Ubayd ibn Abi al-Kanud and others said: When Ali ibn Abi Talib came from Basra to Kufa, and with him were the notables of the people, the people of Kufa came out to meet him, and among them were their Qur'an reciters and their nobles, and they prayed for blessing upon him. He went forward until he entered the Great Mosque, and prayed two rak'as in it; then he ascended the pulpit and said: Truly, certain men among you held back from supporting me, and with them I am displeased and reproachful. So shun them and let them hear what they dislike, until they are brought to repentance, so that thereby the party of God may be known at the time of division. Then Malik ibn Habib al-Yarbu'i, who was the commander of his guard, rose before him and said: By God, I regard shunning them and making them hear what they dislike as too little; by God, if you command us, we shall surely kill them. Ali said: Glory be to God! O Malik, you have passed the mark, and overstepped the bound, and drawn the bow to excess. He said: O Commander of the Faithful, a measure of harshness is more effective in the affairs that befall you than making truce with enemies. Ali said: Not thus has God decreed, O Malik: a life is taken for a life — so what place has harshness? (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 1)
The narrator says: On the day when Ali (AS) returned to Kufa from the Battle of the Camel, the nobles and the people of Kufa came out to receive him, and the Qur'an reciters were among them. All of them prayed for Ali (AS) and asked blessing for him. The Imam (AS) went to the mosque and first prayed two rak'as. Then he ascended the pulpit and said: I know that some of the people of Kufa did not aid me in this war. I am aggrieved and displeased with them. Then he said: Keep away from them and reproach them; perhaps they will come to understand which side is the party of God and who the people of division are. At this, Malik ibn Habib, who was the chief of the guard of Kufa, rose and said: Keeping away from them and reproaching them is too little for such men; they must all be killed! When Ali (AS) heard this, he cut short his speech and said: Glory be to God! O Malik, you have gone to excess and overstepped the bound and drowned yourself in the fire of anger. Malik answered, seeking to justify himself: O Commander of the Faithful, sometimes anger is necessary so that we may prevail over the enemy. Ali (AS) said: It is not so, O man beside yourself with exasperation. God's command is that killing be only the requital of killing, and nothing more — not the requital of disobedience. Even anger is not necessary in such a case.
Nasr: Abdallah ibn Kardam ibn Marthad said: When Ali (AS) arrived, the people of the Sawad gathered; and when they had assembled he gave them leave to enter. When he saw their multitude he said: I cannot manage the speech of all of you, nor can I understand you all; so entrust your affair to the one you are most content with among yourselves and the most all-embracing in his counsel to you. They said: Narsa — whatever pleases him pleases us, and whatever displeases him displeases us. So he came forward and sat before him, and he said: Tell me about the kings of Persia: how many were they? He said: Their kings in this latter realm were thirty-two kings. He said: And how was their conduct? He said: Their conduct in the great matters of state remained one and the same until Kisra ibn Hurmuz ruled over us. He kept the wealth and the offices for himself, and opposed our forefathers, and ruined what belonged to the people and built up what belonged to himself, and treated the people with contempt, and so he inflamed the hearts of the Persians until they rose against him and killed him; and his women were widowed and his children orphaned. He said: O Narsa, God, Mighty and Majestic, created creation in truth, and He is not pleased with anyone save through truth; and in God's own sovereignty there is a reminder of what He has bestowed. No kingdom stands except by governance, and there is no escape from rule; and our affair will remain firmly held together so long as the later among us do not revile the earlier among us. But when the later among us oppose the earlier among us and work corruption, they perish and bring others to perdition. Then he appointed over them commanders from among themselves. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 14)
The narrator says: When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) came to Iraq after accepting the leadership, a great number of Persians gathered to see him. He said: I cannot speak with all of you; appoint someone from among yourselves as your representative. They said: 'Narsa' is our representative. His Eminence sat down to converse with him and asked: How many were the kings of Persia, and how was their conduct? Narsa said: Thirty-two kings ruled over us, and the affairs of the country were in good order until the time of Kisra came. Kisra was a lover of this world and a slave of his whims, and he opposed the way of the former kings. He ruined the kingdom and built up his own palace. He counted no one as a human being, and he embittered everyone against himself until at last he was killed in an uprising. Then his harem was plundered and his children were orphaned. Ali (AS) said: O Narsa, God created human beings in truth and expects of them that they conduct themselves in life according to truth. God's own rule is the pattern for us, and we must rule and act in the same way. A kingdom cannot be governed except by wise management, and there is no alternative to a government that is the source of such management. Then he said: Our own rule too will last only so long as those who come after do not revile those who came before. When that happens, sovereignty will pass out of our hands and chaos and destruction will overtake the country. Then the Commander of the Faithful (AS) appointed one of those same Persians as their governor.
Nasr, from Umar ibn Sa'd and Muhammad ibn Ubaydallah, who both said: Mu'awiya wrote to Amr, who was then at al-Bi' in Palestine: To proceed: there has been what has been of the affair of Ali and Talha and al-Zubayr, and Jarir ibn Abdallah has come to us concerning allegiance to Ali. I have held myself back on your account until you come to me. Come, that I may discuss a matter with you. He said: When the letter was read to Amr, he consulted his two sons, Abdallah and Muhammad, and said: My sons, what is your opinion? Abdallah said: My opinion is that the Prophet of God (PBUH) passed away pleased with you, and the two caliphs after him likewise, and Uthman was killed while you were absent from him. So stay settled in your house, for you are not to be made caliph, and you do not wish to be a mere retainer of Mu'awiya for the sake of a paltry world that is about to perish, so that you would be made wretched in it. And Muhammad said: My opinion is that you are the elder of Quraysh and the master of its affair; and if this matter is decided while you remain obscure in it, your standing will be diminished. So join the community of the people of Syria and be one of its hands, and demand vengeance for the blood of Uthman, for in that matter you have already sought security with the Banu Umayya. Amr said: As for you, O Abdallah, you have counselled me toward what is better for me in my religion; and as for you, O Muhammad, you have counselled me toward what is better for me in my world; and I shall consider the matter. When night fell upon him, Abdallah said: The old man has set out. He said: With Ali there is the hereafter without this world, and in the hereafter there is a substitute for this world; and with Mu'awiya there is this world without the hereafter, and in this world there is no substitute for the hereafter. He said: My opinion is that you should stay in your house; for if the people of religion prevail, you will live under the pardon of their religion, and if the people of this world prevail, they will not be able to do without you. He said: Now, when the Arabs have already witnessed my march to Mu'awiya? So he set out and travelled until he came to Mu'awiya. He perceived Mu'awiya's need of him and so kept him at a distance, and each of the two schemed against the other. When he came in to him, Mu'awiya said: O Abu Abdallah, three pieces of news came upon us this night of ours, of which there is neither head nor tail. He said: And what is that? He said: That Muhammad ibn Abi Hudhayfa has broken open the prison of Egypt and gone out, he and his companions, and he is one of the banes of this religion; and that Caesar has marched with the host of the Romans against me to overpower Syria; and that Ali has encamped at Kufa, making ready to march against us. He said: Not everything you have mentioned is grave. As for Ibn Abi Hudhayfa, why should you think it a great matter that a man has gone out with the likes of himself? Send horsemen against him to kill him or to bring him to you; and if he escapes you, it will do you no harm. As for Caesar, send him a gift of Roman pages and slave-girls and vessels of gold and silver, and ask him for a truce, for he is quick to accept it. But as for Ali — no, by God, O Mu'awiya, the Arabs will not set you and him on a par in anything whatsoever. He has a portion in war that belongs to no one else of Quraysh, and he is truly the rightful master of that which he holds, unless you wrong him. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 34)
Amr ibn al-As was governor of Palestine when Mu'awiya wrote to him: You know the affair of the Battle of the Camel; now Ali has sent an envoy to Syria and has called upon me to surrender my rule. I am awaiting you, that you may come and I may consult with you. When Amr ibn al-As read the letter, he consulted his two sons, Abdallah and Muhammad. Abdallah said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) departed this life while he was pleased with you, and so too the first two caliphs. Uthman was killed and you had no share in his blood. Now settle quietly in your house, for you were neither made for the caliphate nor can you be a follower in the train of Mu'awiya. This world is worthless, and on its account you will perish and become wretched. Muhammad said: O father, you are the great one of Quraysh and worthy of high station. The caliphate is passing from hand to hand among Quraysh, and if you remain silent you will be brought low. The right is with the Syrians. Aid them and become the avenger of Uthman's blood. At the side of the Banu Umayya something will come to you as well. Amr ibn al-As said: O Abdallah, you call me to the good of my religion, and you, O Muhammad, to the good of my world. Let me think. When night came, Abdallah understood from his father's state that he had resolved to join Mu'awiya. So he loosed his last arrow and said: To be with Ali is the hereafter without this world, and to be with Mu'awiya is this world without the hereafter. Which is better? Then he approached from another direction and said to him: Stay in your house; in the war between Ali and Mu'awiya, if the people of religion win, you will live well under the pardon of their religion, and if the people of this world, that is, the people of Syria, win, they will have need of you and will come seeking you. But Amr ibn al-As said: Tomorrow is too late; today everyone must see that I have joined Mu'awiya. So he packed for the journey and set off toward Mu'awiya. When he came in to Mu'awiya and knew that Mu'awiya wanted his cunning and his counsel, he made himself much sought after and showed himself unwilling. He and Mu'awiya, and Mu'awiya and he, worked long upon each other and schemed together until an agreement was settled between them. Some time later Mu'awiya summoned Amr ibn al-As and said: Last night three reports reached me, and I do not know what to do about any of them. Ibn Abi Hudhayfa has raised a revolt in the prison of Egypt and has escaped with the prisoners. He is an opponent of Islam and will become a source of trouble. Second, news has come that the emperor of Rome is gathering an army to attack Syria. Third, that Ali has settled in Kufa and intends to march against us. Amr ibn al-As said: Leave Ibn Abi Hudhayfa alone! He has fled and gone into hiding, and to seize him is the work of a few horsemen and no more. And if he is not seized, no harm is done. As for the emperor of Rome, send him gifts and, by showing yourself his friend, deceive him and buy time. But the one who is dangerous is Ali. The Arabs count upon him, and Ali is resolved to fight you, and he is the greatest warrior of Quraysh. He is worthy of the caliphate, and you will have to wrest the caliphate from his hand by force.
So Ali wrote to Jarir: To proceed: Mu'awiya wants only that he should owe me no allegiance upon his neck, and that he may choose in his affair whatever he pleases; and he wants to delay you until he can sound out the people of Syria. Al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba had advised me, while I was in Medina, to appoint Mu'awiya over Syria, but I refused that, and God was not to see me 'taking those who lead astray as supporters.' So if the man gives you his allegiance, well and good; otherwise, come back. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 52)
Ali (AS) sent Jarir to Syria to summon Mu'awiya to obedience to him and to submission to his caliphate. Jarir came in to Mu'awiya. Mu'awiya honoured him but continually put him off in his answers. At last he said to Jarir: Write to Ali that he is to leave my rule over Syria and Egypt untouched, and that after his death he is not to require of me allegiance to whomever he appoints. On these terms I will acknowledge him as caliph. Jarir wrote accordingly. Ali (AS) wrote in reply: To proceed: Mu'awiya's aim is to keep you waiting and to prepare the Syrians for war. Mu'awiya wants not to submit to allegiance to me, and to rule however he pleases. When I was in Medina, al-Mughira counselled me to confirm Mu'awiya in the rule of Syria, but I did not accept. I did not wish to act, in the presence of God, contrary to His Book, in which He has said: 'Nor would I take those who lead astray as supporters' — that is, We do not take the misguided as Our helpers. Complete the argument against Mu'awiya and return to Kufa.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) wrote: From the servant of God, Ali, Commander of the Faithful, to Abdallah ibn Abbas. To proceed: a man may be gladdened by what was never going to escape him, and grieved by the loss of what he was never going to attain, however hard he strove. So let your joy be in what you have sent ahead of you of judgement, or speech, or conduct; and let your sorrow be for that in which you have fallen short of God's due in these things. Let go of what has escaped you of this world and do not grieve much over it; and as for what befalls you of it, do not seek joy in it. Let your concern be for what comes after death. And peace. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 2, p. 104)
A letter from the Commander of the Faithful (AS): From the servant of God, Ali, Commander of the Faithful, to Abdallah ibn Abbas. To proceed. How strange that a man should rejoice on account of something that was decreed to reach him, and grieve on account of something that was decreed not to reach him. If you can, strive so that your gladness may be on account of your success in good word, good thought and good deed, and your regret on account of your shortcoming in fulfilling the divine duties in these matters. Whatever of this world has slipped from your hand, tear your heart away from it and grieve less over it; and if something comes into your hand, do not be elated. Devote your care and concern to the world after death. And peace.
Ali (AS) wrote to Amr ibn al-As: From the servant of God, Ali, Commander of the Faithful, to Amr ibn al-As. To proceed: this world distracts from all else, and its master is subdued within it. He never obtains anything of it but that it opens up in him a greater greed and brings upon him a burden that increases his craving for it. Nor will its master ever be made content by what he has attained, so as to be free of desire for what he has not reached; and behind all that lies separation from all he has gathered. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 104)
A letter from the Commander of the Faithful (AS): From the servant of God, Ali, Commander of the Faithful, to Amr ibn al-As. To proceed. This world occupies a person with itself and holds him back from all else, so that the one beguiled by the world is at last subdued by it. Whatever of this world falls to a person's share creates in him a new greed and produces a new trouble, and desire in a person not only does not lessen but blazes up. Whatever of this world falls to a person's share not only fails to make him free of want, but makes him thirstier for what he does not have. And the end of this world is nothing but separation: separation and parting from all that a person has gathered for himself of this world and set his heart upon.
At Siffin, Ziyad ibn al-Nadr al-Harithi said to Abdallah ibn Budayl ibn Warqa: This day of ours and of theirs is indeed a grievous day; none will endure it save one whose heart is resolute, whose intention is true, whose spirit is firmly bound. And by God, I do not think that day will leave of us or of them any but the worthless. Abdallah ibn Budayl said: By God, I think so too. Then Ali said: Let this talk be kept stored in your breasts; do not make it public, and let no hearer hear it from you. Truly God has decreed slaying for one people and death for another, and to each his appointed end comes as God has written it for him. So blessed are those who wage jihad in the way of God, and those who are slain in obedience to Him. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 111)
One day at Siffin, before the fighting began, one of the companions of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to another: Today is a hard day for us and for the army facing us. Such a day demands a brave man, a truthful intention, and an unshakeable spirit. Then he said: I do not think anything will remain of our two armies except a number of cowards. (That is, the great men and the champions and the renowned of both sides will be killed.) The second man replied: I too think so. When Ali (AS) heard their words, he said to the two of them: Keep such talk hidden in your breasts and do not make it known, and let no one hear it from you! Then he said: God has written in the destiny of some of His servants that they must be slain, and in the destiny of some that they must die of illness. Each person's death will come to him just as it is written in his destiny. Blessed is he who wages jihad in the way of God and is slain in obedience to God.
From the Commander of the Faithful (AS) in his letter to Ziyad ibn al-Nadr: You attain good only through forbearance, refraining from harm, and turning a blind eye. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 121)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS), at the close of a letter that he wrote to Ziyad ibn al-Nadr when appointing him to the command of a division of the army, in which he charged him to observe the rights of those under him, wrote: The way to attain good is forbearance, and not causing offence, and overlooking faults.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) went toward Sabat until he came to the city of Bahurasir, and he looked upon the ruins of Kisra and said: How many gardens and springs they left behind, and crops and noble stations, and comforts in which they took delight! Thus it was, and We gave them as an inheritance to another people. Neither heaven nor earth wept for them, nor were they granted respite. [Qur'an 44:25-29] Then he said: These people were inheritors, and they became that which is inherited. These people did not give thanks for the blessing, and so their world was stripped from them because of disobedience. Beware of ingratitude for blessings, lest punishments descend upon you. Then he said: Encamp upon this rising ground. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 142)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) was travelling toward Mada'in when he reached Bahurasir. There he cast his gaze upon the arch of Kisra and said: All of them have been swept away, and what gardens and springs they left behind! What fields, what palaces, what comforts they were immersed in! Thus did We hand over all of these to another people. Neither did the heaven weep for them, nor the earth! Nor was any respite given them at all! [Qur'an 44:25-29] Then he said: These people who were the inheritors of the wealth of the earth — their wealth was plundered and their kingdom fell into the hands of others. They were not grateful for the blessing, and disobedience took from them the blessing of this world. Then he said to those around him: Take care that you are not ungrateful for blessings, lest you be afflicted with punishment. Then he made camp in that very place.
Ali came and passed by al-Anbar, and the Banu Khushnushak, its landowning chiefs, came out to meet him. When they met him they dismounted, and then came running alongside him. He said: What are these beasts you have with you? And what did you intend by this that you have done? They said: As for this that we have done, it is a custom of ours by which we honour rulers; and as for these horses, they are a gift for you. We have also prepared food for you and for the Muslims, and made ready abundant fodder for your animals. He said: As for this which you claim is a custom of yours by which you honour rulers — by God, this does not benefit the rulers at all, and you only bring hardship upon yourselves and your bodies by it, so do not do it again. As for these beasts of yours, if you wish us to take them from you and reckon them as part of your land tax, we shall take them from you. As for the food you have prepared for us, we are loath to eat anything of your property except for a price. They said: O Commander of the Faithful, we shall set a value on it and then accept its price. He said: In that case you will not set its true value upon it; we shall be content with something less than that. They said: O Commander of the Faithful, we have among the Arabs patrons and acquaintances; will you forbid us to give them gifts, and forbid them to accept from us? He said: All the Arabs are your patrons, but it is not proper for any of the Muslims to accept your gift; and if anyone extorts anything from you, inform us. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 143)
When Ali (AS) reached al-Anbar (west of present-day Baghdad), the chiefs of that place, who were known as the house of Khushnushak, came out to receive him. Out of respect for him they dismounted and began to run on foot at the stirrup of his horse. Ali (AS) halted and said: What is this you are doing, and what are these mares that you have adorned and brought with you? They said: We do this to honour rulers, and the mares are a gift. We have also prepared food for you and your companions, and fodder is ready for your horses. Ali (AS) said: Running on foot at someone's stirrup brings no benefit at all to the one you wish to honour; it only causes hardship to yourselves. Do not do this. I will take the mares from you, but I will count them as land tax, so that you need not pay tax next year. As for the food, I accept your invitation only on condition that you take payment for it. They said: There is no objection; we will set a price on the food and accept it. He said: Set a just price. They said: O Commander of the Faithful, we have friends among the Arabs; do you forbid us to give them gifts and forbid them to accept gifts from us? The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: All the Arabs are your friends; only, no Muslim has the right to demand a gift from another by force. If anyone demands anything of you by force, tell me.
When Ali encamped at al-Raqqa, he alighted at a place called Balikh on the bank of the Euphrates. A monk there came down from his hermitage and said to Ali: We have a book that we inherited from our forefathers, written by the companions of Jesus son of Mary; shall I set it before you? Ali said: Yes; what does it say? The monk said: Among that which He decreed and among that which He inscribed is that He will raise up 'among the unlettered a messenger from among themselves' ... 'who will teach them the Book and wisdom' and will guide them to the way of God. He is neither harsh nor rough nor clamorous in the markets; he does not repay an evil deed with evil, but pardons and forgives. His community are the constant praisers, who praise God upon every height and in every ascent and descent; their tongues are made humble with the declaration of God's oneness, with magnifying Him and glorifying Him. God will grant him victory over everyone who opposes him. When God takes him to Himself, his community will differ; then they will come together and remain thus as long as God wills; then they will differ again. Then a man of his community will pass along the bank of this Euphrates, commanding what is right and forbidding what is wrong, judging by the truth and taking no bribe in judgement. This world is of less account to him than ashes on a day when the wind blows fiercely, and death is easier for him than a drink of water to the thirsty. He fears God in secret and is sincere toward Him in the open, and in God's cause he fears no blame of any blamer. Whoever of the people of these lands lives to see that prophet (PBUH) and believes in him, his reward shall be My good pleasure and Paradise; and whoever lives to see that righteous servant, let him support him, for to be slain at his side is martyrdom. Then he said to him: So I am your companion and shall not part from you until there befalls me what befalls you. He said: Then Ali wept and said: Praise be to God, who has not left me forgotten with Him; praise be to God, who has mentioned me in the books of the righteous. And the monk went with him, and, as they related, used to take his midday and evening meal with Ali until he was slain. When the people went out to bury their dead, Ali said: Search for him. When they found him, he prayed over him and buried him and said: This man is one of us, the People of the House — and he asked forgiveness for him many times. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 147)
Ali (AS) came to a place called Balikh, beside the Euphrates in al-Raqqa in Syria. There was a hermitage there. A monk came out from the hermitage and grew friendly with the soldiers and with Ali (AS). He said to Ali (AS): We have with us an ancient book from the companions of Jesus (AS); shall I show it to you? Ali (AS) said: Yes, what is written in it? The monk brought the book and read from it. In one place it was written: After Jesus, God will send among the unlettered a messenger who will teach them the Book and wisdom. He is kind and gentle in nature and gentle in speech. He answers evil with good. His people are people of praise, of the declaration of God's oneness, of magnifying and glorifying Him. God will grant him victory and he will prevail. After his passing, his people will differ, then come together, and then differ again. At that time a friend of God from among his companions, setting out for battle, will pass by this hermitage: a man who enjoins what is right and establishes the truth, and to whom this world is utterly worthless. Whoever lives to see that prophet, let him believe in him; and whoever lives to see that friend of God, let him fight at his side until he is martyred. This is the way to attain Paradise. Then the monk said: That friend of God is you, and I shall set out to war with you and see what my destiny will be. Ali (AS) wept and said: Praise be to God, who has made mention of me with good in the book of the righteous. So the monk accompanied Ali (AS) and set out for Siffin. He continually ate with Ali himself and slept in Ali's tent, until, on a day at the Battle of Siffin when many were killed, by evening no word was heard of him either. Ali (AS) ordered that he be sought among the slain. When they found his body, he himself prayed over him and buried him and said: This monk is one of us, the People of the House. For a long time afterwards Ali (AS) remembered him and asked forgiveness for him often.
Abdallah ibn Jundab, from his father: Ali (AS) used to command us on every occasion on which we met his enemy with him, saying: Do not fight these people until they begin against you, for by the praise of God you are upon a clear proof, and your leaving them until they begin against you is another proof for you against them. And when you have fought them and routed them, do not kill one who turns his back, do not finish off a wounded man, do not uncover any nakedness, and do not mutilate a slain man. And when you reach the encampment of the people, do not tear down any covering, and do not enter any dwelling except by my leave, and take nothing of their property except what you find in their camp. And do not provoke any woman with harm, even if they revile your honour and abuse your commanders and your righteous men, for they are weak in strength and in spirit and in understanding. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 203)
Abdallah ibn Jundab narrates from his father: In all the wars, Ali (AS) used to command: Do not be the ones who begin the fighting, for by the praise of God you are in the right, and not being the ones to begin the fighting is itself the observance of another right; and all this is a proof against your enemy. And if you prevail on the field of battle, do not aim at those who flee, do not harm the wounded, do not uncover the nakedness of the corpses, and do not mutilate them. When you reach the place where the enemy is encamped, do not tear away the coverings of their privacy, do not enter any house without my permission, take nothing of their property, and do not molest any woman, even if she insults you, or insults me or the other great men among you. For women are weak, faint of spirit, and of little understanding.
Nasr: al-Abyad ibn al-Agharr, from Sa'd ibn Tarif, from al-Asbagh, who said: Ali was never in any battle but that he called out: Kaf Ha Ya Ayn Sad. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 231)
The narrator says: In all the battles, I saw that Ali (AS) would utter aloud: Kaf Ha Ya Ayn Sad.
Abd al-Wahid ibn Hassan al-Ijli, from one who related to him, from Ali: When he intended to set out for battle, he would sit upon his mount and say: Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds; glory be to Him who has subjected this to us, when we were not equal to it, and truly to our Lord we are returning. Then he would turn his mount toward the qibla, then raise his hands to heaven and say: O God, to You are eyes lifted, and hands outstretched, and feet turned, and tongues raised in supplication, and hearts laid bare; and to You is judgement referred concerning deeds. So judge between us and them with the truth, and You are the best of those who open the way. O God, we complain to You of the absence of our Prophet, and the fewness of our number, and the multitude of our enemy, and the scattering of our desires, and the hardness of the times, and the appearing of trials. Help us against them with a victory that You hasten and a triumph by which You give might to the sovereignty of truth and make it manifest. Then he would say: March, with the blessing of God. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 231)
The narrator says: When Ali (AS) wished to set out for battle — or at moments in battle when matters grew hard for him — he would mount his horse and first say: Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds; glory be to Him who has subjected this to us, when we were not equal to it, and truly to our Lord we are returning. Then he would turn the horse toward the qibla and raise his hands in supplication and say: O God, to You are eyes lifted, and hands outstretched, and feet turned, and tongues raised in supplication, and hearts laid bare; and to You is judgement referred concerning deeds. So judge between us and them with the truth, and You are the best of those who open the way. O God, we complain to You of the absence of our Prophet, and the fewness of our number, and the multitude of our enemy, and the scattering of our desires, and the hardness of the times, and the appearing of trials. Help us against them with a victory that You hasten and a triumph by which You give might to the sovereignty of truth and make it manifest. Then he would say: Set out with the blessing of God.
From Malik ibn A'yan, from Zayd ibn Wahb and Abd al-Rahman ibn Jundab, from his father: On the morning of Thursday in the month of Safar of the year thirty-seven, Ali prayed the dawn prayer in the deep darkness before daybreak; I never saw Ali pray the dawn prayer in darkness more intense than his doing so that day. Then he went out with the people toward the people of Syria and advanced against them; it was he who began against them and marched toward them, and when they saw that he had advanced, they met him with their own advance. He said: O God, if You give us victory over our enemy, keep us far from transgression and set us firm upon the truth; and if You give them victory over us, grant us martyrdom and preserve the rest of my companions from trial. Ali was a short, stout man, with large dark-black eyes, his face as though the moon on the night of the full moon in beauty, large of belly, with a broad line of hair upon his chest, thick and strong of palm, with heavy joints; his neck was as though a pitcher of silver; he was bald, with no hair on his head save a little at the back reaching to his shoulders; his shoulder joints were like the joints of a ravening lion; when he walked he swayed and his body moved with him; he had a hump [of muscle] like the hump of a bull; his upper arm was not distinguishable from his forearm, so closely were they knit together; he never took hold of a man's arm but that he took hold of his breath, so that the man could not breathe. He inclined toward a brown complexion, with a slightly flattened nose. When he walked to war he went at a trot; and God had strengthened him with might and victory. Then Ali advanced with the people against them, and Mu'awiya had raised a great pavilion for himself. And he did not cease driving him back and scattering his cavalry from the left wing until he pressed them back to the pavilion of Mu'awiya at midday. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 232)
The narrators say: On Thursday, the first of the month of Safar in the year 37 of the Hijra, in the last days of the Battle of Siffin, Ali (AS) — contrary to his practice of postponing fighting to the afternoon so that the slain might be fewer — set his army in motion toward the Syrian camp after praying the dawn prayer, while it was still dark, and, contrary to his custom, was the one who began the fighting. The Syrians, who had not expected such a thing, quickly took up their weapons and made themselves ready for battle. Ali (AS) said: My Lord, if You give us victory over them, do not let us commit injustice; and if You give them victory over us, make me a martyr and preserve those of my companions who survive the battle from the trial of the enemy. Here one of the narrators describes Ali (AS) and says: Ali (AS) was short of stature. He had large black eyes. His face was beautiful and radiant. His belly was full and his frame broad-shouldered. He had large, strong hands. His neck was thick, and his head was without hair except for a little at the back. His arms were muscular. From the great muscles of his shoulders, it was as though he had a hump. His hands were so powerful that if he took hold of someone, that person could not free himself from his grip unless Ali (AS) himself wished it. His nose was narrow and long. When he went toward the field he went at a trot, and by the victory and might of God no one ever overcame him in any battle. In that state, on that morning, Ali (AS) roused his army, and the two hosts fell upon each other. Ali's army pressed forward so far that Mu'awiya's tent came within view of his soldiers. Ali's army continued to crush the Syrians, and his right wing in particular opened a path to the heart of the Syrian army, until at midday Malik shook the very pillars of Mu'awiya's tent.
Umar ibn Sa'd, from Abd al-Rahim ibn Abd al-Rahman, from his father: Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, urged the people on and said: God, Mighty and Majestic, has guided you to a commerce that will save you from the punishment, and He has made its reward the forgiveness of sins. And He said: Truly God loves those who fight in His way in ranks, as though they were a solid structure. So straighten your ranks, and put the armoured men in front, and clench your teeth, and silence your voices, for that is more apt to drive away weakness and more fitting for dignity. And let each man of you — God have mercy upon him — take on his own opponent and support his brother with himself, and not leave his own opponent to his brother, so that his opponent and his brother's opponent both fall upon his brother. God has said: Say: Flight will not profit you, if you flee from death or slaying; and then you would not be given enjoyment save for a little. And by God, if you flee from the sword of this fleeting world, you will not be safe from the sword of the hereafter. Seek help through truthfulness and patience, for it is after patience that victory descends. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 235)
The narrator says: Ali (AS) cried out in the battle: God has here guided you to a commerce that you may be saved from the punishment of the hereafter — that is, He has made forgiveness the reward of jihad. And God has said that He loves those who strive in His way united and steadfast. So set your ranks in order and put the armoured men in front, and press your teeth together, and keep to silence in the melee, for it prevents fear and weakness and brings about dignity and awe. Know that each of you must first watch over himself and after that over his comrade — not that, having failed to manage his own part, he then relies upon his comrade; for in that case he brings both himself and his comrade to destruction. Do not dread death, for God has said: There is no escape from death, and supposing there were, for how many days could it be postponed? Even if you flee from the sword of this world, what will you do about the sword of the hereafter? Cling to truthfulness and patience, for patience is what brings victory down.
Malik ibn A'yan, from Zayd ibn Wahb, who said: Ali passed by that day with his sons toward the left wing, and there was not one of his sons but was shielding him with himself, and Ali disliked that and would go ahead of him and place himself between him and the people of Syria. Then Ahmar, the client of Abu Sufyan, caught sight of him, and Ali said: By the Lord of the Ka'ba, may God kill me if I do not kill you, or you kill me! And he came toward him. Then Kaysan, the client of Ali, went out to him, and the two exchanged two blows, and the client of the Banu Umayya killed him and closed with Ali to strike him with the sword. But Ali seized his chance and took hold of the neck-opening of his coat of mail and pulled him, then lifted him upon his shoulder — it is as though I am looking at his two legs crossing over Ali's neck — then he dashed him to the ground and broke his shoulder and his upper arm. Then the two sons of Ali, al-Husayn and Muhammad, rushed upon him and struck him with their swords. It is as though I am looking at Ali standing, and his two lion cubs striking the man; and when they had finished him off, they came to their father, and al-Hasan was standing with him. He said: My son, what kept you from doing as your two brothers did? He said: They sufficed me, O Commander of the Faithful. Then the people of Syria drew near to him, and by God their nearness and approach did not increase the speed of his walking at all. Al-Hasan said to him: What harm would it do you to hasten until you reach those of your companions who have stood firm against your enemy? — meaning the left wing. He said: My son, your father has a day that he will not outrun; hastening will not delay it for him, nor will walking slowly bring it upon him sooner. By God, your father does not care whether he falls upon death or death falls upon him. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 249)
The narrator says: One day at the Battle of Siffin, Ali (AS) was fighting with his sons on the left wing of the army. His sons and his soldiers constantly wanted to be ahead of Ali (AS), lest any harm come to him; and he, who did not like this, constantly outstripped them and went out to meet the Syrian army. Meanwhile Ahmar, the servant of Abu Sufyan, recognised Ali and came toward him. Ali (AS), who also recognised him, made for him and cried out: May the God of the Ka'ba kill me if I do not kill you or am not killed by your hand! Before Ali reached him, his servant, whose name was Kaysan, threw himself upon Ahmar, but was killed by Ahmar's hand. At that moment Ali (AS) reached Ahmar, seized him by the collar, lifted him from the ground, held him a little above his head, and then dashed him hard to the ground. At this, two of Ali's sons, al-Husayn (AS) and Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya, fell upon Ahmar and killed him, and came with al-Hasan (AS) before their father. Ali (AS) said to al-Hasan: Why did you not, like your brothers, hasten to kill Ahmar? Al-Hasan (AS) said: What they did was enough, O Commander of the Faithful. Meanwhile the Syrians were drawing near to Ali and al-Hasan, who had been left alone on the field, and were running toward them. Yet the Commander of the Faithful (AS) showed no haste in withdrawing and coming back toward his own soldiers. Al-Hasan (AS) said: What harm would it do if you came a little faster, so that we might reach our companions and escape the danger? The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: My son, for your father a day of death has been decreed which will not be overstepped. Neither will running postpone that day, nor will walking slowly hasten it. By God, it makes no difference to your father whether death comes upon him or he goes to meet death.
Amr ibn Shimr, from Jabir, from Abu Ishaq, who said: Ali came out with a short spear in his hand and passed by Sa'id ibn Qays al-Hamdani. Sa'id said to him: Do you not fear, O Commander of the Faithful, that someone may assassinate you, while you are close to your enemy? Ali said to him: There is no one but that over him from God there are guardians who protect him from falling into a well, or from a wall collapsing upon him, or from some calamity striking him; and when the decree comes, they leave him to it. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 250)
The narrator says: I saw Ali (AS) while he was alone and had nothing with him but a long-handled axe upon which he leaned. I said: O Commander of the Faithful, do you not fear that they may assassinate you unawares, when everywhere is full of your enemies? He said: Every person has from God guardian angels who do not let him fall into a well, or something fall upon his head, or some accident befall him. Only when God's command arrives in the form of destiny do they step aside so that the event may occur.
From Zayd ibn Wahb: Ali passed by a group of the people of Syria, among whom was al-Walid ibn Uqba, and they were reviling him and abusing him. They informed him of this, and he halted among a number of his companions and said: Advance against them, but keep to calm dignity, the mien of the righteous, and the gravity of Islam. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 391)
The narrator says: At Siffin, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) passed near a company of Syrians whose leader was al-Walid ibn Uqba. They insulted Ali (AS) and threw stones toward him. They said to Ali (AS): Do you see that these men are hurling abuse and insults? Ali (AS) said to his companions: As for you, when you go toward the Syrians to fight them, unlike them who hurl abuse, be calm; let your countenance be the countenance of the righteous, and let the dignity of Islam be seen in you.
Ammar ibn Rabi'a said: A man from the people of Syria came out calling between the two ranks: "O Abu al-Hasan! O Ali! Come out to me!" He said: So Ali went out to him, and when the necks of their two mounts crossed between the two ranks, the man said: "O Ali, you have precedence in Islam and in the Hijra. Would you consider a proposal I wish to put before you, by which this blood may be spared and these wars postponed until you see fit?" Ali said to him: "And what is that?" He said: "You return to your Iraq, and we leave you and Iraq alone; and we return to our Syria, and you leave us and our Syria alone." Ali said to him: "I know that you have offered this out of sincere counsel and compassion. Indeed this matter has weighed upon me and kept me sleepless, and I have examined it from every side, yet I have found nothing but fighting or disbelief in what God sent down upon Muhammad, may God bless him and his family. Truly God, blessed and exalted, is not content that His friends should see Him disobeyed upon the earth while they remain silent and submissive, neither enjoining what is right nor forbidding what is wrong. So I found fighting easier for me to bear than to grapple with the shackles of Hell." So the Syrian returned, saying, "To God we belong and to Him we return." He said: And the people advanced upon one another. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 473)
The narrator said: One day at Siffin, before the fighting began, a horseman came out from the army of Syria and called out between the two armies: "O Abu al-Hasan! O Ali! I have business with you!" Ali (AS) rode out toward him on his horse. The two drew so close that the necks of their horses met. That horseman said: "O Ali, you were foremost in Islam and in the Hijra. I have a proposal that would preserve the blood of the Muslims and put an end to this war; I wish to state it to you and hear your view." Ali (AS) said: "Speak." He said: "Go back to your Iraq; we will have nothing to do with you. We too will return to Syria, and you have nothing to do with us!" Ali (AS) said: "I know that what you say is out of goodwill and compassion. This war has occupied my mind too, and robbed my eyes of sleep, and I have thought long upon it. But I have seen that there is no way other than fighting, or disbelief in the truths that Muhammad (PBUH) brought. For God is not content that He be disobeyed in His earth while His friends keep silent or submit and do not enjoin the good and forbid the evil. Therefore fighting is easier for me than bearing the punishment of the hereafter." So when that Syrian horseman heard this he turned back, saying: "Truly to God we belong and truly to Him we return." At that moment the two armies fell upon one another.
Ammar ibn Rabi'a said: By God, al-Ashtar passed by me striking the people of Syria until he had driven them back to their camp. Then they fought fiercely there at the camp, and the bearer of their standard was killed; and Ali, when he saw that victory was coming from that quarter, began to reinforce him with men. He said: And Ali rose to address the people; he praised God and extolled Him, then said: "O people, the affair has reached, for you and for your enemy, the state you have seen. Nothing remains of them but the last breath. When affairs advance in a certain direction, their end is judged by their beginning. These people have held out against you upon no religion, until we have brought them to what we have brought them to; and tomorrow morning I shall go out against them and bring their case before God, mighty and majestic." News of this reached Mu'awiya, so he summoned Amr ibn al-As and said: "O Amr, there is but this one night, and then Ali will come upon us in the morning with the decisive stroke. What is your view?" He said: "Your men cannot stand against his men, and you are not like him. He fights you for one cause, and you fight him for another: you desire survival, and he desires to perish in God's cause. The people of Iraq fear you should you prevail over them, but the people of Syria do not fear Ali should he prevail over them. Rather, cast before them a proposal such that if they accept it they will fall into discord, and if they reject it they will fall into discord: call them to the Book of God as arbiter between you and them. By this you will attain your need among these people. I have kept this device in reserve for the very hour of your need of it." Mu'awiya recognized the worth of this and said: "You have spoken truly." (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 476)
The narrator said: Malik was crushing the Syrian army so severely that he had come near the rear of the army, that is, the tent of Mu'awiya. Fierce fighting broke out there and the standards of the Syrian army fell one after another. When Ali (AS) saw this, he kept sending men toward Malik and reinforcing his flank. In the thick of this, Ali (AS) rose and delivered a sermon, saying: "O people, you see your own condition and that of your enemy better than I do. Your enemy is drawing his last breaths. When affairs turn favourable, the final victory is evident from their beginning. The Syrians have persisted in a cause that was not God's pleasure, and they are now seeing its result. Tomorrow I shall settle the affair of this crowd once and for all." When news of this sermon of Ali (AS) reached Mu'awiya, and he saw the state of the war, he summoned Amr ibn al-As and said: "Tonight is our last chance. Tomorrow Ali will settle the war. Employ every stratagem you have!" Amr ibn al-As said: "Your men cannot overcome Ali's men in face-to-face battle. The intention of Ali's men is other than the intention of your men. Nor are you like Ali. You are after life and rule, while Ali is after annihilation and martyrdom. The Iraqis fear that if you prevail you will slaughter them, but the Syrians know that if Ali prevails he will be just. So if the present state continues we shall lose this war. But I shall cast a stratagem among Ali's army such that whether they accept it or not, discord and division will arise among them. Call them to the arbitration of the Book of God! By this you will reach your goal. I devised this trick long ago for this very day and kept it hidden in my sleeve." Mu'awiya said: "What a plan!"
Abd al-Rahman ibn Jundab said: When Ali returned from Siffin, he said: "Returning, repenting, worshipping, praising our Lord. O God, I seek refuge in You from the hardship of travel, the gloom of the return, and an evil sight in property and family." Then he took us by the land route along the bank of the Euphrates until we came to Hit, and there was an old man sitting in the shade of a house, with the marks of illness upon his face. Ali came toward him, and we with him, until he greeted him and we greeted him; and he returned the greeting so warmly that we supposed he knew him. Ali said to him: "How is it that I see your face drawn? Is it from illness?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Perhaps you resent it?" He said: "I would not wish it upon anyone but myself." He said: "Is that not because you reckon there is good for you in what has befallen you from it?" He said: "Indeed." He said: "Then rejoice in your Lord's mercy and the forgiveness of your sins. Who are you, O servant of God?" He said: "I am Salih ibn Sulaym." He said: "Tell me what the people say about what took place between us and the people of Syria." He said: "Among them is the one who is delighted at what took place between you and them, and those are the vulgar mass of the people; and among them is the one grieved and sorrowful at what happened, and those are the sincere counsellors among the people toward you." Then he made to depart, and Ali said: "You have spoken truly. May God make what you suffer of your illness a removal of your evil deeds; for illness leaves no sin of a servant but that it removes it. And God, mighty and majestic, admits to Paradise those of His servants who have truthful intention and a righteous inner self." Then he said: "Blessed is he who remembers the Return, works for the Reckoning, is content with sufficiency, and is satisfied with God in that." (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 528)
The narrator said: We were returning with Ali (AS) from Siffin to Kufa when he raised his hands in supplication and said: "O God, we return while we praise You. So preserve us from the hardship of travel, the sorrow of homecoming, and an evil sight in property and wife." We took the bank of the Euphrates and travelled on until we reached Hit. There an ailing old man was sitting in the shade of a house. Ali (AS) went toward him and greeted him warmly, so that we supposed he knew him. The old man returned the greeting. Ali (AS) said: "How is it that I see the marks of illness upon your face?" He said: "Yes, I am ill." He said: "Are you distressed by it?" He said: "I am more content that the illness be mine than that it be another's." Ali (AS) said: "So you have reckoned this decree to God's account and expect good from God?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Then glad tidings to you, for you are immersed in mercy and forgiveness. What is your name, O servant of God?" He said: "Salih ibn Sulaym." Ali (AS) asked: "What do the people say about our affair with the Syrians?" He said: "The black-hearted majority are pleased that you have become embroiled in war, and a group who wish you well are distressed and grieved at the occurrence of this war." Ali (AS) said: "You speak the truth." And as he urged on his horse and parted from the old man, he prayed for him and said: "May God make the hardship of your illness an expiation of your sins! For illness washes away and carries off all the sins of a servant. Because of truthful intention and soundness of the inner self, God makes many of His servants dwellers of Paradise." Then he said: "Blessed is he who remembers the Return, works for Paradise, is content with a bare sufficiency of this world, and is satisfied with his Lord."
Abd Allah ibn Asim al-Fa'ishi said: When Ali passed by Thawr of Hamdan he heard weeping, so he said: "What are these voices?" It was said: "This is weeping over those who were killed." He said: "Indeed, I bear witness to martyrdom for whoever among them was killed being patient and seeking God's reward." Then he passed by the Fa'ishis and heard the voices, and he said the like of that. Then he passed by the Shibamis and heard a violent wailing and a loud, high voice; and Harb ibn Shurahbil al-Shibami came out to him. Ali said: "Do your women overcome you? Will you not forbid them this shrieking and wailing?" He said: "O Commander of the Faithful, were it one house, or two, or three, we would be able to do that; but from this clan there are one hundred and eighty slain, and there is no house but that there is weeping in it. As for us, the company of men, we do not weep; rather we rejoice for them. Should we not rejoice for them in martyrdom?" Ali said: "May God have mercy on your slain and your dead." Then he went on until he passed by the Na'itis, and he heard a man of them called Abd al-Rahman ibn Marthad saying: "By God, Ali accomplished nothing. He went off with something and then came back with nothing." When he caught sight of the Commander of the Faithful he fell silent in confusion. Ali said: "Your brother is he who, when a calamity of fate wears you down, does not cease to be grieved at your distress; your brother is not the one who, when affairs go against you, spends his time reproaching and blaming you." Then he went on, and he did not cease to remember God until he entered Kufa. (Waq'at Siffin, vol. 1, p. 531)
The narrator said: We had returned with Ali (AS) from Siffin and were nearing Kufa when we reached the houses of the tribe of Hamdan. The sound of weeping rose from those houses. Ali (AS) said: "What is this weeping for?" They said: "It is from the houses of those one of whose people was killed at Siffin fighting at your side." He said: "Did I not say that every patient slain man whose intention was God is a martyr?" Then we passed on until we reached another quarter, and there too we saw that the sound of weeping rose from the houses to the sky. We passed on until we reached the next quarter. There the sound of weeping was more intense than in the previous quarters. One of Ali's companions named Harb ibn Shurahbil came out of a house. Ali (AS) said to him: "Have you been overcome by your women? Can you not restrain them?" Harb said: "O Commander of the Faithful, is it one house or two? From this quarter alone one hundred and eighty men have been killed! There is no house without lamentation in it. We men do not weep, and we count death in the way of God as felicity. But what are we to do with the women?" Ali (AS) said: "May God have mercy on their slain!" Then we went on until we reached the next quarter. Ali (AS) heard a man shouting and saying: "What did Ali accomplish? He went off with an army and came back without one!" As soon as that man's eye fell upon Ali (AS) he was ashamed and fell silent. Ali (AS) said: "Silence in the hour of affliction is far better than reproach." We passed on again, and Ali (AS) continued to remember God until we entered Kufa.