La Hukm illa li-Allah

Lā ḥukm illā li-Allāh ((Arabic: لا حُكمَ إلّا لِلّٰه, lit: ruling is for none but Allah) was a slogan chanted by the Kharijites (Khawarij) in protest against arbitration during the Battle of Siffin. Through this slogan, they primarily expressed their opposition to human arbitrations and rulings, rejecting the arbitration of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari and 'Amr 'As, who were respectively appointed by Imam 'Ali and Mu'awiya as arbiters. They asserted that ruling or arbitration belongs solely to Allah, and that no one else has the right to rule.

Imam 'Ali stated that this was a true word intended to convey falsehood. He believed it was necessary to have rulers, whether just or unjust, to administer society.

The slogan continued to be adopted by the Kharijites even during the Battle of Nahrawan and was considered one of their doctrinal principles. It was also chanted in their later uprisings.

Some researchers believe that the formation of this deviant interpretation of the slogan "ruling is for none but Allah" stemmed from the Kharijites’ misunderstanding of Imamate and politics, as well as their lack of sophistication.

Meaning

"La hukm illa li Allah" was the Kharijite slogan in opposition to Imam 'Ali. Due to their use of this slogan, they came to be known as "muhakkima". The term "hukm" in this slogan is interpreted as arbitration (tahkim), meaning that none but God can be an arbiter. The slogan is derived from the Quranic phrase "Inn al-hukm illa li Allah" (Sovereignty belongs only to Allah), which appears in several verses of the Quran. In the Kharijite interpretation, this phrase was understood as a rejection of any rule or arbitration by anyone other than God.

Initial Uses

The first use of the slogan "la hukm illa li Allah" came from those who objected to the initial acceptance of arbitration during the Battle of Siffin, when the Levantine army was on the verge of defeat. However, due to 'Amr 'As's tricks, they raised copies of the Quran on spears and demanded arbitration by the Quran. Imam 'Ali was compelled to accept arbitration due to the insistence and even threats from some members of his army, and he communicated this to Mu'awiya in a letter. Ultimately, an agreement was reached, specifying the two arbiters and conditions of arbitration.

When al-Ash'ath b. Qays al-Kindi read the text of the initial agreement to various tribes, objections were raised regarding the slogan "ruling is for none but Allah". Two young men from the 'Anza tribe chanted the slogan, attacked Mu'awiya’s army, and were killed near Mu'awiya’s tent. Some believe that these two youths were the first to use the slogan "la hukm illa li Allah". Following this event, al-Ash'ath approached the Murad tribe and read the agreement to them as well. In response, al-Salih b. Shaqiq, a prominent figure in the tribe, chanted the slogan "la hukm illa li Allah". A similar incident occurred with the Banu Rasib tribe.

Opposition to arbitration with the slogan "ruling is for none but Allah" was not limited to verbal objections. When al-Ash'ath met with the Banu Tamim tribe, some members of the tribe attacked him while chanting "la hukm illa li Allah" and struck his horse. Al-Baladhuri, the author of Ansab al-ashraf, believes that the slogan was first heard from this tribe. However, al-Ya'qubi, a third-century AH historiographer, contends that the slogan was first chanted by an individual named 'Urwa b. Adiyya al-Tamimi prior to the meeting of the two arbiters.

As a Kharijite Slogan

When the arbitration agreement was formed during the Battle of Siffin on Safar 17, 37 AH/657 , Imam 'Ali’s army returned to Kufa. However, a group of his soldiers, later known as the Kharijites (Khawarij), separated from his army, chanting the slogan "ruling is for none but Allah". They settled in Harura, near Kufa, and refused to return. They even threatened to denounce the Imam and fight against him if he did not revoke the arbitration.

Relying on the slogan, "la hukm illa li Allah" they asked to cancel people’s arbitration in matters of religion, breach the treaty with Mu'awiya, and continue to fight against him. They claimed that they had repented to God from the sin of having accepted arbitration at first. They believed that Imam 'Ali and other Muslims were sinful and unbelievers, asking them to repent to God; otherwise, they would fight them. This was despite the fact that Imam 'Ali opposed arbitration at first and had to accept it with the coercion and threat of his companions, including those who later joined the Kharijites. However, after having accepted the arbitration, he did not agree to violate the treaty. Ibn Kawwa', a Kharijite leader, was initially a proponent of arbitration. He was among those who had opposed to 'Abd Allah b. 'Abbas as the arbiter of the Kufan army and imposed Abu Musa al-Ash'ari on the Imam, but later, along with Shabath b. Rib'i al-Tamimi, he was among the first to reject human arbitration by the slogan "ruling is for none but Allah".

Disputation with Imam 'Ali

On various occasions, the Kharijites disputed with Imam 'Ali using this slogan. For instance, when Abu Musa al-Ash'ari was chosen as the arbiter, two Kharijites, Zar'a b. al-Burj al-Ta'i and Hurqus b. Zuhayr al-Sa'di, approached the Imam and chanted "la hukm illa li Allah". They demanded that the Imam repent to God and quickly resume war against Mu'awiya. The Imam reminded them of the obligation to [[honor one's pledge and rejected their demands.

On several occasions, the Kharijites troubled Imam 'Ali by chanting this slogan. For instance, as the Imam was on his way to the Mosque of Kufa to deliver a sermon, an individual near the mosque chanted "la hukm illa li Allah", and several others followed his lead. Additionally, while the Imam was delivering a speech in the Mosque of Kufa, the Kharijites interrupted him multiple times by chanting the slogan. This behavior recurred on several other occasions as well.

Changes in the Interpretation of the Slogan

The Kharijites, who initially restricted arbitration and judgment to God through the slogan "ruling is for none but Allah", later reinterpreted the slogan to mean that governance and rule also belong solely to God, and that neither 'Ali nor Mu'awiya had the right to govern. As a result, they advocated for a society without a government.

In the book al-Insaf fi masa'il dam fiha al-khilaf, Ayatollah Sobhani argues that the necessity of having a government requires no proof or argument, as its importance is emphasized in hadiths transmitted from the Prophet and the Infallible Imams. In an attempt to preserve monotheism and divine sovereignty, the Kharijites mistakenly rejected any form of human sovereignty and rule, declaring that governance belongs only to God. Other researchers suggest that the Kharijites, being Bedouins, lacked a proper understanding of Imamate and politics as something transcending any tribal ties, which led to their deviant interpretation of the slogan "ruling is for none but Allah".

Imam 'Ali’s Response

In response to the claim that he had appointed individuals as arbiters in matters of God’s religion, Imam 'Ali clarified that appointing people to arbitrate according to the Quran does not mean choosing them as arbiters in God’s religion. He further explained that this action was necessary because the Quran cannot speak for itself. During a debate with the Kharijites, the Imam brought a copy of the Quran and addressed it, saying, "O Quran! Judge!" When the Kharijites responded that the Quran does not speak, the Imam replied, "Then how do you expect the Quran to arbitrate among people without human mediation?"

Imam 'Ali believed that "ruling is for none but Allah" was a true statement used to promote a falsehood. He challenged the Kharijite claim that rule or governance belonged solely to Allah by asserting that people must inevitably have rulers, whether just or unjust. He argued that government is necessary to maintain order, provide services for both believers and unbelievers, organize societal affairs, and secure the roads. The Imam’s response to the slogan "la hukm illa li-Allah" is recorded in the fortieth sermon of Nahj al-Balagha.

While Imam 'Ali’s debates with the Kharijites changed the minds of four thousand or even all of the Kharijites, they ultimately insisted on asserting that Imam 'Ali was sinful and an unbeliever when arbitration proved futile. As a result, they refrained from accompanying Imam 'Ali and the Kufan army in their continued fight against Mu'awiya. Gathering in the house of 'Abd Allah b. Wahab al-Rasibi, they prepared for war against the Imam, which ultimately culminated in the Battle of Nahrawan, where they were defeated.

Applications After the Battle of Nahrawan

The slogan "ruling is for none but Allah" remained a significant symbol for the Kharijites, and later, Ibn Muljam al-Muradi invoked this phrase when striking Imam 'Ali. Years later, the slogan was recognized as a doctrinal principle of the Kharijites and was used in their uprisings.