Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 40724 — Reports on the Khawarij

Habib bin Abi Thabit said: I came to Abu Wa'il and asked him about those people whom Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) fought. I said: "Why did they leave Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)? Why did they consider his blood lawful? To what did Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) invite them? And on what basis did Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) declare their blood lawful?" He said: "When the killing became fierce among the people of Syria at Siffin, Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) and his companions took refuge on a mountain. Sayyiduna Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'Send a copy of the Qur'an to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him); by Allah, he will not refuse it.' So a man brought the copy of the Qur'an, announcing: 'Between us and you is the Book of Allah: "Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They are invited to the Book of Allah so that it may judge between them, then a party of them turns away, averse."' [Al Imran: 23] Upon this Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'Yes, between us and you is the Book of Allah, and I am more bound to act upon it than you.' (2) Then the Khawarij came, and in those days we used to call them 'Qurra'' (reciters). They came carrying their swords on their shoulders and said: 'O Commander of the Believers, shall we not advance against these people so that Allah may judge between us and them?' Upon this Sayyiduna Sahl bin Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'O people, blame your own selves. We were with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) on the occasion of al-Hudaybiyah. Had we considered fighting good, we would have fought. That was the treaty of peace concluded between the polytheists and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). On that occasion Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "Are we not on the truth and our enemy on falsehood?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Certainly, that is so." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Will our slain not go to Paradise and their slain to Hell?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That is so." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Then why should we accept humiliation in our religion and turn back, when Allah has not judged between them and us?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O son of al-Khattab, I am the Messenger of Allah, and Allah will never let me be lost." (3) Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), in a state of anger, came to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "O Abu Bakr, are we not on the truth and our enemy on falsehood?" Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Certainly, that is so." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Will our slain not go to Paradise and their slain to Hell?" Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "That is so." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Then why should we accept humiliation in our religion and turn back, when Allah has not judged between them and us?" Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O son of al-Khattab, he is the Messenger of Allah, and Allah will never let him be lost." (4) Then Allah Almighty revealed Surah al-Fath to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He sent someone to call Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and recited this surah before him. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah, is this a victory?" He said: "Yes." Then he became happy and went back.' (5) After this Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'O people, this is a victory.' Then Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) accepted this decision and went back, and the people also went back. (6) After Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) accepted this decision, more than ten thousand of the Khawarij went off to Harura'. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) adjured them by Allah to come back, but they refused. Then Sa'sa'ah bin Suhan came to them, adjured them by Allah and asked them: 'On what basis will you fight your caliph?' They said: 'We fear tribulation.' He said: 'Then do not hasten to this year's misguidance out of fear of next year's tribulation.' They went back and said: 'We are going to our own region. If Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) accepts the decision, we will fight them as we fought on the day of Siffin, and if he breaks it, we will fight alongside him.' (7) Then they set off, and when they reached Nahrawan, a party separated from them and began to cut people down with killing. Their companions said: 'Woe to you! Was it for this that we parted from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)?' When this news of them reached Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), he stood among the people and delivered a sermon, saying in it: 'What do you think? Will you go to the people of Syria, or will you turn back to those who have come in your absence upon your children?' They said: 'No, rather we will turn back to them.' Then he mentioned their matter and narrated about them what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said concerning them: "A party will emerge at the time of the people's disagreement; the nearer of the two groups to the truth will kill them. Their sign is a man among them whose hand is like a woman's breast." So they marched until they met at Nahrawan and fought a fierce battle. The cavalry of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) could not stand against them. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said: 'O people, if you are fighting only for me, then by Allah I have nothing with which to reward you; and if you are fighting only for Allah, then let this not be your fighting.' Then the people made a single charge, and the cavalry cleared away from them, and they lay prone on their faces. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'Look for the man among them.' The people searched but did not find him, until some of them said: 'Ibn Abi Talib has deceived us about our brothers until we killed them.' Tears came to the eyes of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). He called for his mount, rode it and set off until he came to a hollow in which the slain lay one upon another. He began to pull at their feet until he found the man beneath them, and they dragged him out. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'Allah is the Greatest!' The people rejoiced and went back. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'I will not go on campaign this year,' and he returned to Kufah and was killed. Sayyiduna al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) was appointed caliph after him and followed the way of his father, and then he sent the pledge of allegiance to Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him)."