Written by: Fawad Amiri
Episode 2
Following the martyrdom of Uthman (RA), deviant and misguided sects began to emerge under the guise of Islam, and their disruptive activities sparked conflicts among the Companions. One of these conflicts was the Battle of Siffin.
The Battle of Siffin had two primary causes:
1. Ijtihadi mistakes
2. The deviltry of the Fitnah-causers
(Followers of Ibn Saba and the Khawārij)
The battle between Ali RA and Mu’awiyah RA lasted for several days, resulting in the loss of around 70,000 lives on both sides (25,000 from Ali RA’s army and 45,000 from Mu’awiyah RA’s forces). Regrettably, this battle resulted in nothing but bloodshed and suffering.
Upon recognizing the devastating consequences of the conflict, Amr Ibn Al-Aas (RA) proposed a ceasefire, suggesting, “Let the Qur’an be the arbitrator between us!”
In response, the soldiers of Mu’awiyah RA held aloft copies of the Qur’an on their spears, proclaiming loudly, “هذا بيننا و بينكم” (which roughly translates to “This will be the arbitrator between us”).
This led to a meeting between the representatives of Mu’awiyah RA with Ali RA, where a proposal was put forth to let the Qur’an arbitrate between them. Ali RA warmly accepted this proposition, stating, “We are agreeable to this, as we also advocate the adjudication through the Qur’an.”
However, when Ali RA agreed to the truce in order to halt the bloodshed among fellow Muslims, a faction of dissenters within his own ranks rose in rebellion, accusing him of toying with the religion. They objected to the arbitration by humans, labelling it as against the decrees of Allah.
Of course, the hypocrites couldn’t tolerate the Muslims being at peace with each other. Hence they tried to stir up chaos and conflicts in the army of Ali (RA) and managed to convince some people to leave the army of Ali RA and rebel against him.
Ali (RA) ultimately agreed to arbitration and returned to his base in Kufa.
Before reaching Kufa, about twelve thousand people deserted from his army and settled in a place known as Harura.
Ali (RA) then entrusted Abdullah Bin Abbas (RA) with the responsibility to negotiate with them, using the Qur’an as the foundation for discussions.
Although Abdullah Ibn Abbas (RA) managed to persuade a group of them to rejoin Ali’s (RA) forces, there were still some obstinate individuals who rejected his counsel. They appointed Abd Allah ibn Wahb al-Rasibi as their leader and proceeded to formally establish the Kharijite sect, which continues to exist to this day.
The Kharijite doctrine is rooted in:
Misbehaving in the presence of the Prophet and rebelling against and excommunicating the rightful rulers of the Caliphate.
Throughout their history they’ve been known to act contrary to this verse:
“Harsh towards the Disbelievers and Merciful amongst themselves” (Al-Quran)
Every faction of Khariji origin, from the initial Khawarij of Haruriyya to the contemporary Daesh-e-Khawarij, has demonstrated a firm commitment to opposing this Ayah, a fact that remains as clear as daylight.
