Imam Ali b. Abi Talib (a): Difference between revisions

After the assassination of [['Uthman]] in [[35]]/[[656 CE|656]], a group of the companions came to Imam 'Ali (a) and said, "we do not know anyone better than you for the [[caliphate]]". He responded by saying, "it is better for me to be your helper as opposed to your leader." They said, we will not accept anything short of pledging our [[allegiance]] to you as the next [[caliph]]." However, he said that this allegiance would have to be given to him publicly in the mosque, as opposed to secretly.<ref>Tabari, ''Tarikh al-rusul wa l-muluk'', vol. 4, p. 429</ref> Except for few, all of the [[Ansar]] pledged allegiance to Imam 'Ali (a). But he did not make the opposition to allegiance.<ref>Tabari, ''Tarikh al-rusul wa l-muluk'', vol. 4, p. 427- 431</ref>

With the start of his caliphate, Imam Ali (a) began to send his governors to different parts of the Muslim territories: He sent [[Uthman b. Hunayf]] to [[Basra]], [[Imara b. Shihab]] to [[Kufa]], [['Ubayd Allah b. 'Abbas]] to [[Yemen]], [[Qays b. Sa'd b. 'Ubada]] to [[Egypt]], and [[Sahl b. Hunayf]] to [[Syria]]. On his way to Syria, Sahl b. Hunayf reached [[Tabuk]], and there he had a conversation with the people, which led to his return. When Ubayd Allah b. Albbas reached Yemen, [[Ya'la b. Munya]], the previous governor, took everything from the treasury and went to Mecca. When Imara b. Shihab, the appointed governor of the Imam (a) for Kufa, reached [[Zubala]] (a place between Medina and Kufa), a man called [[Tulayha b. Khuwaylid]], who had started a revolt to revenge for Uthman, came to him and said," Return! The people here will not accept anyone except their own commander; and if you do not accept, I will behead you" and thus forced him to return.  Afterwards, with Malik al-Ashtar's advice, Imam Ali (a) accepted the continuation of the governorship of [[Abu Musa al-Ash'ari]] over Kufa.  

The first battle that Imam 'Ali (a) engaged in during his caliphate was with the [[Nakithun]]. Since [[Talha]] and [[al-Zubayr]] and their followers first pledged [[allegiance]] to Imam 'Ali (a) but later broke it, they were called the Nakithun i.e. "the violators".<ref>Zubaydi, ''Taj al-'arus'', vol. 3, p. 273</ref> The battle took place in [[Jumada II]] of 36/656.<ref>Tabari, ''Tarikh al-rusul wa l-muluk'', vol. 4, p. 534</ref>

Talha and al-Zubayr had hoped to be elected as [[caliph]],<ref>''Nahj al-balagha'', sermon 148</ref> but since they failed to achieve this and 'Ali (a) had assumed the [[caliphate]], they wanted and expected a share in the caliphate. As such, they asked 'Ali (a) to appoint them as rulers of [[Basra]] and [[Kufa]]. However, 'Ali (a) did not deem them worthy of it.<ref>Tabari, ''Tarikh al-rusul wa l-muluk'', vol. 4, p. 534</ref> Therefore, even though they were themselves suspected to have been involved in the assassination of [['Uthman]], and Talha had been eager to kill 'Uthman,<ref>''Nahj al-balagha'', sermon 174</ref> they allied with [['A'isha]] in a strategic move to supposedly avenge his murder. However, during the siege of 'Uthman, 'A'isha did nothing to help him, and had even called the invaders, "the seekers of truth". However, when 'A'isha heard that following his murder, people were pledging allegiance with Imam 'Ali (a), she decided to raise the issue that 'Uthman had been killed unjustly and sought his revenge. 'A'isha bore some rancor towards 'Ali (a) and hence allied with Talha and al-Zubayr against him. They mobilized an army of 3,000 troops and moved toward Basra. In this battle, 'A'isha mounted a camel named 'Askar, and thus the battle was named "Jamal" meaning "camel".<ref>Tabari, ''Tarikh al-rusul wa l-muluk'', vol. 4, p. 451-454 and 507</ref>

Upon his arrival in Basra, Imam 'Ali (a) urged those who broke their allegiance to avoid the battle. However, he was not successful and they began the battle by killing one of Imam 'Ali's (a) companions.<ref>Tabari, ''Tarikh al-rusul wa l-muluk'', vol. 4, p. 511</ref> Also, al-Zubayr withdrew from the army before the battle began due to a hadith that Imam 'Ali (a) had reminded him of: a hadith in which the [[Prophet (s)]] had told al-Zubayr: "You will rise up in a battle against 'Ali (a)". He was then killed outside Basra by 'Amr b. Jurmuz.<ref>Shahidi, '''Ali az zaban-i 'Ali'', p. 104</ref>

After several hours of fighting and suffering many losses, the camp of Jamal was defeated. In this battle, Talha was killed and thereafter 'A'isha was sent back to Medina in a respectful manner.<ref>Shahidi, '''Ali az zaban-i 'Ali'', p. 108</ref>

The Battle of Siffin broke out between the armies of Imam Ali (a) and Mu'awiya in [[Safar]], [[37]]/[[July]], [[657 CE|657]] in the greater Syria, in an area called [[Siffin]] near [[Euphrates]], and ended with the [[arbitration]] in [[Ramadan]], [[38]]/[[February]], [[659 CE|659]].  

Though he was capable, Mu'awiya did nothing to help 'Uthman when he was under siege. After the killing of 'Uthman, Mu'awiya tried to introduce 'Ali (a) as the murderer of 'Uthman to the people of Syria. In the beginning of his rule, Imam 'Ali (a) wrote a letter to Mu'awiya, calling on him to pledge allegiance. However, he responded with the condition that 'Ali (a) first had to surrender the murderers of 'Uthman who were supposedly around 'Ali (a) and to punish them. Only then would he pledge allegiance. After several letters and dispatching a few delegates to Mu'awiya, Imam 'Ali (a) saw that Mu'awiya was pursuing a fight, and so, Imam 'Ali (a) took his armies towards Syria. Mu'awiya also set out with his army, and the two armies encamped in Syria near the [[Euphrates]] in a place called [[Siffin]]. As Imam 'Ali (a) refrained from war wherever possible, he sent some letters to Mu'awiya. However his attempts were futile, and the battle began in [[Safar]] [[37]]/August 657.<ref>Shahidi, '''Ali az zaban-i 'Ali'', p. 113-121</ref>

In the last confrontation of the battle, when Imam 'Ali's (a) armies were about to win, Mu'awiya, on advice from [['Amr b. al-'As]], ordered his soldiers to hoist any [[Mushaf]] (part or complete copies of the [[Qur'an]]) available in the camp on their spears and to move towards the front of 'Ali's army, calling on them to accept the Qur'an. The decoy worked and some of Imam 'Ali's (a) army, especially those amongst the reciters of the Qur'an, came to Imam 'Ali (a) and said, "We shall not fight these people and we need to accept whatever they say". Although Imam 'Ali (a) had told them that it was a trick that they were using to escape fighting, they did not accept it.<ref>Shahidi, '''Ali az zaban-i 'Ali'', p. 122</ref>

Imam Ali (a) was thus forced to accept [[arbitration]] through a letter to Mu'awiya, but said, "We know that you are not the people of the Qur'an".<ref>Nasr b. Muzahim. ''Waq'at Siffin'', p. 490.</ref>

It was agreed that one arbitrator from each of the armies of Syria and Iraq would meet and judge the situation by referring to the Qur'an's edict. The army of Syria appointed 'Amr b. al-'As. [[Al-Ash'ath]] and a group from Imam 'Ali's (a) army (who later became members of the [[Kharijites]]) proposed [[Abu Musa al-Ash'ari]]. However, 'Ali (a) recommended [[Ibn 'Abbas]] and/or [[Malik al-Ashtar]], who were rejected by al-Ash'ath and his friends. They were rejected under the pretext that Malik supported the war and that Ibn 'Abbas was not suitable because 'Amr b. al-'As was from [[Mudar]], thus the other party had to be from [[Yemen]].<ref>Ibn A'tham, ''al-Futuh'', vol. 3, p. 163</ref>

Finally, 'Amr b. al-'As managed to trick Abu Musa and ended the arbitration in favor of Mu'awiya in [[Ramadan]] [[38]]/February 659.<ref>Shahidi, '''Ali az zaban-i 'Ali'', p. 129</ref>

The arbitration in the battle of Siffin ended in protest and opposition from some of Imam 'Ali's (a) companions, who were upset with what had happened, asking: "Why did he accept the arbitrator's judgment upon divine edict?" They said this even though Imam 'Ali (a) had opposed the arbitration and it was them who had forced him into accepting the arbitrator's judgment.<ref>Shahristani, ''al-Milal wa l-nihal'', vol. 1, p. 106-107</ref> This group split off and later became known as the [[Kharijites]] or Mariqun. They eventually proceeded to assassinate people. They killed [['Abd Allah b. Khabbab]] whose father was one of the [[companions of the Prophet (s)]] and tore his wife's stomach open even though she was pregnant, and killed the child as well. Because of this, Imam 'Ali (a) was forced to fight with them. Before the battle began, he sent [['Abd Allah b. al-'Abbas]] to speak with them, but this was futile. Finally, Imam 'Ali (a) himself went to them and talked to them. Some of them repented, but many held on to their beliefs. Eventually, the battle began and none of them survived except nine, whilst only seven or nine companions of 'Ali (a) were killed.<ref>Shahidi, ''Zistnama-yi Imam 'Ali'', p. 132-134</ref>