Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2067
The caliphate of ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib
أول من أشار برفع المصاحف ذَكِرُ رَفْعِ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ الْمَصَاحِفَ مَكْرًا مِنْهُمْ بِأَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ وَخَدِيعَةً فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ رَفَعَ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ الْمَصَاحِفَ فَوْقَ الرِّمَاحِ، وَقَالُوا: هَذَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ، قَدْ فَنِيَ النَّاسُ فَمَنْ لِلثِّغُورِ ؟ وَمَنْ لِجِهَادِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَالْكُفَّارِ ؟ وَذَكَرَ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ وَغَيْرُهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ التَّارِيخِ، أَنَّ الَّذِي أَشَارَ بِرَفْعِ الْمَصَاحِفِ هُوَ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ، وَذَلِكَ لَمَّا رَأَى أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْعِرَاقِ قَدْ ظَهَرُوا وَانْتَصَرُوا، أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَنْفَصِلَ الْحَالُ، وَأَنْ يَتَأَخَّرَ الْأَمْرُ، فَإِنَّ كُلًّا مِنَ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ صَابِرٌ لِلْآخَرِ، وَالنَّاسُ يَتَفَانَوْنَ، فَقَالَ لِمُعَاوِيَةَ: إِنِّي قَدْ رَأَيْتُ أَمْرًا لَا يَزِيدُنَا إِلَّا اجْتِمَاعًا، وَلَا يَزِيدُ أَهْلَ الْعِرَاقِ إِلَّا تَفَرُّقًا وَاخْتِلَافًا، أَرَى أَنْ نَرْفَعَ الْمَصَاحِفَ وَنَدْعُوَهُمْ إِلَيْهَا، فَإِنْ أَجَابُوا كُلُّهُمْ إِلَى ذَلِكَ بَرَدَ الْقِتَالُ هَذِهِ السَّاعَةَ، وَإِنِ اخْتَلَفُوا فِيمَا بَيْنَهُمْ - بِأَنْ يَقُولَ بَعْضُهُمْ: نُجِيبُهُمْ. وَبَعْضُهُمْ: لَا نُجِيبُهُمْ. فَشِلُوا وَذَهَبَتْ رِيحُهُمْ. عَنْ حَبِيبِ بْنِ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ، قَالَ: أَتَيْتُ أَبَا وَائِلٍ فِي مَسْجِدِ أَهْلِهِ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ هَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ قَتَلَهُمْ عَلِيٌّ بِالنَّهْرَوَانِ، فِيمَ اسْتَجَابُوا لَهُ وَفِيمَ فَارَقُوهُ، وَفِيمَ اسْتَحَلَّ قِتَالَهُمْ ؟ فَقَالَ: كُنَّا بِصِفِّينَ، فَلَمَّا اسْتَحَرَّ الْقَتْلُ بِأَهْلِ الشَّامِ اعْتَصَمُوا بِتَلٍّ، فَقَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ لِمُعَاوِيَةَ: أَرْسَلَ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ بِمُصْحَفٍ فَادْعُهُ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهُ لَنْ يَأْبَى عَلَيْكَ. فَجَاءَ بِهِ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ: بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا نَصِيبًا مِنَ الْكِتَابِ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّى فَرِيقٌ مِنْهُمْ وَهُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ [ آلِ عِمْرَانَ: 544 ] فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ: نَعَمْ، أَنَا أَوْلَى بِذَلِكَ، بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ. اختلاف القراء على وقف القتال قَالَ فَجَاءَتْهُ الْخَوَارِجُ - وَنَحْنُ نَدْعُوهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْقُرَّاءَ - وَسُيُوفُهُمْ عَلَى عَوَاتِقِهِمْ، فَقَالُوا: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَا تَنْتَظِرُ بِهَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ عَلَى التَّلِّ، أَلَا نَمْشِيَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِسُيُوفِنَا حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ اللَّهُ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ ؟ فَتَكَلَّمَ سَهْلُ بْنُ حُنَيْفٍ، فَقَالَ: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّهَمُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ، فَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنَا يَوْمَ الْحُدَيْبِيَةِ - يَوْمَ الصُّلْحِ الَّذِي كَانَ بَيْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، وَبَيْنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ - وَلَوْ نَرَى قِتَالًا لَقَاتَلْنَا، فَجَاءَ عُمَرُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَلَسْنَا عَلَى الْحَقِّ وَهُمْ عَلَى بَاطِلٍ ؟ وَذَكَرَ تَمَامَ الْحَدِيثِ كَمَا تَقَدَّمَ فِي مَوْضِعِهِ. فَلَمَّا رُفِعَتِ الْمَصَاحِفُ، قَالَ أَهْلُ الْعِرَاقِ: نُجِيبُ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَنُنِيبُ إِلَيْهِ. بعث علي إلى الأشتر بوقف القتال قَالُوا: فَابْعَثْ إِلَى الْأَشْتَرِ فَلْيَأْتِكَ وَيَكُفَّ عَنِ الْقِتَالِ. فَبَعَثَ إِلَيْهِ عَلِيٌّ لِيَكُفَّ عَنِ الْقِتَالِ. وَكَانَ مِمَّنْ دَعَا إِلَى ذَلِكَ فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ مِنْ سَادَاتِ الشَّامِيِّينَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ ; قَامَ فِي أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ فَدَعَاهُمْ إِلَى الْمُوَادَعَةِ وَالْكَفِّ وَتَرْكِ الْقِتَالَ وَالِائْتِمَارِ بِمَا فِي الْقُرْآنِ، وَذَلِكَ عَنْ أَمْرِ مُعَاوِيَةَ لَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ، ؓ. موقف الأشعث بن قيس الكندي من وقف القتال وَكَانَ مِمَّنْ أَشَارَ عَلَى عَلِيٍّ بِالْقَبُولِ وَالدُّخُولِ فِي ذَلِكَ الْأَشْعَثُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ الْكِنْدِيُّ، ؓ، فَرَوَى أَبُو مِخْنَفٍ مِنْ وَجْهٍ آخَرَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا لَمَّا بَعَثَ إِلَى الْأَشْتَرِ قَالَ: قُلْ لَهُ: إِنَّ هَذِهِ سَاعَةٌ لَيْسَ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ تُزِيلَنِي عَنْ مَوْقِفِي فِيهَا، إِنِّي قَدْ رَجَوْتُ أَنْ يَفْتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيَّ فَلَا تُعْجِلْنِي. فَرَجَعَ الرَّسُولُ - وَهُوَ يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَانِئٍ - إِلَى عَلِيٍّ فَأَخْبَرَهُ بِمَا قَالَ الْأَشْتَرُ، وَصَمَّمَ الْأَشْتَرُ عَلَى الْقِتَالِ لِيَنْتَهِزَ الْفُرْصَةَ، فَارْتَفَعَ الْهَرْجُ وَعَلَتِ الْأَصْوَاتُ، فَقَالَ أُولَئِكَ الْقَوْمُ لِعَلِيٍّ: وَاللَّهِ مَا نَرَاكَ إِلَّا أَمَرْتَهُ أَنْ يُقَاتِلَ. فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ: أَرَأَيْتُمُونِي سَارَرْتُ الرَّسُولَ، أَلَمْ أَبْعَثْ إِلَيْهِ جَهْرَةً وَأَنْتُمْ تَسْمَعُونَ ؟ فَقَالُوا: فَابْعَثْ إِلَيْهِ فَلْيَأْتِكَ وَإِلَّا وَاللَّهِ اعْتَزَلْنَاكَ. فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ لِيَزِيدَ بْنِ هَانِئٍ: وَيْحَكَ ! قُلْ لَهُ: أَقْبِلْ إِلَيَّ فَإِنَّ الْفِتْنَةَ قَدْ وَقَعَتْ. فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ إِلَيْهِ يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَانِئٍ وَأَبْلَغَهُ مَا قَالَ عَلِيٌّ أَنَّهُ يُقْبِلُ إِلَيْهِ، جَعَلَ الْأَشْتَرُ يَتَمَلْمَلُ وَيَقُولُ: وَيْحَكَ ! أَلَا تَرَى مَا نَحْنُ فِيهِ مِنَ النَّصْرِ، وَلَمْ يَبْقَ إِلَّا الْقَلِيلُ ؟ فَقُلْتُ: أَيُّمَا أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ ; أَنْ تَرْجِعَ أَوْ يَقْتَلَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كَمَا قُتِلَ عُثْمَانُ ؟ ثُمَّ مَاذَا تُغْنِي عَنْكَ نَصْرَتُكُ هَاهُنَا ؟ قَالَ: فَأَقْبَلَ الْأَشْتَرُ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ وَتَرَكَ الْقِتَالَ، فَقَالَ الْأَشْتَرُ: يَا أَهْلَ الْعِرَاقِ، يَا أَهْلَ الذُّلِّ وَالْوَهْنِ، أَحِينَ عَلَوْتُمُ الْقَوْمَ، وَظَهَرْتُمْ وَظَنُّوا أَنَّكُمْ لَهُمْ قَاهِرُونَ ; رَفَعُوا الْمَصَاحِفَ يَدْعُونَكُمْ إِلَى مَا فِيهَا، وَقَدْ وَاللَّهِ تَرَكُوا مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ فِيهَا، وَسُنَّةَ مَنْ أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ، فَلَا تُجِيبُوهُمْ، أَمْهِلُونِي فَإِنِّي قَدْ أَحْسَسْتُ بِالْفَتْحِ. قَالُوا: لَا. قَالَ: أَمْهِلُونِي عَدْوَ الْفَرَسِ فَإِنِّي قَدْ طَمِعْتُ فِي النَّصْرِ. قَالُوا: إِذًا نَدْخُلُ مَعَكَ فِي خَطِيئَتِكَ. مناظرة الأشتر للقراء الداعين إلى إجابة أهل الشام ثُمَّ أَخَذَ الْأَشْتَرُ يُنَاظِرُ أُولَئِكَ الْقُرَّاءَ الدَّاعِينَ إِلَى إِجَابَةِ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ بِمَا حَاصِلُهُ: إِنْ كَانَ أَوَّلُ قِتَالِكُمْ لِهَؤُلَاءِ حَقًّا فَاسْتَمِرُّوا عَلَيْهِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ بَاطِلًا فَاشْهَدُوا لِقَتْلَاكُمْ بِالنَّارِ. فَقَالُوا: دَعْنَا مِنْكَ فَإِنَّا لَا نُطِيعُكَ وَلَا صَاحِبَكَ أَبَدًا، وَنَحْنُ قَاتَلْنَا هَؤُلَاءِ فِي اللَّهِ وَتَرَكْنَا قِتَالَهُمْ لِلَّهِ. فَقَالَ لَهُمُ الْأَشْتَرُ: خُدِعْتُمْ وَاللَّهِ فَانْخَدَعْتُمْ، وَدُعِيتُمْ إِلَى وَضْعِ الْحَرْبِ فَأَجَبْتُمْ يَا أَصْحَابَ السُّوءِ، كُنَّا نَظُنُّ صَلَاتَكُمْ زَهَادَةً فِي الدُّنْيَا وَشَوْقًا إِلَى لِقَاءِ اللَّهِ، فَلَا أَرَى فِرَارَكُمْ إِلَّا إِلَى الدُّنْيَا مِنَ الْمَوْتِ، يَا أَشْبَاهَ النِّيبِ الْجَلَّالَةِ، مَا أَنْتُمْ بِرَبَّانِيِّينَ بَعْدَهَا، فَابْعُدُوا كَمَا بَعِدَ الْقَوْمُ الظَّالِمُونَ. فَسَبُّوهُ وَسَبَّهُمْ فَضَرَبُوا وَجْهَ دَابَّتِهِ بِسِيَاطِهِمْ، وَجَرَتْ بَيْنَهُمْ أُمُورٌ طَوِيلَةٌ، وَرَغِبَ أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ مِنَ الْعِرَاقِيِّينَ وَالشَّامِيِّينَ بِكَمَالِهِمْ إِلَى الْمُصَالَحَةِ وَالْمُسَالَمَةِ مُدَّةً لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّفِقُونَ عَلَى أَمْرٍ يَكُونُ فِيهِ مَصْلَحَةٌ لِحَقْنِ دِمَاءِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَإِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ تَفَانَوْا فِي هَذِهِ الْمُدَّةِ، وَلَا سِيَّمَا فِي هَذِهِ الثَّلَاثَةِ الْأَيَّامِ الْمُتَأَخِّرَةِ الَّتِي كَانَ آخِرُهَا لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةُ، وَهِيَ لَيْلَةُ الْهَرِيرِ. ما قتل من الفريقين ومدة المقام بصفين وَقَدْ صَبَرَ كُلٌّ مِنَ الْجَيْشَيْنِ لِلْآخَرِ صَبْرًا لَمْ يُرَ مِثْلَهُ لِمَا كَانَ فِيهِمْ مِنَ الشُّجْعَانِ وَالْأَبْطَالِ مَا لَيْسَ يُوجَدُ مِثْلُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا، وَلِهَذَا لَمْ يَفِرَّ أَحَدٌ عَنْ أَحَدٍ بَلْ صَبَرُوا حَتَّى قُتِلَ مِنَ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ - فِيمَا ذَكَرَهُ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ - سَبْعُونَ أَلْفًا ; خَمْسَةٌ وَأَرْبَعُونَ أَلْفًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ وَخَمْسَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ أَلْفًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ. قَالَهُ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ ; مِنْهُمْ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سِيرِينَ، وَسَيْفٌ وَغَيْرُهُ. وَزَادَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ بْنُ الْبَرَاءِ: وَكَانَ فِي أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ خَمْسَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ بَدْرِيًّا. قَالَ: وَكَانَ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي هَذِهِ الْمُدَّةِ تِسْعُونَ زَحْفًا. وَاخْتَلَفَا فِي مُدَّةِ الْمُقَامِ بِصِفِّينَ ; فَقَالَ سَيْفٌ: سَبْعَةُ أَشْهُرٍ أَوْ تِسْعَةُ أَشْهُرٍ. وَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ بْنُ الْبَرَاءِ: مِائَةٌ وَعَشَرَةُ أَيَّامٍ. قُلْتُ: وَمُقْتَضَى كَلَامِ أَبِي مِخْنَفٍ أَنَّهُ كَانَ مِنْ مُسْتَهَلِّ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ فِي يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ لِثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً خَلَتْ مِنْ صَفَرٍ، وَذَلِكَ ثَلَاثَةٌ وَسَبْعُونَ يَوْمًا. فَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَقَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ: بَلَغَنِي أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُدْفَنُ فِي الْقَبْرِ الْوَاحِدِ خَمْسُونَ نَفْسًا. وَعَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ: كَانَ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ سِتِّينَ أَلْفًا فَقُتِلَ مِنْهُمْ عِشْرُونَ أَلْفًا، وَكَانَ أَهْلُ الْعِرَاقِ مِائَةً وَعِشْرِينَ أَلْفًا فَقُتِلَ مِنْهُمْ أَرْبَعُونَ أَلْفًا. وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ: لَا تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى تَقْتَتِلَ فِئَتَانِ عَظِيمَتَانِ يُقْتَلُ بَيْنَهُمَا مَقْتَلَةٌ عَظِيمَةٌ وَدَعْوَاهُمَا وَاحِدَةٌ. وَعَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، إِنَّ رَحَى الْإِسْلَامِ سَتَزُولُ لِخَمْسٍ وَثَلَاثِينَ أَوْ سِتٍّ وَثَلَاثِينَ، فَإِنْ يَهْلَكُوا فَسَبِيلُ مَنْ هَلَكَ، وَإِنْ يَقُمْ لَهُمْ دِينُهُمْ يَقُمْ لَهُمْ سَبْعِينَ عَامًا. فَقَالَ عُمَرُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَمِمَّا مَضَى أَمْ مِمَّا بَقِيَ ؟ قَالَ: بَلْ مِمَّا بَقِيَ. وَعَنْ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سِيرِينَ قَالَ: لَمَّا قُتِلَ عُثْمَانُ قَالَ عَدِيُّ بْنُ حَاتِمٍ: لَا يَنْتَطِحُ فِي قَتْلِهِ عَنْزَانِ. فَلَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ صِفِّينَ فُقِئَتْ عَيْنُهُ، فَقِيلَ: لَا يَنْتَطِحُ فِي قَتْلِهِ عَنْزَانِ ! فَقَالَ: بَلَى، وَتُفْقَأُ عُيُونٌ كَثِيرَةٌ. وَرُوِيَ عَنْ كَعْبِ الْأَحْبَارِ أَنَّهُ مَرَّ بِصِفِّينَ، فَرَأَى حِجَارَتَهَا فَقَالَ: لَقَدِ اقْتَتَلَ فِي هَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ تِسْعَ مَرَّاتٍ، وَإِنَّ الْعَرَبَ سَتَقْتَتِلُ فِيهَا الْعَاشِرَةَ، حَتَّى يَتَقَاذَفُوا بِالْحِجَارَةِ الَّتِي تَقَاذَفَ بِهَا بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ، وَيَتَفَانَوْا كَمَا تَفَانَوْا. وَقَدْ ثَبَتَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ رَبِّي أَنْ لَا يُهْلِكَ أُمَّتِي بِسِنَةٍ عَامَّةٍ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا، وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يُسَلِّطُ عَلَيْهِمْ عَدُوًّا مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ، فَيَسْتَبِيحَ بَيْضَتَهُمْ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا، وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يُسَلِّطُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ فَمَنَعَنِيهَا. ذَكَرْنَا ذَلِكَ عِنْدَ تَفْسِيرِ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعًا وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ [ الْأَنْعَامِ: 65 ]. قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، هَذَا أَهْوَنُ.
Translation
✧ The first to suggest raising the maṣāḥif Mention of the people of al-Shām raising the maṣāḥif as a trick against the people of al-ʿIrāq and a deception. Thereupon the people of al-Shām raised the maṣāḥif above the spears and said: “This is between us and you. The people have perished; who will [guard] the frontier strongholds? Who will [undertake] jihād against the polytheists and the disbelievers?” Ibn Jarīr and other historians mentioned that the one who suggested raising the maṣāḥif was ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ. That was when he saw that the people of al-ʿIrāq had gained the upper hand and prevailed; he wished the situation to be disengaged and the matter to be delayed, for each of the two parties was enduring against the other and the people were destroying one another. He said to Muʿāwiyah: “I have thought of something that will only increase our unity and only increase the disunity and discord of the people of al-ʿIrāq. I think we should raise the maṣāḥif and call them to them. If all of them respond to that, the fighting will cool at this hour; but if they differ among themselves—some saying, ‘We will answer them,’ and others saying, ‘We will not answer them’—they will falter and their strength will depart.” From Ḥabīb b. Abī Thābit, who said: I came to Abū Wāʾil in the mosque of his people to ask him about those people whom ʿAlī killed at al-Nahrawān: why they had responded to him, why they had parted from him, and why he deemed fighting them lawful. He said: We were at Ṣiffīn. When the slaughter became intense among the people of al-Shām, they took refuge on a hill. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ said to Muʿāwiyah: “Send to ʿAlī a muṣḥaf and call him to the Book of God, for he will not refuse you.” A man brought it and said: “Between us and you is the Book of God. Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Book, being called to the Book of God that it might judge between them, then a party of them turns away, averting [its face]?” [Āl ʿImrān: 23]. ʿAlī said: “Yes, I am more entitled to that. Between us and you is the Book of God.” Disagreement of the qurrāʾ over halting the fighting He said: Then the Khawārij—whom we called that day the qurrāʾ—came to him with their swords on their shoulders and said: “O Commander of the Faithful, what are you waiting for with these people on the hill? Shall we not go to them with our swords until God judges between us and them?” Sahl b. Ḥunayf spoke and said: “O people, suspect yourselves. We saw ourselves on the day of al-Ḥudaybiyah—the day of the truce that was between the Messenger of God ﷺ and the polytheists—and had we seen any fighting, we would have fought. ʿUmar came to the Messenger of God ﷺ and said: ‘O Messenger of God, are we not upon truth and they upon falsehood?’” And he mentioned the rest of the ḥadīth as previously passed in its place. When the maṣāḥif were raised, the people of al-ʿIrāq said: “We will answer to the Book of God and turn back to it.” ʿAlī sends to al-Ashtar to halt the fighting They said: “Then send to al-Ashtar to come to you and refrain from fighting.” So ʿAlī sent to him to refrain from fighting. Among those who called for that on that day from the leaders of the Syrians was ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ. He stood among the people of al-ʿIrāq and called them to conciliation, restraint, abandoning fighting, and complying with what is in the Qurʾān—that being by Muʿāwiyah’s command to him in that matter, ؓ. Al-Ashʿath b. Qays al-Kindī’s stance on halting the fighting Among those who advised ʿAlī to accept and enter into that was al-Ashʿath b. Qays al-Kindī, ؓ. Abū Mikhnaf related from another source that when ʿAlī sent to al-Ashtar, he said: “Tell him: This is an hour in which it is not fitting that I be removed from my position. I have hoped that God may grant me victory, so do not hasten me.” The messenger—he was Yazīd b. Hāniʾ—returned to ʿAlī and informed him of what al-Ashtar said. Al-Ashtar was determined to fight in order to seize the opportunity. Then clamor rose and voices grew loud, and those people said to ʿAlī: “By God, we see that you have only commanded him to fight.” ʿAlī said: “Did you see me speak secretly to the messenger? Did I not send to him openly while you were listening?” They said: “Then send to him to come to you; otherwise, by God, we will withdraw from you.” So ʿAlī said to Yazīd b. Hāniʾ: “Woe to you! Tell him: Come to me, for fitnah has occurred.” When Yazīd b. Hāniʾ returned to him and conveyed what ʿAlī said—that he should come to him—al-Ashtar began to shift restlessly and say: “Woe to you! Do you not see the victory we are in? Nothing remains but a little.” I said: “Which is dearer to you: that you return, or that the Commander of the Faithful be killed as ʿUthmān was killed? Then what will your victory here avail you?” He said: So al-Ashtar came to ʿAlī and abandoned the fighting. Al-Ashtar said: “O people of al-ʿIrāq, O people of humiliation and weakness! When you had overcome the people and prevailed, and they thought you would conquer them, they raised the maṣāḥif calling you to what is in them. But by God, they have abandoned what God commanded in them and the sunnah of him upon whom the Qurʾān was sent down. Do not answer them. Give me time, for I have sensed victory.” They said: “No.” He said: “Give me the time of a horse’s gallop, for I have longed for victory.” They said: “Then we would enter with you into your sin.” Al-Ashtar’s debate with the qurrāʾ who called for answering the people of al-Shām Then al-Ashtar began to debate those qurrāʾ who called for answering the people of al-Shām. The sum of his argument was: If your first fighting against these people was rightful, then persist in it; but if it was wrong, then testify that your slain are in the Fire. They said: “Leave us alone. We will never obey you or your companion. We fought these people for God, and we will abandon fighting them for God.” Al-Ashtar said to them: “By God, you were deceived and you let yourselves be deceived. You were called to lay down war and you responded, O evil companions. We used to think your prayer was out of renunciation of this world and longing to meet God, but I see your flight only as fleeing from death to this world. O you who resemble old milch camels, you are no longer godly after this. Be gone as the wrongdoing people were gone.” They reviled him and he reviled them, and they struck the face of his mount with their whips. Long matters occurred between them. Most of the people of the Iraqis and the Syrians in their entirety inclined to reconciliation and peace for a period, hoping they might agree on something beneficial for sparing the blood of the Muslims. For the people had destroyed one another during this period, especially in these last three days whose end was Friday night—the night of al-Harīr. The number killed from the two parties and the duration of the stay at Ṣiffīn Each of the two armies endured against the other with a patience the like of which has not been seen, because among them were brave men and heroes whose like is not found in the world. For this reason no one fled from anyone; rather they endured until there were killed from the two parties—as more than one mentioned—seventy thousand: forty-five thousand from the people of al-Shām and twenty-five thousand from the people of al-ʿIrāq. More than one said this, among them Muḥammad b. Sīrīn, Sayf, and others. Abū al-Ḥasan b. al-Barāʾ added: Among the people of al-ʿIrāq were twenty-five who had been at Badr. He said: Between them during this period there were ninety engagements. They differed concerning the duration of the stay at Ṣiffīn. Sayf said: seven months or nine months. Abū al-Ḥasan b. al-Barāʾ said: one hundred and ten days. I say: The implication of Abū Mikhnaf’s account is that it was from the beginning of Dhū al-Ḥijjah until Friday, thirteen nights having passed of Ṣafar, and that is seventy-three days. And God knows best. Al-Zuhrī said: It reached me that fifty persons were buried in a single grave. From Ṣafwān b. ʿAmr, who said: The people of al-Shām were sixty thousand, and twenty thousand of them were killed. The people of al-ʿIrāq were one hundred and twenty thousand, and forty thousand of them were killed. From Abū Hurayrah, from the Messenger of God ﷺ, that he said: “The Hour will not come until two great factions fight one another, with a great slaughter between them, while their claim is one.” From Ibn Masʿūd, who said: The Messenger of God ﷺ said: “The millstone of Islam will turn at thirty-five or thirty-six. If they perish, it is the way of those who perish; but if their religion stands for them, it will stand for them for seventy years.” ʿUmar said: “O Messenger of God, from what is past or from what remains?” He said: “Rather, from what remains.” From Muḥammad b. Sīrīn, who said: When ʿUthmān was killed, ʿAdī b. Ḥātim said: “Two goats will not butt one another over his killing.” When the day of Ṣiffīn came, his eye was gouged out, and it was said: “Two goats will not butt one another over his killing!” He said: “Indeed, and many eyes will be gouged out.” It is related from Kaʿb al-Aḥbār that he passed by Ṣiffīn and saw its stones and said: “The Children of Israel fought in this place nine times, and the Arabs will fight in it the tenth, until they throw at one another the stones with which the Children of Israel threw, and they will destroy one another as they destroyed one another.” It is established in the ḥadīth that the Messenger of God ﷺ said: “I asked my Lord not to destroy my community by a universal famine, and He granted me that. I asked Him not to set over them an enemy from other than themselves who would make their commonwealth lawful spoil, and He granted me that. I asked Him not to set some of them over others, and He denied me that.” We mentioned that in commenting on His saying, Exalted is He: “Or to confound you into factions and make you taste the might of one another” [al-Anʿām: 65]. The Messenger of God ﷺ said: “This is easier.”
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