Part of The Ten Given Glad Tidings of Paradise (series completed)
· Lesson 20 of 30
The ten promised Paradise | Episode (20) | Ali bin Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him (Part 6) The Battle of Siffin - The killing of Ammar
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
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Mawaddah Association
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presents:
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The Ten Promised Paradise:
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'Ali Ibn Abi Talib,
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may Allah be pleased with him.
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"Loving the Companions and the Prophet's kin is an established Sunnah,
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with which I shall meet my Lord when He resurrects me."
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Loving the Companions and the Prophet's kin...
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When the rebel Kharijites stormed
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the house of the Commander of the Faithful,
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'Uthman Ibn 'Affan, may Allah be pleased with him,
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intending to kill him,
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his wife defended him:
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Na'ilah bint al-Farafisah.
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She shielded him from the sword with her bare hand,
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and her fingers were severed,
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and her husband 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred.
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Thereupon, she wrote a letter to
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Mu'awiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him)
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in the Levant (al-Sham),
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describing how they had broken in upon 'Uthman
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and how he was assassinated.
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She also sent him 'Uthman's tunic,
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which he was wearing when he was killed,
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stained with his blood,
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along with her severed fingers
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that had been cut off while defending him.
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She urged him
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to avenge her husband's blood,
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and dispatched the letter with
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al-Nu'man Ibn Bashir, may Allah be pleased with him.
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When the letter arrived
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to Mu'awiyah,
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and he read its contents
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and saw the tunic,
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he was shaken to his very core.
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He ordered the tunic to be taken
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and paraded among the troops,
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then placed upon the pulpit
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for all the people to see,
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with her fingers attached to the sleeve of the tunic.
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The people wept bitterly at the sight,
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stirring each other to tears,
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and Mu'awiyah summoned the people
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to seek this retribution.
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The people began inciting
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one another
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to demand justice for the blood of 'Uthman,
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may Allah be pleased with him,
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against those who had murdered him among those
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Kharijites.
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As we have mentioned earlier,
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Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) was not
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seeking the caliphate;
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rather, he was demanding legal retribution (qisas)
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against the murderers of 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him.
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From
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the foregoing,
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we understand why he insisted on his demands,
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why he was so uncompromising regarding them,
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and why he withheld his pledge of allegiance
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to 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)
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until retribution was exacted—
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for he considered
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himself to be the next of kin entitled to seek retribution.
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He genuinely believed he was in the right,
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and that Allah would grant him victory.
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For it had reached him
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that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
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was once seated
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with some of his Companions,
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when 'Uthman Ibn 'Affan
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(may Allah be pleased with him) passed by,
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and the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
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"A tribulation will surely emerge
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from beneath the feet of
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this man;
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he and those who follow him on that day
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will be upon guidance."
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Mu'awiyah regarded himself
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as one of the followers of 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him),
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and thus upon guidance.
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Moreover,
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he considered himself among the Victorious Group,
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who were said to be
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the people of the Levant,
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as conveyed by the Prophet,
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peace and blessings be upon him.
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Such reports reinforced
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his conviction and that of his followers.
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On the other hand, there is no doubt that
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the Commander of the Faithful, 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib,
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may Allah be pleased with him,
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held a position strengthened by
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the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:
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"A renegade faction will break away
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at a time of division among the Muslims;
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they will be fought by the closer
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of the two parties to the truth."
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And this is precisely what occurred,
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as will be detailed later, if Allah wills.
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For the Kharijites
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emerged when the Muslims differed,
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and 'Ali fought them,
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may Allah be pleased with him,
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thereby proving to be closer to the truth.
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The Commander of the Faithful,
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'Ali Ibn Abi Talib
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(may Allah be pleased with him), inaugurated his caliphate
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in the year 36 AH.
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He proceeded
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to appoint his governors
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over the major provinces:
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he appointed 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas
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(may Allah be pleased with them both) over Yemen,
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Samurah Ibn Jundub
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(may Allah be pleased with him) over Basra,
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'Ammar Ibn Shihab
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over Kufa,
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Qays Ibn Sa'd Ibn 'Ubadah
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(may Allah be pleased with them both) over Egypt,
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and Sahl Ibn Hunayf
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(may Allah be pleased with him) over the Levant,
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to replace Mu'awiyah,
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may Allah be pleased with him.
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Sahl Ibn Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with him)
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departed for the Levant,
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but was turned back by Mu'awiyah's cavalry.
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Thereupon, the Commander of the Faithful,
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'Ali Ibn Abi Talib
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(may Allah be pleased with him), realized
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that the Levant had defied his authority.
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He dispatched Jarir Ibn 'Abdullah
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al-Bajali to Mu'awiyah,
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may Allah be pleased with them both,
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bearing a letter
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informing him of the consensus of the Muhajirun
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and the Ansar in pledging allegiance to him,
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and calling upon him to enter
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into that which the people had entered.
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Mu'awiyah summoned
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'Amr Ibn al-'As and the notables
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of the Levant to consult them,
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and they refused to give the pledge of allegiance
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until the killers of 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him)
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were brought to justice,
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or surrendered to them.
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When they refused to enter
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into the pledge of allegiance and cast off obedience,
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at that point,
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the Commander of the Faithful (may Allah be pleased with him) deemed them
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rebels against whom
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fighting was justified.
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He mobilized from Kufa, determined
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to march against the people of the Levant.
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When Mu'awiyah
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(may Allah be pleased with him) learned of the advance of
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'Ali Ibn Abi Talib
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(may Allah be pleased with him) from Kufa
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at the head of fifty thousand warriors,
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he prepared
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likewise to march forth.
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The military contingents of the Levant were mobilized,
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and they gathered;
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banners and standards were raised,
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and they marched with around
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forty thousand warriors
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toward the Euphrates in the region of
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Siffin.
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They seized control of the water source in that area,
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so as to compel
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'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)
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and his men to withdraw
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back to Iraq without engaging in battle.
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'Ali Ibn Abi Talib
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(may Allah be pleased with him) arrived with his army
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at the plain of Siffin,
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only to find Mu'awiyah's army already positioned there,
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controlling the water.
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Thereupon,
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he commanded one of his generals to attack
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the positions along the water
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and liberate it from the hands of
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the Levantine army.
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When Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) saw
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that, he said:
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"Leave them be, for water
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is not to be withheld."
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The two armies drew up their ranks,
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and the two battle lines met in a spectacle
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most solemn and distressing,
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bringing tears to the eyes
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and breaking the heart.
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For you would see
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that whenever this side proclaimed the Takbir,
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the other proclaimed the Takbir;
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and whenever the latter proclaimed the Tahlil,
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These people also raised their voices with praise;
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two great parties of the believers
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were clashing with swords,
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each side believing itself
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to be in the right—
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so the one who exercised ijtihad correctly
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receives two rewards,
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while the one who erred receives the reward of his striving.
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And the decree of Allah
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came to pass: the fighting
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erupted, swords crossed,
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souls departed,
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and many of Allah's creation
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were slain;
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and there is no power nor might
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except with Allah, the Most High,
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the Supreme.
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Amid these tumultuous events,
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there emerged from the army of 'Ali,
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may Allah be pleased with him,
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a man of foremost faith,
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an early pioneer in Islam
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whose flesh and blood
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were infused with belief;
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a man who was the very benchmark
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of justice in those conflicts,
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about whom the Prophet,
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peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
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"The transgressing group shall kill you."
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Yes,
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it was 'Ammar ibn Yasir,
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may Allah be pleased with him.
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He stepped forward between
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the battle ranks,
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though he was an elderly man, calling out to
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his companions:
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"Whoever wishes to be embraced by
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the maidens of Paradise,
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let him advance between the two ranks,
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seeking Allah's reward!
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By the One in Whose hand is my soul,
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even if they strike us back so hard that they drive us
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all the way to the date-palms of Hajar,
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I would still know with certainty that we are on the truth
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and that they are in error!"
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Then he called for some milk,
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drank from it, and said:
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"Paradise has been brought near,
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and the maidens of Paradise are wed!
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Today we shall meet our beloved ones,
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Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and his Companions!
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For indeed, the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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pledged to me
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that my last provision in
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this worldly life would be a draught of
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milk."
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So he charged forward and fought a hero's
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fight until he was martyred,
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may Allah be pleased with him.
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The army of the Levant was shaken
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once word spread of the slaying of
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'Ammar ibn Yasir, may Allah be pleased with him,
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and their ranks fell into disarray.
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'Amr ibn al-'As entered
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upon Mu'awiyah, may Allah be pleased with
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them both, in deep distress,
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uttering the words of returning to Allah.
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Mu'awiyah asked him, "What is the matter with you?"
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'Amr replied,
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"'Ammar has been killed!"
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Mu'awiyah said to him,
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"'Ammar has been killed—so what of it?"
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'Amr said:
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"I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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say:
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'The transgressing group will kill him.'"
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Mu'awiyah said to him:
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"Did we kill him?
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It was only 'Ali
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and his companions who killed him, when they brought
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him out and thrust him
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right before our swords!"
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The tide of battle turned decisively
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in favor of the army of Kufa,
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led by 'Ali ibn Abi Talib,
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may Allah be pleased with him,
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and the army of the Levant retreated
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under the command of Mu'awiyah,
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may Allah be pleased with him,
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until they sought refuge upon a mountain.
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At that point, the men of
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Mu'awiyah raised copies of the Qur'an on their spears
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and called for arbitration
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by the Book of Allah.
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This was to be done by each
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side appointing an arbitrator to represent it;
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the two arbitrators would then meet
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and agree upon what serves
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the best interests of the Muslims.
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'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him,
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accepted their proposal
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and said: "Yes,
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between us and you is the Book of Allah,
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and I have more right to it than you."
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Both armies agreed to arbitration
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and to end the fighting.
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Mu'awiyah chose 'Amr ibn al-'As,
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may Allah be pleased with them both,
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as the arbitrator representing his side;
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and 'Ali chose 'Abdullah
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ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both,
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as the arbitrator representing his side.
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However, the reciters among 'Ali's forces
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said, "We will accept none
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other than Abu Musa al-Ash'ari,
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may Allah be pleased with him."
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Now Abu Musa al-Ash'ari
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had withdrawn from the civil strife,
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so 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, wrote to him
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instructing him to join him
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at Siffin.
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An agreement was reached between the two armies
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that the two arbitrators—
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'Amr ibn al-'As
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and Abu Musa al-Ash'ari,
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may Allah be pleased with them both—
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would meet in Ramadan of that year
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in the village of Adhruh,
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near Dawmat al-Jandal.
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'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, returned
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with his army to Kufa,
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while Mu'awiyah, may Allah be pleased with him, returned
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with his army to the Levant.
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And each leader strictly
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instructed his men
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that no wounded person was to be dispatched,
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no fleeing warrior was to be killed,
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no slain soldier was to be despoiled,
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and none among them took any spoils of war
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from that battle.
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The two arbitrators convened
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at the appointed time and place,
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and the arbitration was attended by
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Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan
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and 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both.
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However, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib,
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may Allah be pleased with him, was unable to attend
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because he was occupied
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with the uprisings of the Kharijites
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at that time.
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'Amr said to Abu Musa al-Ash'ari,
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may Allah be pleased with them both,
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after their deliberations:
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"What is your view concerning this matter?"
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meaning the caliphate.
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Abu Musa replied:
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"I believe it belongs to those prominent men with whom
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the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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was well pleased when he passed away,"
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meaning by this
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'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him.
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'Amr said:
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"Then where do you place myself and Mu'awiyah?"
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Abu Musa replied:
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"If he seeks your help,
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you can offer assistance;
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and if he has no need of you,
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Allah's decree has always been independent
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of you both."
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Thus the arbitration concluded on this note,
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and a fateful chapter of history
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was brought to a close—
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the event known as the Battle of Siffin.
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It is essential to point out here
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that it is our duty
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to maintain the best opinion
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of the noble Companions on both sides,
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to refrain from delving into the disputes
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that broke out between them,
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and to interpret their conflict charitably:
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they were diligent scholars exercising ijtihad based on their best interpretation,
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intending thereby
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neither disobedience nor pure worldly ambition;
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rather, each side genuinely believed
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that it was upon the truth
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and that its opponents had transgressed,
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making it an obligation to fight them
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in compliance with the divine command.
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In concluding this painful chapter,
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we recount
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this gladsome dream
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related by
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Abu Maysarah, 'Amr ibn Shurahbil,
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who was among the most distinguished
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companions of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud,
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may Allah be pleased with him.
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He said: "I saw in
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a dream as though I had entered
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Paradise, and behold, there were
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pitched pavilions.
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So I asked, "Whose are these?"
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They replied, "They belong to Dhu al-Kala'
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and his companions."
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And he was among those killed alongside
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Mu'awiyah, may Allah be pleased with him.
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So I asked, "Then where is
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'Ammar?" They answered,
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"Ahead of you."
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I said, "Even though they killed
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one another?"
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They replied, "Indeed,
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they found Allah, Mighty and Majestic,
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all-embracing in forgiveness."
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May Allah be pleased with the Companions,
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all of them,
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and unite us with them in the Gardens
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of Eden on the Day of Judgment.
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'Ubadah,
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the two Sa'ds,
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and the two caliphs...