Abu Musa al-Ash'ari: Difference between revisions

Abu Musa is significantly famous in historical resources for the political role he played in [[the Arbitration]] after [[the battle of Siffin]] which unintentionally or intentionally led to seizure of power by [[Banu Umayyad]]. When [[Mu'awiya]]'s army were facing an eminent defeat in the battle of Siffin, [['Amr b. al-'As]] tricked a number of Imam's soldiers to stop fighting, as a result the fate of the battle was supposed to be concluded by the Arbitration. People of [[Sham]] elected 'Amr b. al-'As as their arbitrator. [[Ash'ath b. Qays]] and some others, who later came to be called [[Mariqun]], suggested Abu Musa al-Ash'ari as the arbitrator from [[Kufa]]. But [[Imam 'Ali (a)]] suggested [['Abd Allah b. 'Abbas]] or [[Malik al-Ashtar]]. Imam 'Ali (a)'s suggestions were opposed by Ash'ath and his friends; they refused Malik al-Ashtar on the grounds that he is pro-war, and they rejected Ibn 'Abbas on the grounds that 'Amr b. al-'As is from the Mudari tribes so his interlocutor should be Yemeni.

In 40/661 Mu'awiya sent Busr b. Artat to take oath of allegiance from those who did not accept the result of [[the Arbitration]], which terrified Abu Musa; however he was not harmed. Later Abu Musa took oath of allegiance to Mu'awiya and visited him in [[Sham]] occasionally, but [[Mu'awiya]] generally ignored him.