5. When this narration of Musnad Ahmad and An-Nasa'f is

considered with its full context, it becomes clear enough that at the time of sending the proposal, no fighting was going on. But both the parties were ready to begin the fight. It means that the fighting had stopped the night before, and after the day appeared, both parties were making their preparations that the proposal was made by Amr bin AI-As ~ to Mu'awiyah ~ to save the Muslims from further destruction. Mu'awiyah ~ sent a man to Ali~ with the proposal and Ali ~ at once accepted it to end the fight. He had said before that he would not fight until there is a justification, and now there was no justice greater than the Book of Allah.

The second party had itself asked to accept it, and so there was no room for further fighting.] Ali ~ informed Ashtar of the reason for his recall. Expressing deep grief, Ashtar said addressing the people, "O the people of Iraq, you were entrapped by delusions when you were about to overpower the Syrians." But the people were so much overwhelmed with fervor against fighting that they made an attempt to attack Ashtar but held back when Ali~ intervened. After a while Ash'ath bin Qais stepped forward and submitted to Ali~, "As now the battle has come to a halt and the people have accepted the Quran as an arbitrator, will you permit me to contact Mu'awiyah to know his mind." Ali~ acceded to his request. He went to Mu'awiyah ~ and said, "What was your intention behind raising the Quran upon the spears?" He said in reply, "Both of us should tum to the Command of Allah and His Messenger. Now two persons, one from each side, should be appointed to examine and decide the matter under oath and both sides should follow their decision." Having heard this, Ash'ath came back and related to Ali~ what he had heard.

The people around Ali 4, hurried to accept the proposal. When Mu'awiyah ~ was asked about the man to represent his side, he named Amr bin Al-As 4,. Ali 4, named Abdullah bin Abbas ~- But the proposal was rejected on the plea that Abdullah was his relative. They demanded a neutral person. When Ali 4, left the matter to them, they named Abu Musa Ash'ari ~- But Ali ~ expressed his reluctance declaring him unauthentic. [This attitude related to Ali~ is absolutely baseless.] Second Half of the Rightly-Guided Caliphate However, he yielded to their constant insistence and pressure.

The deliberations were still on when Amr bin Al-As~ turned up to make out the declaration under oath. Making out the Documentation and the Return Amr bin Al-As ~ requested Ali ~ to allow him to take down the document. Ali ~ had him to write down the following: "This declaration between Ali bin Abu Talib and Mu'awiyah bin Abu Sufyan declares that Ali bin Abu Talib has appointed an arbitrator on behalf of the people of Kufah and all those supporting him and, similarly, Mu'awiyah bin Sufyan has appointed an arbitrator on behalf of all who follow him. We, holding the Book of Allah the Almighty and His Order as judge, declare that both of us will follow nothing but the injunctions of Allah and His Book. We abide by the rules of the Quran from Al-Hamd to Al-Nas and declare to follow what is permitted and hold back from what is forbidden.

The two appointed arbitrators are Abu Musa Abdullah bin Qais Ash'ari and Amr bin Al-As. They will give a decision according to the dictates of the Quran otherwise in accordance with the Sunnah if the Quran is found silent over the issue." Following this, the arbitrators Abu Musa Ash'ari ~ and Amr bin AlAs ~ were asked to declare that they would decide the matter according to the Book of Allah and Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah :i and would not allow the Muslim Ummah to become the victim of war, disruption and disunity. Afterwards, the arbitrators were given a period of six months to examine the case and give their judgment at that time at Adhruh near Daumat Al-Jandal located between Kufah and Damascus. It was also decided that Abu Musa Ash'ari ~ while coming from Kufah, would have with him four hundred men sent by Ali ~ and Amr bin Al-As ~, coming from Damascus, also would have an equal number from Mu'awiyah ~. Those eight hundred men will act as representatives of the Muslims as a whole.

Following this, both Ali ~ and Mu'awiyah ~ asked their men to declare on oath that they would not target the lives and properties of the mediators, which was signed by Ash'ath bin Qais, Sa'd bin Qais History of Islam Hamadani, Warqa bin Sumayi Al-Bajali, Abdullah bin Fahl Al-ljli, Hujr bin Adi Kindi, Abdullah bin At-Tufail Al-Amiri, Uqbah bin Ziyad Hadrami, Yazid bin Tajhafah Tamimi, Malik bin Kab Hamadani on behalf of Ali ~ as witnesses and guarantors while Abul-A'war, Habib bin Maslamah, Zamil bin Amr Al-Udhri, Hamzah bin Malik Hamadani, Abdur-Rahman bin Khalid Makhzumi, Subai' bin Yazid Ansari, Utbah bin Abu Sufyan, Yazid bin Al-Hur Absi put their signatures for Mu'awiyah's side. On being finalized, one copy of the declaration was given each to Abu Musa Ash'ari ~ and Amr bin Al-As ~ -Malik Ashtar refused to sign the document. Four days elapsed in giving the declaration a final shape and it was handed over to the arbitrators on Safar 13. Following this, the two armies moved back towards Kufah and Damascus respectively. Mu'awiyah ~ reached Damascus safe and sound but Ali ~ had to face a new trouble.

Trouble caused by the Khawarij When Ali ~ decided to leave the battlefield of Siffin on Safar 13, 37 AH, some people approached him and asked him to attack the Syrian army instead of going back to Kufah. "How can I commit a breach of promise after writing the declaration? We have now to wait until the month of Ramadan without even thinking of war after attaining peace," Ali ~ firmly said. Although they went away, they started seeking support of the people against Ali~ and attempted to form separate groups. Ali ~ left Kufah but a clash of opinions dominated the atmosphere throughout.

Even though Ali ~ worked hard to pacify the situation, it was in vain, for a section was engaged in fanning the fire of discord. The united front of Ali's army was now divided into scores of groups creating dissension and giving rise to chaos and disorder. And from a war of words they had come down to hitting and thrashing each other. Of all the groups, two were strong, one completely opposing Ali ~ and another one eulogizing him beyond all limits in response and in competition with the other group. Thus, the first group came to be called the Khawarij and the second one was the Shiite.

It is quite interesting that the Khawarij group was formed under the leadership Second Half of the Rightly-Guided Caliphate of those who had forced Ali ~ to call Malik Ashtar back threatening him with the consequences of Uthman ~ - Although Ali ~ repeatedly reminded them of their past activities in forcing him to stop fighting and bring peace to the people, but they paid no attention to his claim. At last, twelve thousand men separated themselves from Ali's army and moved towards Haraura'. It was the group of the Khawarij. It settled in Haraura' and set Abdullah bin Al-Kawa the Imam of the prayers and Shabath bin Rib'i the commander. Shabath bin Rib'i was the same person whom Ali~ had twice sent to Mu'awiyah ~ as the member of the peace commission and on both occasions his provocative words worsened the possibility for a peaceful solution and the talks ended in failure.

After establishing their administration in Haraura', the insurgents now declared: "Bai'ah is meant for Allah the Almighty Alone. It is our duty to enjoin the good on people of the land and forbid the evil. There is no caliph or ruler in Islam. After gaining victory, all matters must be settled by mutual consultation of the Muslims and their majority should decide all issues. Both Ali and Mu'awiyah are at fault." When Ali ~ came to know of the uprisings of the Khawarij, he observed utmost patience.

On reaching Kufah, Ali~ consoled the relatives of those who had laid down their lives in Siffin and declared those killed as martyred. He then sent Abdullah bin Abbas ~ to the Khawarij to pacify them and put them on the right path. But they were contentious on all issues and rejected the pleas of Abdullah bin Abbas ~. In the meantime Ali* himself went there. He first visited the camp of Yazid bin Qais because he had more influence on them.

He first offered two Rak'at salah (prayer) and then appointed Yazid bin Qais the governor of Isfahan and Rey. He then came to the assembly where Abdullah bin Abbas ~ was carrying on arguments with them and said, "Who among you is most wise and the leader of the group?" They replied, "Abdullah bin Al-Kawa." Ali ~ then said turning to Abdullah, 'You people had pledged your allegiance to me, then what is the reason behind your turning away after taking Bai'ah?" He replied, "It is because of your undue immovability." History of Islam Ali ~ said, "By Allah! I was not in favor of stopping the battle. But you people forced me to do so. Nevertheless, l have let both the arbitrators decide the issue according to the dictates of the Quran.

Thus if they give a verdict according to the Quran, there is no harm in accepting this; if it is against the Quran, I shall reject it outright." Having heard this, the Khawarij said, "Mu'awiyah revolted and committed the crime of killing the Muslims and so the appointment of arbitrators in this matter is not justified. According to clear injunctions of the Quran he is liable to be killed." Ali J'..k, said, "I have not appointed anybody as arbitrator; the real arbitrator is the Quran by all means and the men are appointed merely to give judgment according to the Book." The Khawarij then said, "What was the need of allotting six-months for the job?" Ali ~ replied, "Maybe the dissenting voices among the Muslims will subside by then." The Khawarij then kept silent. Ali ~ then asked them politely and affectionately, "Come let us go to Kufah and stay there during these six months, your mounts and beasts of burden will grow fat and strong enough to resume fighting against the enemy." Hearing this, they agreed and entered Basrah along with Ali~ and began to await the decision of the arbitrators. Ali ~ then sent Abdullah bin Abbas ~ to Basrah to perform his job as governor. The Decision of the Arbitrators at Adhruh When the end of the six-month period drew near, Ali ~ sent for Abdullah bin Abbas ~ from Basrah.

He then appointed Shuraih bin Hani Al-Harithi in charge of four hundred men and Abdullah bin Abbas ~ to lead the prayers. They were then sent to Adhruh along with Abu Musa Ash'ari ~- Similarly, Mu'awiyah ~ also sent Amr bin Al-As ~ at the head of four hundred men. Some influential men from Makkah and Al-Madinah were also invited to join the peace efforts and they could not refuse to avail the opportunity of bringing the warring Muslims together and stopping the carnage. Several men including Abdullah bin Umar, Abdullah bin Zubair and Sa'd bin Waqqas ~t, came to Adhruh. The people were very curious to know the decision but the arbitrators held it back because they had to exchange views before making any announcement.

Second Half of the Rightly-Guided Caliphate On the eve of the departure of Abu Musa Ash'ari ~ from Kufah to Adhruh, Hurqus bin Zuhair called on Ali ~ on behalf of the Khawarij and submitted, "You have committed a blunder by accepting the arbitrator to give the decision in the matter. There is still time for you to back out from your promise and march on to attack your enemy. We stand by you." Ali ~ said, "I cannot commit a breach of trust." This was the same Hurqus bin Zuhair who had headed the rioters against Uthman ~ and had now joined hands with the Khawarij. Since Abu Musa's departure, Ali~ would write letters to him daily without fail; and Mu'awiyah ~ too did the same, for the issue was too delicate and needed their undivided attention. Ali ~ sent his letters and messages in the name of Abdullah bin Abbas~ while Mu'awiyah ~ addressed them to Amr bin Al-As ~- But the two addresses had different working conditions.

Mu'awiyah's men were too disciplined to ask anything about the letters while Abdullah bin Abbas ~ did not maintain secrecy because his men would sit around him and inquired about the contents of all the letters sent by Ali~- They would grow angry when he kept anything secret. Gradually they turned against him and began to criticize him openly. When Abdullah bin Umar, Abdur-Rahman bin Abu Bakr, Abdullah bin Zubair, Abdur-Rahman bin Al-Harith, Abdur-Rahman bin Abd Yaghuth Zuhri, Abu Jahm bin Hudhaifah, Mughirah bin Shu'bah, and Sa'd bin Waqqas ~ and others reached Adhruh, a meeting of distinguished persons was convened to look into the matter. Amr bin Al-As ~ had Abu Musa ~ admit that Uthman bin Affan ~ was put to death as an innocent man. Amr bin Al-As~ also had him to admit that on account of common ancestry, Mu'awiyah ~ was within his rights to claim Qisiis (retaliation) of Uthman ~- These two issues were never denied by Abu Musa ~ and he accepted both unreluctantly.

Following this, Amr bin Al-As~ raised the issue of the caliphate and said: "Mu'awiyah belongs to a noble and renowned family of the Quraish. He is the brother of Umm Habibah, the wife of the Prophet ~ and the scribe of the revealed words." History of Islam Having heard all this, Abu Musa Ash'ari ~ raised his objection. He said, "Although I don't deny the excellence of Mu'awiyah and how he was entrusted with the responsibility of ruling the Muslims in the presence of Ali and other such men and he commands high respect for all these qualities, Ali still has a far greater right. He is the closest to the Prophet ii by the ties of relationship; he belongs to a very noble family and is reckoned among the chiefs of the Quraish. He also enjoys a distinct place in regard to learning, bravery, and piety." Amr bin AI-As ~ argued, "Mu'awiyah is superior in administrative ability and political vision." Abu Musa ~ replied, "These things are not worthy of consideration in comparison to piety and honesty." After such exchanges, Abu Musa Ash'ari ~ suggested that both Ali ~ and Mu'awiyah ~ be deposed and Abdullah bin Umar ~ be chosen as caliph.

Abdullah bin Umar ~, who was present in the meeting, said in a loud voice, "I don't agree to this suggestion." Amr bin Al-As ~ said to Abu Musa ~, "Why don't you choose my son, Abdullah?" Abu Musa ~ said, "Well, your son is very pious no doubt but you have put him to a great trial by plunging him into the battle." Such inconclusive talks went on for sometime. After this, Amr bin AlAs ~ put forward his proposal and said, "Since hostile relations between Ali~ and Mu'awiyah ~ have brought untold miseries and sufferings to the Muslims as a whole, it is advisable that both should be deposed. Then the Muslims should choose a new caliph unanimously or by a majority opinion. With this suggestion agreed upon between the two, it was decided that the announcement should be made at the opening in front of the general assembly. They, however, anticipated rejection of the proposal by both Ali~ and Mu'awiyah ~ - Nevertheless, a call was sounded for the people to assemble which they did with the utmost curiosity.

Both the arbitrators then appeared on the scene. The Verdict Amr bin Al-As * asked Abu Musa Ash'ari * to announce the decision taken by them. Abu Musa ~ ascended the pulpit and said addressing the people: "People! After much deliberation we could reach one and only one decision. I am sure this verdict will lead the Muslims as a Second Half of the Rightly-Guided Caliphate whole to peace and unity.

Both Amr bin Al-As and I have decided to depose both Ali and Mu'awiyah giving you the right to chose anybody as your caliph." The entire congregation heard it and Abu Musa ~ descended. Now Amr bin Al-As• mounted the pulpit and said to the people: "All of you be witness that Abu Musa had deposed his friend Ali. But I, however, do not depose Mu'awiyah and keep him at his place for he is the successor of the brutally martyred Caliph and has the right to succeed him." Had Amr bin Al-As ~ lent total support to the decision announced by Abu Musa ~ without saying anything in support of Mu'awiyah ~' the judgment would not have suffered such a disgrace and setback. There may be some weakness in the statement of Abu Musa~ but it was decidedly above dishonesty and manipulation and would not have set eight hundred Muslims against it. Even though they were given the right to choose a new caliph, but he could not have been stronger than Ali ~ or Mu'awiyah ~- Furthermore, a third man as a caliph could have aggravated the already tense situation that was filled with bitterness and bad blood.

In truth, Mu'awiyah• was not in favor of peace with Ali ~, otherwise he would have proposed arbitration before the breakout of the battle of Siffin. But he put forward his proposal only when he was sure of his defeat. So, his taking resort to the Book of Allah was nothing but a clever device to escape the certain defeat. Ali~ had, on the other hand, accepted the peace proposal very reluctantly and under serious threat and compulsion. In short, Abdullah bin Abbas ~ and many others blamed Abu Musa Ash'ari ~ of being deceived.

Abu Musa Ash'ari ~; rose to protest against the trick played by Amr bin Al-As ~ with the result that chaos and disorder enveloped the entire place. Shuraih bin Hani attacked Amr bin Al-As ~ with his sword and he responded with a counterattack but the people saved the situation. The erupting disorder went in favor of Mu'awiyah •· It was because the Syrians and the Iraqis could no longer stay in the company of one another and they put up a resolution with common consent to depart. Abu Musa Ash'ari • and Amr bin Al-As ~ left for Damascus along History of Islam with their men while Shuraih and Abdullah bin Abbas ~ proceeded to Kufah in the company of his own people. The people from Makkah and Al-Madinah also left the place dejected and shocked. [The details presented by the compiler and other historians regarding the selection of the arbitrators and the decision have been based on the Shiite narratives and are full of doubts and faults.

It is not imaginable that in the case of such an important issue, the arbitrators had been so negligent that they did nothing for six months and didn't consider any thing until the day of announcement, then suddenly they have announced the decision after a little consideration on some ordinary issues at that time. And in that decision also, one arbitrator had cheated half the nation, inviting the danger of a more severe fight than Siffin between the two parties. In fact, the two arbitrators had reached a compact decision after their sincere efforts of six months and after collecting the opinions of the nation. This decision was also announced but the documentation of the decision has been concealed or destroyed in such a way that there is no trace of it. In its place, a fabricated story has been presented with every possible relief for Ali ~' and with aspects of blames on the Syrians and even the arbitrators. However, from the folds of the events and the overall condition of the occurrences thereafter, the original decision can be extracted as follows: