The Battle of Siffin

The Murder of Uthman and its Causes 656 -661 In Uthmans house in Madinah: In spring 656 C.E. a group of protestors from Egypt, Basrah and Kufah .661 C.E the rising against Uthman started

ContFirst Group: Men from nomadic tribe, possibly tribal rivalries played part in supporting or going against UthmanSecond Group: Quraysh Mekah: supported him: among members formally in alliance with Uthmans clan (the Umayyah); opposed him: Man from the clan of Makhzum

Cont.Third Group: The Ansar- had the most genuine economic protest (they were old inhabitance of Madinah). They were less well off then some of the Maccan . However, they did not join the movements against UthmanThe GrievanceUthman gave grants of lands in Iraq to certain persons.Uthman gave some of the most important governorship to man of his own clan or someone related to himself.Uthman failed in certain cases to carry out penalties prescribed by Quran.Cont.General factor: complete change in the way of life for those who were formerly nomads. The ancestors of these men and they themselves in the earlier years made living by herding camels in the dessert.They became professional soldiers by 656 C.E. military expeditions to frontier districts. ContFrom the freedom of the desert they came to be under the control of a powerful system of government Conclusion: the root of the problem was the new economic, social and political structure which the nomads were not yet adjusted to . On the death of Uthman, people of Madinah appointed Ali as caliph but he was not universally recognized.Although Ali disapproved the murder of Uthman, he show some sympathy with the rebels. In Syria, Uthmans governor and kinsman remained in control and refused commitment to Ali.SiffinCont.A group: led by Muhammads pbuh widow Aisyah along with Talhah and al-ZubairThis group revolted against Ali but were defeated at the battle of camel near Basrah in 656 C.E.Talhah and al-Zubair lost their lives. Cont.Ali then marched against Muawiyah.The two armies confronted one another at Siffin.There was minor fighting and at last some religious minded in Muawiyahs army when out to the enemy with copies of the Quran tied to their lances.Understood as way of summoning their opponents to let the dispute be settled by a judgment according to QuranCont.Religious minded men from Alis camp forced him to accept arbitration.Finally the armies withdrew and an arbitration took place.Cont.Among the supporters of Ali, differences of opinion appearedWhile they were still at Siffin after the agreement with Muawiyah some of them raised the cry no judgment but GodsThey were joined by others and on the return to Kufah several thousands withdrew to a place in the neighborhood called Harura,Cont.Ali was able to persuade them to return to Kufah. However there was a second withdrawal. This was to al-Nahrawan and involved 3 to 4 thousand men.Amr bin al-As was a wholehearted supporter of Muawiyah, Abu Musa was not so wholehearted in his support of Ali.In April 658 Muawiyah was acclaimed as caliph by his followers.In July 658 Ali managed to win back some of those who had gone to al-Nahrawan and he attack the remainder.The Basic Doctrine of KharijiteThe word no judgment but Gods : (( () ...)) The meaning of KharijiteThose who went out or made a secession from the camp of Ali.Those who had gone out against Ali .Those who went out from among the unbelievers making the hijrah to God and his messengers .Those who gone out and take active part in the jihad in contrast to those who sat still.

Early MuhakamahThose who rebelled against Ali and assembled at Harura near Kufah.They based their revolts on two fundamental points. one, the innovation concerning the imamite; they allowed it to other than the Quraisy. Second, innovation in maintaining that Ali was at fault in permitting arbitration since he made men judges of the matter where God is the only judge.Kharijites sub-sectsThe AzariqahThese were the followers of Abu Rashid Nafi b. al-Azraq.They accompanied him from Basra to Ahwaz which they conquered with all its towns, as well as the districts of Faris and Kirman beyond it.This happened at the time of Abdullah b. al-Zubair whose governors in these districts they killed.Innovations of the AzariqaFirst, Nafi declared that Ali was unbeliever. Nafi held that Abd al-Rahman b. Muljim was right in what he did, and said that God revealed of him And there is the kind of man who gives his life to earn the pleasure of God

They further said that Uthman, Talhah, Zubair, Aishah, Abbas and all other Muslims with them were unbelievers and would all be in hell forever.Second, Nafi regarded as unbelievers those who stayed behind and did not go into battle, and he was the first to declare openly his disassociation from them, even though they agreed with his opinionsThird, he permitted the killing of the children and womenfolk of his opponentsFourth, he abolished the punishment of stoning to death for adultery because this was not mentioned in QuranFifth, he maintained that the children of polytheists would be in hell with their parentsSixth, concealment, taqiya, is not lawful in word or in deed.Seventh, God may send a prophet of whom he knows that he will fall into unbelief after becoming a prophet or that he was an unbeliever before being a prophet Eighth, all the Azariqas agree that whoever commits a grave sin is an unbeliever and outside the fold of Islam; such a person will be eternally in hell with other unbelievers.Love of martyrdomHeld the literal meanings of versesLove to sacrificeLove of serious challengesThey killed Abdullah ibn Khabab who refused to testify Ali as committing apostasy, and they slashed the stomach of his wifeSome: interrupted Ali while he was delivering the Khutbah, or even stopped him while he was performing the prayers Some: challenged the muslims to accuse Uthman and Ali, and to accuse their followers of apostasy

They were before Islam Arabs leaving in the desert. They were so poor, and when Islam came it was not able to improve their situation

.

Sincerity to Islam, and because they envied the Quraysh for the place occupied in the ruling of the Islamic state

Reasons for their rebel. Most of them are from the tribe of al-

Rabah who were the enemies of the tribe

of al-Muiryyah before Islam, and Islam

tried to wipe out their rigidness but was

only able to lessen it.

They saw the rulers are all from al-Muir and

disengaged from the rulers, and turned to the view

on the Islamic ruling that there is no specialty of

Quraysh to other tribes. Most of the Kharijites are Arabs, very rare are al-Mawl, even though their view of Khilfah was of advantage to the non-Arabs. In spite of the small number, the Mawls influence is significant in some of the Kharijites sects.

The Mawls InfluenceAl-Yazdyah believed that Allah sent a messenger among the non-Arabs- with a revealed book eradicating the law of Muammad pbuh. Obviously, this view is of the Persian influence, as the Persians are popular for the view of a messenger among them.

Al-Maimnyyah allowed a man to marry his own granddaughter, and the granddaughter of his own sibling, and is also a Persian influence. Shared Elements among the Kharijite sects

1. Al-Najdt viewed that it is not a necessity to have a leader if people can live peacefully without problems. Only if people could not live peacefully that a leader may be selected optionally.

2. Committing sin is an act of apostasy. There is no difference between one sin and another. Even a mistake in view is considered a sin and apostasy: The reason for blaming Al, Tala and Zubayr of apostasy.

3. Free election of the Khalif, elected through a general view of all Muslims, and the Khalif remains in power as long as he does justice in his task, and following the Sharah. If he goes astray, Muslims are compelled to abandon him or kill him.

4. The Khilfah is not specifically for the Arabs, or Qurayshs, it is equal for all, and it is preferable to be of non-Quraysh. Eg. Abd Allh ibn Wahb al-Rs.5. Committing sin is an act of apostasy. There is no difference between one sin and another. Even a mistake in view is considered a sin and apostasy: The reason for blaming Al, Tala and Zubayr of apostasy. Based on this bases they offended against the majority Muslim group.

6. Al-Najdt viewed that it is not a necessity to have a leader if people can live peacefully without problems. Only if people could not live peacefully that a leader may be selected optionally.