Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2066
The caliphate of ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib
توقف القتال بين معاوية وعلي ؓ طلبًا للصلح ثُمَّ دَخَلَتْ سَنَةُ سَبْعٍ وَثَلَاثِينَ اسْتَهَلَّتْ هَذِهِ السَّنَةُ وَأَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، ؓ، مُتَوَاقِفٌ هُوَ وَمُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، ؓ، كُلٌّ مِنْهُمَا فِي جُنُودِهِ بِمَكَانٍ يُقَالُ لَهُ: صِفِّينَ بِالْقُرْبِ مِنَ الْفُرَاتِ، شَرْقِيِّ بِلَادِ الشَّامِ، وَقَدِ اقْتَتَلُوا فِي مُدَّةِ شَهْرِ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ، وَفِي بَعْضِ الْأَيَّامِ رُبَّمَا اقْتَتَلُوا مَرَّتَيْنِ، وَجَرَتْ بَيْنَهُمْ حُرُوبٌ يَطُولُ ذِكْرُهَا. وَالْمَقْصُودُ أَنَّهُ لَمَّا دَخَلَ شَهْرُ الْمُحَرَّمِ تَحَاجَزُوا عَنِ الْقِتَالِ، طَلَبًا لِلصُّلْحِ وَرَجَاءَ أَنْ يَقَعَ بَيْنَهُمْ مُهَادَنَةٌ وَمُوَادَعَةٌ يَئُولُ أَمْرُهَا إِلَى الصُّلْحِ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَحَقْنِ دِمَائِهِمْ، فَعَنْ مُحِلِّ بْنِ خَلِيفَةَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا بَعَثَ عَدِيَّ بْنَ حَاتِمٍ، وَيَزِيدَ بْنَ قَيْسٍ الْأَرْحَبِيَّ، وَشَبَثَ بْنَ رِبْعِيٍّ، وَزِيَادَ بْنَ خَصَفَةَ إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ، فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ - وَعَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ إِلَى جَانِبِهِ - قَالَ عَدِيٌّ بَعْدَ حَمْدِ اللَّهِ وَالثَّنَاءِ عَلَيْهِ -: أَمَّا بَعْدُ، يَا مُعَاوِيَةُ فَإِنَّا جِئْنَاكَ نَدْعُوكَ إِلَى أَمْرٍ يَجْمَعُ اللَّهُ بِهِ كَلِمَتَنَا وَأُمَّتَنَا، وَتُحْقَنُ بِهِ دِمَاؤُنَا، وَيَأْمَنُ بِهِ السَّبِيلُ وَيُصْلَحُ بِهِ ذَاتُ الْبَيْنِ ; إِنَّ ابْنَ عَمِّكَ سَيِّدُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَفْضَلُهَا سَابِقَةً، وَأَحْسَنُهَا فِي الْإِسْلَامِ أَثَرًا، وَقَدِ اسْتَجْمَعَ لَهُ النَّاسُ وَقَدْ أَرْشَدَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِالَّذِي رَأَوْا فَلَمْ يَبْقَ أَحَدٌ غَيْرُكُ وَغَيْرُ مَنْ مَعَكَ، فَانْتَهِ يَا مُعَاوِيَةُ لَا يُصِبْكَ اللَّهُ وَأَصْحَابَكَ مِثْلَ مَا أَصَابَ النَّاسَ يَوْمَ الْجَمَلِ. فَقَالَ لَهُ مُعَاوِيَةُ: كَأَنَّكَ إِنَّمَا جِئْتَ مُتَهَدِّدًا وَلَمْ تَأْتِ مُصْلِحًا، هَيْهَاتَ يَا عَدِيُّ، كَلَّا وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لِابْنُ حَرْبٍ، لَا يُقَعْقَعُ لِي بِالشِّنَانِ، أَمَا وَاللَّهِ إِنَّكَ لِمِنَ الْمُجْلِبَيْنِ عَلَى ابْنِ عَفَّانَ، وَإِنَّكَ لَمِنْ قَتَلَتِهِ، وَإِنِّي لَأَرْجُو أَنْ تَكُونَ مِمَّنْ يَقْتُلُهُ اللَّهُ بِهِ. وَتَكَلَّمَ شَبَثُ بْنُ رِبْعِيٍّ، وَزِيَادُ بْنُ خَصَفَةَ فَذَكَرَا مِنْ فَضْلِ عَلِيٍّ، وَقَالَا: اتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَا مُعَاوِيَةُ وَلَا تُخَالِفْهُ، فَإِنَّا وَاللَّهِ مَا رَأَيْنَا رَجُلًا قَطُّ أَعْمَلَ بِالتَّقْوَى، وَلَا أَزْهَدَ فِي الدُّنْيَا، وَلَا أَجْمَعَ لِخِصَالِ الْخَيْرِ كُلِّهَا مِنْهُ. فَتَكَلَّمَ مُعَاوِيَةُ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّكُمْ دَعَوْتُمُونِي إِلَى الْجَمَاعَةِ وَالطَّاعَةِ، فَأَمَّا الْجَمَاعَةُ فَنِعِمَّا هِيَ، وَأَمَّا الطَّاعَةُ فَكَيْفَ أُطِيعُ رَجُلًا أَعَانَ عَلَى قَتْلِ عُثْمَانَ وَهُوَ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَقْتُلْهُ ؟ وَنَحْنُ لَا نَرُدُّ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِ وَلَا نَتَّهِمُهُ بِهِ، وَلَكِنَّهُ أَوَى قَتَلَتَهُ ; فَيَدْفَعَهُمْ إِلَيْنَا حَتَّى نَقْتُلَهُمْ، ثُمَّ نَحْنُ نُجِيبُكُمْ إِلَى الطَّاعَةِ وَالْجَمَاعَةِ. فَقَالَ لَهُ شَبَثُ بْنُ رِبْعِيٍّ: أَنْشُدُكَ اللَّهَ يَا مُعَاوِيَةَ، لَوْ تَمَكَّنْتَ مَنْ عَمَّارٍ أَكُنْتَ قَاتِلَهُ بِعُثْمَانَ ؟ فَقَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ: وَاللَّهِ لَوْ تَمَكَّنْتُ مِنَ ابْنِ سُمَيَّةَ مَا قَتَلْتُهُ بِعُثْمَانَ، وَلَكِنِّي كُنْتُ أَقْتُلُهُ بِغُلَامِ عُثْمَانَ. فَقَالَ لَهُ شَبَثُ بْنُ رِبْعِيٍّ: وَإِلَهِ الْأَرْضِ وَالسَّمَاءِ لَا تَصِلُ إِلَى قَتْلِ عَمَّارٍ حَتَّى تَنْدُرَ الرُّءُوسُ عَنْ كَوَاهِلِهَا، وَيَضِيقُ فَضَاءُ الْأَرْضِ وَرَحْبُهَا عَلَيْكَ. فَقَالَ لَهُ مُعَاوِيَةُ: لَوْ قَدْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ كَانَتْ عَلَيْكَ أَضْيَقَ. وَخَرَجَ الْقَوْمُ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ فَذَهَبُوا إِلَى عَلِيٍّ فَأَخْبَرُوهُ الْخَبَرَ. بعث معاوية إلى علي وَبَعَثَ مُعَاوِيَةُ حَبِيبَ بْنَ مَسْلَمَةَ الْفِهْرِيَّ، وَشُرَحْبِيلَ بْنَ السِّمْطِ، وَمَعْنَ بْنَ يَزِيدَ بْنِ الْأَخْنَسِ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ، فَدَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ، فَبَدَأَ حَبِيبٌ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّ عُثْمَانَ بْنَ عَفَّانَ كَانَ خَلِيفَةً مَهْدِيًّا، عَمِلَ بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَثَبَتَ لِأَمْرِ اللَّهِ، فَاسْتَثْقَلْتُمْ حَيَاتَهُ، وَاسْتَبْطَأْتُمْ وَفَاتَهُ، فَعَدَوْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ فَقَتَلْتُمُوهُ، فَادْفَعْ إِلَيْنَا قَتَلَةَ عُثْمَانَ - إِنْ زَعَمْتَ أَنَّكَ لَمْ تَقْتُلْهُ - ثُمَّ اعْتَزِلْ أَمْرَ النَّاسِ، فَيَكُونَ أَمْرُهُمْ شُورَى بَيْنَهُمْ، فَيُوَلِّي النَّاسُ أَمْرَهُمْ مَنْ أَجْمَعُوا عَلَيْهِ رَأْيَهُمْ. فَقَالَ لَهُ عَلِيٌّ: وَمَا أَنْتَ، لَا أُمَّ لَكَ وَهَذَا الْأَمْرَ وَهَذَا الْعَزْلَ، فَاسْكُتْ فَإِنَّكَ لَسْتَ هُنَاكَ وَلَا بِأَهْلٍ لِذَاكَ. فَقَالَ لَهُ حَبِيبٌ: أَمَا وَاللَّهِ لَتَرَيَنِّي حَيْثُ تَكْرَهُ. فَقَالَ لَهُ عَلِيٌّ: وَمَا أَنْتَ وَلَوْ أَجَلَبْتَ بِخَيْلِكَ وَرَجِلِكَ لَا أَبْقَى اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ إِنْ أَبْقَيْتَ، اذْهَبْ فَصَعِّدْ وَصَوِّبْ مَا بَدَا لَكَ. محاولة قراء أهل العراق الصلح بين معاوية وعلي وَقَدْ رَوَى أَنَّ قُرَّاءَ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ، وَقُرَّاءَ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ عَسْكَرُوا نَاحِيَةً، وَكَانُوا قَرِيبًا مِنْ ثَلَاثِينَ أَلْفًا، وَأَنَّ جَمَاعَةً مِنْ قُرَّاءِ الْعِرَاقِ ; مِنْهُمْ عَبِيدَةُ السُّلْمَانِيُّ، وَعَلْقَمَةُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ، وَعَامِرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ قَيْسٍ، وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُتْبَةَ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، وَغَيْرُهُمْ جَاءُوا إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ فَقَالُوا لَهُ: مَا تَطْلُبُ ؟ قَالَ: أَطْلُبُ بِدَمِ عُثْمَانَ. قَالُوا: لِمَنْ تَطْلُبُ بِهِ ؟ قَالَ: عَلِيًّا. قَالُوا: أَهْوَ قَتَلَهُ ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، وَأَوَى قَتَلَتَهُ. فَانْصَرَفُوا إِلَى عَلِيٍّ فَذَكَرُوا لَهُ مَا قَالَ، فَقَالَ: كَذَبَ، لَمْ أَقْتُلْهُ وَأَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ أَنِّي لَمْ أَقْتُلْهُ. فَرَجَعُوا إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ فَأَخْبَرُوهُ، فَقَالَ: إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ قَتَلَهُ بِيَدِهِ فَقَدْ أَمَرَ بِقَتْلِهِ وَمَالَأَ عَلَيْهِ. فَرَجَعُوا إِلَى عَلِيٍّ فَأَخْبَرُوهُ، فَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ لَا قَتَلْتُ وَلَا أَمَرْتُ وَلَا مَالَأْتُ، فَرَجَعُوا إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ فَأَخْبَرُوهُ، فَقَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ: إِنْ كَانَ صَادِقًا فَلْيُقِدْنَا مِنْ قَتَلَةِ عُثْمَانَ، فَإِنَّهُمْ فِي عَسْكَرِهِ وَجُنْدِهِ. فَرَجَعُوا إِلَى عَلِيٍّ فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ: تَأَوَّلَ الْقَوْمُ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنَ فِي فِتْنَةٍ وَوَقَعَتِ الْفُرْقَةُ لِأَجْلِهَا، وَقَتَلُوهُ فِي سُلْطَانِهِ وَلَيْسَ لِي عَلَيْهِمْ سَبِيلٌ. فَرَجَعُوا إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ فَأَخْبَرُوهُ، فَقَالَ: إِنْ كَانَ الْأَمْرُ عَلَى مَا يَقُولُ، فَمَا لَهُ انْتَهَزَ الْأَمْرَ دُونَنَا مِنْ غَيْرِ مَشُورَةٍ مِنَّا وَلَا مِمَّنْ هَاهُنَا ؟ فَرَجَعُوا إِلَى عَلِيٍّ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّمَا النَّاسُ تَبَعُ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ، فَهُمْ شُهُودُ النَّاسِ عَلَى وِلَايَتِهِمْ وَأَمْرِ دِينِهِمْ، وَقَدْ رَضُوا وَبَايَعُونِي، وَلَسْتُ أَسْتَحِلُّ أَنْ أَدَعَ مِثْلَ مُعَاوِيَةَ يَحْكُمُ عَلَى الْأُمَّةِ وَيَشُقُّ عَصَاهَا. فَرَجَعُوا إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ، فَقَالَ: مَا بَالُ مَنْ هَاهُنَا مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ لَمْ يَدْخُلُوا فِي هَذَا الْأَمْرِ ؟ فَرَجَعُوا إِلَى عَلِيٍّ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّمَا هَذَا لِلْبَدْرِيِّينَ دُونَ غَيْرِهِمْ، وَلَيْسَ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْأَرْضِ بَدْرِيٌّ إِلَّا وَهُوَ مَعِي، وَقَدْ تَابَعَنِي وَبَايَعَنِي وَرَضِيَ بِي، فَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُمْ مِنْ دِينِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ. قَالَ: فَأَقَامُوا يَتَرَاسَلُونَ فِي ذَلِكَ مُدَّةَ شَهْرِ رَبِيعٍ الْآخِرِ وَجُمَادَيَيْنِ، وَيَفْزَعُونَ فِي غُبُونِ ذَلِكَ الْفَزْعَةَ بَعْدَ الْفَزْعَةِ، وَيَزْحَفُ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ، وَيَحْجِزُ بَيْنَهُمُ الْقُرَّاءُ، فَلَا يَكُونُ فِي ذَلِكَ قِتَالٌ. قَالَ: فَفَزِعُوا فِي ثَلَاثَةِ أَشْهُرٍ خَمْسَةً وَثَمَانِينَ فَزْعَةً. محاولة أبو الدرداء وأبو أمامة للصلح بين معاوية وعلي قَالَ: وَخَرَجَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ وَأَبُو أُمَامَةَ، فَدَخَلَا عَلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ، فَقَالَا لَهُ: يَا مُعَاوِيَةُ، عَلَامَ تُقَاتِلُ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ ؟ فَوَاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَأَقْدَمُ مِنْكَ وَمِنْ أَبِيكَ سَلْمًا، وَأَقْرَبُ مِنْكَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، وَأَحَقُّ بِهَذَا الْأَمْرِ مِنْكَ. فَقَالَ: أُقَاتِلُهُ عَلَى دَمِ عُثْمَانَ، وَأَنَّهُ أَوَى قَتَلَتَهُ، فَاذْهَبَا إِلَيْهِ فَقُولَا لَهُ فَلْيُقِدْنَا مِنْ قَتَلَةِ عُثْمَانَ، ثُمَّ أَنَا أَوَّلُ مَنْ يُبَايِعُهُ مَنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ. فَذَهَبَا إِلَى عَلِيٍّ، فَقَالَا لَهُ ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ: هَؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ تَرَوْنَ. فَخَرَجَ خَلْقٌ كَثِيرٌ فَقَالُوا: كُلُّنَا قَتَلَةُ عُثْمَانَ فَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيَرْمِنَا وَلْيَكِدْنَا. قَالَ: فَرَجَعَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ وَأَبُو أُمَامَةَ فَلَمْ يَشْهَدَا لَهُمْ قِتَالًا، بَلْ لَزِمَا بُيُوتَهُمَا. خداع معاوية بتفجير الفرات وَقَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ بِإِسْنَادِهِ: حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ رَجَبٌ وَخَشِيَ مُعَاوِيَةُ أَنْ تُبَايِعَ الْقُرَّاءُ كُلُّهُمْ عَلِيًّا، كَتَبَ فِي سَهْمٍ: مِنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ النَّاصِحِ، يَا مَعْشَرَ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ، إِنَّ مُعَاوِيَةَ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَفْجُرَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْفُرَاتَ لِيُغْرِقَكُمْ، فَخُذُوا حِذْرَكُمْ. وَرَمَى بِهِ فِي جَيْشِ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ. فَأَخَذَهُ النَّاسُ فَقَرَأُوهُ وَتَحَدَّثُوا بِهِ، وَذَكَرُوهُ لِعَلِيٍّ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّ هَذَا مَا لَا يَكُونُ وَلَا يَقَعُ. وَشَاعَ ذَلِكَ فِيهِمْ، وَبَعَثَ مُعَاوِيَةُ مِائَتَيْ فَاعِلٍ يَحْفِرُونَ فِي جَنْبِ الْفُرَاتِ وَبَلَغَ النَّاسَ ذَلِكَ، فَخَافَ أَهْلُ الْعِرَاقِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَفَزِعُوا إِلَى عَلِيٍّ، فَقَالَ: وَيَحْكُمُ إِنَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَخْدَعَكُمْ وَيُوهِنَ كَيْدَكُمْ، لِيُزِيلَكُمْ عَنْ مَكَانِكُمْ هَذَا وَيَنْزِلَ فِيهِ ; لِأَنَّهُ خَشِيَ مِنْ مَكَانِهِ. فَقَالُوا: لَا بُدَّ أَنْ نَرْتَحِلَ عَنْ هَذَا الْمَكَانِ. فَارْتَحَلُوا مِنْهُ - وَجَاءَ مُعَاوِيَةُ فَنَزَلَهُ بِجَيْشِهِ - وَكَانَ عَلِيٌّ آخَرَ مَنِ ارْتَحَلَ، فَنَزَلَ بِهِمْ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: فَلَوْ أَنِّي أَطَعْتُ عَصَمْتُ قَوْمِي إِلَى رُكْنِ الْيَمَامَةِ أَوْ شَمَامِ وَلَكِنِّي إِذَا أَبْرَمْتُ أَمْرًا يُخَالِفُهُ الطَّغَامُ بَنُو الطَّغَامِ قَالَ: فَأَقَامُوا إِلَى شَهْرِ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ ثُمَّ شَرَعُوا فِي الْقِتَالِ، فَجَعَلَ عَلِيٌّ يُؤَمِّرُ عَلَى الْحَرْبِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ رَجُلًا، وَأَكْثَرُ مَنْ كَانَ يُؤَمِّرُ الْأَشْتَرُ. وَكَذَلِكَ مُعَاوِيَةُ كَانَ يُؤَمِّرُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ أَمِيرًا. تعبئة جيشي علي ومعاوية والاستعداد للقتال قَالَ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ، رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: ثُمَّ لَمْ تَزَلِ الرُّسُلُ تَتَرَدَّدُ بَيْنَ عَلِيٍّ وَمُعَاوِيَةَ، وَالنَّاسُ كَافُّونَ عَنِ الْقِتَالِ حَتَّى انْسَلَخَ الْمُحَرَّمُ مِنْ هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ، وَلَمْ يَقَعْ بَيْنَهُمْ صُلْحٌ، فَأَمَرَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ مَرْثَدَ بْنَ الْحَارِثِ الْجُشَمِيَّ، فَنَادَى أَهْلَ الشَّامِ عِنْدَ غُرُوبِ الشَّمْسِ: أَلَا إِنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَقُولُ لَكُمْ: إِنِّي قَدِ اسْتَدَمْتُكُمْ لِتُرَاجِعُوا الْحَقَّ، وَأَقَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمُ الْحُجَّةَ فَلَمْ تُجِيبُوا، وَإِنِّي قَدْ أَعْذَرْتُ إِلَيْكُمْ وَنَبَذْتُ إِلَيْكُمْ عَلَى سَوَاءٍ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْخَائِنِينَ. فَفَزِعَ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ إِلَى أُمَرَائِهِمْ فَأَعْلَمُوهُمْ بِمَا سَمِعُوا الْمُنَادِي يُنَادِي بِهِ، فَنَهَضَ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ مُعَاوِيَةُ وَعَمْرٌو، فَعَبَّيَا الْجَيْشَ مَيْمَنَةً وَمَيْسَرَةً، وَبَاتَ عَلِيٌّ يُعَبِّي جَيْشَهُ مِنْ لَيْلَتِهِ، فَجَعَلَ عَلَى خَيْلِ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ الْأَشْتَرَ النَّخَعِيَّ، وَعَلَى رَجَّالَتِهِمْ عَمَّارَ بْنَ يَاسِرٍ، وَعَلَى خَيْلِ أَهْلِ الْبَصْرَةِ سَهْلَ بْنَ حُنَيْفٍ، وَعَلَى رَجَّالَتِهِمْ قَيْسَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ وَهَاشِمَ بْنَ عُتْبَةَ، وَعَلَى قُرَّائِهِمْ مِسْعَرَ بْنَ فَدَكِيٍّ التَّمِيمِيَّ، وَتَقَدَّمَ عَلِيٌّ إِلَى النَّاسِ أَنْ لَا يَبْدَأُوا أَحَدًا بِقِتَالٍ حَتَّى يَبْدَأَهُمْ وَيَعْتَدِيَ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَأَنَّهُ لَا يُذَفَّفُ عَلَى جَرِيحٍ، وَلَا يُتْبَعُ مُدْبِرٌ، وَلَا يُكْشَفُ سِتْرَ امْرَأَةٍ وَلَا تُهَانُ وَإِنْ شَتَمَتْ أُمَرَاءَ النَّاسِ وَصُلَحَاءَهُمْ. وَبَرَزَ مُعَاوِيَةُ صُبْحَ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ وَقَدْ جَعَلَ عَلَى الْمَيْمَنَةِ ابْنَ ذِي الْكَلَاعِ الْحِمْيَرِيَّ، وَعَلَى الْمَيْسَرَةِ حَبِيبَ بْنَ مَسْلَمَةَ الْفِهْرِيَّ، وَعَلَى الْمُقَدِّمَةِ أَبَا الْأَعْوَرِ السُّلَمِيَّ، وَعَلَى خَيْلِ دِمَشْقَ عَمْرَو بْنَ الْعَاصِ، وَعَلَى رَجَّالَتِهِمُ الضَّحَّاكَ بْنَ قَيْسٍ. وَعَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الْبَاقِرِ، وَزَيْدِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ، وَغَيْرِهِمَا، قَالُوا: لَمَّا بَلَغَ مُعَاوِيَةَ مَسِيرُ عَلِيٍّ إِلَيْهِ، سَارَ مُعَاوِيَةُ نَحْوَ عَلِيٍّ وَاسْتَعْمَلَ عَلَى مُقَدِّمَتِهِ سُفْيَانَ بْنَ عَمْرٍو أَبَا الْأَعْوَرِ السُّلَمِيَّ، وَعَلَى السَّاقَةِ بُسْرَ بْنَ أَرْطَاةَ حَتَّى تَوَافَوْا جَمِيعًا بِقُنَاصِرِينَ إِلَى جَانِبِ صِفِّينَ. وَزَادَ ابْنُ الْكَلْبِيِّ فَقَالَ: جَعَلَ عَلَى الْمُقَدِّمَةِ أَبَا الْأَعْوَرِ السُّلَمِيَّ، وَعَلَى السَّاقَةِ بُسْرًا، وَعَلَى الْخَيْلِ عُبَيْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ، وَدَفَعَ اللِّوَاءَ إِلَى عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ خَالِدِ بْنِ الْوَلِيدِ، وَجَعَلَ عَلَى الْمَيْمَنَةِ حَبِيبَ بْنَ مَسْلَمَةَ، وَعَلَى رَجَّالَتِهَا يَزِيدَ بْنَ زَحْرٍ الْعَنْسِيَّ، وَعَلَى الْمَيْسَرَةِ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ، وَعَلَى رَجَّالَتِهَا حَابِسَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ الطَّائِيَّ، وَعَلَى خَيْلِ دِمَشْقَ الضَّحَّاكَ بْنَ قَيْسٍ، وَعَلَى رَجَّالَتِهِمْ يَزِيدَ بْنَ لَبِيدِ بْنِ كُرْزٍ الْبَجَلِيَّ، وَجَعَلَ عَلَى أَهْلِ حِمْصَ ذَا الْكَلَاعِ، وَعَلَى أَهْلِ فِلَسْطِينَ مَسْلَمَةَ بْنَ مُخَلَّدٍ،. خطبة معاوية وعلي في صفين وَقَامَ مُعَاوِيَةُ فِي النَّاسِ خَطِيبًا، فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، وَاللَّهِ مَا أَصَبْتُ الشَّامَ إِلَّا بِالطَّاعَةِ، وَلَا أَضْبِطُ حَرْبَ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ إِلَّا بِالصَّبْرِ، وَلَا أُكَابِدُ أَهْلَ الْحِجَازِ إِلَّا بِاللُّطْفِ، وَقَدْ تَهَيَّأْتُمْ وَسِرْتُمْ لِتَمْنَعُوا الشَّامَ وَتَأْخُذُوا الْعِرَاقَ، وَسَارَ الْقَوْمُ لِيَمْنَعُوا الْعِرَاقَ وَيَأْخُذُوا الشَّامَ وَلَعَمْرِي مَا لِلشَّامِ رَجَاءٌ فِي الْعِرَاقِ وَلَا أَمْوَالِهَا، وَلَا لِلْعِرَاقِ خِبْرَةُ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ وَلَا بَصَائِرُهَا، مَعَ أَنَّ لِلْقَوْمِ أَعْدَادَهُمْ، وَلَيْسَ بَعْدَكُمْ غَيْرُكُمْ، فَإِنْ غَلَبْتُمُوهُمْ فَلَيْسَ تَغْلِبُوهُمْ إِلَّا مِنْ أَنَاتِكُمْ وَصَبْرِكُمْ، وَإِنْ غَلَبُوكُمْ غَلَبُوا مَنْ بَعْدَكُمْ، وَالْقَوْمُ لَاقُوكُمْ بِكَيْدِ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ، وَرِقَّةِ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ، وَبَصَائِرِ أَهْلِ الْحِجَازِ، وَقَسْوَةِ أَهْلِ مِصْرَ، وَإِنَّمَا يُنْصَرُ غَدًا مَنْ يُنْصَرُ الْيَوْمَ، فَاسْتَعِينُوا بِاللَّهِ وَاصْبِرُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ. فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ عَلِيًّا خُطْبَةُ مُعَاوِيَةَ، قَامَ فِي أَصْحَابِهِ أَيْضًا خَطِيبًا وَحَضَّهُمْ عَلَى الْجِهَادِ، وَمَدَحَهُمْ بِالصَّبْرِ وَشَجَّعَهُمْ بِكَثْرَتِهِمْ بِالنِّسْبَةِ إِلَى أَهْلِ الشَّامِ. اليوم الأول والثاني والثالث من موقعة صفين قَالَ جَابِرٌ الْجُعْفِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الْبَاقِرِ، وَزَيْدِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ، وَغَيْرِهِمَا قَالُوا: سَارَ عَلِيٌّ إِلَى الشَّامِ فِي مِائَةٍ وَخَمْسِينَ أَلْفًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ، وَأَقْبَلَ مُعَاوِيَةُ فِي نَحْوٍ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ. وَقَالَ غَيْرُهُمْ: أَقْبَلَ عَلِيٌّ فِي مِائَةِ أَلْفٍ أَوْ يَزِيدُونَ، وَأَقْبَلَ مُعَاوِيَةُ فِي مِائَةِ أَلْفٍ وَثَلَاثِينَ أَلْفًا. ذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ ابْنُ دِيزِيلَ فِي كِتَابِهِ. وَقَدْ تَعَاقَدَ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ عَلَى أَنْ لَا يَفِرُّوا، فَعَقَلُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ بِالْعَمَائِمِ، وَكَانَ هَؤُلَاءِ خَمْسَةَ صُفُوفٍ، وَمَعَهُمْ سِتَّةُ صُفُوفٍ آخَرِينَ، وَكَذَلِكَ أَهْلُ الْعِرَاقِ كَانُوا أَحَدَ عَشَرَ صَفًّا أَيْضًا، فَتَوَاقَفُوا عَلَى هَذِهِ الصِّفَةِ أَوَّلَ يَوْمٍ مِنْ صَفَرٍ، وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ يَوْمَ الْأَرْبِعَاءِ، وَكَانَ أَمِيرَ الْحَرْبِ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْعِرَاقِيِّينَ الْأَشْتَرُ النَّخَعِيُّ، وَأَمِيرَ الْحَرْبِ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلشَّامِيِّينَ حَبِيبُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، فَاقْتَتَلُوا ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا، ثُمَّ تَرَاجَعُوا مِنْ آخِرِ يَوْمِهِمْ، وَقَدِ انْتَصَفَ بَعْضُهُمْ مِنْ بَعْضٍ، وَتَكَافَئُوا فِي الْقِتَالِ، ثُمَّ أَصْبَحُوا مِنَ الْغَدِ يَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ وَأَمِيرُ حَرْبِ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ هَاشِمُ بْنُ عُتْبَةَ، وَأَمِيرُ الشَّامِيِّينَ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَبُو الْأَعْوَرِ السُّلَمِيُّ، فَاقْتَتَلُوا قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا ; تَحْمِلُ الْخَيْلُ عَلَى الْخَيْلِ، وَالرِّجَالُ عَلَى الرِّجَالُ، ثُمَّ تَرَاجَعُوا مِنْ آخِرِ يَوْمِهِمْ، وَقَدْ صَبَرَ كُلٌّ مِنَ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ لِلْآخَرِ وَتَكَافَئُوا، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ - وَهُوَ يَوْمُ الْجُمُعَةِ - عَمَّارُ بْنُ يَاسِرٍ مِنْ نَاحِيَةِ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ، وَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ فِي الشَّامِيِّينَ فَاقْتَتَلَ النَّاسُ قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا، وَحَمَلَ عَمَّارٌ عَلَى عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ، فَأَزَالَهُ عَنْ مَوْقِفِهِ، وَبَارَزَ زِيَادُ بْنُ النَّضْرِ الْحَارِثِيُّ - وَكَانَ عَلَى الْخَيَّالَةِ يَوْمَئِذٍ - رَجُلًا، فَلَمَّا تَوَاقَفَا تَعَارَفَا فَإِذَا هُمَا أَخَوَانِ مِنْ أُمٍّ، فَانْصَرَفَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا إِلَى قَوْمِهِ، وَتَرَكَ صَاحِبَهُ، وَتَرَاجَعَ النَّاسُ مِنَ الْعَشِيِّ، وَقَدْ صَبَرَ كُلُّ فَرِيقٍ لِصَاحِبِهِ. اليوم الرابع حتى السابع من موقعة صفين وَخَرَجَ فِي الْيَوْمِ الرَّابِعِ - وَهُوَ يَوْمُ السَّبْتِ - مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، وَهُوَ ابْنُ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ، وَمَعَهُ جَمْعٌ عَظِيمٌ، فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ فِي جَحْفَلٍ كَثِيرٍ مِنْ جِهَةِ الشَّامِيِّينَ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ، فَاقْتَتَلَ النَّاسُ قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا، وَبَرَزَ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ، فَطَلَبَ مِنَ ابْنِ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ أَنْ يَبْرُزَ إِلَيْهِ، فَبَرَزَ إِلَيْهِ، فَلَمَّا كَادَا أَنْ يَقْتَرِبَا قَالَ عَلِيٌّ: مَنِ الْمُبَارِزُ ؟ قَالُوا: مُحَمَّدٌ ابْنُكُ وَعُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ. فَيُقَالُ: إِنَّ عَلِيًّا حَرَّكَ دَابَّتَهُ وَأَمَرَ ابْنَهُ أَنْ يَتَوَقَّفَ، وَتَقَدَّمَ عَلِيٌّ إِلَى عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ: تَقَدَّمْ إِلَيَّ. فَقَالَ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ: لَا حَاجَةَ لِي فِي مُبَارَزَتِكَ. فَقَالَ: بَلَى. فَقَالَ: لَا. فَرَجَعَ عَنْهُ عَلِيٌّ وَتَحَاجَزَ النَّاسُ يَوْمَهُمْ ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فِي الْيَوْمِ الْخَامِسِ - وَهُوَ يَوْمُ الْأَحَدِ - فِي الْعِرَاقِيِّينَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، وَفِي الشَّامِيِّينَ الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ عُقْبَةَ، فَاقْتَتَلَ النَّاسُ قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا وَجَعَلَ الْوَلِيدُ يَنَالُ مِنَ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ - فِيمَا ذَكَرَهُ أَبُو مِخْنَفٍ - وَيَقُولُ: قَتَلْتُمْ خَلِيفَتَكُمْ وَلَمْ تَنَالُوا مَا طَلَبْتُمْ، وَوَاللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ نَاصِرُنَا عَلَيْكُمْ. فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: فَابْرُزْ إِلَيَّ. فَأَبَى عَلَيْهِ. وَيُقَالُ: إِنَّ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ قَاتَلَ يَوْمَئِذٍ قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا بِنَفْسِهِ، ؓ، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فِي الْيَوْمِ السَّادِسِ - وَهُوَ يَوْمُ الِاثْنَيْنِ - مِنْ جِهَةِ عَلِيٍّ عَلَى الْعِرَاقِيِّينَ قَيْسُ بْنُ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَادَةَ، وَمِنْ جِهَةِ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ ابْنُ ذِي الْكَلَاعِ، فَاقْتَتَلُوا قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا أَيْضًا، وَتَصَابَرُوا ثُمَّ تَرَاجَعُوا، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ الْأَشْتَرُ النَّخَعِيُّ فِي الْيَوْمِ السَّابِعِ - وَهُوَ يَوْمُ الثُّلَاثَاءِ - مِنْ جِهَةِ عَلِيٍّ، وَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ قِرْنُهُ مِنْ جِهَةِ مُعَاوِيَةَ، وَهُوَ حَبِيبُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، فَاقْتَتَلُوا قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا أَيْضًا، وَلَمْ يَغْلِبْ أَحَدٌ أَحَدًا فِي هَذِهِ الْأَيَّامِ كُلِّهَا. تعبئة معاوية وعلي ؓ جيوشهما مرة أخرى واشتداد القتال عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ وَهْبٍ، أَنَّ عَلِيًّا قَالَ: حَتَّى مَتَى لَا نُنَاهِضُ هَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمَ بِأَجْمَعِنَا ؟ ثُمَّ قَامَ فِي النَّاسِ عَشِيَّةَ الْأَرْبِعَاءِ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ، فَقَالَ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي لَا يُبْرَمُ مَا نَقَضَ، وَمَا أَبْرَمَ لَمْ يَنْقُضْهُ النَّاقِضُونَ، لَوْ شَاءَ مَا اخْتَلَفَ اثْنَانِ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ، وَلَا تَنَازَعَتِ الْأُمَّةُ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ، وَلَا جَحَدَ الْمَفْضُولُ ذَا الْفَضْلِ فَضْلَهُ، وَقَدْ سَاقَتْنَا وَهَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمَ الْأَقْدَارُ، فَلَفَّتْ بَيْنَنَا فِي هَذَا الْمَكَانِ، فَنَحْنُ مِنْ رَبِّنَا بِمَرْأَى وَمَسْمَعٍ، فَلَوْ شَاءَ لَعَجَّلَ النِّقْمَةَ، وَكَانَ مِنْهُ التَّغْيِيرُ حَتَّى يُكَذِّبَ اللَّهُ الظَّالِمَ، وَيُعْلَمَ الْحَقُّ أَيْنَ مَصِيرُهُ، وَلَكِنَّهُ جَعَلَ الدُّنْيَا دَارَ الْأَعْمَالِ، وَجَعَلَ الْآخِرَةَ عِنْدَهُ هِيَ دَارُ الْقَرَارِ لِيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُوا بِمَا عَمِلُوا وَيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا بِالْحُسْنَى [ النَّجْمِ: 31 ]. أَلَا وَإِنَّكُمْ لَاقُوا الْقَوْمِ غَدًا فَأَطِيلُوا اللَّيْلَةَ الْقِيَامَ، وَأَكْثِرُوا تِلَاوَةَ الْقُرْآنِ، وَأَسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ النَّصْرَ وَالصَّبْرَ، وَالْقَوْهُمْ بِالْجِدِّ وَالْحَزْمِ، وَكُونُوا صَادِقِينَ. قَالَ: فَوَثَبَ النَّاسُ إِلَى سُيُوفِهِمْ وَرِمَاحِهِمْ وَنِبَالِهِمْ يُصْلِحُونَهَا. قَالَ: وَمَرَّ بِالنَّاسِ وَهُمْ كَذَلِكَ كَعْبُ بْنُ جُعَيْلٍ التَّغْلَبِيُّ، فَرَأَى مَا يَصْنَعُونَ فَجَعَلَ يَقُولُ: أَصْبَحَتِ الْأَمَّةُ فِي أَمْرِ عَجَبْ وَالْمُلْكُ مَجْمُوعٌ غَدًا لِمَنْ غَلَبْ فَقُلْتُ قَوْلًا صَادِقًا غَيْرَ كَذِبْ إِنَّ غَدًا تَهْلِكُ أَعْلَامُ الْعَرَبْ قَالَ: ثُمَّ أَصْبَحَ عَلِيٌّ فِي جُنُودِهِ قَدْ عَبَّأَهُمْ كَمَا أَرَادَ، وَرَكِبَ مُعَاوِيَةُ فِي جَيْشِهِ قَدْ عَبَّأَهُمْ كَمَا أَرَادَ، وَقَدْ أَمَرَ عَلِيٌّ كُلَّ قَبِيلَةِ مَنْ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ أَنْ تَكْفِيَهُ أُخْتَهَا مَنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ، ثُمَّ زَحَفَ النَّاسُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ، فَتَقَاتَلُوا قِتَالًا عَظِيمًا لَا يَفِرُّ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَحَدٍ وَلَا يَغْلِبُ أَحَدٌ أَحَدًا، ثُمَّ تَحَاجَزُوا عِنْدَ الْعَشِيِّ وَأَصْبَحَ عَلِيٌّ فَصَلَّى الْفَجْرَ بِغَلَسٍ وَبَاكَرَ الْقِتَالَ، ثُمَّ اسْتَقْبَلَ أَهْلَ الشَّامِ فَاسْتَقْبَلُوهُ بِوُجُوهِهِمْ، فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ فِيمَا رَوَاهُ أَبُو مِخْنَفٍ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ وَهْبٍ: اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ السَّقْفِ الْمَحْفُوظِ الْمَكْفُوفِ الَّذِي جَعَلْتَهُ مَغِيضًا لِلَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ، وَجَعَلْتَ فِيهِ مَجْرَى الشَّمْسِ وَالْقَمَرِ وَمَنَازِلَ النُّجُومِ، وَجَعَلْتَ فِيهِ سِبْطًا مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ لَا يَسْأَمُونَ الْعِبَادَةَ، وَرَبَّ هَذِهِ الْأَرْضِ الَّتِي جَعَلْتَهَا قَرَارًا لِلْأَنَامِ وَالْهَوَامِّ وَالْأَنْعَامِ، وَمَا لَا يُحْصَى مِمَّا يُرَى وَمَا لَا يُرَى مِنْ خَلْقِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، وَرَبَّ الْفُلْكِ الَّتِي تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنْفَعُ النَّاسَ، وَرَبَّ السَّحَابِ الْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ، وَرَبَّ الْبَحْرِ الْمَسْجُورِ الْمُحِيطِ بِالْعَالَمِ، وَرَبَّ الْجِبَالِ الرَّوَاسِي الَّتِي جَعَلْتَهَا لِلْأَرْضِ أَوْتَادًا وَلِلْخَلْقِ مَتَاعًا، إِنْ أَظَهَرْتَنَا عَلَى عَدُوِّنَا فَجَنِّبْنَا الْبَغْيَ وَالْفَسَادَ وَسَدِّدْنَا لِلْحَقِّ، وَإِنْ أَظَهَرْتَهُمْ عَلَيْنَا فَارْزُقْنِي الشَّهَادَةَ، وَجَنِّبْ بَقِيَّةَ أَصْحَابِي مِنَ الْفِتْنَةِ. ثُمَّ تَقَدَّمَ عَلِيٌّ وَهُوَ فِي الْقَلْبِ فِي أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَعَلَى مَيْمَنَتِهِ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ بُدَيْلٍ، وَعَلَى الْمَيْسَرَةِ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، وَعَلَى الْقُرَّاءِ عَمَّارُ بْنُ يَاسِرٍ وَقَيْسُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، وَالنَّاسُ عَلَى رَايَاتِهِمْ، فَزَحَفَ بِهِمْ إِلَى الْقَوْمِ. وَأَقْبَلَ مُعَاوِيَةُ - وَقَدْ بَايَعَهُ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ عَلَى الْمَوْتِ - فَتَوَاقَفَ النَّاسُ فِي مَوْطِنٍ مَهُولٍ وَأَمْرٍ عَظِيمٍ، وَحَمَلَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ بُدَيْلٍ أَمِيرُ مَيْمَنَةِ عَلِيٍّ عَلَى مَيْسَرَةِ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ وَعَلَيْهَا حَبِيبُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، فَاضْطَرَّهُ حَتَّى أَلْجَأَهُ إِلَى الْقَلْبِ، وَفِيهِ مُعَاوِيَةُ، وَقَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ بُدَيْلٍ فِي النَّاسِ خَطِيبًا، فَحَرَّضَهُمْ عَلَى الْقِتَالِ، وَقَامَ كُلُّ أَمِيرٍ فِي أَصْحَابِهِ يُحَرِّضُهُمْ عَلَى الْقِتَالِ، وَيَحُثُّهُمْ عَلَى الصَّبْرِ وَالثَّبَاتِ وَالْجِهَادِ، وَيَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِ الْقِتَالِ، وَحَرَّضَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلِيٌّ النَّاسَ عَلَى الثَّبَاتِ وَالصَّبْرِ، وَحَثَّهُمْ عَلَى قِتَالِ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ وَتَلَا عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِ الْقِتَالِ مِنْ أَمَاكِنَ مُتَفَرِّقَةٍ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ; فَمِنْ ذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِهِ صَفًّا كَأَنَّهُمْ بُنْيَانٌ مَرْصُوصٌ [ الصَّفِّ: 4 ]. ثُمَّ قَالَ: قَدِّمُوا الْمُدَارِعَ وَأَخِّرُوا الْحَاسِرَ وَعَضُّوا عَلَى الْأَضْرَاسِ، فَإِنَّهُ أَنْبَى لِلسُّيُوفِ عَنِ الْهَامِ، وَالْتَوُوا فِي أَطْرَافِ الرِّمَاحِ، فَإِنَّهُ أَصْوَنُ لِلْأَسِنَّةِ، وَغُضُّوا الْأَبْصَارَ فَإِنَّهُ أَرْبُطُ لِلْجَأْشِ وَأَسْكُنُ لِلْقَلْبِ، وَأَمِيتُوا الْأَصْوَاتَ فَإِنَّهُ أَطْرَدُ لِلْفَشَلِ، وَأَوْلَى بِالْوَقَارِ، رَايَاتِكُمْ لَا تُمِيلُوهَا وَلَا تُزِيلُوهَا وَلَا تَجْعَلُوهَا إِلَّا بِأَيْدِي شُجْعَانِكُمْ. مبارزة علي بنفسه القتال يوم موقعة صفين وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ عُلَمَاءُ التَّارِيخِ وَغَيْرُهُمْ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا، ؓ، بَارَزَ فِي يَوْمِ صِفِّينَ وَقَاتَلَ وَقَتَلَ خَلْقَا، حَتَّى ذَكَرَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَنَّهُ قَتَلَ خَمْسَمِائَةٍ، فَمِنْ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ كُرَيْبَ بْنَ الصَّبَّاحِ قَتَلَ أَرْبَعَةً مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ مُبَارَزَةً، ثُمَّ وَضَعَهُمْ تَحْتَ قَدَمَيْهِ وَنَادَى: هَلْ مِنْ مُبَارِزٍ ؟ فَبَرَزَ إِلَيْهِ عَلِيٌّ فَتَجَاوَلَا سَاعَةً ثُمَّ ضَرَبَهُ عَلِيٌّ فَقَتَلَهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ: هَلْ مِنْ مُبَارِزٍ ؟ فَبَرَزَ إِلَيْهِ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ وَدَاعَةَ الْحِمْيَرِيُّ فَقَتَلَهُ، ثُمَّ بَرَزَ إِلَيْهِ رُودُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ الْكَلَاعِيُّ فَقَتَلَهُ، ثُمَّ بَرَزَ إِلَيْهِ الْمُطَاعُ بْنُ الْمُطَّلِبِ الْقَيْنِيُّ فَقَتَلَهُ. ثُمَّ تَلَا عَلِيٌّ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: وَالْحُرُمَاتُ قِصَاصٌ [ الْبَقَرَةِ: 194 ] ثُمَّ نَادَى: وَيْحَكَ يَا مُعَاوِيَةُ ! ابْرُزْ إِلَيَّ وَلَا تُفْنِ الْعَرَبَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ. فَقَالَ لَهُ عَمْرٌو يَا مُعَاوِيَةُ اغْتَنِمْهُ فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ أَثْخَنَ بِقَتْلِ هَؤُلَاءِ الْأَرْبَعَةِ. فَقَالَ لَهُ مُعَاوِيَةُ: وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا لَمْ يُقْهَرْ قَطُّ، وَإِنَّمَا أَرَدْتَ قَتْلِي لِتُصِيبَ الْخِلَافَةَ مِنْ بَعْدِي، اذْهَبْ إِلَيْكَ ! فَلَيْسَ مِثْلِي يُخْدَعُ. وَذَكَرُوا أَنَّ عَلِيًّا حَمَلَ عَلَى عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ يَوْمًا فَضَرَبَهُ بِالرُّمْحِ، فَأَلْقَاهُ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ فَبَدَتْ سَوْءَتُهُ فَرَجَعَ عَلِيٌّ عَنْهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ أَصْحَابُهُ: مَالَكَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَجَعَتْ عَنْهُ ؟ فَقَالَ: أَتُدْرُونَ مَنْ هُوَ ؟ قَالُوا: لَا. قَالَ: هُوَ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ، وَإِنَّهُ تَلَقَّانِي بِسَوْءَتِهِ فَذَكَّرَنِي بِالرَّحِمِ فَرَجَعْتُ عَنْهُ. فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ عَمْرٌو إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ قَالَ لَهُ: احْمَدِ اللَّهَ، وَاحْمَدِ اسْتَكَ. احتدام القتال بين معاوية وعلي ؓ وَعَنْ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ لَقِيطٍ قَالَ: شَهِدْنَا صِفِّينَ مَعَ عَلِيٍّ وَمُعَاوِيَةَ، قَالَ: فَمَطَرَتِ السَّمَاءُ عَلَيْنَا دَمًا عَبِيطًا. قَالَ اللَّيْثُ فِي حَدِيثِهِ: حَتَّى أَنْ كَانُوا لَيَأْخُذُونَهُ بِالصِّحَافِ وَالْآنِيَةِ. قَالَ ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ فَتَمْتَلِئُ وَنُهْرِيقُهَا. وَقَدْ ذَكَرْنَا أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ بُدَيْلٍ كَسَرَ الْمَيْسَرَةَ الَّتِي فِيهَا حَبِيبُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ حَتَّى أَدْخَلَهَا فِي الْقَلْبِ، فَأَمَرَ مُعَاوِيَةُ الشُّجْعَانَ أَنْ يُعَاوِنُوا حَبِيبًا عَلَى الْكَرَّةِ، وَبَعَثَ إِلَيْهِ مُعَاوِيَةُ يَأْمُرُهُ بِالْحَمْلَةِ وَالْكَرَّةِ عَلَى ابْنِ بُدَيْلٍ، فَحَمَلَ حَبِيبٌ بِمَنْ مَعَهُ مِنَ الشُّجْعَانِ عَلَى مَيْمَنَةِ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ، فَأَزَالُوهُمْ عَنْ أَمَاكِنِهِمْ وَانْكَشَفُوا عَنْ أَمِيرِهِمْ حَتَّى لَمْ يَبْقَ مَعَهُ إِلَّا زُهَاءُ ثَلَاثِمِائَةٍ وَانْجَفَلَ بَقِيَّةُ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ، وَلَمْ يَبْقَ مَعَ عَلِيٍّ مِنْ تِلْكَ الْقَبَائِلِ إِلَّا أَهْلُ الْمَدِينَةِ وَعَلَيْهِمْ سَهْلُ بْنُ حُنَيْفٍ، وَثَبَتَ رَبِيعَةُ مَعَ عَلِيٍّ، ؓ، وَاقْتَرَبَ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ مِنْهُ حَتَّى جَعَلَتْ نِبَالُهُمْ تَصِلُ إِلَيْهِ، وَتَقَدَّمَ إِلَيْهِ مَوْلًى لِبَنِي أُمَيَّةَ فَاعْتَرَضَهُ مَوْلًى لِعَلِيٍّ فَقَتَلَهُ الْأُمَوِيُّ، وَأَقْبَلَ يُرِيدُ عَلِيًّا، وَحَوْلَهُ بَنُوهُ الْحَسَنُ وَالْحُسَيْنُ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ، فَلَمَّا وَصَلَ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ، أَخَذَهُ عَلِيٌّ بِيَدِهِ، فَرَفَعَهُ ثُمَّ أَلْقَاهُ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ فَكَسَرَ عَضُدَهُ وَمَنْكِبَهِ وَابْتَدَرَهُ الْحُسَيْنُ وَمُحَمَّدٌ بِأَسْيَافِهِمَا فَقَتَلَاهُ، فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ لِلْحَسَنِ ابْنِهِ، وَهُوَ وَاقِفٌ مَعَهُ: مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَصْنَعَ كَمَا صَنَعَا ؟ فَقَالَ: كَفَيَانِي أَمْرَهُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. وَأَسْرَعَ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ فَجَعَلَ عَلِيٌّ لَا يَزِيدُهُ قُرْبُهُمْ مِنْهُ سُرْعَةً فِي مِشْيَتِهِ، بَلْ هُوَ سَائِرٌ عَلَى هِينَتِهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُهُ الْحَسَنُ: يَا أَبَهْ، لَوْ سَعَيْتَ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ هَذَا ! فَقَالَ: يَا بُنَيَّ إِنَّ لِأَبِيكَ يَوْمًا لَنْ يَعْدُوَهُ، وَلَا يُبْطِئُ بِهِ عَنْهُ السَّعْيُ، وَلَا يُعَجِّلُ بِهِ إِلَيْهِ الْمَشْيُ، إِنَّ أَبَاكَ وَاللَّهِ مَا يُبَالِي أَوَقَعَ عَلَى الْمَوْتِ أَوْ وَقَعَ عَلَيْهِ الْمَوْتُ. ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلِيًّا أَمَرَ الْأَشْتَرَ النَّخَعِيَّ أَنْ يَلْحَقَ الْمُنْهَزِمِينَ فَيَرُدَّهُمْ، فَسَاقَ بِأَسْرَعِ سَوْقٍ حَتَّى اسْتَقْبَلَ الْمُنْهَزِمِينَ مِنَ الْعِرَاقِيِّينَ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ، فَجَعَلَ يُؤَنِّبُهُمْ وَيُوَبِّخُهُمْ وَيُحَرِّضُ الْقَبَائِلَ وَالشُّجْعَانَ مِنْهُمْ عَلَى الْكَرَّةِ، فَتَابَعَهُ طَائِفَةٌ وَاسْتَمَرَّ آخَرُونَ فِي هَزِيمَتِهِمْ، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ ذَلِكَ دَأْبُهُ حَتَّى اجْتَمَعَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْهُمْ جَمْعٌ عَظِيمٌ، فَرَجَعَ بِهِمْ إِلَى أَهْلِ الشَّامِ فَجَعَلَ لَا يَلْقَى قَبِيلَةً مِنَ الشَّامِيِّينَ إِلَّا كَشَفَهَا، وَلَا طَائِفَةَ إِلَّا رَدَّهَا حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَى أَمِيرِ الْمَيْمَنَةِ وَهُوَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ بُدَيْلٍ، وَمَعَهُ نَحْوٌ مَنْ ثَلَاثِمِائَةٍ قَدْ ثَبَتُوا فِي مَكَانِهِمْ فَسَأَلُوهُ عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَقَالَ: حَيٌّ صَالِحٌ. فَالْتَفُّوا عَلَيْهِ، فَتَقَدَّمَ بِهِمْ حَتَّى تَرَاجَعَ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، وَذَلِكَ مَا بَيْنَ صَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ إِلَى الْغُرُوبِ، وَأَرَادَ ابْنُ بُدَيْلٍ أَنْ يَتَقَدَّمَ إِلَى أَهْلِ الشَّامِ، فَأَمَرَهُ الْأَشْتَرُ أَنْ يَثْبُتَ مَكَانَهُ فَإِنَّهُ خَيْرٌ لَهُ، فَأَبَى عَلَيْهِ ابْنُ بُدَيْلٍ، وَحَمَلَ نَحْوَ مُعَاوِيَةَ، فَلَمَّا انْتَهَى إِلَيْهِ وَجَدَهُ وَاقِفًا أَمَامَ أَصْحَابِهِ وَفِي يَدِهِ سَيْفَانِ وَحَوْلَهُ كَتَائِبُ أَمْثَالُ الْجِبَالِ، فَلَمَّا اقْتَرَبَ ابْنُ بُدَيْلٍ حَمَلَ عَلَيْهِ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنْهُمْ فَقَتَلُوهُ وَأَلْقَوْهُ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ قَتِيلًا، وَفَرَّ أَصْحَابُهُ مُنْهَزِمِينَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ مَجْرُوحٌ، فَلَمَّا انْهَزَمُوا قَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ لِأَصْحَابِهِ: انْظُرُوا إِلَى أَمِيرِهِمْ ؟ فَجَاءُوا إِلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَعْرِفُوهُ، فَتَقَدَّمَ مُعَاوِيَةُ إِلَيْهِ فَإِذَا هُوَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ بُدَيْلٍ فَقَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ: هَذَا وَاللَّهِ كَمَا قَالَ الشَّاعِرُ - وَهُوَ حَاتِمٌ الطَّائِيُّ -: أَخُو الْحَرْبِ إِنْ عَضَّتْ بِهِ الْحَرْبُ عَضَّهَا وَإِنْ شَمَّرَتْ يَوْمًا بِهِ الْحَرْبُ شَمَّرَا وَيَحْمِي إِذَا مَا الْمَوْتِ حَانَ لِقَاؤُهُ كَذَلِكَ ذُو الْأَشْبَالِ يَحْمِي إِذَا فَرَّا كَلَيْثً هِزَبْرٍ كَانَ يَحْمِي ذِمَارَهُ رَمَتْهُ الْمَنَايَا قَصْدَهَا فَتَقَطَّرَا ثُمَّ حَمَلَ الْأَشْتَرُ النَّخَعِيَّ بِمَنْ رَجَعَ مَعَهُ مِنَ الْمُنْهَزِمِينَ، فَصَدَقَ الْحَمْلَةَ حَتَّى خَالَطَ الصُّفُوفَ الْخَمْسَةَ الَّذِينَ تَعَاقَدُوا وَتَعَاهَدُوا عَلَى الْمَوْتِ أَنْ لَا يَفِرُّوا وَهُمْ حَوْلَ مُعَاوِيَةَ، فَخَرَقَ مِنْهُمْ أَرْبَعَةً، وَبَقِيَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ مُعَاوِيَةَ صَفٌّ وَاحِدٌ، قَالَ الْأَشْتَرُ: فَرَأَيْتُ هَوْلًا عَظِيمًا، وَكِدْتُ أَنْ أَفِرَّ فَمَا ثَبَّتَنِي إِلَّا قَوْلُ ابْنُ الْإِطْنَابَةِ - وَهِيَ أُمُّهُ مِنْ بَلْقَيْنَ، وَكَانَ هُوَ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ وَهُوَ جَاهِلِيٌّ: أَبَتْ لِي عِفَّتِي وَأَبَى بَلَائِي وِإِقْدَامِي عَلَى الْبَطَلِ الْمُشِيحِ وَإِعْطَائِى عَلَى الْمَكْرُوهِ مَالِي وَضَرْبِي هَامَةَ الرَّجُلِ السَّمِيحِ وَقَوْلِي كُلَّمَا جَشَأَتْ وَجَاشَتْ مَكَانَكِ تُحْمَدِي أَوْ تَسْتَرِيحِي قَالَ: هَذَا هُوَ الَّذِي ثَبَّتَنِي فِي ذَلِكَ الْمَوْقِفِ. وَالْعَجَبُ أَنَّ ابْنَ دِيزِيلَ رَوَى فِي كِتَابِهِ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْعِرَاقِ حَمَلُوا حَمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً، فَلَمْ يَبْقَ لِأَهْلِ الشَّامِ صَفٌّ إِلَّا أَزَالُوهُ، حَتَّى أَفْضَوْا إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ، فَدَعَا بِفَرَسِهِ لِيَنْجُوَ عَلَيْهِ، قَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ: فَلَمَّا وَضَعْتُ رِجْلِي فِي آلَةِ الرِّكَابِ تَمَثَّلْتُ بِأَبْيَاتِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْإِطْنَابَةِ: أَبَتْ لِي عِفَّتِي وَأَبَى بَلَائِي وَأَخْذِي الْحَمْدَ بِالثَّمَنِ الرَّبِيحِ وَإِعْطَائِي عَلَى الْمَكْرُوهِ مَالِي وَضَرْبِي هَامَةَ الْبَطَلِ الْمُشِيحِ وَقَوْلِي كُلَّمَا جَشَأَتْ وَجَاشَتْ مَكَانَكِ تُحْمَدِي أَوْ تَسْتَرِيحِي قَالَ: فَثَبَتُّ. وَنَظَرَ مُعَاوِيَةُ إِلَى عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ يَوْمَ صِفِّينَ، فَقَالَ: الْيَوْمَ صَبْرٌ وَغَدًا فَخْرٌ. فَقَالَ لَهُ عَمْرُو: صَدَقْتَ. قَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ: فَأَصَبْتُ خَيْرًا فِي الدُّنْيَا، وَأَنَا أَرْجُو أَنْ أُصِيبَ خَيْرًا فِي الْآخِرَةِ. وَرَوَاهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ حَاطِبٍ، عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ. مقتل عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ وَبَعَثَ مُعَاوِيَةُ إِلَى خَالِدِ بْنِ الْمُعْتَمِرِ - وَهُوَ أَمِيرُ الْخَيَّالَةِ لِعَلِيٍّ - فَقَالَ لَهُ: اتْبَعْنِي عَلَى مَا أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ وَلَكَ إِمْرَةُ الْعِرَاقِ. فَطَمِعَ فِيهَا، فَلَمَّا وَلِيَ مُعَاوِيَةُ الْعِرَاقَ لَمْ يُعْطِهِ شَيْئًا. ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلِيًّا لَمَّا رَأَى الْمَيْمَنَةَ قَدِ اجْتَمَعَتْ، رَجَعَ إِلَى النَّاسِ فَأَنَّبَ بَعْضَهُمْ وَعَذَّرَ بَعْضَهُمْ وَحَرَّضَ النَّاسَ وَثَبَّتَهُمْ، ثُمَّ تَرَاجَعَ أَهْلُ الْعِرَاقِ فَاجْتَمَعَ شَمْلُهُمْ وَدَارَتْ رَحَى الْحَرْبِ لَهُمْ وَجَالُوا فِي الشَّامِيِّينَ وَصَالُوا، وَتَبَارَزَ الشُّجْعَانُ فَقُتِلَ خَلْقٌ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ الْأَعْيَانِ مِنَ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ - فَإِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ - مِنْهُمْ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ مِنَ الشَّامِيِّينَ، وَاخْتَلَفُوا فِي قَاتِلِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ مَنْ هُوَ ؟ وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ دِيزِيلَ، أَنَّ عُبَيْدَ اللَّهِ لَمَّا خَرَجَ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَمِيرًا عَلَى الْحَرْبِ مِنْ جِهَةِ مُعَاوِيَةَ، أَحْضَرَ امْرَأَتَيْهِ ; أَسْمَاءَ بِنْتَ عُطَارِدِ بْنِ حَاجِبٍ التَّمِيمِيِّ، وَبَحْرِيَّةَ بِنْتَ هَانِئِ بْنِ قَبِيصَةَ الشَيْبَانَيِّ، فَوَقَفَتَا وَرَاءَهُ فِي رَاحِلَتَيْنِ لِتَنْظُرَا إِلَى قِتَالِهِ وَشَجَاعَتِهِ وَقُوَّتِهِ، فَوَاجَهَتْهُ مِنْ جَيْشِ الْعِرَاقِيِّينَ رَبِيعَةُ الْكُوفَةِ وَعَلَيْهِمْ زِيَادُ بْنُ خَصَفَةَ التَّيْمِيُّ، فَشَدُّوا عَلَيْهِ شَدَّةً وَاحِدَةً، فَقَتَلُوهُ بَعْدَ مَا انْهَزَمَ عَنْهُ أَصْحَابُهُ، وَنَزَلَتْ رَبِيعَةُ فَضَرَبُوا لِأَمِيرِهِمْ خَيْمَةً، فَبَقِيَ مِنْهَا طُنُبٌ لَمْ يَجِدُوا لَهُ وَتَدًا فَشَدُّوهُ بِرِجْلِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، وَجَاءَتِ امْرَأَتَاهُ تُوَلْوِلَانِ حَتَّى وَقَفَتَا عَلَيْهِ وَبَكَتَا عِنْدَهُ، وَشَفَعَتِ امْرَأَتُهُ بَحْرِيَّةُ إِلَى الْأَمِيرِ أَنْ يُطْلِقَهُ لَهَا فَأَطْلَقَهُ لَهَا فَاحْتَمَلَتَاهُ فِي هَوْدَجِهِمَا. وَقُتِلَ مَعَهُ أَيْضًا ذُو الْكَلَاعِ الْحِمْيَرِيُّ، قَالَ الشَّعْبِيُّ: فَفِي مَقْتَلِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ يَقُولُ كَعْبُ بْنُ جُعَيْلٍ التَّغْلَبِيُّ: أَلَا إِنَّمَا تَبْكِي الْعُيُونُ لِفَارِسٍ بِصِفِّينَ وَلَّتْ خَيْلُهُ وَهْوَ وَاقِفُ تَبَدَّلَ مِنْ أَسْمَاءَ أَسْيَافَ وَائِلٍ وَكَانَ فَتًى لَوْ أَخْطَأَتْهُ الْمَتَالِفُ تَرَكْنَ عُبَيْدَ اللَّهِ بِالْقَاعِ ثَاوِيًا تَسِيلُ دَمَاهُ وَالْعُرُوقُ نَوَازِفُ يَنُوءُ وَيَغْشَاهُ شَآبِيبُ مِنْ دَمٍ كَمَا لَاحَ مِنْ جَيْبِ الْقَمِيصِ الْكَفَائِفُ وَقَدْ صَبَرَتْ حَوْلَ ابْنِ عَمِّ مُحَمَّدٍ لَدَى الْمَوْتِ أَرْبَابُ الْمَنَاقِبِ شَارِفُ فَمَا بَرَحُوا حَتَّى رَأَى اللَّهُ صَبْرَهُمْ وَحَتَّى أُلِيِحَتْ بِالْأَكُفِّ الْمَصَاحِفُ وَزَادَ غَيْرُهُ فِيهَا: مُعَاوِيَ لَا تَنْهَضْ بِغَيْرِ وَثِيقَةٍ فَإِنَّكَ بَعْدَ الْيَوْمِ بِالذُّلِّ عَارِفُ وَقَدْ أَجَابَهُ أَبُو جَهْمَةَ الْأَسْدِيُّ بِقَصِيدَةٍ فِيهَا أَنْوَاعٌ مِنَ الْهِجَاءِ تَرَكْنَاهَا قَصْدًا. مَقْتَلُ عَمَّارِ بْنِ يَاسِرٍ مَقْتَلُ عَمَّارِ بْنِ يَاسِرٍ، ؓ، مَعَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، ؓ قَتَلَهُ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ وَبَانَ بِذَلِكَ وَظَهَرَ سِرُّ مَا أَخْبَرَ بِهِ الرَّسُولُ، ﷺ، مِنْ أَنَّهُ تَقْتُلُهُ الْفِئَةُ الْبَاغِيَةُ، وَبَانَ بِذَلِكَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا مُحِقٌّ وَأَنَّ مُعَاوِيَةَ بَاغٍ وَمَا فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ دَلَائِلِ النُّبُوَّةِ. عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ وَهْبٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ أَنَّ عَمَّارًا قَالَ يَوْمَئِذٍ: أَيْنَ مَنْ يَبْتَغِي رِضْوَانَ اللَّهِ وَلَا يَلْوِي إِلَى مَالٍ وَلَا وَلَدٍ ؟ قَالَ: فَأَتَتْهُ عِصَابَةٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ فَقَالَ: أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، اقْصِدُوا بِنَا نَحْوَ هَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ يَبْتَغُونَ دَمَ عُثْمَانَ وَيَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُ قُتِلَ مَظْلُومًا، وَاللَّهِ مَا قَصْدُهُمُ الْأَخْذَ بِدَمِهِ وَلَا الْقِيَامَ بِثَأْرِهِ، وَلَكِنَّ الْقَوْمَ ذَاقُوا الدُّنْيَا فَاسْتَحْلَوْهَا وَاسْتَمْرَءُوهَا، وَعَلِمُوا أَنَّ الْحَقَّ إِذَا لَزِمَهُمْ حَالَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ مَا يَتَمَرَّغُونَ فِيهِ مِنْ دُنْيَاهُمْ وَشَهَوَاتِهِمْ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لِلْقَوْمِ سَابِقَةٌ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ يَسْتَحِقُّونَ بِهَا طَاعَةَ النَّاسِ لَهُمْ وَالْوِلَايَةَ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَلَا تَمَكَّنَتْ مِنْ قُلُوبِهِمْ خَشْيَةُ اللَّهِ الَّتِي تَمْنَعُ مَنْ تَمَكَّنَتْ مِنْ قَلْبِهِ عَنْ نَيْلِ الشَّهَوَاتِ، وَتَعْقِلُهُ عَنْ إِرَادَةِ الدُّنْيَا وَطَلَبِ الْعُلُوِّ فِيهَا، وَتَحْمِلُهُ عَلَى اتِّبَاعِ الْحَقِّ وَالْمَيْلِ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ، فَخَدَعُوا أَتْبَاعَهُمْ بِقَوْلِهِمْ: إِمَامُنَا قُتِلَ مَظْلُومًا. لِيَكُونُوا بِذَلِكَ جَبَابِرَةً مُلُوكًا، وَتِلْكَ مَكِيدَةٌ بَلَغُوا بِهَا مَا تَرَوْنَ، وَلَوْلَا هِيَ مَا تَبِعَهُمْ مِنَ النَّاسِ رَجُلَانِ، وَلَكَانُوا أَذَلَّ وَأَخَسَّ وَأَقَلَّ، وَلَكِنَّ قَوْلَ الْبَاطِلِ لَهُ حَلَاوَةٌ فِي أَسْمَاعِ الْغَافِلِينَ، فَسِيرُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ سَيْرًا جَمِيلًا، وَاذْكُرُوهُ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا. ثُمَّ تَقَدَّمَ فَلَقِيَهُ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ وَعُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ فَلَامَهُمَا وَانْتَهَرَهُمَا وَوَعَظَهُمَا، وَذَكَرُوا مِنْ كَلَامِهِ لَهُمَا مَا فِيهِ غِلْظَةٌ. فَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَعَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مُرَّةَ، سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ سَلَمَةَ يَقُولُ: رَأَيْتُ عَمَّارًا يَوْمَ صِفِّينَ شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا آدَمَ طُوَالًا، آخِذٌ الْحَرْبَةَ بِيَدِهِ وَيَدُهُ تَرْعَدُ، فَقَالَ: وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَقَدْ قَاتَلْتُ بِهَذِهِ الرَّايَةِ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ، وَهَذِهِ الرَّابِعَةُ، وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ ضَرَبُونَا حَتَّى يَبْلُغُوا بِنَا شَعَفَاتِ هَجَرَ، لَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّ مُصْلِحِينَا عَلَى الْحَقِّ وَأَنَّهُمْ عَلَى الضَّلَالَةِ. وَعَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ عُبَادٍ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِعَمَّارٍ: أَرَأَيْتَ قِتَالَكُمْ رَأْيًا رَأَيْتُمُوهُ، فَإِنَّ الرَّأْيَ يُخْطِئُ وَيُصِيبُ، أَوْ عَهْدًا عَهِدَهُ إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، ﷺ ؟ فَقَالَ: مَا عَهِدَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، شَيْئًا لَمْ يَعْهَدْهُ إِلَى النَّاسِ كَافَّةً. وَهَذَا كَمَا ثَبَتَ فِي " الصَّحِيحَيْنِ " وَغَيْرِهِمَا، عَنْ جَمَاعَةٍ مِنَ التَّابِعِينَ أَنَّ كُلًّا مِنْهُمْ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِعَلِيٍّ: هَلْ عِنْدَكُمْ شَيْءٌ عَهِدَهُ إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، لَمْ يَعْهَدْهُ إِلَى النَّاسِ ؟ فَقَالَ: لَا وَالَّذِي فَلَقَ الْحَبَّةَ وَبَرَأَ النَّسَمَةَ، إِلَّا فَهْمًا يُؤْتِيهِ اللَّهُ عَبْدًا فِي الْقُرْآنِ، وَمَا فِي هَذِهِ الصَّحِيفَةِ. قُلْتُ: وَمَا فِي هَذِهِ الصَّحِيفَةِ ؟ فَإِذَا فِيهَا الْعَقْلُ وَفَكَاكُ الْأَسِيرِ، وَأَنْ لَا يُقْتَلَ مُسْلِمٌ بِكَافِرٍ، وَأَنَّ الْمَدِينَةَ حَرَمٌ مَا بَيْنَ عَيْرٍ إِلَى ثَوْرٍ. وَعَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ حُنَيْفٍ أَنَّهُ قَالَ يَوْمَ صِفِّينَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، اتَّهِمُوا الرَّأْيَ عَلَى الدِّينِ، فَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنِي يَوْمَ أَبِي جَنْدَلٍ وَلَوْ أَقْدِرُ لَرَدَدْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، أَمْرَهُ، وَوَاللَّهِ مَا حَمَلْنَا سُيُوفَنَا عَلَى عَوَاتِقِنَا مُنْذُ أَسْلَمْنَا لِأَمْرٍ يَقْطَعُنَا إِلَّا أَسْهَلَنْ بِنَا إِلَى أَمْرٍ نَعْرِفُهُ، غَيْرِ أَمْرِنَا هَذَا، فَإِنَّا لَا نَسُدُّ مِنْهُ خَصْمًا إِلَّا انْفَتَحَ لَنَا غَيْرُهُ لَا نَدْرِي كَيْفَ نُبَالِي لَهُ. وَعَنْ أَبِي الْبَخْتَرِيِّ قَالَ: قَالَ عَمَّارٌ يَوْمَ صِفِّينَ: ائْتُونِي بِشَرْبَةِ لَبَنٍ، فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، قَالَ: آخِرُ شَرْبَةٍ تَشْرَبُهَا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا شَرْبَةُ لَبَنٍ وَعَنِ الْأَحْنَفِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ قَالَ: ثُمَّ حَمَلَ عَمَّارُ بْنُ يَاسِرٍ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَحَمَلَ عَلَيْهِ ابْنُ جَوْنٍ السَّكُونِيُّ، وَأَبُو الْغَادِيَةِ الْفَزَارِيُّ، فَأَمَّا أَبُو الْغَادِيَةِ فَطَعَنَهُ، وَأَمَّا ابْنُ جَوْنٍ فَاحْتَزَّ رَأْسَهُ. وَقَدْ كَانَ ذُو الْكَلَاعِ سَمِعَ قَوْلَ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، لِعَمَّارِ بْنِ يَاسِرٍ: تَقْتُلُكَ الْفِئَةُ الْبَاغِيَةُ، وَآخَرُ شَرْبَةٍ تَشْرَبُهَا صَاعُ لَبَنٍ. فَكَانَ ذُو الْكَلَاعِ يَقُولُ لِعَمْرٍو: وَيْحَكَ مَا هَذَا يَا عَمْرُو ؟ فَيَقُولُ لَهُ عَمْرٌو: إِنَّهُ سَيَرْجِعُ إِلَيْنَا. قَالَ: فَلَمَّا أُصِيبَ عَمَّارٌ بَعْدَ ذِي الْكَلَاعِ، قَالَ عَمْرٌو لِمُعَاوِيَةَ: مَا أَدْرِي بِقَتْلِ أَيِّهِمَا أَنَا أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا ; بِقَتْلِ عَمَّارٍ أَوْ ذِي الْكَلَاعِ، وَاللَّهِ لَوْ بَقِيَ ذُو الْكَلَاعِ حَتَّى يُقْتَلَ عَمَّارٌ لَمَالَ بِعَامَّةِ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ، وَلَأَفْسَدَ عَلَيْنَا جُنْدَنَا. قَالَ: وَكَانَ لَا يَزَالُ يَجِيءُ رَجُلٌ فَيَقُولُ لِمُعَاوِيَةَ وَعَمْرٍو: أَنَا قَتَلْتُ عَمَّارًا. فَيَقُولُ لَهُ عَمْرٌو: فَمَا سَمِعْتَهُ يَقُولُ ؟ فَيَخْلِطُونَ فِيمَا يُخْبِرُونَ، حَتَّى جَاءَ ابْنُ جَوْنٍ فَقَالَ: أَنَا سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ: الْيَوْمَ أَلْقَى الْأَحِبَّةْ مُحَمَّدًا وَحِزْبَهْ فَقَالَ لَهُ عَمْرٌو: صَدَقْتَ أَنْتَ، إِنَّكَ صَاحِبُهُ. ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ: رُوَيْدًا، أَمَا وَاللَّهِ مَا ظَفِرْتَ بِذَاكَ، وَلَقَدْ أَسَخَطْتَ رَبَّكَ. وَعَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، قَالَ لِعَمَّارٍ: تَقْتُلُكَ الْفِئَةُ الْبَاغِيَةُ. وَعَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ مَرْفُوعًا: " مَا خُيِّرَ عَمَّارٌ بَيْنَ شَيْئَيْنِ إِلَّا اخْتَارَ أَرْشَدَهُمَا ". وَبِهِ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شَمِرٍ، عَنِ السُّدِّيِّ، عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ الْأَوْسَطِ، قَالَ: اخْتَصَمَ رَجُلَانِ فِي سَلَبِ عَمَّارٍ وَفِي قَتْلِهِ، فَأَتَيَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ لِيَتَحَاكَمَا إِلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُمَا: وَيْحَكُمَا، اخْرُجَا عَنِّي، فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، قَالَ: وَلِعَتْ قُرَيْشٌ بِعَمَّارٍ، مَا لَهُمْ وَلِعَمَّارٍ ؟ عَمَّارٌ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، وَيَدْعُونَهُ إِلَى النَّارِ، قَاتِلُهُ وَسَالِبُهُ فِي النَّارِ. قَالَ: فَبَلَغَنِي أَنَّ مُعَاوِيَةَ قَالَ: إِنَّمَا قَتَلَهُ مَنْ أَخْرَجَهُ. يَخْدَعُ بِذَلِكَ أَهْلَ الشَّامِ. وَعَنْ حَنْظَلَةَ بْنِ خُوَيْلِدٍ - وَكَانَ يَأْتِي مِنْ عِنْدِ عَلِيٍّ وَمُعَاوِيَةَ - قَالَ: بَيْنَا هُوَ عِنْدَ مُعَاوِيَةَ إِذْ جَاءَهُ رَجُلَانِ يَخْتَصِمَانِ فِي قَتْلِ عَمَّارٍ، فَقَالَ لَهُمَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو: لِيَطِبْ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْكُمَا نَفْسًا لِصَاحِبِهِ بِقَتْلِ عَمَّارٍ، فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، يَقُولُ: تَقْتُلُهُ الْفِئَةُ الْبَاغِيَةُ. فَقَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ لِعَمْرٍو: أَلَا تَنْهَى عَنَّا مَجْنُونَكَ هَذَا ؟ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ مُعَاوِيَةُ عَلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ: فَلِمَ تُقَاتِلُ مَعَنَا ؟ فَقَالَ لَهُ: إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، أَمَرَنِي بِطَاعَةِ وَالِدِي مَا كَانَ حَيًّا، وَأَنَا مَعَكُمْ وَلَسْتُ أُقَاتِلُ. وَعَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ قَالَ: جَاءَ قَاتِلُ عَمَّارٍ يَسْتَأْذِنُ عَلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ وَعِنْدَهُ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ، فَقَالَ: ائْذَنْ لَهُ وَبَشِّرْهُ بِالنَّارِ. فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ: أَمَا تَسْمَعُ مَا يَقُولُ عَمْرٌو ؟ فَقَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ: صَدَقَ إِنَّمَا قَتَلَهُ الَّذِينَ جَاءُوا بِهِ. وَعَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السُّلَمِيُّ: كُنَّا مَعَ عَلِيٍّ بِصِفِّينَ وَكُنَّا قَدْ وَكَّلْنَا بِفَرَسِهِ نَفْسَيْنِ يَحْفَظَانِهِ وَيَمْنَعَانِهِ أَنْ يَحْمِلَ، فَكَانَ إِذَا حَانَتْ مِنْهُمَا غَفْلَةٌ، حَمَلَ فَلَا يَرْجِعُ حَتَّى يَخْضِبَ سَيْفَهُ، وَإِنَّهُ حَمَلَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ حَتَّى انْثَنَى سَيْفُهُ، فَأَلْقَاهُ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَقَالَ: لَوْلَا أَنَّهُ انْثَنَى مَا رَجَعْتُ. قَالَ: وَرَأَيْتُ عَمَّارًا لَا يَأْخُذُ وَادِيًا مِنْ أَوْدِيَةِ صِفِّينَ إِلَّا اتَّبَعَهُ مَنْ كَانَ هُنَاكَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، وَرَأَيْتُهُ جَاءَ إِلَى الْمِرْقَالِ، هَاشِمِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ، وَهُوَ صَاحِبُ رَايَةِ عَلِيٍّ، فَقَالَ: يَا هَاشِمُ تَقَدَّمَ، الْجَنَّةُ تَحْتَ ظِلَالِ السُّيُوفِ، وَالْمَوْتُ فِي أَطْرَافِ الْأَسَلِ، وَقَدْ فُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ وَتَزَيَّنَتِ الْحَوَرُ الْعَيْنُ: الْيَوْمَ أَلْقَى الْأَحِبَّةْ مَحُمَّدًا وَحِزْبَهْ ثُمَّ حَمَلَا هُوَ وَهَاشِمٌ فَقُتِلَا، رَحِمَهُمَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى، قَالَ: وَحَمَلَ حِينَئِذٍ عَلِيٌّ وَأَصْحَابُهُ عَلَى أَهْلِ الشَّامِ حَمْلَةَ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ كَأَنَّهُمَا كَانَا - يَعْنِي عَمَّارًا وَهَاشِمًا - عَلَمًا لَهُمْ، قَالَ: فَلَمَّا كَانَ اللَّيْلُ قُلْتُ: لَأَدْخُلَنَّ اللَّيْلَةَ إِلَى عَسْكَرِ الشَّامِيِّينَ حَتَّى أَعْلَمَ هَلْ بَلَغَ مِنْهُمْ قَتْلُ عَمَّارٍ مَا بَلَغَ مِنَّا ؟ وَكُنَّا إِذَا تَوَادَعْنَا مِنَ الْقِتَالِ تَحَدَّثُوا إِلَيْنَا وَتَحَدَّثْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ، فَرَكِبْتُ فَرَسِي وَقَدْ هَدَأَتِ الرِّجْلُ، ثُمَّ دَخَلْتُ عَسْكَرَهُمْ فَإِذَا أَنَا بِأَرْبَعَةٍ يَتَسَامَرُونَ ; مُعَاوِيَةُ، وَأَبُو الْأَعْوَرِ السُّلَمِيُّ، وَعَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ، وَابْنُهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو - وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْأَرْبَعَةِ - فَأَدْخَلْتُ فَرَسِي بَيْنَهُمْ مَخَافَةَ أَنْ يَفُوتَنِي مَا يَقُولُ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ، فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ لِأَبِيهِ: يَا أَبَتِ قَتَلْتُمْ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ فِي يَوْمِكُمْ هَذَا، وَقَدْ قَالَ فِيهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، مَا قَالَ ! قَالَ: وَمَا قَالَ ؟ قَالَ: أَلَمْ تَكُنْ مَعَنَا وَنَحْنُ نَبْنِي الْمَسْجِدَ وَالنَّاسُ يَنْقُلُونَ حَجَرًا حَجَرًا، وَلَبِنَةً لَبِنَةً، وَعَمَّارٌ يَنْقُلُ حَجَرَيْنِ حَجَرَيْنِ، وَلَبِنَتَيْنِ لِبِنْتَيْنِ، فَأَتَاهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، فَجَعَلَ يَمْسَحُ التُّرَابَ عَنْ وَجْهِهِ وَيَقُولُ: " وَيْحَكَ يَا ابْنَ سُمَيَّةَ، النَّاسُ يَنْقُلُونَ حَجَرًا حَجَرًا، وَلَبِنَةً لَبِنَةً، وَأَنْتَ تَنْقُلُ حَجَرَيْنِ حَجَرَيْنِ، وَلَبِنَتَيْنِ لِبِنْتَيْنِ ; رَغْبَةً مِنْكَ فِي الْأَجْرِ ! وَأَنْتَ وَيْحَكَ مَعَ ذَلِكَ تَقْتُلُكَ الْفِئَةُ الْبَاغِيَةُ " ؟ قَالَ: فَدَفَعَ عَمْرٌو صَدْرَ فَرَسِهِ، ثُمَّ جَذَبَ مُعَاوِيَةَ إِلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ: يَا مُعَاوِيَةُ، أَمَا تَسْمَعُ مَا يَقُولُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ ؟ قَالَ: وَمَا يَقُولُ ؟ فَأَخْبَرُهُ الْخَبَرَ. فَقَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ: إِنَّكَ شَيْخٌ أَخْرَقُ، وَلَا تَزَالُ تُحَدِّثُ بِالْحَدِيثِ، وَأَنْتَ تَدْحَضُ فِي بَوْلِكَ، أَوَنَحْنُ قَتَلْنَا عَمَّارًا ؟ إِنَّمَا قَتَلَ عَمَّارًا مَنْ جَاءَ بِهِ. قَالَ: فَخَرَجَ النَّاسُ مِنْ عِنْدِ فَسَاطِيطِهِمْ وَأَخْبِيَتِهِمْ وَهُمْ يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّمَا قَتَلَ عَمَّارًا مَنْ جَاءَ بِهِ. فَلَا أَدْرَى مَنْ كَانَ أَعْجَبُ هُوَ أَوْ هُمْ ؟ وَعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ فِي قِصَّةِ بِنَاءِ الْمَسْجِدِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، قَالَ لِعَمَّارٍ: يَا وَيْحَ عَمَّارٍ، يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، وَيَدْعُونَهُ إِلَى النَّارِ قَالَ: يَقُولُ عَمَّارٌ: أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الْفِتَنِ. وَعَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، يَقُولُ: إِذَا اخْتَلَفِ النَّاسُ كَانَ ابْنُ سُمَيَّةَ مَعَ الْحَقِّ. وَعَنْ سَالِمِ بْنِ أَبِي الْجَعْدِ قَالَ: جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَمَّنَنَا أَنْ يَظْلِمَنَا وَلَمْ يُؤَمِّنَّا أَنْ يَفْتِنَنَا، أَرَأَيْتَ إِذَا نَزَلَتْ فِتْنَةٌ كَيْفَ أَصْنَعُ ؟ قَالَ: عَلَيْكَ بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ. قُلْتُ: أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ جَاءَ قَوْمٌ كُلُّهُمْ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ ؟ فَقَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، يَقُولُ: إِذَا اخْتَلَفَ النَّاسُ كَانَ ابْنُ سُمَيَّةَ مَعَ الْحَقِّ. وَعَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمَّارِ بْنِ يَاسِرٍ، عَنْ مَوْلَاةٍ لِعَمَّارٍ، قَالَتْ: اشْتَكَى عَمَّارٌ شَكْوَى أَرِقَ مِنْهَا فَغُشِيَ عَلَيْهِ، فَأَفَاقَ وَنَحْنُ نَبْكِي حَوْلَهُ، فَقَالَ: مَا تَبْكُونَ، أَتَخْشَوْنَ أَنْ أَمُوتَ عَلَى فِرَاشِي ؟ أَخْبَرَنِي حَبِيبِي، ﷺ، أَنَّهُ تَقْتُلُنِي الْفِئَةُ الْبَاغِيَةُ، وَأَنَّ آخِرَ زَادِي مِنَ الدُّنْيَا مَذْقَةٌ مِنْ لَبَنٍ. قَالَ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ: وَقَدْ ذُكِرَ أَنَّ عَمَّارًا لَمَّا قُتِلَ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ لِرَبِيعَةَ وَهَمْدَانَ: أَنْتُمْ دِرْعِي وَرُمْحِي. فَانْتُدِبَ لَهُ نَحْوٌ مِنَ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ أَلْفًا، وَتَقَدَّمَهُمْ عَلَى بَغْلَتِهِ فَحَمَلَ وَحَمَلُوا مَعَهُ حَمْلَةَ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ، فَلَمْ يَبْقَ لِأَهْلِ الشَّامِ صَفٌّ إِلَّا انْتَقَضَ، وَقَتَلُوا كُلَّ مَنِ انْتَهَوْا إِلَيْهِ، حَتَّى بَلَغُوا مُعَاوِيَةَ، وَعَلِيٌّ يُقَاتِلُ وَيَقُولُ: أَضْرِبُهُمْ وَلَا أَرَى مُعَاوِيَةْ الْجَاحِظَ الْعَيْنِ الْعَظِيمَ الْحَاوِيَةْ ليلة الهرير قَالَ ثُمَّ دَعَا عَلِىٌّ مُعَاوِيَةَ إِلَى أَنْ يُبَارِزَهُ، فَأَشَارَ عَلَيْهِ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ أَنْ يَبْرُزَ إِلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ مُعَاوِيَةُ: إِنَّكَ لَتَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُبَارِزْهُ رَجُلٌ قَطُّ إِلَّا قَتَلَهُ، وَلَكِنَّكَ طَمِعْتَ فِيهَا بَعْدِي. ثُمَّ قَدَّمَ عَلِيٌّ ابْنَهُ مُحَمَّدًا فِي عِصَابَةٍ كَثِيرَةٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ، فَقَاتَلُوهُ قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا، ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهُ عَلِيٌّ فِي عِصَابَةٍ أُخْرَى فَحَمَلَ بِهِمْ، فَقَتَلَ فِي هَذَا الْمَوْطِنِ خَلْقًا كَثِيرًا أَيْضًا، وَقُتِلَ مِنَ الْعِرَاقِيِّينَ خَلْقٌ كَثِيرٌ أَيْضًا، وَطَارَتْ أَكُفٌّ وَمَعَاصِمُ وَرُءُوسٌ عَنْ كَوَاهِلِهَا - رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ - ثُمَّ حَانَتْ صَلَاةُ الْمَغْرِبِ، فَمَا صَلَّى بِالنَّاسِ إِلَّا إِيمَاءً ; صَلَاتَيِ الْعِشَاءِ، وَاسْتَمَرَّ الْقِتَالُ فِي هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةِ كُلِّهَا وَهِيَ مِنْ أَعْظَمِ اللَّيَالِي شَرًّا بَيْنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَتُسَمَّى هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةُ لَيْلَةَ الْهَرِيرِ. وَكَانَتْ لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ تَقَصَّفَتْ فِيهَا الرِّمَاحُ وَنَفَدَتِ النِّبَالُ، وَصَارَ النَّاسُ إِلَى السُّيُوفِ وَعَلِيٌّ، ؓ يُحَرِّضُ الْقَبَائِلَ، وَيَتَقَدَّمُ إِلَيْهِمْ، يَأْمُرُ بِالصَّبْرِ وَالثَّبَاتِ وَهُوَ أَمَامَ النَّاسِ فِي قَلْبِ الْجَيْشِ، وَعَلَى الْمَيْمَنَةِ الْأَشْتَرُ النَّخَعِيُّ، تَوَلَّاهَا بَ?ْدَ قَتْلِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُدَيْلٍ، رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، عَشِيَّةَ الْخَمِيسِ لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ، وَعَلَى الْمَيْسَرَةِ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، وَالنَّاسُ يَقْتَتِلُونَ مِنْ كُلِّ جَانِبٍ، وَذَلِكَ لَمَّا قُتِلَ عَمَّارٌ، عَرَفَ أَهْلُ الْعِرَاقِ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الشَّامِ بُغَاةٌ لَيْسَ مَعَهُمْ حَقٌّ. وَذَكَرَ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ عُلَمَاءِ السِّيَرِ، أَنَّهُمُ اقْتَتَلُوا بِالرِّمَاحِ حَتَّى تَقَصَّفَتْ، وَبِالنِّبَالِ حَتَّى فَنِيَتْ، وَبِالسُّيُوفِ حَتَّى تَحَطَّمَتْ، ثُمَّ صَارُوا إِلَى أَنْ تَقَاتَلُوا بِالْأَيْدِي، وَالرَّمْيِ بِالْحِجَارَةِ، وَالتُّرَابِ يَعْفِرُونَهُ فِي الْوُجُوهِ، ثُمَّ تَعَاضُّوا بِالْأَسْنَانِ، فَكَانَ يَقْتَتِلُ الرَّجُلَانِ حَتَّى يُثْخِنَا ثُمَّ يَجْلِسَانِ يَسْتَرِيحَانِ، وَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا يَهْمِزُ عَلَى الْآخَرِ وَيَهِرُّ عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ يَقُومَانِ فَيَقْتَتِلَانِ كَمَا كَانَا، لَا يُمَكِّنُ أَحَدُهُمَا الْفِرَارَ مِنَ الْآخَرِ، فَإِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ، وَلَمْ يَزَلْ ذَلِكَ دَأْبُهُمْ حَتَّى أَصْبَحَ النَّاسُ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ وَهُمْ كَذَلِكَ، وَصَلَّى النَّاسُ الصُّبْحَ إِيمَاءً وَهُمْ فِي الْقِتَالِ حَتَّى تَضَاحَى النَّهَارُ وَأَقْبَلَ النَّصْرُ، وَتُوَجَّهَ النَّصْرُ لِأَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ عَلَى أَهْلِ الشَّامِ ; وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ الْأَشْتَرَ النَّخَعِيَّ صَارَتْ إِلَيْهِ إِمْرَةُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ - وَكَانَ مِنَ الشُّجْعَانِ الْأَبْطَالِ الَّذِينَ يَعْرِفُونَ الْحُرُوبَ وَلَا يَهَابُونَ الْقَتْلَ - فَحَمَلَ بِمَنْ فِيهَا عَلَى أَهْلِ الشَّامِ، وَتَبِعَهُ عَلِيٌّ فَانْفَضَّتْ غَالِبُ صُفُوفِ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ، وَلَمْ يَبْقَ إِلَّا الْهَزِيمَةُ وَالْكَسْرَةُ وَالْفِرَارُ.
Translation
✧ Fighting between Muʿāwiyah and ʿAlī ؓ halted in pursuit of peace. Then the year thirty-seven began. This year commenced while the Commander of the Faithful ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib, ؓ, and Muʿāwiyah b. Abī Sufyān, ؓ, were each stationed with their armies at a place called Ṣiffīn, near the Euphrates, east of the lands of Syria. They had fought every day throughout the month of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, and on some days they might have fought twice, and battles occurred between them whose mention would be lengthy. The point is that when the month of Muḥarram entered, they held back from fighting, seeking a settlement and hoping that a truce and a peace agreement might take place between them, leading to reconciliation among the people and the sparing of their blood. It is reported from Muḥill b. Khalīfah that ʿAlī sent ʿAdī b. Ḥātim, Yazīd b. Qays al-Arḥabī, Shabath b. Ribʿī, and Ziyād b. Khaṣafah to Muʿāwiyah. When they entered upon him—with ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ at his side—ʿAdī said, after praising and extolling Allah: "Now then, O Muʿāwiyah, we have come to you to call you to a matter by which Allah may unite our word and our community, by which our blood may be spared, by which the roads may be made safe, and by which the ties between us may be set right. Your cousin is the chief of the Muslims, the best of them in precedence, and the finest of them in trace in Islam. The people have gathered around him, and Allah has guided them through what they have seen. No one remains except you and those with you. So desist, O Muʿāwiyah, lest Allah afflict you and your companions with something like what afflicted the people on the Day of the Camel." Muʿāwiyah said to him: "It is as if you have come as a threatener, not as a peacemaker. Far from it, O ʿAdī! No, by Allah, I am the son of Ḥarb; I am not to be rattled by arrowheads. By Allah, you are indeed among those who incited against Ibn ʿAffān, and you are among his killers, and I hope that you will be among those whom Allah kills because of it." Then Shabath b. Ribʿī and Ziyād b. Khaṣafah spoke, mentioning the excellence of ʿAlī, and said: "Fear Allah, O Muʿāwiyah, and do not oppose him. By Allah, we have never seen any man more devoted to piety, more abstinent from this world, or more comprehensive in all traits of goodness than him." Then Muʿāwiyah spoke, praising and extolling Allah, and said: "Now then, you have called me to unity and obedience. As for unity, how excellent it is. As for obedience, how can I obey a man who aided in the killing of ʿUthmān while claiming that he did not kill him? We do not reject that claim against him, nor do we accuse him of it, but he sheltered his killers. Let him hand them over to us so that we may kill them; then we will answer you to obedience and unity." Shabath b. Ribʿī said to him: "I adjure you by Allah, O Muʿāwiyah, if you could get hold of ʿAmmār, would you kill him for ʿUthmān?" Muʿāwiyah said: "By Allah, if I could get hold of the son of Sumayyah, I would not kill him for ʿUthmān, but I would kill him for the servant of ʿUthmān." Shabath b. Ribʿī said to him: "By the God of the earth and the sky, you will not reach the killing of ʿAmmār until heads fly from their shoulders and the vast expanse of the earth becomes too narrow for you." Muʿāwiyah said to him: "If that were to happen, it would be even narrower for you." The men then left his presence and went to ʿAlī and informed him of the news. Muʿāwiyah's sending to ʿAlī. Muʿāwiyah sent Ḥabīb b. Maslamah al-Fihrī, Shuraḥbīl b. al-Simṭ, and Maʿn b. Yazīd b. al-Akhnas to ʿAlī. They entered upon him, and Ḥabīb began by praising and extolling Allah, then said: "Now then, ʿUthmān b. ʿAffān was a rightly guided caliph, acted according to the Book of Allah and stood firm in the command of Allah. You found his life burdensome and his death slow, so you transgressed against him and killed him. Hand over to us the killers of ʿUthmān—if you claim that you did not kill him—then withdraw from the affair of the people, so that their affair becomes a consultation among them, and the people may appoint over their affair whom they unanimously agree upon." ʿAlī said to him: "What have you to do with this affair and this removal, may your mother be bereft of you? Be silent, for you are not fit for it, nor are you worthy of that." Ḥabīb said to him: "By Allah, you will see me where you dislike." ʿAlī said to him: "What are you, even if you came with your cavalry and infantry? May Allah not spare you if you spare yourself. Go, ascend and descend as seems fit to you." Attempt by the Qurʾān reciters of Iraq to make peace between Muʿāwiyah and ʿAlī. It is reported that the reciters of the people of Iraq and the reciters of the people of Syria encamped on one side, and they were close to thirty thousand. A group of the reciters of Iraq, among them ʿAbīdah al-Sulmānī, ʿAlqamah b. Qays, ʿĀmir b. ʿAbd Qays, ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿUtbah b. Masʿūd, and others, came to Muʿāwiyah and said to him: "What do you seek?" He said: "I seek the blood of ʿUthmān." They said: "From whom do you seek it?" He said: "From ʿAlī." They said: "Did he kill him?" He said: "Yes, and he sheltered his killers." They went back to ʿAlī and mentioned to him what he had said. ʿAlī said: "He lied. I did not kill him, and you know that I did not kill him." They returned to Muʿāwiyah and informed him. He said: "If he did not kill him with his own hand, then he ordered his killing and supported it." They returned to ʿAlī and informed him. He said: "By Allah, I did not kill, nor did I order, nor did I support." They returned to Muʿāwiyah and informed him. Muʿāwiyah said: "If he is truthful, let him hand over to us the killers of ʿUthmān, for they are in his camp and his army." They returned to ʿAlī. ʿAlī said: "The people interpreted the Qurʾān against him in a discord, and division occurred because of it, and they killed him during his rule. I have no power over them." They returned to Muʿāwiyah and informed him. He said: "If the matter is as he says, then why did he seize the affair without consulting us or those here?" They returned to ʿAlī. He said: "Surely the people are followers of the Emigrants and the Helpers, and they are the people's witnesses over their governance and their religious affair. They have approved and pledged allegiance to me. I do not deem it lawful to leave someone like Muʿāwiyah ruling over the community and splitting its unity." They returned to Muʿāwiyah. He said: "Why did those of the Emigrants and Helpers here not enter into this affair?" They returned to ʿAlī. He said: "This is only for the veterans of Badr, not others. There is no Badrī on the face of the earth except that he is with me, has followed me, pledged allegiance to me, and approved of me. So do not let him deceive you regarding your religion and yourselves." He said: "Thus they continued sending messages back and forth about that for the duration of the months of Rabīʿ al-Ākhir and the two Jumādās, and they would startle each other with alarm after alarm, and some would advance upon others, and the reciters would intervene between them, so that no fighting occurred. He said: They startled each other eighty-five times in three months." Attempt by Abū al-Dardāʾ and Abū Umāmah to make peace between Muʿāwiyah and ʿAlī. He said: Abū al-Dardāʾ and Abū Umāmah came out and entered upon Muʿāwiyah. They said to him: "O Muʿāwiyah, why do you fight this man? By Allah, he is earlier in acceptance of Islam than you and your father, closer than you to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and more entitled to this affair than you." He said: "I fight him for the blood of ʿUthmān, and because he sheltered his killers. So go to him and tell him to surrender to us the killers of ʿUthmān. Then I will be the first of the people of Syria to pledge allegiance to him." They went to ʿAlī and told him that. He said: "These are the ones you see." A great crowd came out and said: "We are all killers of ʿUthmān, so let whoever wishes cast at us and plot against us." He said: "Abū al-Dardāʾ and Abū Umāmah returned and did not witness any fighting for them, but stayed in their homes." Muʿāwiyah's deception by threatening to breach the Euphrates. ʿUmar b. Saʿd said with his chain of transmission: Until when Rajab came and Muʿāwiyah feared that all the reciters would pledge allegiance to ʿAlī, he wrote on an arrow: 'From the sincere servant of Allah, O people of Iraq, Muʿāwiyah intends to breach the Euphrates upon you to drown you, so take your precautions.' And he shot it into the army of the people of Iraq. The people picked it up, read it, talked about it, and mentioned it to ʿAlī. He said: "This is something that will not happen and will not occur." It spread among them. Muʿāwiyah sent two hundred laborers digging at the side of the Euphrates, and the news reached the people. The people of Iraq feared that and went in alarm to ʿAlī. He said: "Woe to you! He wants to deceive you and weaken your effort, to remove you from this position of yours and occupy it, because he is afraid of it." They said: "We must move from this place." So they moved from it—and Muʿāwiyah came and occupied it with his army—and ʿAlī was the last to move. He settled them while saying: Had I obeyed, I would have protected my people At the corner of al-Yamāmah or Shamām; But I, when I resolve a matter, The riffraff, sons of riffraff, oppose it. He said: They remained until the month of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, then they began fighting. ʿAlī appointed a commander over the war every day, and most often he appointed al-Ashtar. Similarly, Muʿāwiyah appointed a commander every day. Organization of the armies of ʿAlī and Muʿāwiyah and preparation for battle. Ibn Jarīr, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Then the messengers continued to go back and forth between ʿAlī and Muʿāwiyah, while the people refrained from fighting, until Muḥarram of this year ended, and no peace was reached between them. ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib ordered Marthad b. al-Ḥārith al-Jushamī, who called out to the people of Syria at sunset: "Lo! The Commander of the Faithful says to you: I have given you respite to return to the truth, and I have established the proof against you, but you did not respond. I have excused myself before you and have declared to you on equal terms. Indeed, Allah does not love the treacherous." The people of Syria rushed in alarm to their commanders and informed them of what they heard the crier announce. At that, Muʿāwiyah and ʿAmr arose and arranged the army into right wing and left wing. ʿAlī spent that night arranging his army. He placed al-Ashtar al-Nakhaʿī over the cavalry of the people of Kufa, and ʿAmmār b. Yāsir over their infantry, Sahl b. Ḥunayf over the cavalry of the people of Basra, and Qays b. Saʿd and Hāshim b. ʿUtbah over their infantry, and Misʿar b. Fadakī al-Tamīmī over their reciters. ʿAlī charged the people not to initiate fighting with anyone until they began and transgressed against them, and that no wounded person should be finished off, no one fleeing should be pursued, no woman's veil should be uncovered, and she should not be insulted even if she reviled the commanders of the people and their righteous ones. Muʿāwiyah came out that morning having placed Ibn Dhī al-Kalāʿ al-Ḥimyarī over the right wing, Ḥabīb b. Maslamah al-Fihrī over the left wing, Abū al-Aʿwar al-Sulamī over the vanguard, ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ over the cavalry of Damascus, and al-Ḍaḥḥāk b. Qays over their infantry. From Abū Jaʿfar al-Bāqir and Zayd b. al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī and others, they said: When news reached Muʿāwiyah of ʿAlī's march toward him, Muʿāwiyah marched toward ʿAlī and appointed Sufyān b. ʿAmr Abū al-Aʿwar al-Sulamī over his vanguard, and Busr b. Arṭāh over the rear guard, until they all met at Qunāṣirīn beside Ṣiffīn. Ibn al-Kalbī added, saying: He placed Abū al-Aʿwar al-Sulamī over the vanguard, Busr over the rear guard, ʿUbayd Allāh b. ʿUmar over the cavalry, handed the banner to ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Khālid b. al-Walīd, placed Ḥabīb b. Maslamah over the right wing, and Yazīd b. Zaḥr al-ʿAnsī over its infantry, and placed ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ over the left wing, and Ḥābis b. Saʿd al-Ṭāʾī over its infantry, and al-Ḍaḥḥāk b. Qays over the cavalry of Damascus, and Yazīd b. Labīd b. Kurz al-Bajalī over their infantry. He placed Dhū al-Kalāʿ over the people of Homs, and Maslamah b. Mukhallad over the people of Palestine. The sermon of Muʿāwiyah and ʿAlī at Ṣiffīn. Muʿāwiyah stood as an orator among the people, praised and extolled Allah, then said: "O people, by Allah, I have not obtained Syria except through obedience, nor can I manage the war of the people of Iraq except through patience, nor can I contend with the people of the Hijaz except through gentleness. You have prepared and marched to defend Syria and take Iraq. The people have marched to defend Iraq and take Syria. By my life, Syria has no hope in Iraq or its wealth, and Iraq has no experience of the people of Syria or their insights. Moreover, the people have their numbers, and there is no one after you but you. If you defeat them, you will defeat them only through your forbearance and patience. If they defeat you, they will defeat those after you. The people have come to you with the cunning of the people of Iraq, the softness of the people of Yemen, the insights of the people of the Hijaz, and the harshness of the people of Egypt. Whoever is helped tomorrow is helped today. So seek help from Allah and be patient; indeed, Allah is with the patient." When Muʿāwiyah's sermon reached ʿAlī, he also stood as an orator among his companions, urged them to jihad, praised them for patience, and encouraged them by their numbers relative to the people of Syria. The first, second, and third days of the Battle of Ṣiffīn. Jābir al-Juʿfī said, from Abū Jaʿfar al-Bāqir and Zayd b. al-Ḥasan and others, they said: ʿAlī marched to Syria with one hundred and fifty thousand from the people of Iraq, and Muʿāwiyah approached with a similar number from the people of Syria. Others said: ʿAlī came with one hundred thousand or more, and Muʿāwiyah came with one hundred and thirty thousand. This is mentioned by Ibn Dīzīl in his book. A group of the people of Syria had made a pact not to flee, so they tied themselves with turbans. These were five rows, and with them six other rows. Similarly, the people of Iraq were also eleven rows. Thus they faced each other in this formation on the first day of Ṣafar, which was a Wednesday. The commander of the war that day for the Iraqis was al-Ashtar al-Nakhaʿī, and the commander of the war that day for the Syrians was Ḥabīb b. Maslamah. They fought that day a fierce battle, then withdrew at the end of the day, having each gained equally from the other and being evenly matched in fighting. Then they arose the next day, Thursday, with Hāshim b. ʿUtbah as commander of the war for the people of Iraq, and Abū al-Aʿwar al-Sulamī as commander of the Syrians that day. They fought a fierce battle; cavalry charged cavalry, and infantry charged infantry. Then they withdrew at the end of the day, each side having endured against the other and being evenly matched. Then on the third day—Friday—ʿAmmār b. Yāsir came out from the side of the people of Iraq, and ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ came out against him among the Syrians. The people fought a fierce battle. ʿAmmār charged ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ and drove him from his position. Ziyād b. al-Naḍr al-Ḥārithī—who was over the cavalry that day—challenged a man to single combat. When they faced each other, they recognized each other, and behold, they were brothers from the same mother. Each of them withdrew to his own people and left his opponent, and the people withdrew in the evening, each side having endured against its opponent. The fourth through seventh days of the Battle of Ṣiffīn. On the fourth day—which was Saturday—Muḥammad b. ʿAlī, that is Ibn al-Ḥanafiyyah, went out with a great host, and ʿUbayd Allāh b. ʿUmar went out to meet him with a large battalion from the Syrians. The people fought a fierce battle. ʿUbayd Allāh b. ʿUmar came forward and sought single combat with Ibn al-Ḥanafiyyah, so he came out to him. When they were about to come together, ʿAlī said: 'Who is the one seeking single combat?' They said: 'Muḥammad your son and ʿUbayd Allāh b. ʿUmar.' It is said that ʿAlī urged his mount forward and ordered his son to halt. ʿAlī advanced towards ʿUbayd Allāh and said to him: 'Come forth to me.' ʿUbayd Allāh said: 'I have no need to fight you.' He said: 'Indeed you do.' He said: 'No.' So ʿAlī turned away from him, and the people held back from each other that day. Then on the fifth day—which was Sunday—ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAbbās went out among the Iraqis, and al-Walīd b. ʿUqbah among the Syrians. The people fought a fierce battle. Al-Walīd began to revile Ibn ʿAbbās—as Abū Mikhnaf mentioned—saying: 'You killed your caliph and did not attain what you sought. By God, God will grant us victory over you.' Ibn ʿAbbās said to him: 'Then come out to me.' He refused. It is said that Ibn ʿAbbās himself fought fiercely that day ؓ. Then on the sixth day—which was Monday—Qays b. Saʿd b. ʿUbādah went out from ʿAlī's side over the Iraqis, and Ibn Dhī al-Kalāʿ from the Syrians. They fought a fierce battle as well, and they endured one another, then withdrew. Then al-Ashtar al-Nakhaʿī went out on the seventh day—which was Tuesday—from ʿAlī's side, and his counterpart from Muʿāwiyah's side, Ḥabīb b. Maslamah, went out to meet him. They fought a fierce battle as well, and neither side prevailed over the other in all these days. Muʿāwiyah and ʿAlī ؓ mobilize their armies once again, and the fighting intensifies From Zayd b. Wahb, that ʿAlī said: 'How long will we not advance against these people with all of us together?' Then he stood among the people on Wednesday evening after the afternoon prayer and said: 'Praise be to God, who does not unravel what He has undone, and what He has made firm the undoers do not loosen. Had He willed, no two of His creation would have differed, nor would the community have disputed over any of His affair, nor would the inferior have denied the superior his merit. Fate has driven us and these people, and brought us together in this place. We are before our Lord in full sight and hearing. Had He willed, He would have hastened vengeance, and change would have come from Him, so that God might give the lie to the wrongdoer, and the truth be known where it ends. But He made this world the abode of deeds, and made the Hereafter, with Him, the abode of permanence, to recompense those who do evil for what they did, and to recompense those who do good with the best [al-Najm: 31]. Indeed, you will meet the people tomorrow, so prolong standing in prayer tonight, increase recitation of the Qur'an, and ask God for victory and patience. Meet them with earnestness and resolve, and be truthful.' He said: The people leapt to their swords, spears, and arrows, repairing them. He said: Kaʿb b. Juʿayl al-Taghlabī passed by the people while they were thus, and saw what they were doing. He began to say: The community has risen in a wondrous affair, and kingship will be gathered tomorrow for whoever prevails. I said a true saying, no lie: tomorrow the notables of the Arabs will perish. He said: Then ʿAlī came out in the morning among his troops, having arrayed them as he wished, and Muʿāwiyah rode among his army, having arrayed them as he wished. ʿAlī had ordered every tribe of the Iraqis to suffice against its counterpart from the Syrians. Then the people advanced upon one another and fought a great battle. No one fled from anyone, and no one prevailed over anyone. Then they held back from each other in the evening. ʿAlī arose and prayed the dawn prayer in the dark, and went early to the fighting. Then he faced the Syrians, and they faced him. ʿAlī said, as narrated by Abū Mikhnaf from Mālik b. Aʿyan from Zayd b. Wahb: 'O God, Lord of the protected, enclosed canopy which You made a place where night and day recede, and in which You made the course of the sun and the moon and the mansions of the stars, and in which You placed a host of angels who never weary of worship; Lord of this earth which You made a resting place for mankind, creeping things, cattle, and what cannot be numbered of what is seen and unseen of Your mighty creation; Lord of the ships that run upon the sea with what benefits people; Lord of the clouds subjugated between heaven and earth; Lord of the surging sea that encompasses the world; Lord of the firm mountains which You made pegs for the earth and provision for creatures: if You grant us victory over our enemy, keep us far from oppression and corruption and direct us to truth; and if You grant them victory over us, grant me martyrdom, and keep the rest of my companions from trial.' Then ʿAlī advanced, and he was in the center among the people of al-Madīnah. On his right wing that day was ʿAbd Allāh b. Budayl, on the left wing ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAbbās, and over the Qur'an reciters ʿAmmār b. Yāsir and Qays b. Saʿd. The people were under their banners. He advanced with them against the people. Muʿāwiyah came forward, and the Syrians had pledged allegiance to him unto death. The people stood facing one another in a terrifying position and a mighty affair. ʿAbd Allāh b. Budayl, commander of ʿAlī's right wing, charged the left wing of the Syrians, which was under Ḥabīb b. Maslamah, and pressed it until he forced it into the center, where Muʿāwiyah was. ʿAbd Allāh b. Budayl stood among the people as an orator and incited them to fight. Every commander stood among his companions inciting them to fight and urging them to patience, steadfastness, and jihād, and recited to them verses about fighting. The Commander of the Faithful ʿAlī incited the people to steadfastness and patience, urged them to fight the Syrians, and recited verses about fighting from various places in the Qur'an. Among them was the Almighty's saying: 'God loves those who fight in His path in ranks, as though they were a compact structure' [al-Ṣaff: 4]. Then he said: 'Put forward the armored and keep back the unarmored. Bite on the molars, for it better turns swords away from the skull. Twist in the spear points, for it better preserves the blades. Lower the gaze, for it better steadies the heart and calms the mind. Silence the voices, for it better repels failure and is more befitting of dignity. Do not tilt your banners or move them, and put them only in the hands of your brave men.' ʿAlī himself engaging in single combat on the day of the Battle of Ṣiffīn The scholars of history and others have mentioned that ʿAlī ؓ engaged in single combat on the day of Ṣiffīn, and fought and killed many, until some mentioned that he killed five hundred. Among that is that Kurayb b. al-Ṣabbāḥ killed four men of the Iraqis in single combat, then placed them under his feet and called out: 'Is there any challenger?' ʿAlī went out to him. They exchanged blows for a while, then ʿAlī struck him and killed him. Then ʿAlī said: 'Is there any challenger?' Al-Ḥārith b. Wadāʿah al-Ḥimyarī went out to him, and he killed him. Then Rūd b. al-Ḥārith al-Kalāʿī went out to him, and he killed him. Then al-Muṭāʿ b. al-Muṭṭalib al-Qaynī went out to him, and he killed him. Then ʿAlī recited the Almighty's saying: 'And sacred things are subject to retaliation' [al-Baqarah: 194]. Then he called out: 'Woe to you, Muʿāwiyah! Come out to me and do not destroy the Arabs between me and you.' ʿAmr said to him: 'Muʿāwiyah, seize the opportunity, for he has been weakened by killing these four.' Muʿāwiyah said to him: 'By God, you know that ʿAlī has never been defeated. You only want my death so that you may obtain the caliphate after me. Go away! One like me is not deceived.' They mentioned that ʿAlī charged ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ one day and struck him with a spear, throwing him to the ground. His private parts were exposed, and ʿAlī turned away from him. His companions said to him: 'What is the matter, Commander of the Faithful, that you turned away from him?' He said: 'Do you know who he is?' They said: 'No.' He said: 'He is ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ. He met me with his private parts and reminded me of kinship, so I turned away from him.' When ʿAmr returned to Muʿāwiyah, he said to him: 'Praise God, and praise your backside.' The fighting between Muʿāwiyah and ʿAlī ؓ intensifies From Rabīʿah b. Laqīṭ, who said: 'We witnessed Ṣiffīn with ʿAlī and Muʿāwiyah.' He said: 'The sky rained fresh blood upon us.' Al-Layth said in his narration: 'So much so that they would catch it in large bowls and vessels.' Ibn Lahīʿah said: 'They would fill up and we would pour it out.' We have mentioned that ʿAbd Allāh b. Budayl broke the left wing in which Ḥabīb b. Maslamah was, until he drove it into the center. Muʿāwiyah ordered the brave men to assist Ḥabīb in the counterattack, and he sent to Ḥabīb ordering him to charge and counterattack against Ibn Budayl. Ḥabīb charged with the brave men with him against the right wing of the Iraqis and displaced them from their positions. They were exposed away from their commander until only about three hundred remained with him, and the rest of the Iraqis fled. None of those tribes remained with ʿAlī except the people of al-Madīnah, under Sahl b. Ḥunayf, and Rabīʿah stood firm with ʿAlī ؓ. The Syrians drew near to him until their arrows reached him. A mawlā of the Umayyads advanced towards him, and a mawlā of ʿAlī intercepted him, but the Umayyad killed him. He came on, intending ʿAlī. Around ʿAlī were his sons al-Ḥasan, al-Ḥusayn, and Muḥammad b. al-Ḥanafiyyah. When he reached ʿAlī, ʿAlī seized him with his hand, lifted him up, and then threw him to the ground, breaking his upper arm and shoulder. Al-Ḥusayn and Muḥammad rushed at him with their swords and killed him. ʿAlī said to his son al-Ḥasan, who was standing with him: 'What prevented you from doing as they did?' He said: 'They sufficed me in his affair, Commander of the Faithful.' The Syrians hastened towards ʿAlī, but their nearness did not make him hasten his pace; rather, he walked at his leisure. His son al-Ḥasan said to him: 'Father, if only you would hurry more than this!' He said: 'My son, your father has a day that will not pass him by, and hurrying will not delay it for him, nor will walking hasten it towards him. By God, your father does not care whether he falls upon death or death falls upon him.' Then ʿAlī ordered al-Ashtar al-Nakhaʿī to catch up with the fugitives and turn them back. He drove at the fastest pace until he met the fleeing Iraqis from in front of them. He began to reproach and rebuke them, and incited the tribes and brave men among them to counterattack. A group followed him, while others continued in their flight. He kept at that until a great host gathered to him. He returned with them to the Syrians, and he met no tribe of the Syrians but he scattered it, and no group but he drove it back, until he reached the commander of the right wing, ʿAbd Allāh b. Budayl, with about three hundred who had stood firm in their place. They asked him about the Commander of the Faithful, and he said: 'Alive and well.' They gathered around him. He advanced with them until many of the people returned, and that was between the afternoon prayer and sunset. Ibn Budayl wanted to advance against the Syrians, but al-Ashtar ordered him to stay in his place, for it was better for him. Ibn Budayl refused and charged towards Muʿāwiyah. When he reached him, he found him standing in front of his companions with two swords in his hand, and around him battalions like mountains. When Ibn Budayl drew near, a group of them charged him and killed him, throwing him to the ground dead. His companions fled defeated, most of them wounded. When they fled, Muʿāwiyah said to his companions: 'Look at their commander.' They came to him but did not recognize him. Muʿāwiyah advanced towards him, and behold, it was ʿAbd Allāh b. Budayl. Muʿāwiyah said: This, by God, is as the poet said—he is Ḥātim al-Ṭāʾī: A brother of war: when war bites him, he bites it; and when one day war bares its teeth at him, he bares his. He protects when the time of meeting death comes; thus does the father of cubs protect when he flees. Like a mighty lion that was protecting his family; fate struck him with its arrows, and he fell. Then al-Ashtar al-Nakhaʿī charged with those who returned with him from the fugitives, and he made a true charge until he penetrated the five ranks of those who had covenanted and pledged unto death that they would not flee, who were around Muʿāwiyah. He broke through four of them, and one rank remained between him and Muʿāwiyah. Al-Ashtar said: 'I saw a great terror, and I almost fled. Nothing steadied me except the saying of Ibn al-Iṭnābah—she was his mother, from Balqayn, and he was one of the Anṣār, a pre-Islamic poet: My chastity refused for me, and my tribulation refused, and my advance against the bold hero; And my giving of my wealth in the face of hardship, and my striking the head of the generous man; And my saying, whenever it surged and boiled: 'Stay where you are; you will be praised or will find rest.' He said: 'This is what steadied me in that station.' The wonder is that Ibn Dīzīl narrated in his book that the Iraqis made a single charge, and no rank of the Syrians remained but they displaced it, until they reached Muʿāwiyah. He called for his horse to escape upon it. Muʿāwiyah said: 'When I put my foot in the stirrup, I recited the verses of ʿAmr b. al-Iṭnābah: My chastity refused for me, and my tribulation refused, and my taking praise at a profitable price; And my giving of my wealth in the face of hardship, and my striking the head of the bold hero; And my saying, whenever it surged and boiled: 'Stay where you are; you will be praised or will find rest.' He said: 'And I stood firm.' Muʿāwiyah looked at ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ on the day of Ṣiffīn and said: 'Today patience, tomorrow glory.' ʿAmr said to him: 'You have spoken truly.' Muʿāwiyah said: 'I have obtained good in this world, and I hope to obtain good in the Hereafter.' Muḥammad b. Isḥāq narrated it from ʿAbd Allāh b. Abī Bakr, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Ḥāṭib, from Muʿāwiyah. The killing of ʿUbayd Allāh b. ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb Muʿāwiyah sent to Khālid b. al-Muʿtamir — who was the commander of the cavalry for ʿAlī — saying to him: "Follow me upon what you are currently upon, and you shall have the governorship of Iraq." He coveted it. But when Muʿāwiyah took over Iraq, he gave him nothing. Then when ʿAlī saw that the right wing had regrouped, he returned to the people and rebuked some of them, excused others, urged the people on, and steadied them. Then the people of Iraq came back together, their ranks gathered, and the mill of war turned in their favor. They charged against the Syrians and attacked. The brave ones duelled, and many notable men from both factions were killed — indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we return — among them ʿUbayd Allāh b. ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb from the Syrians. They differed concerning who killed him from the people of Iraq. Ibrāhīm b. al-Ḥusayn b. Dīzīl mentioned that when ʿUbayd Allāh went out that day as commander of the war on Muʿāwiyah's side, he brought his two wives — Asmāʾ bt. ʿUṭārid b. Ḥājib al-Tamīmī and Baḥriyyah bt. Hāniʾ b. Qabīṣah al-Shaybānī — and they stood behind him on two camels to watch his fighting, bravery, and strength. The Rabīʿah of Kufa, led by Ziyād b. Khaṣafah al-Taymī, confronted him from the Iraqi army, and they charged him with a single assault and killed him after his companions had fled from him. Rabīʿah dismounted and pitched a tent for their commander. One of its ropes remained without a peg, so they tied it to the leg of ʿUbayd Allāh b. ʿUmar. His two wives came wailing until they stood over him and wept beside him. His wife Baḥriyyah interceded with the commander to release him to her, so he released him to her, and they carried him in their howdah. Also killed with him was Dhū al-Kalāʿ al-Ḥimyarī. Al-Shaʿbī said: Concerning the killing of ʿUbayd Allāh b. ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb, Kaʿb b. Juʿayl al-Taghlabī said: Alā innamā tabkī al-ʿuyūnu li-fārisin bi-Ṣiffīna wallat khayluhu wa-huwa wāqifu Tabaddala min Asmāʾa asyāfa Wāʾilin wa-kāna fatan law akhṭaʾathu al-matālifu Tarakna ʿUbayda Allāhi bi-al-qāʿi thāwiyan tasīlu dimāhu wa-al-ʿurūqu nawāzifu Yanūʾu wa-yaghshāhu shaʾābību min damin kamā lāḥa min jaybi al-qamīṣi al-kafāʾifu Wa-qad ṣabarat ḥawla ibni ʿammi Muḥammadin ladā al-mawti arbābu al-manāqibi shārifu Fa-mā bariḥū ḥattā raʾā Allāhu ṣabrahum wa-ḥattā ulīḥat bi-al-akuffi al-maṣāḥifu Another added: Muʿāwiya lā tanhaḍ bi-ghayri wathīqatin fa-innaka baʿda al-yawmi bi-al-dhulli ʿārifu Abū Jahmah al-Asadī answered him with an ode containing various types of satire which we have deliberately omitted. The killing of ʿAmmār b. Yāsir The killing of ʿAmmār b. Yāsir, ؓ, alongside the Commander of the Faithful ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib, ؓ The people of Syria killed him, and thereby the secret of what the Messenger, ﷺ, had foretold — that the transgressing party would kill him — became clear and manifest. It thus became evident that ʿAlī was in the right and that Muʿāwiyah was a transgressor, and in that were proofs of prophethood. From Zayd b. Wahb al-Juhanī, that ʿAmmār said on that day: "Where is one who seeks the pleasure of Allah and does not turn aside to wealth or children?" He said: A band of people came to him, and he said: "O people, aim with us toward those people who seek the blood of ʿUthmān and claim that he was killed unjustly. By Allah, their aim is not to avenge his blood or to take up his cause, but the people tasted the world and found it sweet and relished it. They knew that if the truth were incumbent upon them, it would stand between them and what they wallow in of their worldly pleasures and desires. The people had no precedent in Islam by which they deserved people's obedience to them or authority over them, nor had fear of Allah taken root in their hearts — the fear that prevents one in whose heart it takes root from attaining desires and restrains him from wanting the world and seeking elevation in it, and impels him to follow the truth and incline to its people. So they deceived their followers by saying: 'Our imam was killed unjustly,' so that they might thereby become tyrants and kings. That is a scheme by which they have reached what you see. Were it not for that, not two men from the people would have followed them, and they would have been more abased, more contemptible, and fewer. But false speech has sweetness in the ears of the heedless. So march to Allah with a fine march, and remember Him with abundant remembrance." Then he advanced and met ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ and ʿUbayd Allāh b. ʿUmar, and he blamed them, rebuked them, and admonished them. They mentioned from his speech to them what contained harshness. Allah knows best. From ʿAmr b. Murrah, I heard ʿAbd Allāh b. Salamah say: I saw ʿAmmār on the day of Ṣiffīn as an old man, tall, dark-skinned, holding a spear in his hand while his hand trembled. He said: "By Him in whose hand is my soul, I have fought with this banner alongside the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, three times, and this is the fourth. By Him in whose hand is my soul, if they were to strike us until they drove us back to the summits of Hajar, I would know that our reformers are upon the truth and that they are upon misguidance." From Qays b. ʿUbād, he said: I said to ʿAmmār: "Do you consider your fighting an opinion you have adopted? For opinion may err and be correct. Or is it a covenant which the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, made with you?" He said: "The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, did not make any covenant with us that he did not make with all the people." This is as established in the two Ṣaḥīḥs and elsewhere, from a group of the Followers, that each of them said: I said to ʿAlī: "Do you have anything which the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, entrusted to you that he did not entrust to the people?" He said: "No, by Him who split the grain and created the soul, except an understanding which Allah grants a servant of the Qurʾān, and what is in this scroll." I said: "And what is in this scroll?" It contained the blood-money, the ransom of captives, and that a Muslim should not be killed for a disbeliever, and that Madinah is a sanctuary between ʿAyr and Thawr. From Sahl b. Ḥunayf, that he said on the day of Ṣiffīn: "O people, suspect opinion in matters of religion. For I saw myself on the day of Abū Jandal, and if I were able, I would have rejected the command of the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ. By Allah, since we embraced Islam we have not borne our swords on our shoulders for a matter that distressed us except that it eased us into a matter we recognized, except this matter of ours. For we do not block one gap in it but another opens for us, and we do not know how we should handle it." From Abū al-Bakhtarī, he said: ʿAmmār said on the day of Ṣiffīn: "Bring me a drink of milk, for the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, said: The last drink you drink of this world is a drink of milk." From al-Aḥnaf b. Qays, he said: Then ʿAmmār b. Yāsir charged them, and Ibn Jawn al-Sakūnī and Abū al-Ghādiyah al-Fazārī charged him. As for Abū al-Ghādiyah, he stabbed him, and as for Ibn Jawn, he severed his head. Dhū al-Kalāʿ had heard the saying of ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ: The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, said to ʿAmmār b. Yāsir: "The transgressing party will kill you, and the last drink you drink will be a ṣāʿ of milk." So Dhū al-Kalāʿ kept saying to ʿAmr: "Woe to you, what is this, O ʿAmr?" ʿAmr would say to him: "He will return to us." He said: When ʿAmmār was killed after Dhū al-Kalāʿ, ʿAmr said to Muʿāwiyah: "I do not know at the killing of which of the two I am more rejoiced — the killing of ʿAmmār or of Dhū al-Kalāʿ. By Allah, if Dhū al-Kalāʿ had remained alive until ʿAmmār was killed, he would have inclined the majority of the people of Syria to ʿAlī and would have corrupted our army against us." He said: A man would keep coming and saying to Muʿāwiyah and ʿAmr: "I killed ʿAmmār." ʿAmr would say to him: "What did you hear him say?" They would confuse what they reported, until Ibn Jawn came and said: "I heard him say: Al-yawma alqā al-aḥibbata Muḥammadan wa-ḥizbah ʿAmr said to him: "You have spoken truth. You are his killer." Then he said to him: "Wait. By Allah, you have not triumphed in that, and you have angered your Lord." From ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ, that the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, said to ʿAmmār: "The transgressing party will kill you." From Ḥudhayfah, raised to the Prophet: "ʿAmmār was never given a choice between two things but he chose the more rightly guided of them." And from ʿAmr b. Shamir, from al-Suddī, from Yaʿqūb b. al-Awsaṭ, he said: Two men disputed over the spoils of ʿAmmār and his killing, so they came to ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ to seek judgment. He said to them: "Woe to you both, get away from me, for the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, said: Quraysh are fond of ʿAmmār. What have they to do with ʿAmmār? ʿAmmār calls them to Paradise, and they call him to the Fire. His killer and the one who strips him are in the Fire." He said: It reached me that Muʿāwiyah said: "He was killed only by the one who brought him out," deceiving thereby the people of Syria. From Ḥanẓalah b. Khuwaylid — who used to come from ʿAlī and Muʿāwiyah — he said: While he was with Muʿāwiyah, two men came disputing over the killing of ʿAmmār. ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAmr said to them: "Let each of you be content for his companion with the killing of ʿAmmār, for I heard the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, say: The transgressing party will kill him." Muʿāwiyah said to ʿAmr: "Will you not restrain this madman of yours from us?" Then Muʿāwiyah turned to ʿAbd Allāh and said to him: "Then why do you fight with us?" He said to him: "The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, commanded me to obey my father as long as he is alive, and I am with you but I do not fight." From al-Shaʿbī, he said: The killer of ʿAmmār came seeking permission to enter upon Muʿāwiyah while ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ was with him. He said: "Give him permission and give him the tidings of the Fire." The man said: "Do you not hear what ʿAmr says?" Muʿāwiyah said: "He spoke truth. He was killed only by those who brought him." From al-Aʿmash, he said: Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī said: We were with ʿAlī at Ṣiffīn, and we had assigned two men to guard his horse and prevent him from charging. Whenever they were heedless for a moment, he charged and did not return until he had dyed his sword with blood. One day he charged and did not return until his sword bent, so he threw it to them and said: "Had it not bent, I would not have returned." He said: I saw ʿAmmār — he did not take any valley of the valleys of Ṣiffīn but those who were there from the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, followed him. I saw him come to al-Mirqāl, Hāshim b. ʿUtbah, who was the bearer of ʿAlī's banner, and say: "O Hāshim, advance. Paradise is beneath the shadows of the swords, and death is at the tips of the spears. The gates of heaven have been opened, and the wide-eyed houris have adorned themselves: Al-yawma alqā al-aḥibbata Muḥammadan wa-ḥizbah Then he and Hāshim charged and were both killed, may Allah Most High have mercy on them. He said: Then ʿAlī and his companions charged the people of Syria with the charge of a single man, as if they — meaning ʿAmmār and Hāshim — had been a banner for them. He said: When night fell, I said: I will enter the camp of the Syrians tonight to learn whether the killing of ʿAmmār affected them as it affected us. When we agreed to a truce from fighting, they would converse with us and we with them. So I mounted my horse after the men had quieted, and I entered their camp. There I found four men conversing at night: Muʿāwiyah, Abū al-Aʿwar al-Sulamī, ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ, and his son ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAmr — and he was the best of the four. I brought my horse among them, fearing that I might miss what some of them said to others. ʿAbd Allāh said to his father: "O father, you killed this man this day of yours, and the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, said about him what he said!" He said: "And what did he say?" He said: "Were you not with us while we were building the mosque, and the people were carrying one stone at a time and one brick at a time, while ʿAmmār was carrying two stones at a time and two bricks at a time? The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, came to him and began wiping the dust from his face, saying: 'Woe to you, O Ibn Sumayyah, the people carry one stone at a time and one brick at a time, and you carry two stones at a time and two bricks at a time, out of your desire for reward! And you, woe to you, despite that, the transgressing party will kill you.'" He said: ʿAmr pushed the chest of his horse, then pulled Muʿāwiyah toward him and said: "O Muʿāwiyah, do you not hear what ʿAbd Allāh says?" He said: "And what does he say?" So he told him the account. Muʿāwiyah said: "You are a foolish old man. You never cease relating a ḥadīth while you are sloshing in your urine. Did we kill ʿAmmār? ʿAmmār was killed only by those who brought him." He said: The people came out of their large tents and small tents saying: "ʿAmmār was killed only by those who brought him." I do not know which was more astonishing, he or them. From Abū Saʿīd, in the story of the building of the mosque, that the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, said to ʿAmmār: "Woe to ʿAmmār, he calls them to Paradise, and they call him to the Fire." He said: ʿAmmār said: "I seek refuge in Allah from trials." From Ibn Masʿūd, he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, say: "When the people differ, Ibn Sumayyah will be with the truth." From Sālim b. Abī al-Jaʿd, he said: A man came to Ibn Masʿūd and said: "Allah has assured us that He will not wrong us, but He has not assured us that He will not test us. What do you think I should do when a trial descends?" He said: "Cling to the Book of Allah." I said: "What do you think if a people come, all of them calling to the Book of Allah?" He said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, say: When the people differ, Ibn Sumayyah will be with the truth." From Muḥammad b. ʿAmmār b. Yāsir, from a freedwoman of ʿAmmār, she said: ʿAmmār suffered an illness from which he lost sleep and fell unconscious. He regained consciousness while we were weeping around him, and he said: "Why do you weep? Do you fear that I will die on my bed? My beloved, ﷺ, informed me that the transgressing party will kill me, and that my last provision from this world will be a sip of milk mixed with water." Ibn Jarīr said: It is mentioned that when ʿAmmār was killed, ʿAlī said to Rabīʿah and Hamdān: "You are my armor and my spear." About twelve thousand were summoned for him, and he advanced before them on his mule and charged, and they charged with him as a single man. No row of the people of Syria remained but it was broken, and they killed everyone they reached until they came to Muʿāwiyah, while ʿAlī fought and said: Aḍribuhum wa-lā arā Muʿāwiyah al-jāḥiẓa al-ʿayni al-ʿaẓīma al-ḥāwiyah The night of al-Harīr He said: Then ʿAlī challenged Muʿāwiyah to single combat, and ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ advised him to go out against him, but Muʿāwiyah said to him: “You know full well that no man has ever faced him in single combat except that he killed him, but you are coveting it [the caliphate] after me.” Then ʿAlī sent forward his son Muḥammad with a large band of men, and they fought a fierce battle. Then ʿAlī followed him with another band and charged with them, killing in this position many people as well, and many people from the Iraqis were killed as well. Hands, wrists, and heads flew from their shoulders—may God have mercy on them. Then the time for Maghrib prayer came, and he did not lead the people in prayer except by gesturing, as well as the two ʿIshāʾ prayers. The fighting continued throughout that entire night, which was one of the greatest nights of evil among the Muslims. That night is called the Night of the Clamor (Laylat al-Harīr). It was Friday night; the spears shattered in it and the arrows were exhausted, and the people turned to swords. ʿAlī ؓ was urging on the tribes and advancing before them, commanding patience and steadfastness while he was at the front of the people in the heart of the army. On the right wing was al-Ashtar al-Nakhaʿī, who took command of it after the killing of ʿAbd Allāh b. Budayl, may God have mercy on him, on Thursday evening, the night of Friday. On the left wing was Ibn ʿAbbās. The people were fighting on every side, and that was when ʿAmmār was killed; the people of Iraq realized that the people of Syria were transgressors who had no right with them. More than one of the scholars of biography mentioned that they fought with spears until they shattered, with arrows until they were exhausted, and with swords until they were broken. Then they resorted to fighting with their hands, throwing stones, and smearing dust into faces. Then they bit each other with their teeth. Two men would fight until they were both exhausted, then they would sit down to rest, each of them growling and snarling at the other, then they would get up and fight as before, neither of them allowing the other to flee. Truly, to God we belong and to Him we return. This remained their practice until the people reached Friday morning in that state. The people prayed the morning prayer by gesturing while still fighting, until the day grew bright and victory approached. Victory turned to the people of Iraq over the people of Syria, for al-Ashtar al-Nakhaʿī had taken command of the right wing—he was one of the courageous heroes who knew warfare and did not fear death—so he charged with those on it against the people of Syria, and ʿAlī followed him. Most of the ranks of the people of Syria broke up, and nothing remained but defeat, breaking, and flight.
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