reports on Siffin

Habib bin Abi Thabit said: During the Battle of Siffin, the banner of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was in the hand of Sayyiduna Hashim bin Utbah (may Allah be pleased with him). He was blind in one eye. Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) began saying: "O one-eyed man! Come forward. There is no good in a one-eyed man who does not face the alarm." So he felt ashamed and came forward. Sayyiduna Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I see in the man with the black banner a deed such that, if he continues as he is, the Arabs will annihilate one another today." Abu al-Yaqzan (Sayyiduna Ammar) kept on until the fighting between them was held back. He was saying: "Every water has its watering place, and water is come to. O servants of Allah, be patient! Paradise is beneath the shade of the swords."

Muslim bin al-Ajda' al-Laythi, who was among those present at Siffin, said: Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) came out between the ranks while the banners were raised, and announced in a loud voice: "Go forth to Paradise! The maidens of Paradise are ready."

Sayyiduna Ammar bin Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him) was saying during the Battle of Siffin: "Whoever wants to receive the wide-eyed maidens of Paradise, let him go forward between the two ranks seeking reward. I see a rank that will strike you with such a blow that the liars will fall into doubt about it. By the One in whose hand is my soul, even if they were to crush us utterly, I would still be certain that I am on the truth and that they are on falsehood."

Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Even if they were to strike us with swords until they crushed us utterly, I would still be certain that we are on the truth and that they are on falsehood."

Ziyad bin al-Harith said: I was with Sayyiduna Ammar bin Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him) during the Battle of Siffin, and my knees were touching his knees. A man said: "The people of Sham have committed disbelief." Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Do not say that. Their Prophet and ours is one, and their Qiblah and ours is one. They are people caught up in trial who have turned away from the truth. It is binding upon us to fight them so that they return to the truth."

Riyah said: Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Do not say that the people of Sham have committed disbelief; rather, say that they have committed sinful disobedience and wrongdoing."

Riyah said: Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Do not say that the people of Sham have committed disbelief; rather, say that they have committed sinful disobedience and wrongdoing."

Abu Wa'il said: Abu Maysarah Amr bin Shurahbil, one of the best companions of Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), saw in a dream that he said: "I entered Paradise and saw domes pitched there. I asked: 'Whose are these?' I was told: 'These belong to Dhu al-Kala' and Hawshab.' These two were with Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) in the Battle of Siffin and were martyred. I said: 'Where are Ammar and his companions?' I was told: 'They are in front of you.' I said: 'But these people killed one another; how then have they all come to Paradise?' I was told: 'When they met Allah, they found Him vast in forgiveness.' I said: 'What became of the people of al-Nahr?' I was told: 'They met with severity.'"

Hanzalah bin Khuwaylid al-Anazi said: I was sitting with Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) when two men came to him, each claiming the killing of Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him). One was saying: "I killed him," and the other was saying: "I killed him." Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Let one of you gladly give it up to the other, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'Ammar will be martyred by a rebellious party.'" On hearing this, Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Amr, will you not keep your madman away from us? Why then are you with us?" He said: "I am with you, but I will not fight. My father complained about me to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said to me: 'Obey your father as long as he is alive, and do not disobey him.' So I am with you, but I will not fight."

Sa'd bin Ibrahim said: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was holding the hand of Sayyiduna Adi bin Hatim (may Allah be pleased with him) and passing among the slain when he passed by a man. I recognised him and said: "O Commander of the Believers, when I last knew this man he was a believer." He said: "And now as well."

Abu al-Qa'qa' said: I saw Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) riding on the she-mule of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), al-Shahba, going around among the slain.

Sulhab al-Faq'asi Abu Asad reports from his uncle, who said: "In the Battle of Siffin the pegs of our tents were nothing but the slain, and we could not even eat food because of the stench." He said: A man said: "Who called for the mule on the day the people of Sham committed disbelief?" He said: "It was from disbelief that they fled."

Hukaym bin Sa'd said: In the Battle of Siffin our spears and theirs were thrust in such abundance that if anyone had wanted to walk upon the spears, he could have done so.

Ibn Abi Dhi'b reports: When Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) fought Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), the companions of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) took control of the water. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to them: "Let them take water as well; water cannot be withheld."

It is narrated from Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Sayyiduna Ammar will be martyred by a rebellious party."

Sulayman bin Mihran said: During the Battle of Siffin, Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), biting his lip, was saying: "Had I known that the matter would reach this point, I would never have set out. O Abu Musa, go and judge between us, even if it should cost me my head."

Abu Salih said: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Sayyiduna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) during the Battle of Siffin: "Go and judge between us, even if it should cost me my head."

Al-Harith said: When Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) returned from Siffin, he realised that he would never hold rule. So he said certain things he had never said before, and narrated reports he had not been narrating, and he said: "O people, do not dislike the rule of Muawiyah, for by Allah, if you were to lose him, heads would fall from necks as the colocynth falls."

Hujr bin Anbas said: During the Battle of Siffin it was said to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): "Those people have come between us and the water." He said: "Send for al-Ash'ath." Sayyiduna al-Ash'ath (may Allah be pleased with him) came and said: "Bring me the coat of mail of Ibn Sahr," a man of Banu Bara. He put that coat of mail on, then went to them and fought them until he drove them away from the water.

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the two arbiters of the Battle of Siffin: "Judge in the light of the Book, and the Book of Allah is entirely in my favour. If you do not judge in the light of the Book of Allah, then your judgement is not acceptable."

Ja'far said: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the arbiters during the Battle of Siffin: "Judge in the light of the Book of Allah. Keep alive what the Qur'an has given life to, make dead what the Qur'an has made dead, and do not deviate from the right path."

Abdullah bin al-Hasan reports from his mother that the Muslims martyred Ubaydullah bin Umar in the Battle of Siffin and took his wealth as spoils of war.

Abu Ja'far said: During the Battle of Siffin, whenever a prisoner was brought to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), he would take his mount and weapons, take a pledge from him that he would not return to the army, and set him free.

Muhammad bin Sirin said: The number of those killed in the Battle of Siffin reached seventy thousand. People resorted to reeds to count them: they placed a reed on each person, then counted the reeds.

Yazid bin Bilal said: I took part in the Battle of Siffin on the side of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Whenever a prisoner was brought to him he would say: "I will certainly not kill you; the fear of Allah, Lord of the worlds, prevents me." He would take his weapon, make him swear that he would not fight against him, and give him four dirhams.

Shaqiq was asked: "Did you take part in the Battle of Siffin?" He said: "They were the worst of ranks."

Al-Dahhak, in explaining the verse of the Qur'an: "And if two parties of the believers fight one another, then make peace between them. But if one of them transgresses against the other, then fight the one that transgresses until it returns to the command of Allah" [Al-Hujurat: 9], said: "Set it right with the sword." The student asked: "What is the ruling on those of them who are killed?" He said: "They are martyrs, provided for in Paradise." He was asked: "What is the ruling on those who rebel?" He said: "They are people of Hell."

Ata bin al-Sa'ib said: Several people told me that a judge from Sham once came to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "O Commander of the Believers, I have seen a dream that has frightened me. I saw the sun and the moon fighting one another, with the stars divided in half, half with each." Sayyiduna Umar asked him: "With which of them were you?" He said: "I was with the moon, fighting against the sun." Sayyiduna Umar recited this verse of the Qur'an: "And We made the night and the day two signs, then We erased the sign of the night and made the sign of the day visible" [Al-Isra: 12]. Then he said: "Go away; I will not give you any post from now on."

Ata said: "It reached me that he was killed alongside Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) in the Battle of Siffin."

Abdullah bin Urwah said: A man who took part in Siffin told me: "One night Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) came out, looked at the people of Sham and prayed: 'O Allah, forgive them and forgive me.'" Then Sayyiduna Ammar was approached and this was mentioned to him, and he said: "Pull the halter for him as long as he pulls it for you," meaning Sa'd (may Allah have mercy on him).

Abdullah bin Salamah said: I saw Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) in the Battle of Siffin. He was a very old man, dark-complexioned and tall; his hand was trembling and there was a spear in his hand. He was saying: "Even if the enemy were to strike us and crush us utterly, I would still be certain that our righteous ones are on the truth and that those people are on falsehood."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When the people withdrew their hands from fighting at Siffin, Sayyiduna Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) recited these verses: War has flared up, and I have readied for it a brave horse of noble breed. It joins one run to another, and when the horses tire of running it races on. It is sturdy, its girth the greatest part of it, and when it is wet with water it bursts forward. After this, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) recited verses: If Jumal had witnessed my stand and my presence at Siffin on a day that turned the locks of hair white! That was the evening when the people of Iraq came like spring clouds lifted by the south winds. At that time our ranks were surging like the waves of the sea. Their mill turned and our mill turned through the height of the day, and shoulders did not turn away. Whenever I said they had fled, a group of them would suddenly come and attack. They would say to us: "Pledge allegiance at the hand of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)," and we would say: "Rather, we will fight."

Al-Hasan said: Sayyiduna Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) was with Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) in the Battle of Siffin.

Hammad said: "He did not fight."

Mansur said: I asked Ibrahim: "Did Alqamah take part in the Battle of Siffin?" He said: "Yes, and his sword was also stained, and his brother Ubayy bin Qays was killed."

Abu al-Bakhtari said: Alqamah returned from the Battle of Siffin with his sword stained, and he was on the side of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).

Sayyiduna Sahl bin Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the people during the Battle of Siffin: "O people, do not take your own opinion to be certain. By Allah, whenever we placed our swords on our shoulders alongside the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) for a matter that alarmed us, they brought us with ease to a matter we recognised, except for this one."

Abdullah bin Salamah said: I saw Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) in the Battle of Siffin. He was a very old man, dark-complexioned and tall; his hand was trembling and there was a spear in his hand. He was saying: "By the One in whose hand is my soul, even if the enemy were to strike us and crush us utterly, I would still be certain that our cause of setting things right is on the truth and that those people are on falsehood."

Kulayb al-Jarmi said: I was outside the mosque when I saw Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) returning from Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) in the matter of the two arbiters. He entered the house of Sulayman bin Rabi'ah, and I entered with him. One man taunted him, then another man taunted him, then yet another man taunted him, saying: "O Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), you have disbelieved, you have committed shirk, and you have set up an equal to Allah. Allah says this in His Book, and He says this, and He says this." This went on until something of it entered my own heart. The narrator was asked: "Who were they?" He said: "By Allah, they were of the first generation, companions of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). By Allah, they were the people of the hooded cloaks and the pillars." When Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) heard what they said, he said: "Choose from among yourselves the most learned and the greatest debater, and let him speak to me." They chose a one-eyed man named Attab, from Banu Taghlib. He stood and said: "Allah Almighty says, Allah Almighty says," as though he were proving his need from a single surah of the Qur'an. On hearing him, Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "I consider you a scholar of the Qur'an, for you have presented your position very clearly. I ask you by the One besides whom there is no god: do you know that the people of Sham demanded the arbitration and we disliked it and refused? Then, when wounds reached you, pain reached you and you were deprived of the water of the Euphrates, you began to demand the arbitration. Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) told me that a thin-waisted horse was brought to him so that he might mount it and flee, until one of you came to him and said: 'I have left the people of Iraq like people running here and there on the night of departure in Makkah.'" Then Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "I ask you by the One besides whom there is no god: what kind of man was Abu Bakr?" All of them said he was a good man and praised him. Then he asked: "What kind of man was Umar bin al-Khattab?" All of them said he was a good man and praised him. Then Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "What is your view: if a man set out for Hajj or Umrah and killed a deer or one of the small creatures of that place, and one of those two judged the case alone, would he have been entitled to that, when Allah Almighty says: 'Two just men shall judge it' [Al-Ma'idah: 95]? And what you differ over is far greater than this. When Allah Almighty has appointed two arbiters for justice and fairness in the matter of a bird, and two arbiters in the matter of a man and his wife, why can there not be two arbiters in your dispute, which is greater than these?"

Abd al-Aziz bin Rufay' said: When Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) went to Siffin, he appointed Sayyiduna Abu Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) as governor over the people. He addressed the people on Friday and found them few. So he said: "O people, come out; whoever comes out will be safe. By Allah, we know that some of you dislike this course and find it burdensome. Come out; whoever comes out will find safety. By Allah, we do not regard it as well-being that these two groups should fight and each fear the other. Rather, well-being lies in Allah Almighty setting right the Ummah of Muhammad and uniting them. Shall I not tell you about Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and what people held against him? They did not leave him and his sin until Allah should either punish him or pardon him; and those who wronged him, when they envied him, did not attain what Allah had given him." When Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) came, he said: "O Farrukh, did you say what I have heard? You are an old man whose intellect has gone." He said: "My mother gave me a better name than the one you have given me. Has my intellect gone, when Paradise has become due for me from Allah and His Messenger? You too know this. And as for what remains of my intellect: we used to say among ourselves that each one who comes later is worse than the one before." When he was at al-Saylahin or al-Qadisiyyah, he came out before the people with water dripping from his hair, and it seemed that he was preparing for Ihram. When he was about to mount his riding animal, people said: "O Abu Mas'ud, give us some advice." He said: "Hold fast to piety and stay with the community of the Muslims, for the community of the Muslims cannot unite upon misguidance." The people asked him again for advice, and he said: "Hold fast to piety and stay with the community of the Muslims; a righteous person attains rest, or rest is obtained from a wicked one."