La Hukm illa li-Allah: Difference between revisions

'''Lā ḥukm illā li-Allāh''' ((Arabic: {{ia|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.

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.

“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 “in 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.

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.

When the arbitration agreement was formed during the Battle of Siffin on Safar 17, 37 AH, 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 ==