As explained on previous pages, after the event of Ṣiffīn, ʿAlī (may Allah ennoble his face) returned to Kūfa from Damascus. As he entered Kūfa, a group of his soldiers separated from him. It is said that the number of soldiers in this group was 12,000 or 16,000. There are also reports that their number was less. This group opposed him and rebelled, protesting some of his actions. ʿAlī then sent ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAbbās to them. ʿAbd Allāh debated with them, rejected their objections by stating that their suspicions were baseless, and tried to dispel their doubts. He explained that what they claimed was mere delusion and had no relation to reality. Upon this, some of them abandoned their rebellion, while others persisted in their deviance. As will be explained on later pages, some of them engaged in inappropriate actions.
It is narrated that ʿAlī himself went to the Khārijites and debated with them regarding the issues that led them to rebel against him, persuading them to abandon their erroneous attitudes. As a result, they entered Kūfa with him. However, although they had promised, they broke their word. Among themselves, they agreed to perform the duty of enjoining good and forbidding evil, then withdrew to Nahrawān. As will be explained on later pages, ʿAlī went and fought them at Nahrawān.
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal narrated from ʿAbd Allāh b. Iyāḍ b. ʿAmr al-Qarī as follows:
“ʿAbd Allāh b. Shaddād came and sat beside ʿĀʾisha (may Allah be pleased with her). We too were sitting with her a few nights after her return from Iraq, before ʿAlī. When ʿAbd Allāh sat down, ʿĀʾisha said to him:
– O ʿAbd Allāh b. Shaddād, will you answer my questions truthfully? Tell me about the people whom ʿAlī fought.
– Why would I not answer you truthfully?
– Tell me their story.
– When ʿAlī corresponded with Muʿāwiya and had the peace treaty written, and the arbiters gave their decision, 8,000 of the Qurʾān reciters among the people rebelled against ʿAlī. They went and encamped at Ḥarūrāʾ near Kūfa. They blamed ʿAlī, saying: “You have taken off a shirt that Allah clothed you with. You have cast aside a name that Allah gave you. Then you went and appointed arbiters to judge in Allah’s religion. Yet judgment belongs only to Allah.”
When ʿAlī became aware of their reproaches and their separation from him, he gave the order. A crier announced: “Only those who have memorized the Qurʾān may enter upon the Commander of the Believers.” After this announcement, ʿAlī’s house filled with Qurʾān memorizers. When the house was full, he ordered the great muṣḥaf (codex) to be brought. Placing it before him, he struck it with his hand and said: “O muṣḥaf, speak to the people.” Those present said loudly to him:
– O Commander of the Believers, why do you ask this muṣḥaf? It is but ink written on paper. We relate to you what is narrated in this muṣḥaf. What do you intend?
– The companions who rebelled against me and separated from me—between me and them is the Book of Allah. Let this Book arbitrate. For the Exalted Allah has said in His sacred Book regarding a man and a woman:
“And if you fear dissension between the two, send an arbiter from his people and an arbiter from her people; if they both desire reconciliation, Allah will cause it between them.” (al-Nisāʾ 4:35.) The community of Muḥammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is, in terms of life and honor, greater than a single man and woman.”
The leading figures of the Khārijites reproached ʿAlī for having the treaty with Muʿāwiya written as: “This is a document agreed upon by Muʿāwiya and ʿAlī, son of Abū Ṭālib.” ʿAlī defended himself as follows:
– When we were with the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) at Ḥudaybiyya, making peace with his people, the Quraysh, he had the treaty written as: “In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.” Suhayl, the representative of the Quraysh, objected: “I will not write ‘the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.’” The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: “How will you write it?” Suhayl replied: “By Your name, O Allah.” The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Write it thus.” So Suhayl wrote: “By Your name, O Allah.” Then the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Write: This is a decision agreed upon by Muḥammad, the Messenger of Allah.” Suhayl responded: “If I believed you were the Messenger of Allah, I would not oppose you.” The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) then said: “Write: This is a document agreed upon by Muḥammad, son of ʿAbd Allāh, with the Quraysh.” For the Exalted Allah says in the Qurʾān:
“There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.” (al-Aḥzāb 33:21.)
ʿAbd Allāh b. Shaddād continues: “ʿAlī sent ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAbbās to the Khārijites. I went with him. When we reached the center of the Khārijite camp, Ibn Kawwā stood and addressed the people, saying: ‘O memorizers of the Qurʾān! This is ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAbbās. If any of you do not know him, I do. He is among those who argue about the Book of Allah without knowledge. The following verse was revealed about him and his people:
“They are indeed a contentious people.” (al-Zukhruf 43:58.) If you listen to me, send him back to his companion (ʿAlī). Do not debate with him about the Book of Allah.”
Some of those present said: “By Allah, we will debate with him. If he brings forth the truth, we will follow him. If he advances falsehood, we will refute him and destroy him along with his falsehood.” After this, the Khārijites debated with ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAbbās about the Qurʾān for three days. Four thousand repented and abandoned their deviance, among them Ibn Kawwā. ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAbbās brought them to Kūfa to ʿAlī. ʿAlī sent word to those who remained and persisted in their deviance, saying:
“You have seen what transpired between us and the others. Wait without shedding blood, blocking roads, or committing injustice. Remain wherever you wish. Persevere in this patience until the community of Muḥammad arbitrates between us. Otherwise, we will fight you. ‘Indeed, Allah does not love the treacherous.’”
ʿĀʾisha said to ʿAbd Allāh b. Shaddād:
– O son of Shaddād, but ʿAlī killed them; what do you say about this?
– By Allah, ʿAlī did nothing to them until they blocked roads, shed blood, and deemed the blood of protected people (dhimmīs) lawful.
– Is this truly so, for Allah’s sake?
– By Allah, besides whom there is no god, it is so.
– I have heard things about a man among the Iraqis with one or two breasts. Do you know anything about this?
– While I was with ʿAlī, I saw that man among the dead. ʿAlī called the people and asked: “Do you recognize this man?” Many people came. Some said: “I saw this man in the mosque of such-and-such tribe.” Others said: “I saw him praying in the mosque of such-and-such tribe.” Everyone who came to identify him recognized him.
– When ʿAlī stood by the corpse of that man, what did he say? For the Iraqis have some claims about this.
– I heard him say: “Allah and His Messenger have spoken the truth.” – Did you hear him say anything else? – By Allah, no.
– Yes, indeed, Allah and His Messenger have spoken the truth. May Allah have mercy on ʿAlī. Whenever he encountered something strange, he would always say: “Allah and His Messenger have spoken the truth.”
From these statements, it is understood that the number of Khārijites who rebelled against ʿAlī was 8,000. But these were the core group. When others joined them, their number reached 12,000 or 16,000. When Ibn ʿAbbās debated with them, 4,000 abandoned their views. The remainder persisted in their ideas and beliefs.
According to the narration of Yaʿqūb b. Sufyān, Ibn ʿAbbās recounted this story and stated that they reproached ʿAlī for submitting to the arbiters’ decision, erasing his title of leadership from the treaty, fighting on the Day of the Camel, killing those whose lives should have been inviolable, and not dividing the spoils and captives. However, Ibn ʿAbbās, despite some criticism, defended ʿAlī by explaining the reasons for killing those whose lives were inviolable and for fighting on the Day of the Camel, as previously narrated. He justified not dividing the spoils and captives as follows: “Among the captives was the Mother of the Believers, the wife of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). If you claim she is not your mother, then you are disbelievers. If you deem it lawful for your mothers to be taken captive, again you are disbelievers. That is why ʿAlī did not divide the captives.” Upon Ibn ʿAbbās saying this, another 2,000 left the Khārijites and abandoned their deviance. The rest persisted in their views and fought. According to others, when Ibn ʿAbbās went to debate the Khārijites, he wore an ornate garment. The Khārijites criticized him for this, and he cited as proof the following verse:
“Say, ‘Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has produced for His servants and the good [lawful] things of provision?’” (al-Aʿrāf 7:32.)
According to Ibn Jarīr, ʿAlī himself went and began debating with those Khārijites who persisted in their deviance, eventually bringing them back to Kūfa with him. This event occurred on either the day of Eid al-Fiṭr or Eid al-Aḍḥā (the narrator was unsure which). After this, the Khārijites began to criticize ʿAlī in Kūfa, speaking ill of him, insulting him, and even confronting him directly. They would interpret his words, giving them other meanings. According to the late Imām al-Shāfiʿī, one of the Khārijites recited the following verse to ʿAlī while he was praying:
“But if you associate [others with Allah], your work would surely become worthless, and you would surely be among the losers.” (al-Zumar 39:65.) In response, ʿAlī recited: “So be patient. Indeed, the promise of Allah is truth. And let them not disquiet you who are not certain [in faith].” (al-Rūm 30:60.)
According to Ibn Jarīr, this incident occurred while ʿAlī was delivering a sermon. Again, according to Ibn Jarīr, while ʿAlī was delivering a sermon, a Khārijite stood up and said: “O ʿAlī, you have associated others in Allah’s religion. Yet judgment belongs only to Allah.” Voices from all sides began to call out: “Judgment belongs only to Allah. Judgment belongs only to Allah.” Thereupon, ʿAlī said: “This is a true word, but it is used for a false purpose.”
After saying this, ʿAlī addressed the rebels: “As long as you are with us, you have the right not to be deprived of the spoils, not to be prevented from entering the mosques, and not to be attacked unless you fight us.”
After this, the Khārijites completely left Kūfa and settled in Nahrawān. We will revisit this topic after discussing the judgment of the arbiters.