mohabdul
01-03-04, 01:53 AM
Caliphate of Ali Ibn Abi Taleb 1/3
A series of lectures given by shaikh Uthman al-Khamees and translated from Arabic by Dr. Muhammad Amin Tawfiq
Prince of the Faithful (From 35 to 40 A.H.):
He (Radiallahu Anhu [RA] - may Allah be pleased with him) was Ali ibn Abi Taleb ibn Abdul Muttalib ibn Hashem ibn Abd Manaf, cousin of the Prophet (SAWS), and husband of the best of the world's women in her time, Fatima, daughter of the Prophet (SAWS). His mother was Fatima bint Asad ibn Hashem ibn Abd Manaf.
His nickname was Abul Hassan. The Prophet (SAWS) nicknamed him Abu Turab. He became a Muslim when he was a young boy of eight years old, according to the best information.
The Beginning of Ali's Caliphate:
It is related to Muhammad ibn Al Hanafiyyah, son of Ali ibn Abi Taleb, that he said: "Ali (RA) went to Uthman's house after the killing of Uthman (RA). Then he immediately went back home and locked himself in. People came to see him and knocked at his door saying, 'Uthman was killed, and people should have a caliph. We do not know of any other person who has more right to the caliphate than you are.' Ali told them: 'you better not choose me as a prince; for me to be an advisor to you is better than being a prince.'
They said: 'But we do not know of anybody who is more worthy to it than you.' He replied: 'If you insist, then taking an oath for me should not be secret. I'll go to the mosque. Whoever wishes to give his oath to me, let him do so.' He then went to the mosque and people gave their oath for him." (This was related by al Imam Ahmad through a sound chain of narrators.)
Al Muhajirun (Immigrants) and the Ansar (Helpers) who were in Medina pledged allegiance to him. Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas, Abdullah ibn Umar and Muhammad ibn Maslama made their oath of allegiance to him, but did not fight along with him. There is a consensus among Ahl-us- Sunnah that Ali ibn Abi Taleb was the best of the Companions after Uthman.
Ibn Taymiyya said: "Ahmad ibn Hanbal had stated that whoever did not give oath to Ali was doing a 'bida'a' (an innovation in Islam)". He also said: "He is more astray than a donkey." He ruled that such a person should be boycotted.
Ibn Taymiya said: "neither Ahmad nor any of the leaders of Ahl-us-Sunnah hesitated to declare that there was no body more worthy than Ali of the caliphate. They did not dispute this."
Ahl-us-Sunnah are all in agreement that the best Companions of the Prophet (SAWS) were Abu Bakr followed by Umar. As, aforementioned, they were in dispute regarding Uthman and Ali. The majority of scholars believed Uthman was better than Ali. They, then, agreed that Ali ibn Abi Taleb was the fourth caliph.
The Camel's Battle (36 A.H.):
When the oath of allegiance was taken for Ali ibn Abi Taleb, Talaha and Az-Zubayr asked Ali for permission to go to Makkah. He gave them permission. There, they met A'isha, Mother of the Faithful. The news of the killing of Uthman had already reached there. Accordingly, they met in Makkah and decided to take revenge for Uthman. Also, Yaala ibn Munya arrived from Basra, and Abdulla ibn Amer from Kufa and agreed upon taking revenge for Uthman.
They returned from Makkah, and were joined by others from Basra, seeking for Uthman's killers, feeling that they had failed to defend Uthman (RA).
At that time, Ali (RA) was in Medina. He had appointed Uthman ibn Hunayf as governor of Basra. When they reached Basra Uthman ibn Hunayf inquired: "what do you want?" They replied: "we are after the killers of Uthman." He told them: "let us leave the matter until the arrival of Ali." He denied them entry.
Jabala, one of those who participated in Uthman's killing, led seven hundred men to confront them. They, however, defeated him and killed many of his followers. Many of the inhabitants of Basra joined the army of Talha, Zubair and A'isha.
At that point, Ali (RA) headed to Kufa from Medina, when he heard that fighting broke between Uthman ibn Hunayf, his governor in Basra, and the army of Talha, Zubair and A'isha. Ali organised a ten thousand man army to fight them. This shows clearly that Ali ibn Abi Taleb (RA) moved to fight them. They did not seek to fight him or revolt against him.
Al Miqdad ibn Al Aswad and Al Qa'aqa'a ibn Amr were both sent by him to negotiate with Talha and Az-Zubair. Al Miqdad and Al Qa'aqa'a on the one hand, and Talha and Zubair on the other agreed, to refrain from fighting. Each party explained its point of view.
Talha and Az-Zubair were of the opinion that the killers of Uthman should not be left at large. Ali thought that the matter should be postponed until things were settled. Therefore, punishment of the killers of Uthman had already been agreed upon. The difference of opinion between the two sides was regarding only the timing of it.
Following that agreement, the two armies, being relieved, were at rest. However, the followers of Abdullah ibn Saba'a, i.e. killers of Uthman, were not at ease at all because that agreement was against them. This is what historians who wrote about this battle, such as Al Tabari, ibn Kathir, ibn Al Athir, ibn Hazm and others mentioned.
The Saba'eans, therefore, decided to challenge that agreement. Before dawn and while all were sleeping, a group of them attacked the army of Talha and Az-Zubair, killed some of its soldiers, and fled. The army of Talha and Az-Zubair thought that the army of Ali took them by surprise, so they started skirmishes with the army of Ali in the morning. The army of Ali thought that the army of Talha and Az-Zubair had tricked them and by noon skirmishes erupted into full battle!
Leaders from the two armies tried to stop the fighting but in vain. Talha was reported to call: "Do you listen, people?" When he realized that they were not listening, he said: "Damn! You are not but butterflies of fire and flies of greed."( i.e. you are wrongdoers and seeking worldly gains.)
When Ali (RA) tried to stop them, they did not listen to him. A'isha sent Ka'ab ibn Sawr carrying a Holy Qur'an copy to stop the fight, the Saba'eans turned their arrows on him until he was killed.
The Camel Battle took place in the year 36 A.H., at the beginning of Ali's caliphate. It started in the afternoon, and finished just before sunset of the same day. Ali (RA) had ten thousand men and the other army was ranging between five and six thousands. Ali's flag was with his son, Muhammad, while the other army's flag was with Abdullah ibn Az-Zubair.
On that day, many Muslims were killed. Talha, Az-Zubair and Muhammad ibn Talha, though the first two did not participate in that battle.
When Az-Zubair (RA) arrived at the battle place, he came across Ali who told him: Do you remember that the Prophet (SAWS) said: "You'll fight him (Ali) while you are not doing justice to him." Az-Zubair is reported to have returned on that day, and did not fight. It is true that he did not fight.
However, this version has no strong authority though it has been mentioned often. But whether the encounter between him and Ali took place or not the fact remains that he (Az-Zubair) was not a party to that battle, and that he was killed, perfidiously, by somebody by the name of ibn Jurmuz.
Talha (RA) was killed by an arrow that opened an old wound. He tried, before his death, to prevent people from fighting. Many fell in that battle and lost their lives before it came to an end. Many soldiers were killed in defence of the camel of A'isha which was a symbol to them. No sooner had the camel fallen than the battle subsided. The result was that Ali (RA) emerged victorious. However, it is valid to say that nobody emerged victorious because Islam and Muslims were the losers.
At the end of the battle, Ali (RA) made his way among the dead. There, he found Talha ibn Ubaidillah (RA). After removing dust from Talha's face and making his body upright, Ali (RA) said: "I am sorry to see you this way, dead and unsheltered, 'Oh Abu Muhammad!" He wept and said: "I wish I would have died, twenty years before this."
In fact, all the Companions who took part in this battle, regretted what had happened. When Ali saw Muhammad ibn Talha killed in the battlefield he wept. Muhammad ibn Talha used to be nicknamed As-Sajjad because of his numerous prayers.
Ibn Jurmuz entered Ali's place carrying Az-Zubair's sword. He was repeating the words: "I killed Az-Zubair, I killed Az-Zubair!" When Ali heard him, he said: "Give bad tidings of the hell to the killer of son of Safiyya (Az-Zubair). He did not permit his entry to see him. (This was narrated by ibn Sa'ad through a good chain.)
Why Did Ali not Kill Uthman's Killers?
Ali (RA) was doing what was in the best interest of the Muslim nation. He found that interest necessitated delay of 'Qisas', i.e. punishment, not canceling it. His decision to delay punishment was similar to what the Prophet (SAWS) did in the event of false accusation against his wife A'isha, when Hassan ibn Thabit, Hamna bint Jahsh and Mistah ibn Uthathah, among others reiterated such a fabrication created by Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul against A'isha.
The Prophet (SAWS) ascended the pulpit and said: " who would take action against a man whose harm has reached my own household. (meaning Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul)? Sa'd ibn Mua'dh stood to say: "I can do so, Prophet of Allah. If he belongs to our tribe, the Aws, we will kill him, and if he belongs to our brethren, the Khazraj tribe, you will give us order to kill him."
Sa'd ibn Ubada, (head of Khazraj) stood to reply to what Sa'd ibn Mu'aadh said. Usayd ibn Hudayr also stood up to comment on what sa'd ibn Ubada said. The Prophet (SAWS) had to interfere to quiet them. He knew that there was a big problem. Before his arrival to Medina, the Aws and Khazraj have agreed among themselves to appoint Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul as their king. He had a high standing among them. He was the one who returned with third of the army in the battle of Uhud. The Prophet (SAWS) did not whip Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul after weighing both interest and harm. When he found that whipping him would do more harm than good he did not execute it.
In the same manner, Ali (RA) chose to postpone punishment of Uthman's killers because this would be of less harm than going ahead with it. Ali could not, in the first place, kill those killers because they were affiliated to tribes which were protecting and defending them. At that time there was loose security. Sedition was going on. They could even kill the caliph himself, which they did at a later stage!
When Mu'awiya (RA) himself became a caliph, he did not kill Uthman's killers either. Why? Because he realized that it was in the interest of the Ummah (Muslim nation) not to kill them as Ali (RA) did before. Mu'awiya did send those who executed some of the killers. The last of those remaining were killed during Al Hajjaj's time, i.e. Abdul Malik ibn Marwan's reign.
It is important to say that Ali was unable to kill them, not because he was helpless, but for fear of causing more instability in the Ummah.
When the Battle of the Camel came to and end, Ali sent A'isha, the Mother of the Faithful, back to Medina in an honourable fashion. This he did in complete submission to the Prophet's order. Ali narrated that the Prophet (SAWS) told him: "An issue will take place between you and A'isha". Ali replied: Then I'll be the most miserable one, Oh Prophet of Allah." The Prophet said: "No, but if this takes place, then send her back home secured. Ali did exactly what the Prophet (SAWS) ordered him to do.
(To be continued)
A series of lectures given by shaikh Uthman al-Khamees and translated from Arabic by Dr. Muhammad Amin Tawfiq
Prince of the Faithful (From 35 to 40 A.H.):
He (Radiallahu Anhu [RA] - may Allah be pleased with him) was Ali ibn Abi Taleb ibn Abdul Muttalib ibn Hashem ibn Abd Manaf, cousin of the Prophet (SAWS), and husband of the best of the world's women in her time, Fatima, daughter of the Prophet (SAWS). His mother was Fatima bint Asad ibn Hashem ibn Abd Manaf.
His nickname was Abul Hassan. The Prophet (SAWS) nicknamed him Abu Turab. He became a Muslim when he was a young boy of eight years old, according to the best information.
The Beginning of Ali's Caliphate:
It is related to Muhammad ibn Al Hanafiyyah, son of Ali ibn Abi Taleb, that he said: "Ali (RA) went to Uthman's house after the killing of Uthman (RA). Then he immediately went back home and locked himself in. People came to see him and knocked at his door saying, 'Uthman was killed, and people should have a caliph. We do not know of any other person who has more right to the caliphate than you are.' Ali told them: 'you better not choose me as a prince; for me to be an advisor to you is better than being a prince.'
They said: 'But we do not know of anybody who is more worthy to it than you.' He replied: 'If you insist, then taking an oath for me should not be secret. I'll go to the mosque. Whoever wishes to give his oath to me, let him do so.' He then went to the mosque and people gave their oath for him." (This was related by al Imam Ahmad through a sound chain of narrators.)
Al Muhajirun (Immigrants) and the Ansar (Helpers) who were in Medina pledged allegiance to him. Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas, Abdullah ibn Umar and Muhammad ibn Maslama made their oath of allegiance to him, but did not fight along with him. There is a consensus among Ahl-us- Sunnah that Ali ibn Abi Taleb was the best of the Companions after Uthman.
Ibn Taymiyya said: "Ahmad ibn Hanbal had stated that whoever did not give oath to Ali was doing a 'bida'a' (an innovation in Islam)". He also said: "He is more astray than a donkey." He ruled that such a person should be boycotted.
Ibn Taymiya said: "neither Ahmad nor any of the leaders of Ahl-us-Sunnah hesitated to declare that there was no body more worthy than Ali of the caliphate. They did not dispute this."
Ahl-us-Sunnah are all in agreement that the best Companions of the Prophet (SAWS) were Abu Bakr followed by Umar. As, aforementioned, they were in dispute regarding Uthman and Ali. The majority of scholars believed Uthman was better than Ali. They, then, agreed that Ali ibn Abi Taleb was the fourth caliph.
The Camel's Battle (36 A.H.):
When the oath of allegiance was taken for Ali ibn Abi Taleb, Talaha and Az-Zubayr asked Ali for permission to go to Makkah. He gave them permission. There, they met A'isha, Mother of the Faithful. The news of the killing of Uthman had already reached there. Accordingly, they met in Makkah and decided to take revenge for Uthman. Also, Yaala ibn Munya arrived from Basra, and Abdulla ibn Amer from Kufa and agreed upon taking revenge for Uthman.
They returned from Makkah, and were joined by others from Basra, seeking for Uthman's killers, feeling that they had failed to defend Uthman (RA).
At that time, Ali (RA) was in Medina. He had appointed Uthman ibn Hunayf as governor of Basra. When they reached Basra Uthman ibn Hunayf inquired: "what do you want?" They replied: "we are after the killers of Uthman." He told them: "let us leave the matter until the arrival of Ali." He denied them entry.
Jabala, one of those who participated in Uthman's killing, led seven hundred men to confront them. They, however, defeated him and killed many of his followers. Many of the inhabitants of Basra joined the army of Talha, Zubair and A'isha.
At that point, Ali (RA) headed to Kufa from Medina, when he heard that fighting broke between Uthman ibn Hunayf, his governor in Basra, and the army of Talha, Zubair and A'isha. Ali organised a ten thousand man army to fight them. This shows clearly that Ali ibn Abi Taleb (RA) moved to fight them. They did not seek to fight him or revolt against him.
Al Miqdad ibn Al Aswad and Al Qa'aqa'a ibn Amr were both sent by him to negotiate with Talha and Az-Zubair. Al Miqdad and Al Qa'aqa'a on the one hand, and Talha and Zubair on the other agreed, to refrain from fighting. Each party explained its point of view.
Talha and Az-Zubair were of the opinion that the killers of Uthman should not be left at large. Ali thought that the matter should be postponed until things were settled. Therefore, punishment of the killers of Uthman had already been agreed upon. The difference of opinion between the two sides was regarding only the timing of it.
Following that agreement, the two armies, being relieved, were at rest. However, the followers of Abdullah ibn Saba'a, i.e. killers of Uthman, were not at ease at all because that agreement was against them. This is what historians who wrote about this battle, such as Al Tabari, ibn Kathir, ibn Al Athir, ibn Hazm and others mentioned.
The Saba'eans, therefore, decided to challenge that agreement. Before dawn and while all were sleeping, a group of them attacked the army of Talha and Az-Zubair, killed some of its soldiers, and fled. The army of Talha and Az-Zubair thought that the army of Ali took them by surprise, so they started skirmishes with the army of Ali in the morning. The army of Ali thought that the army of Talha and Az-Zubair had tricked them and by noon skirmishes erupted into full battle!
Leaders from the two armies tried to stop the fighting but in vain. Talha was reported to call: "Do you listen, people?" When he realized that they were not listening, he said: "Damn! You are not but butterflies of fire and flies of greed."( i.e. you are wrongdoers and seeking worldly gains.)
When Ali (RA) tried to stop them, they did not listen to him. A'isha sent Ka'ab ibn Sawr carrying a Holy Qur'an copy to stop the fight, the Saba'eans turned their arrows on him until he was killed.
The Camel Battle took place in the year 36 A.H., at the beginning of Ali's caliphate. It started in the afternoon, and finished just before sunset of the same day. Ali (RA) had ten thousand men and the other army was ranging between five and six thousands. Ali's flag was with his son, Muhammad, while the other army's flag was with Abdullah ibn Az-Zubair.
On that day, many Muslims were killed. Talha, Az-Zubair and Muhammad ibn Talha, though the first two did not participate in that battle.
When Az-Zubair (RA) arrived at the battle place, he came across Ali who told him: Do you remember that the Prophet (SAWS) said: "You'll fight him (Ali) while you are not doing justice to him." Az-Zubair is reported to have returned on that day, and did not fight. It is true that he did not fight.
However, this version has no strong authority though it has been mentioned often. But whether the encounter between him and Ali took place or not the fact remains that he (Az-Zubair) was not a party to that battle, and that he was killed, perfidiously, by somebody by the name of ibn Jurmuz.
Talha (RA) was killed by an arrow that opened an old wound. He tried, before his death, to prevent people from fighting. Many fell in that battle and lost their lives before it came to an end. Many soldiers were killed in defence of the camel of A'isha which was a symbol to them. No sooner had the camel fallen than the battle subsided. The result was that Ali (RA) emerged victorious. However, it is valid to say that nobody emerged victorious because Islam and Muslims were the losers.
At the end of the battle, Ali (RA) made his way among the dead. There, he found Talha ibn Ubaidillah (RA). After removing dust from Talha's face and making his body upright, Ali (RA) said: "I am sorry to see you this way, dead and unsheltered, 'Oh Abu Muhammad!" He wept and said: "I wish I would have died, twenty years before this."
In fact, all the Companions who took part in this battle, regretted what had happened. When Ali saw Muhammad ibn Talha killed in the battlefield he wept. Muhammad ibn Talha used to be nicknamed As-Sajjad because of his numerous prayers.
Ibn Jurmuz entered Ali's place carrying Az-Zubair's sword. He was repeating the words: "I killed Az-Zubair, I killed Az-Zubair!" When Ali heard him, he said: "Give bad tidings of the hell to the killer of son of Safiyya (Az-Zubair). He did not permit his entry to see him. (This was narrated by ibn Sa'ad through a good chain.)
Why Did Ali not Kill Uthman's Killers?
Ali (RA) was doing what was in the best interest of the Muslim nation. He found that interest necessitated delay of 'Qisas', i.e. punishment, not canceling it. His decision to delay punishment was similar to what the Prophet (SAWS) did in the event of false accusation against his wife A'isha, when Hassan ibn Thabit, Hamna bint Jahsh and Mistah ibn Uthathah, among others reiterated such a fabrication created by Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul against A'isha.
The Prophet (SAWS) ascended the pulpit and said: " who would take action against a man whose harm has reached my own household. (meaning Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul)? Sa'd ibn Mua'dh stood to say: "I can do so, Prophet of Allah. If he belongs to our tribe, the Aws, we will kill him, and if he belongs to our brethren, the Khazraj tribe, you will give us order to kill him."
Sa'd ibn Ubada, (head of Khazraj) stood to reply to what Sa'd ibn Mu'aadh said. Usayd ibn Hudayr also stood up to comment on what sa'd ibn Ubada said. The Prophet (SAWS) had to interfere to quiet them. He knew that there was a big problem. Before his arrival to Medina, the Aws and Khazraj have agreed among themselves to appoint Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul as their king. He had a high standing among them. He was the one who returned with third of the army in the battle of Uhud. The Prophet (SAWS) did not whip Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul after weighing both interest and harm. When he found that whipping him would do more harm than good he did not execute it.
In the same manner, Ali (RA) chose to postpone punishment of Uthman's killers because this would be of less harm than going ahead with it. Ali could not, in the first place, kill those killers because they were affiliated to tribes which were protecting and defending them. At that time there was loose security. Sedition was going on. They could even kill the caliph himself, which they did at a later stage!
When Mu'awiya (RA) himself became a caliph, he did not kill Uthman's killers either. Why? Because he realized that it was in the interest of the Ummah (Muslim nation) not to kill them as Ali (RA) did before. Mu'awiya did send those who executed some of the killers. The last of those remaining were killed during Al Hajjaj's time, i.e. Abdul Malik ibn Marwan's reign.
It is important to say that Ali was unable to kill them, not because he was helpless, but for fear of causing more instability in the Ummah.
When the Battle of the Camel came to and end, Ali sent A'isha, the Mother of the Faithful, back to Medina in an honourable fashion. This he did in complete submission to the Prophet's order. Ali narrated that the Prophet (SAWS) told him: "An issue will take place between you and A'isha". Ali replied: Then I'll be the most miserable one, Oh Prophet of Allah." The Prophet said: "No, but if this takes place, then send her back home secured. Ali did exactly what the Prophet (SAWS) ordered him to do.
(To be continued)