Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2072
The caliphate of ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib
ذِكْرُ خُرُوجِ الْخَوَارِجِ مِنَ الْكُوفَةِ وَمُبَارَزَتِهِمْ عَلِيًّا، ؓ، بِالْعَدَاوَةِ وَالْمُخَالَفَةِ وَقِتَالِ عَلِيٍّ إِيَّاهُمْ وَمَا وَرَدَ فِي ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْأَحَادِيثِ مناظرة علي وحرقوص بن زهير من الخوارج لَمَّا بَعَثَ عَلِيٌّ أَبَا مُوسَى وَمَنْ مَعَهُ مِنَ الْجَيْشِ إِلَى دُومَةِ الْجَنْدَلِ، اشْتَدَّ أَمْرُ الْخَوَارِجِ وَبَالَغُوا فِي النَّكِيرِ عَلَى عَلِيٍّ وَصَرَّحُوا بِكُفْرِهِ، فَجَاءَ إِلَيْهِ رَجُلَانِ مِنْهُمْ، وَهَمَا زُرْعَةُ بْنُ الْبُرْجِ الطَّائِيُّ، وَحُرْقُوصُ بْنُ زُهَيْرٍ السَّعْدِيُّ، فَقَالَا: لَا حُكْمَ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ. فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ: لَا حُكْمَ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ. فَقَالَ لَهُ حُرْقُوصُ: تُبْ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ خَطِيئَتِكَ، وَارْجِعْ عَنْ قَضِيَّتِكَ، اذْهَبْ بِنَا إِلَى عَدُوِّنَا حَتَّى نُقَاتِلَهُمْ حَتَّى نَلْقَى رَبَّنَا. فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ: قَدْ أَرَدْتُكُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ فَأَبَيْتُمْ، وَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ الْقَوْمِ كِتَابًا وَعُهُودًا، وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: وَأَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ إِذَا عَاهَدْتُمْ الْآيَةَ [ النَّحْلِ: 91 ]. فَقَالَ لَهُ حُرْقُوصُ: ذَلِكَ ذَنْبٌ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ تَتُوبَ مِنْهُ. فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ: مَا هُوَ بِذَنْبٍ وَلَكِنَّهُ عَجْزٌ مِنَ الرَّأْيِ، وَقَدْ تَقَدَّمْتُ إِلَيْكُمْ فِيمَا كَانَ مِنْهُ، وَنَهَيْتُكُمْ عَنْهُ. فَقَالَ لَهُ زُرْعَةُ بْنُ الْبُرْجِ: أَمَا وَاللَّهِ يَا عَلِيُّ لَئِنْ لَمْ تَدَعْ تَحْكِيمَ الرِّجَالِ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ لَأُقَاتِلَنَّكَ أَطْلُبُ بِذَلِكَ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانَهُ. فَقَالَ لَهُ: تَبًّا لَكَ مَا أَشْقَاكَ ! كَأَنِّي بِكَ قَتِيلًا تَسْفِي عَلَيْكَ الرِّيحُ. فَقَالَ: وَدِدْتُ أَنْ قَدْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ. فَقَالَ لَهُ عَلِيٌّ: إِنَّكَ لَوْ كُنْتَ مُحِقًّا كَانَ فِي الْمَوْتِ تَعْزِيَةٌ عَنِ الدُّنْيَا، وَلَكِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ قَدِ اسْتَهْوَاكُمْ. فَخَرَجَا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ يُحَكِّمَانِ أَمْرَهُمَا، وَفَشَى فِيهِمْ ذَلِكَ، وَجَاهَرُوا بِهِ النَّاسَ، وَتَعَرَّضُوا لِعَلِيٍّ فِي خُطَبِهِ وَأَسْمَعُوهُ السَّبَّ وَالشَّتْمَ وَالتَّعْرِيضَ بِآيَاتٍ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا قَامَ خَطِيبًا فِي بَعْضِ الْجُمَعِ فَذَكَرَ أَمْرَ الْخَوَارِجِ فَذَمَّهُ وَعَابَهُ. فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنْهُمْ كُلٌّ يَقُولُ: لَا حُكْمَ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ. وَقَامَ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ وَهُوَ وَاضِعٌ أُصْبُعَهُ فِي أُذُنَيْهِ يَقُولُ: وَلَقَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ [ الزُّمَرِ: 65 ]. فَجَعَلَ عَلِيٌّ يُقَلِّبُ يَدَيْهِ هَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ يَقُولُ: حُكْمَ اللَّهِ نَنْتَظِرُ فِيكُمْ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: إِنَّ لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا أَنْ لَا نَمْنَعَكُمْ مَسَاجِدَنَا مَا لَمْ تَخْرُجُوا عَلَيْنَا، وَلَا نَمْنَعَكُمْ نَصِيبَكُمْ مِنْ هَذَا الْفَيْءِ مَا دَامَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ مَعَ أَيْدِينَا، وَلَا نُقَاتِلَكُمْ حَتَّى تُقَاتِلُونَا. اجتماع الخوارج في منزل عبد الله بن وهب الراسبي وَقَالَ أَبُو مِخْنَفٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ أَبِي حُرَّةَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا لَمَّا بَعَثَ أَبَا مُوسَى لِإِنْفَاذِ الْحُكُومَةِ، اجْتَمَعَ الْخَوَارِجُ فِي مَنْزِلِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ وَهْبٍ الرَّاسِبِيِّ فَخَطَبَهُمْ خُطْبَةً بَلِيغَةً زَهَّدَهُمْ فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيَا وَرَغَّبَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ وَالْجَنَّةِ، وَحَثَّهُمْ عَلَى الْأَمْرِ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيِ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: فَاخْرُجُوا بِنَا إِخْوَانَنَا مِنْ هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةِ الظَّالِمِ أَهْلُهَا، إِلَى جَانِبِ هَذَا السَّوَادِ إِلَى بَعْضِ كُوَرِ الْجِبَالِ، أَوْ بَعْضِ هَذِهِ الْمَدَائِنِ مُنْكِرِينَ لِهَذِهِ الْأَحْكَامِ الْجَائِرَةِ. ثُمَّ قَامَ حُرْقُوصُ بْنُ زُهَيْرٍ فَقَالَ بَعْدَ حَمْدِ اللَّهِ وَالثَّنَاءِ عَلَيْهِ: إِنَّ الْمَتَاعَ بِهَذِهِ الدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ، وَإِنَّ الْفِرَاقَ لَهَا وَشِيكٌ، فَلَا تَدْعُوَنَّكُمْ زِينَتُهَا وَبَهْجَتُهَا إِلَى الْمُقَامِ بِهَا، وَلَا تَلْفِتَنَّكُمْ عَنْ طَلَبِ الْحَقِّ وَإِنْكَارِ الظُّلْمِ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ مُحْسِنُونَ. فَقَالَ سِنَانُ بْنُ حَمْزَةَ الْأَسَدِيُّ: يَا قَوْمُ إِنَّ الرَّأْيَ مَا رَأَيْتُمْ، وَإِنَّ الْحَقَّ مَا ذَكَرْتُمْ، فَوَلُّوا أَمْرَكُمْ رَجُلًا مِنْكُمْ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا بُدَّ لَكُمْ مِنْ عِمَادٍ وَسِنَادٍ، وَمِنْ رَايَةٍ تَحُفُّونَ بِهَا وَتَرْجِعُونَ إِلَيْهَا. فَبَعَثُوا إِلَى زَيْدِ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ الطَّائِيِّ - وَكَانَ مِنْ رُءُوسِهِمْ - فَعَرَضُوا عَلَيْهِ الْإِمَارَةَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَأَبَى، ثُمَّ عَرَضُوهَا عَلَى حُرْقُوصَ بْنَ زُهَيْرٍ فَأَبَى، ثُمَّ عَرَضُوهَا عَلَى حَمْزَةَ بْنِ سِنَانٍ فَأَبَى، ثُمَّ عَرَضُوهَا عَلَى شُرَيْحِ بْنِ أَوْفَى الْعَبْسِيِّ فَأَبَى، ثُمَّ عَرَضُوهَا عَلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ وَهْبٍ الرَّاسِبِيِّ فَقَبِلَهَا، وَقَالَ: أَمَا وَاللَّهِ لَا أَقْبَلُهَا رَغْبَةً فِي الدُّنْيَا وَلَا أَدَعُهَا فَرَقًا مِنَ الْمَوْتِ. اجتماع الخوارج في منزل زيد بن حصين الطائي السنبسي وَاجْتَمَعُوا أَيْضًا فِي بَيْتِ زَيْدِ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ الطَّائِيِّ السِّنْبِسِيِّ فَخَطَبَهُمْ وَحَثَّهُمْ عَلَى الْأَمْرِ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيِ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ، وَتَلَا عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتٍ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مِنْهَا قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: يَا دَاوُدُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاكَ خَلِيفَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ الْهَوَى فَيُضِلَّكَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ الْآيَةَ [ ص: 26 ]. وَقَوْلُهُ: وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ [ الْمَائِدَةِ: 44 ]. وَالَّتِي بَعْدَهَا وَبَعْدَهَا: الظَّالِمُونَ، الْفَاسِقُونَ [ الْمَائِدَةِ: 45، 47 ]. ثُمَّ قَالَ: فَأَشْهَدُ عَلَى أَهْلِ دَعْوَتِنَا مِنْ أَهْلِ قِبْلَتِنَا أَنَّهُمْ قَدِ اتَّبَعُوا الْهَوَى، وَنَبَذُوا حُكْمَ الْكِتَابِ، وَجَارُوا فِي الْقَوْلِ وَالْأَعْمَالِ، وَأَنَّ جِهَادَهُمْ حَقٌّ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. قَالَ: فَبَكَى رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُ: عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ شَجَرَةُ السُّلَمِيُّ. ثُمَّ حَرَّضَ أُولَئِكَ عَلَى الْخُرُوجِ عَلَى النَّاسِ، وَقَالَ فِي كَلَامِهِ: اضْرِبُوا وُجُوهَهُمْ وَجِبَاهَهُمْ بِالسُّيُوفِ حَتَّى يُطَاعَ الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُ، فَإِنْ أَنْتُمْ ظَفِرْتُمْ وَأُطِيعَ اللَّهُ كَمَا أَرَدْتُمْ، آتَاكُمُ اللَّهُ ثَوَابَ الْمُطِيعِينَ لَهُ الْعَامِلِينَ بِأَمْرِهِ، وَإِنْ قُتِلْتُمْ فَأَيُّ شَيْءٍ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الصَّبْرِ وَالْمَصِيرِ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانِهِ وَجَنَّتِهِ ؟ قُلْتُ: وَهَذَا الضَّرْبُ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ أَغْرَبَ أَشْكَالِ بَنِي آدَمَ، فَسُبْحَانَ مَنْ نَوَّعَ خَلْقَهُ كَمَا أَرَادَ، وَسَبَقَ فِي قَدَرِهِ ذَلِكَ. وَمَا أَحْسَنَ مَا قَالَ بَعْضُ السَّلَفِ فِي الْخَوَارِجِ: إِنَّهُمُ الْمَذْكُورُونَ فِي قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: قُلْ هَلْ نُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِالْأَخْسَرِينَ أَعْمَالًا الَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعًا أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَلِقَائِهِ فَحَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فَلَا نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَزْنًا [ الْكَهْفِ: 103 - 105 ]. وَالْمَقْصُودُ أَنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ الْجَهَلَةَ الضُّلَّالَ، وَالْأَشْقِيَاءَ فِي الْأَقْوَالِ وَالْأَفْعَالِ، اجْتَمَعَ رَأْيُهُمْ عَلَى الْخُرُوجِ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَظْهُرِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَتَوَاطَئُوا عَلَى الْمَسِيرِ إِلَى الْمَدَائِنِ ; لِيَمْلِكُوهَا وَيَتَحَصَّنُوا بِهَا، ثُمَّ يَبْعَثُوا إِلَى إِخْوَانِهِمْ وَأَضْرَابِهِمْ - مِمَّنْ هُوَ عَلَى مَا هُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَصْرَةِ وَغَيْرِهَا - فَيُوَافُوهُمْ إِلَيْهَا، وَيَكُونُ اجْتِمَاعُهُمْ عَلَيْهَا. فَقَالَ لَهُمْ زَيْدُ بْنُ حُصَيْنٍ الطَّائِيُّ: إِنَّ الْمَدَائِنَ لَا تَقْدِرُونَ عَلَيْهَا، فَإِنَّ بِهَا جَيْشًا لَا تُطِيقُونَهُ وَسَيَمْنَعُوهَا مِنْكُمْ، وَلَكِنْ وَاعِدُوا إِخْوَانَكُمْ إِلَى جِسْرِ نَهْرِ جُوخَا، وَلَا تَخْرُجُوا مِنَ الْكُوفَةِ جَمَاعَاتٍ، وَلَكِنِ اخْرُجُوا وُحْدَانَا لِئَلَّا يَشْعُرُوا بِكُمْ. فَكَتَبُوا كِتَابًا عَامًّا إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ عَلَى مَذْهَبِهِمْ وَمَسْلَكِهِمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَصْرَةِ وَغَيْرِهَا، وَبَعَثُوا بِهِ إِلَيْهِمْ لِيُوَافُوهُمْ إِلَى النَّهْرِ، لِيَكُونُوا يَدًا وَاحِدَةً عَلَى النَّاسِ، ثُمَّ خَرَجُوا يَتَسَلَّلُونَ وُحْدَانَا ; لِئَلَّا يَعْلَمَ أَحَدٌ بِهِمْ فَيَمْنَعُوهُمْ مِنَ الْخُرُوجِ فَخَرَجُوا مِنْ بَيْنِ الْآبَاءِ وَالْأُمَّهَاتِ وَالْأَعْمَامِ وَالْعَمَّاتِ وَفَارَقُوا سَائِرَ الْقِرَابَاتِ، يَعْتَقِدُونَ بِجَهْلِهِمْ وَقِلَّةِ عِلْمِهِمْ وَعَقْلِهِمْ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ يُرْضِي رَبَّ الْأَرْضِ وَالسَّمَاوَاتِ، وَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ مِنْ أَكْبَرِ الْكَبَائِرِ وَالذُّنُوبِ الْمُوبِقَاتِ، وَالْعَظَائِمِ وَالْخَطِيئَاتِ، وَأَنَّهُ مِمَّا يُزَيِّنُهُ لَهُمْ إِبْلِيسُ وَأَنْفُسُهُمُ الَّتِي هِيَ بِالسُّوءِ أَمَّارَاتٌ. وَقَدْ تَدَارَكَ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنْهُمْ بَعْضَ أَوْلَادِهِمْ وَقَرَابَاتِهِمْ وَإِخْوَانِهِمْ فَرَدُّوهُمْ وَوَبَّخُوهُمْ، فَمِنْهُمْ مَنِ اسْتَمَرَّ عَلَى الِاسْتِقَامَةِ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ فَرَّ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَلَحِقَ بِالْخَوَارِجِ فَخَسِرَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَذَهَبَ الْبَاقُونَ إِلَى ذَلِكَ الْمَوْضِعِ، وَوَافَى إِلَيْهِمْ مَنْ كَاتَبُوهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَصْرَةِ وَغَيْرِهَا، وَاجْتَمَعَ الْجَمِيعُ بِالنَّهْرَوَانِ، وَصَارَتْ لَهُمْ شَوْكَةٌ وَمَنَعَةٌ، وَهُمْ جُنْدٌ مُسْتَقِلُّونَ وَفِيهِمْ شَجَاعَةٌ وَثَبَاتٌ وَصَبْرٌ، وَعِنْدَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ مُتَقَرِّبُونَ بِذَلِكَ إِلَى اللَّهِ، عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ; فَهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَا يُصْطَلَى لَهُمْ بِنَارٍ، وَلَا يَطْمَعُ أَحَدٌ فِي أَنْ يَأْخُذَ مِنْهُمْ بِثَأْرٍ، وَبِاللَّهِ الْمُسْتَعَانُ. كتاب علي للخوارج يستحثهم للخروج إلى الشام وردهم في ذلك وَقَالَ أَبُو مِخْنَفٍ، عَنْ أَبِي رَوْقٍ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا لَمَّا خَرَجَتِ الْخَوَارِجُ إِلَى النَّهْرَوَانِ وَهَرَبَ أَبُو مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيُّ إِلَى مَكَّةَ، وَرَدَّ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ إِلَى الْبَصْرَةِ، قَامَ فِي النَّاسِ بِالْكُوفَةِ خَطِيبًا فَقَالَ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَإِنْ أَتَى الدَّهْرُ بِالْخَطْبِ الْفَادِحِ، وَالْحَدَثَانِ الْجَلِيلِ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ غَيْرُهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ الْمَعْصِيَةَ تُورِثُ الْحَسْرَةَ، وَتُعْقِبُ النَّدَمَ، وَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَمَرْتُكُمْ فِي هَذَيْنَ الرَّجُلَيْنِ وَفِي هَذِهِ الْحُكُومَةِ بِأَمْرِي، وَنَحَلْتُكُمْ رَأْيِي، فَأَبَيْتُمْ إِلَّا مَا أَرَدْتُمْ، فَكُنْتُ أَنَا وَأَنْتُمْ كَمَا قَالَ أَخُو هَوَازِنَ فَأَجَادَ: بَذَلْتُ لَهُمْ نُصْحِي بِمُنْعَرَجِ اللِّوَى فَلَمْ يَسْتَبِينُوا الرُّشْدَ إِلَّا ضُحَى الْغَدِ ثُمَّ تَكَلَّمَ فِيمَا فَعَلَهُ الْحَكَمَانِ فَرَدَّ عَلَيْهِمَا فِيمَا حَكَمَا بِهِ وَأَنَّبَهُمَا، وَبَيَّنَ مَا فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ هَوًى وَزُورٍ وَمَحَبَّةٍ لِلدُّنْيَا، وَقِلَّةِ نُصْحٍ وَنَظَرٍ لِلْأُمَّةِ، وَحَطَّ عَلَيْهِمَا، ثُمَّ نَدَبَ النَّاسَ إِلَى الْخُرُوجِ إِلَى أَهْلِ الشَّامِ وَالْجِهَادِ فِيهِمْ، وَعَيَّنَ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الِاثْنَيْنِ يَخْرُجُونَ فِيهِ، وَكَتَبَ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَالِى الْبَصْرَةِ يَسْتَنْفِرُ لَهُ النَّاسَ إِلَى الْخُرُوجِ إِلَى أَهْلِ الشَّامِ. وَكَتَبَ إِلَى الْخَوَارِجِ يُعْلِمُهُمْ أَنَّ الَّذِي حَكَمَ بِهِ الْحَكَمَانِ مَرْدُودٌ عَلَيْهِمَا، وَأَنَّهُ قَدْ عَزَمَ عَلَى الذَّهَابِ إِلَى أَهْلِ الشَّامِ، فَهَلُمُّوا حَتَّى نَجْتَمِعَ عَلَى قِتَالِهِمْ، فَكَتَبُوا إِلَيْهِ: أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّكَ لَمْ تَغْضَبْ لِرَبِّكَ وَإِنَّمَا غَضِبْتَ لِنَفْسِكَ، وَإِنْ شَهِدَتْ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ بِالْكُفْرِ وَاسْتَقْبَلْتَ التَّوْبَةَ نَظَرْنَا فِيمَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكَ، وَإِلَّا فَقَدَ نَابَذْنَاكَ عَلَى سَوَاءٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْخَائِنِينَ [ الْأَنْفَالِ: 58 ]. فَلَمَّا قَرَأَ عَلِيٌّ كَتَابَهُمْ يَئِسَ مِنْهُمْ وَعَزَمَ عَلَى الذَّهَابِ إِلَى أَهْلِ الشَّامِ لِيُنَاجِزَهُمْ، وَخَرَجَ مِنَ الْكُوفَةِ إِلَى النُّخَيْلَةِ فِي عَسْكَرٍ كَثِيفٍ - خَمْسَةٍ وَسِتِّينَ أَلْفًا - وَبَعَثَ إِلَيْهِ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ بِثَلَاثَةِ آلَافٍ وَمِائَتَيْ فَارِسٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَصْرَةِ مَعَ جَارِيَةَ بْنِ قُدَامَةَ أَلْفٌ وَخَمْسُمِائَةٍ، وَمَعَ أَبِي الْأَسْوَدِ الدُّئَلِيِّ أَلْفٌ وَسَبْعُمِائَةٍ، فَكَمَلَ جَيْشُهُ فِي ثَمَانِيَةٍ وَسِتِّينَ أَلْفَ فَارِسٍ وَمِائَتَيْ فَارِسٍ. فساد الخوارج ومقتل عبد الله بن خباب وامرأته وَقَامَ عَلِيٌّ فِي النَّاسِ خَطِيبًا فَحَثَّهُمْ عَلَى الْجِهَادِ وَالصَّبْرِ عِنْدَ اللِّقَاءِ ; فَبَيْنَمَا هُوَ عَازِمٌ عَلَى غَزْوِ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ إِذْ بَلَغَهُ أَنَّ الْخَوَارِجَ قَدْ عَاثُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَسَادًا، وَسَفَكُوا الدِّمَاءَ، وَقَطَعُوا السَّبِيلَ، وَاسْتَحَلُّوا الْمَحَارِمَ، وَكَانَ مِنْ جُمْلَةِ مَنْ قَتَلُوهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ خَبَّابٍ صَاحِبُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، أَسَرُوهُ وَامْرَأَتَهُ مَعَهُ وَهِيَ حَامِلٌ فَقَالُوا لَهُ: مَنْ أَنْتَ ؟ فَقَالَ: أَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ خَبَّابٍ صَاحِبُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، ﷺ. وَأَنْتُمْ قَدْ رَوَّعْتُمُونِي. فَقَالُوا: لَا بَأْسَ عَلَيْكَ، حَدِّثْنَا مَا سَمِعْتَ مِنْ أَبِيكَ. فَقَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبِي يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، ﷺ، يَقُولُ: سَتَكُونُ فِتْنَةٌ الْقَاعِدُ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْقَائِمِ، وَالْقَائِمُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْمَاشِي، وَالْمَاشِي خَيْرٌ مِنَ السَّاعِي، فَقَادُوهُ بِيَدِهِ، فَبَيْنَمَا هُوَ يَسِيرُ مَعَهُمْ إِذْ لَقِيَ بَعْضُهُمْ خِنْزِيرًا لِبَعْضِ أَهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ فَضَرَبَهُ بَعْضُهُمْ بِسَيْفِهِ فَشَقَّ جِلْدَهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ آخَرُ: لِمَ فَعَلْتَ هَذَا وَهُوَ لِذِمِّيٍّ ؟ فَذَهَبَ إِلَى ذَلِكَ الذِّمِّيِّ فَاسْتَحَلَّهُ وَأَرْضَاهُ. وَبَيْنَمَا هُوَ مَعَهُمْ إِذْ سَقَطَتْ تَمْرَةٌ مِنْ نَخْلَةٍ فَأَخَذَهَا أَحَدُهُمْ فَأَلْقَاهَا فِي فَمِهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ آخَرُ: بِغَيْرِ إِذْنٍ وَلَا ثَمَنٍ ؟ فَأَلْقَاهَا ذَاكَ مِنْ فَمِهِ، وَمَعَ هَذَا قَدَّمُوا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ خَبَّابٍ فَذَبَحُوهُ، وَجَاءُوا إِلَى امْرَأَتِهِ فَقَالَتْ: إِنِّي امْرَأَةٌ حُبْلَى أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ اللَّهَ، عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ! فَذَبَحُوهَا وَبَقَرُوا بَطْنَهَا عَنْ وَلَدِهَا، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ النَّاسَ هَذَا مِنْ صَنِيعِهِمْ، خَافُوا إِنْ هُمْ ذَهَبُوا إِلَى الشَّامِ وَاشْتَغَلُوا بِقِتَالٍ أَنْ يَخْلُفَهُمْ هَؤُلَاءِ فِي ذَرَارِيِّهِمْ وَدِيَارِهِمْ وَيَفْعَلُوا هَذَا الصَّنِيعَ، فَخَافُوا غَائِلَتَهُمْ، وَأَشَارُوا عَلَى عَلِيٍّ بِأَنْ يَبْدَأَ بِهِمْ، ثُمَّ إِذَا فَرَغَ مِنْهُمْ سَارُوا مَعَهُ إِلَى الشَّامِ، وَالنَّاسُ آمِنُونَ مِنْ شَرِّهِمْ، فَاجْتَمَعَ الرَّأْيُ عَلَى هَذَا وَفِيهِ خِيَرَةٌ عَظِيمَةٌ لَهُمْ وَلِأَهْلِ الشَّامِ أَيْضًا ; إِذْ لَوْ قَوُوا هَؤُلَاءِ لَأَفْسَدُوا الْأَرْضَ كُلَّهَا عِرَاقًا وَشَامًا، وَلَمْ يَتْرُكُوا طِفْلًا وَلَا طِفْلَةَ وَلَا رَجُلًا وَلَا امْرَأَةً ; لِأَنَّ النَّاسَ عِنْدَهُمْ قَدْ فَسَدُوا فَسَادًا لَا يُصْلِحُهُمْ إِلَّا الْقَتْلُ جُمْلَةً. فَأَرْسَلَ عَلِيٌّ إِلَيْهِمُ الْحَارِثَ بْنَ مُرَّةَ الْعَبْدِيَّ، وَقَالَ لَهُ: اخْبُرْ لِي خَبَرَهُمْ، وَاعْلَمْ لِي أَمْرَهُمْ، وَاكْتُبْ إِلَيَّ بِهِ عَلَى الْجَلِيَّةِ. فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْحَارِثُ قَتَلُوهُ وَلَمْ يُنْظِرُوهُ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ ذَلِكَ عَلِيًّا سَارَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَتَرَكَ أَهْلَ الشَّامِ.
Translation
✧ Mention of the Khawārij's departure from al-Kūfah and their open enmity and opposition to ʿAlī ؓ, and ʿAlī's fighting them, and the ḥadīths that have been related concerning that ʿAlī's debate with Ḥurqūṣ b. Zuhayr of the Khawārij When ʿAlī sent Abū Mūsā and the troops with him to Dūmat al-Jandal, the affair of the Khawārij intensified and they went to extremes in denouncing ʿAlī and declared him an unbeliever. Two men from among them came to him, namely Zurʿah b. al-Burj al-Ṭāʾī and Ḥurqūṣ b. Zuhayr al-Saʿdī, and said: "No judgment but God's." ʿAlī said: "No judgment but God's." Ḥurqūṣ said to him: "Repent to God for your sin, and turn back from your decision. Come with us against our enemy so that we may fight them until we meet our Lord." ʿAlī said: "I wanted you to do that, but you refused. We have written between us and the people a document and covenants, and God Almighty has said: 'And fulfill the covenant of God when you have made a covenant' [al-Naḥl: 91]." Ḥurqūṣ said to him: "That is a sin for which you should repent." ʿAlī said: "It is not a sin, but a weakness of judgment. I had already warned you about what happened in it and forbidden you from it." Zurʿah b. al-Burj said to him: "By God, O ʿAlī, if you do not abandon the arbitration of men concerning the Book of God, I will fight you, seeking thereby the face of God and His good pleasure." ʿAlī said to him: "May you perish! How wretched you are! It is as if I see you slain with the wind blowing dust over you." He said: "I wish that had already happened." ʿAlī said to him: "If you were in the right, death would be a consolation from this world, but Satan has led you astray." They went out from his presence to deliberate their affair. That spread among them, and they proclaimed it openly to the people, and they confronted ʿAlī in his sermons, making him hear abuse, insults, and insinuations with verses of the Qurʾān. That was because ʿAlī stood up as a preacher on one of the Fridays and mentioned the affair of the Khawārij, condemning and censuring it. A group of them stood up to him, each saying: "No judgment but God's." One of them stood with his finger in his ears saying: "It has been revealed to you and to those before you: if you associate others, your work will surely come to naught and you will be among the losers" [al-Zumar: 65]. ʿAlī began turning his hands this way and that while on the pulpit, saying: "God's judgment we await among you." Then he said: "You have from us that we will not bar you from our mosques as long as you do not rise against us, nor will we bar you from your share of this fayʾ as long as your hands are with our hands, nor will we fight you until you fight us." The Khawārij's gathering in the house of ʿAbd Allāh b. Wahb al-Rāsibī Abū Mikhnaf said, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Malik b. Abī Ḥurrah, that when ʿAlī sent Abū Mūsā to carry out the arbitration, the Khawārij gathered in the house of ʿAbd Allāh b. Wahb al-Rāsibī. He gave them an eloquent sermon in which he made them ascetic toward this world and desirous of the Hereafter and Paradise, and urged them to command the good and forbid the evil. Then he said: "Go out with us, our brothers, from this town whose people are wrongdoers, to a side of this sawād, to one of the districts of the mountains, or one of these cities, denouncing these unjust judgments." Then Ḥurqūṣ b. Zuhayr stood and said, after praising God and commending Him: "Enjoyment of this world is little, and parting from it is near. Let not its adornment and splendor call you to remain in it, nor turn you away from seeking the truth and denouncing injustice, for God is with those who fear Him and those who do good." Sinān b. Ḥamzah al-Asadī said: "O people, the right opinion is what you have seen, and the truth is what you have mentioned. Appoint a man from among you over your affair, for you must have a pillar and support, and a banner around which you rally and to which you return." They sent to Zayd b. Ḥuṣayn al-Ṭāʾī—who was one of their leaders—and offered him command over them, but he refused. Then they offered it to Ḥurqūṣ b. Zuhayr, but he refused. Then they offered it to Ḥamzah b. Sinān, but he refused. Then they offered it to Shurayḥ b. Awfā al-ʿAbsī, but he refused. Then they offered it to ʿAbd Allāh b. Wahb al-Rāsibī, and he accepted it, saying: "By God, I do not accept it out of desire for this world, nor do I decline it out of fear of death." The Khawārij's gathering in the house of Zayd b. Ḥuṣayn al-Ṭāʾī al-Sinbisī They also gathered in the house of Zayd b. Ḥuṣayn al-Ṭāʾī al-Sinbisī. He gave them a sermon and urged them to command the good and forbid the evil, and recited to them verses of the Qurʾān, among them the words of the Almighty: "O David, We have made you a vicegerent on earth, so judge between the people with truth and do not follow desire lest it lead you astray from the way of God" [Ṣād: 26]. And His words: "And whoever does not judge by what God has sent down—those are the disbelievers" [al-Māʾidah: 44]. And the one after it and the one after that: "the wrongdoers," "the transgressors" [al-Māʾidah: 45, 47]. Then he said: "I bear witness against the people of our call from among the people of our qiblah that they have followed desire, cast aside the judgment of the Book, and deviated in word and deed, and that fighting them is a duty incumbent upon the believers." He said: A man of them called ʿAbd Allāh b. Shajarah al-Sulamī wept. Then he incited those present to rise against the people, and said in his speech: "Strike their faces and foreheads with swords until the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate is obeyed. If you prevail and God is obeyed as you intended, God will give you the reward of those who obey Him and act according to His command. If you are killed, what is better than patience and going to God, His good pleasure, and His Paradise?" I say: This sort of people is among the strangest forms of the children of Adam. Glory be to Him who varied His creation as He willed, and whose decree preceded that. How excellent is what one of the early Muslims said about the Khawārij: that they are those mentioned in the words of the Almighty: "Say: Shall We inform you of the greatest losers in respect of deeds? Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds. Those are they who disbelieved in the signs of their Lord and in the meeting with Him, so their deeds have come to naught, and We shall assign no weight to them on the Day of Resurrection" [al-Kahf: 103–105]. The point is that these ignorant, erring, wretched ones in words and deeds agreed in opinion to go out from among the Muslims, and conspired to march to al-Madāʾin to seize it and fortify themselves there. Then they would send word to their brethren and counterparts from the people of al-Baṣrah and elsewhere who shared their views, so that they would join them there and their gathering would be complete. Zayd b. Ḥuṣayn al-Ṭāʾī said to them: "You will not be able to take al-Madāʾin, for it contains an army you cannot withstand, and they will defend it from you. But appoint your brethren to meet at the bridge of the Nahrawān canal. Do not go out of al-Kūfah in groups; rather, go out singly so that no one notices you." They wrote a general letter to those of their persuasion and way from the people of al-Baṣrah and elsewhere, and sent it to them to meet them at the canal so that they would be one hand against the people. Then they went out slipping away singly so that no one would know of them and prevent their departure. They went out from among fathers, mothers, paternal uncles, and paternal aunts, and parted from all kin, believing in their ignorance, lack of knowledge, and lack of reason that this affair would please the Lord of the earth and the heavens. They did not know that it was among the greatest of major sins and destructive offenses, and great transgressions and errors, and that it was something embellished for them by Iblīs and their own souls, which are ever inclined to evil. Some of them were overtaken by some of their children, relatives, and brothers, who turned them back and rebuked them. Some of them remained steadfast, and some fled afterward and joined the Khawārij, losing until the Day of Resurrection. The rest went to that place, and those whom they had written to from the people of al-Baṣrah and elsewhere joined them. The whole assembly gathered at al-Nahrawān, and they acquired strength and protection. They were an independent army, possessing courage, steadfastness, and endurance, thinking that they were drawing near to God, mighty and glorious, by that. They were a people whose fire none could withstand, and no one could hope to exact vengeance from them. And God's help is sought. ʿAlī's letter to the Khawārij urging them to go out to Syria and their reply Abū Mikhnaf said, on the authority of Abū Rawq, on the authority of al-Shaʿbī, that when the Khawārij went out to al-Nahrawān, Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī fled to Makkah, and Ibn ʿAbbās returned to al-Baṣrah, ʿAlī stood up among the people of al-Kūfah as a preacher and said: "Praise be to God, even if time brings the grievous calamity and the great misfortune. I bear witness that there is no god but Him and that Muḥammad is the Messenger of God. To proceed: disobedience begets regret and leads to remorse. I commanded you concerning these two men and this arbitration with my command, and I offered you my opinion, but you refused anything except what you wanted. I and you were as the brother of Hawāzin said, and he spoke well: I offered them my counsel at the bend of al-Liwā, but they did not discern the right course until the forenoon of the morrow. Then he spoke about what the two arbitrators did, and he rebutted them in what they had ruled, blamed them, and explained the desire, falsehood, love of this world, and lack of sincerity and concern for the community in that, and he disparaged them. Then he summoned the people to go out against the people of Syria and wage war on them, and he set Monday as the day for their departure. He wrote to Ibn ʿAbbās, the governor of al-Baṣrah, calling on him to mobilize the people to go out against the people of Syria. He wrote to the Khawārij informing them that what the two arbitrators had ruled was rejected, and that he had resolved to go against the people of Syria, so let them come so that we may unite in fighting them. They wrote to him: "To proceed: you did not become angry for your Lord; you became angry only for yourself. If you testify against yourself of unbelief and face repentance, we will consider what is between us and you. Otherwise, we have renounced you on equal terms; God does not love the treacherous" [al-Anfāl: 58]. When ʿAlī read their letter, he despaired of them and resolved to go against the people of Syria to fight them. He went out from al-Kūfah to al-Nukhaylah with a large army—sixty-five thousand—and Ibn ʿAbbās sent him three thousand two hundred horsemen from the people of al-Baṣrah: one thousand five hundred with Jāriyah b. Qudāmah, and one thousand seven hundred with Abū al-Aswad al-Duʾalī. Thus his army was completed at sixty-eight thousand two hundred horsemen. The Khawārij's corruption and the killing of ʿAbd Allāh b. Khabbāb and his wife ʿAlī stood up among the people as a preacher and urged them to jihād and patience at the encounter. While he was resolved to raid the people of Syria, news reached him that the Khawārij had spread corruption in the land, shed blood, cut off the roads, and made lawful what is forbidden. Among those they killed was ʿAbd Allāh b. Khabbāb, the Companion of the Messenger of God ﷺ. They took him captive along with his wife, who was pregnant. They said to him: "Who are you?" He said: "I am ʿAbd Allāh b. Khabbāb, the Companion of the Messenger of God ﷺ. You have terrified me." They said: "No harm will come to you. Tell us what you heard from your father." He said: "I heard my father say: I heard the Messenger of God ﷺ say: 'There will be a trial in which the one sitting is better than the one standing, the one standing is better than the one walking, and the one walking is better than the one running.'" They led him by the hand. While he was walking with them, one of them met a pig belonging to one of the dhimmīs and struck it with his sword, splitting its skin. Another said to him: "Why did you do this when it belongs to a dhimmī?" He went to that dhimmī and placated him and satisfied him. While he was with them, a date fell from a palm tree, and one of them took it and put it in his mouth. Another said to him: "Without permission and without payment?" That man threw it out of his mouth. Despite this, they brought ʿAbd Allāh b. Khabbāb forward and slaughtered him. They came to his wife, and she said: "I am a pregnant woman. Do you not fear God, mighty and glorious?" They slaughtered her and split open her belly over her child. When this deed of theirs reached the people, they feared that if they went to Syria and became occupied with fighting, these people would come upon their families and homes behind them and do the same. So they feared their mischief and advised ʿAlī to begin with them. Then, when he was done with them, they would march with him to Syria while the people were safe from their evil. The opinion settled on this, and in it was great good for them and for the people of Syria as well, for if these people had grown strong, they would have corrupted the whole land, Iraq and Syria, and would not have left a male child or female child, a man or a woman, because in their view the people had become so corrupt that nothing would set them right except killing them all. ʿAlī sent al-Ḥārith b. Murrah al-ʿAbdī to them and said to him: "Find out their news for me, and ascertain their affair for me, and write to me about it clearly." When al-Ḥārith came to them, they killed him without giving him respite. When that reached ʿAlī, he marched against them and left the people of Syria alone.
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