that the treatment of captives was as follows: * They were honoured and treated kindly. -3 They were given the option of swearing allegiance and obeying the caliph, in which case they would be released. .' If a prisoner refused to swear allegiance, his weapon would be confiscated and he would be asked to swear an oath that he would not go back to fighting; if he did so, then he would be released. If the prisoner insisted on fighting, then he would be kept in captivity, but he would not be killed.641 On one occasion, fifteen prisoners were brought to 'Ali (&), and it seems that they were wounded. Those who died were washed and shrouded, and the funeral prayer was offered for them."' Mubibb ad-Deen al-Khateeh said, commenting on this battle: "Nevertheless, this exemplary battle was the first humane war in history, in which both sides adhered to the principles of virtue that the wise men of the West wish were implemented in their wars, even in the twenty-first century.

Many of the principles of war in Islam wonld not have been known and written down were it not for this battle taking place, and Allah (&) has wisdom in all affairs." Ibn al-'Adeem said: "I say: All of that shows the rulings and guidelines on fighting the transgressing group (rebels). Hence Abu Haneefah said: 'Were it not for 'Ali's treatment of them, no one wonld know how to deal with Muslims (who rebel against 2.2.11. The number of people slain The scholars have conflicting views concerning the number of people slain at Siffeen. Ibn Ahi Khaythamah said that it was seventy 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib thousand: twenty-five thousand of the people of Iraq and forty-five thousand of the people of ~ y r i a . ~ ~ ~ Ibn al-Qayyim said that it was seventy thousand or more.645 Undoubtedly these numbers are not accurate; they are wildly inflated. The real fighting and al-out battle lasted for three days, during which the fighting was stopped at night except for the Friday evening, so the total period of fighting was approximately thirty No matter how violent the fighting was, it could not have been more intense than Qidisiyyah, where the number of martyrs was 8 , 5 0 0 . ~ ~ ~ Logically, it is difficult to accept the reports that mention these huge figures. 2.2.12. Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali's inspection of the dead and praying for mercy for them After the end of each round of the battle, Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) would check on the dead.

An eyewitness said: "I saw 'Ali on the Prophet's mule ash-Shahba', going around among the slain,x648 While he was checking on the slain, accompanied by alAshtar, he passed by the body of a man who had been one of the wellknown judges and worshippers in Syria. Al-Ashtar (or according to another report, 'Adiyy ibn Hitim) said: "0 Amir al-Mu'mineen, is ibis^^^ with them? I thought he was a good believer and had strong faith." 'Ali (&) said: "He is still a good believer today." Perhaps this man who had been killed was the judge who came to 'Umar ibn al-Khat&b and said: "0 Amir al-Mu'mineen, I had a dream that alanned me." He sajd: "What was it?" He said: "I saw the sun and moon fighting, and the stars were divided between them, half and half." He said: "Which of them were you with?" He said: "With the moon against the sun." 'Umar said: "Allah says: (And We have appointed the night and the day as two Ayrit [signs etc.]. Then, We The Battles of the Camel and Siffeen, and the issue of arbitration have obliterated the sign of the night [with darkness] while We have made the sign of the day illuminating) (Quran 17: 12). Depart, for by Allah you will never do any work for me." The narrator said: "I heard that he was killed fighting for Mu'iwiyah at ~iffeen."~~' 'Ali (4) stood over the slain of his party and the slain of Mu'iwiyah's party and said: "May Allah forgive you, may AUah forgive you," for both parties.651 It was narrated that Yazeed ibn alA~amm said: "When the peace deal was agreed between 'Ali and Mu'iwiyah, 'Ali went out andwalked among the slain of his party and said: 'They are in paradise.' Then he went to the slain of Mu'iwiyah's party and said: 'They are in paradise, then judgement will be passed between me and ~ u ' i w i ~ a h . " ' ~ ~ ~ He used to say of them that they were believers.653 What 'Ali (&) said about the people who were killed at Siffeen was not much different from what he said about the people who were killed at the Battle of the camel.654 2.2.13.

Attitude of Mu'swiyah towards the Byzantine ruler The rnler of Byzantium tried to take advantage of the difference of opinion that occurred between Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali and Mu'Swiyah (may Allah be pleased with them both) by acquiring some of the lands that were under Mu'iiwiyah's control. Ibn Katheer said: "The rnler of Byzantium got his hopes up of attacking Mu'gwiyah, after Mu'iwiyah had scared and humiliated him and had defeated him and his troops. When the rnler of Byzantium saw that Mu'iwiyah was preoccupied with fighting 'Ali (&), he marched to some Muslim territory with a large number of troops, hoping to gain control of it. Mu'iwiyah wrote to him, saying: 'By Allah, if you do not give up and go back to your own country, 0 cursed one, I shall reconcile with my cousin against you, and I shall drive you from all 'Ali ibn Abi Ttlib 1 79 of your land and leave you no room on earth, vast as it is.' At that point, the rnler of Byzantium got scared and refrained from fighting, and he sent a message asking for a truce."655 This is indicative of MuC2wiyah's integrity and his love of Islam. 2.2.14. A false story about 'Amr ibn al-'As at Siffeen Nag ibn Muzd-Kufi said: "The people of Iraq charged and engaged in fighting with the Syrians, and they fought hard. 'Amr ibn al-'As charged but was intercepted by 'Ali." The story goes on to say: "Then 'Ali stabbed 'Amr and threw him down, and 'Amr tried to protect himself with his legs, and his 'awrah (the part of a person's body that must he screened from public view) became uncovered.

'Ali tnmed his face away from him and looked away. The people said: 'The man has gotten away, 0 Amir al-Mu'mineen.' He said: 'Do you know who he is? They said: 'No.' He said: 'He is 'Amr ibn al-'AS. He showed me his 'awrah, so I tnmed my face away. ,,,656 This story was also mentioned by Ihn d-Kalbi, as stated by asSuhayli in ar-Rawd al-Anif 'Ali (&) supposedly said: "He protected himself by showing his 'awrah and reminded me of the ties of kinship." Something similar is narrated from 'Amr ibn al-'As (4) with regard to the day of ~ i f f e e n . ~ ~ ' The response to this fabrication and blatant lie is as follows: the narrator of the first report, Nag ibn MuzGm al-Kufi, ihe author of the book Waq'at Siffeen, was an extreme Shia, so it comes as no surprise that he would tell lies and fabricate stories about the Companions. Adh-Dhahahi said concerning him in al-Mizrin: "Nasr ibn Muz&im al-Kufi is an extreme Rsidi, and they rejected him." AlL'Aqeeli said concerning him: "He is a Shia, and his hadiths contain a lot of flaws and mistakes." Ahu Khaythamah said: "He was a liar."658 Ibn Hajar said concerning him: "Al-'Ajli said: 'He was an The Battles of the Camel and Szffeen, and the issue of arbitration extreme R%@ and is not trustworthy at all."'659 Hishim ibn Muhammad ibn d-S2ib d-Kalbi said: "They were agreed that he was an extreme Shia." Imam Ahmad said: "Who nanates from him? I do not think that anyone narrates from him." Ad-Diraqutni said: "He is rejected."660 Via these two RZfidis, this story became widely known, and the Shia historians who came after them welcomed it warmly, as did some of the Sunnis who were deceived by the lies of the ~ i f i @ s . ~ ~ ' This story may be regarded as an exanlple of the lies and fabrications of the Rzfidi Shia against the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (g).

The enemies of the Companions among the RZ& historians fabricated bad qualities that they ascribed to the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (g), and they wrote them in the form of stories and poetry that could be spread easily among the Muslims, aiming to undermine the status of the righteous Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Sunni Muslims were not paying attention; they started at a late stage to examine and verify the reports of Islamic history, after those poems and stories had spread everywhere and become widely known among the storytellers. By then, many of them had unfortunately come to be accepted, even among Sunni historians.66z 2.2.15. Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (A) visits a graveyard on his way back from ~iffeen After Amir d-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) had fiuished at Siffeen, he passed by a graveyard and said: "Peace be upon you, people of the desolate and isolated abode, believing men and women, Muslim men and women. You have gone before us, and we are following in your footsteps and will join you soon. 0 Allah, forgive us and them, and bestow Your mercy on us and them. Praise be to Allah Who has made the earth a receptacle for the living and the dead.

Praise be to 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib AUah Who has created you, and on it He will gather you, and from it He will raise you. Glad tidings to the one who remembers the Resurrection, prepares himself for the Reckoning and is content with the little that he has been given."663 2.2.16. Insistence of 'UthmSn's murderers that the battle should continue The murderers of 'Uthmk (4) were very keen that the battle between the two sides should continue until the people were wiped out and the strength of both sides was lessened, so that they would be safe from retaliation and punishment. They panicked when they saw the people of Syria raising up the mu~hafs and 'Ali (&) responding to their request by ordering that the fighting and bloodshed be stopped. They tried to make 'Ali change his mind, but the battle stopped; as a result, they felt helpless and had no alternative but to rebel against 'Ali (&). So they fabricated the idea that the ruling belongs to Allah (and not to people), and they kept away from both sides.

What is strange is that the historians did not pay as much attention to what these people did at this stage as they did with regard to the Battle of the Camel, even though they were present in 'Ali's army, or to the reason why these negotiations that went on for many months failed, or the role that the murderers of 'Uthm2n (&) may have played in the Battle of Siffeen to cause the failure of all attempts at reconciliation between the two sides - because reconciliation between 'Ali and Mu'2wiyah would have been like reaching a deal to bring them to justice and execute them. It does not make sense to suggest that they strove hard during the Battle of the Camel to make the fighting continue, but did not do the same thing at ~iffeen.~" The Battles of the Camel and Szffeen, and the issue ofarbitration 2.2.17. Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) forbids impugning Mu'swiyah and cursing the people of Syria It was narrated that when 'Ali (&) heard that two of his companions were openly reviling Mu'iiwiyah and cursing the people of Syria, he sent word to them telling them to stop what they were doing. They came to him and said: "0 Amir al-Mu'mineen, are we not in the right and they in the wrong?' He said: "Yes indeed, by the Lord of the Ka'bah." They said: "Then why are you stopping us from reviling and cursing them?" He said: "I do not want you to be people who curse; rather you should say: '0 AUah, protect our blood and theirs, reconcile between us and them. Save them from their misguidance, so that truth will become clear to those who are unaware of it and those who got canied away in misguidance will give up their stubborn ways. ,,,665 With regard to what is said about 'Ali cursing Mu'iiwiyah and his companions in his supplications during the prayer, and Mu'iiwiyah cursing 'Ali, Ibn 'Abhk, al-Hasan and d-Husayn when he said supplications during the prayer, this is not true, because the Companions were more eager than others to adhere to the commands of the Lawgiver, which forbid reviling or cursing a ~ u s l i r n . ~ ~ ~ It was narrated that the Messenger of Allah (g) said: "Whoever curses a believer, it is as if he killed him."667 He (&) also said: "The believer is not given to slandering and cursing."668 And he (a) said: "Those who are given to cursing cannot he intercessors or witnesses on the Day of ~esnrrection."~~~ Moreover, the report in which it is narrated that Amir al-Mu'mineen cursed Mu?iwiyah and his companions in his supplications, and that Mu'gwiyah cursed Amir al-Mu'mineen, Ibn 'Abbb, d-Hasan and d-Husayn, is not proven in terms of its chain of transmission. It includes Ahu Makhnaf h o t ibn Y&ya, the extreme R%&, so these reports are not to he busted.

Fhermore, in 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib the soundest books of the Shia, there is a prohibition on reviling the Companions, and 'Ali (&) denounced those who reviled Mu'iiwiyah and the people with him, saying: "I do not want you to be people who revile others; if you describe their actions and attitudes, that is better to say and is more helpful in leaving no excuse for them. Instead of reviling them, you can say: '0 Allah, protect our blood and theirs from being shed and reconcile between us and them."'670 This reviling and denouncing them as disbelievers was not part of 'Ali's practice, according to the soundest Shia book^."^'