First
Stage of the Battle of Siffin
When peace talks failed, they came
to a clash. But the zeal and fervor they used to experience in fighting against
the disbelievers was absent because of the ties of friendship and relationship
between the opposing sides. Men from both sides generally wanted to avert the
scourge of battle. Since circumstances had led both the parties to dictate
terms unacceptable to the other side and they couldn't compromise in achieving
their purpose, fighting became inevitable. However, they tried to avoid all-out
fighting. They started with a duel that lingered on for a few days. A little
later the rage for fighting increased and with it, the chiefs of small parties
began to face each other one by one. Thus the dual changed into clashes between
small parties, while the armies on both sides remained silent spectators. This
exercise continued for about a month.
This period may be considered as the
first stage of the battle of Siffin. With the beginning of the month of
Muharram, both the parties had a one-month respite and fighting was totally
stopped. The contacts and peace talks were started again. Men on both sides
desired success for the peace talks and had an aversion to war except the Saba
party who had vested interests. Success of the peace talks could be virtually a
deathblow to their nefarious plans. Thus they were leaving no stone unturned in
keeping both sides at odds. They were doing all within their power to aggravate
the situation.
Ali was in a fix. He could neither
quit the caliphate nor punish the rioters and assassins of Uthmân. To punish a
mighty commander like Mâlik Ashtar, a governor like Muhammad bin Abu Bakr and a
respected Companion like Ammâr bin Yâsir meant antagonizing the Egyptian and
Kufi forces. Moreover, the role of rioters in the assassination of Uthmân could
not be exactly determined for lack of definite witnesses. On the other hand,
Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) was more deserving
of the caliphate by all standards.
Mu'âwiyah considered himself equally
important by virtue of being a distinguished personality of Makkah, the son of
Abu Sufyân, commander-in-chief of the huge Makkan armies in the battles of Uhud
and Ahzâb (Confederates), commander who achieved great victories against the
Romans since the beginning of the caliphate, great administrator who governed
Egypt very efficiently, brother of a wife of the Prophet and a scribe of the
Revelation. He was bound with Uthmân in ancestral ties and he therefore,
considered himself within his rights to avenge the blood of Uthmân. It was to
him highly improper and unreasonable to evade Qisâs (retaliation) for the
murder of such a grave nature by merely declaring it doubtful.
The explanation given by Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) was neither
understandable nor worth understanding to him. The revolt of Talhah and Zubair,
the many Companions in Al-Madinah who declined to take Bai'ah and the support
received from Amr bin Al-Âs (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
had fortified his conviction and determination in his stand. The leadership on
both sides would be forced to restore peace and amity if advisors, supporters
and commanding officers played their roles positively. The Muharram cessation
of fighting was a golden opportunity to implement the peace proposal but the
Saba party was active enough to sabotage the peace mission and they were
successful in their treachery.
Another
Peace Effort during Muharram
At some date in Muharram of 37 AH,
Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) sent a peace
commission to Mu’âwiyah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
to initiate talks. It consisted of Adi bin Hâtim, Zaid bin Qais, Ziyâd bin
Khasafah, and Shabath bin Rib'i. Initiating the peace talks, Adi bin Hâtim said
after praising Allâh the Almighty, "O Mu’âwiyah (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), your recognition and obedience to Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) will bring peace to Muslims as a whole.
None has rejected the call to take Bai'ah except you and your friends. If you
still insist on deviating from the path of righteousness, I am afraid, you will
invite the same ordeal, the people of Jamal faced." Cutting short the
speech of Adi, Mu’âwiyah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
said, "O Adi! Have you come here on peace mission or on a war mission? Don't
you know I am the grandson of Harb, I fear not fighting? Since you too are
among the assassins of Uthmân, Allâh the Almighty will put you to death."
Following this, Yazid bin Qais said,
"We have come as emissaries and so it is not our mission to counsel you.
Nevertheless, we should make an all-out endeavor to bring peace and unity to
the Muslims and remove disunity." Saying this, he began to state the
excellence of Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
and his worthiness of being the Caliph of Islam. In reply to his statement,
Mu’âwiyah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) said, "How do
you call me to join a party when I, too, have a party of Muslims with me. I
don't consider your friend worthy of the caliphate for he assassinated our
Caliph and sheltered the assassins. Peace may be established only when the
assassins of Uthmân are handed over to us." Interrupting the statement,
Shabath bin Rib'i spoke out, "O Mu’âwiyah (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) ! Will you kill Ammâr bin Yâsir?" Mu’âwiyah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) replied, "What
can prevent me from killing Ammâr? I shall surely kill him as a retaliation for
the blood of Uthmân's slave." Shabath bin Rib'i firmly said, "You
will never be able to kill him unless you meet your death." Mu’âwiyah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) answered back,
"You are to meet your death first." After such hot exchanges, the
commission left without any success.
The
Speech of Ali
Mu'âwiyah then sent a similar
commission to Ali, which included Habib bin Maslamah, Shurahbil bin As-Samt,
and Ma'n bin Yazid. Initiating the talk, Habib bin Maslamah said to Ali,
"Uthmân was the rightful Caliph. He managed the affairs under the
guidelines set by the Book and the Sunnah. But his life appeared detestable and
so you killed him; if not, you should hand over the assassins to us and
relinquish the caliphate at once giving an opportunity to the people at large
to choose a caliph according to their will." Hearing this, Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) grew furious and
chided him saying, "You should keep quite. You have no right to make such
a statement concerning the caliphate." Thereupon Habib bin Maslamah
retorted, "You are to see me in a state which will make you become unpleasant,"
meaning thereby, the sword will decide the matter. Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) angrily said, "Go and do whatever
you like." Saying this, Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) got up and spoke after praising Allâh the Almighty, describing
the purpose behind the advent of the Prophet and eulogizing the caliphate of
the two former Righteous Caliphs: "I found them performing their duties
correctly. So, I held myself back from meddling in their affairs. They then
chose Uthmân as Caliph. His style of functioning caused dissatisfaction among
the people and they killed him. Following that, they requested me to accept
their Bai'ah, which I granted. But Talhah and Zubair violated their pledge and
Mu’âwiyah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) opposed me, even
though he is not among the first to embrace Islam like me. I wonder at your
obedience to him although I call you towards the Book and the Sunnah and the
Pillars of Faith."
Hearing his speech, Shurahbil bin
As-Samt said, "Do you not bear witness that Uthmân was oppressively
martyred?" Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
replied, "I hold Uthmân neither oppressed nor oppressor." Having
heard this, they got up saying, "We rather abhor one who evades holding
Uthmân a victim. It is all the same for such people whether they are asked to
see wisdom or not." No considerable peace efforts were made after the
failure of that mission.
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