Understanding the Companions’ Positions During the Era of Fitnah
If you were in that era, whom would you support?
This is the question that Ali Mirza and his followers pose to everyone they encounter. However, their cunning lies in mentioning only two groups, whereas, in reality, there were three groups at that time.
Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote:
«كان الصحابة فيها ثلاث فرق: فرقة قاتلت من هذه الناحية وفرقة قاتلت من هذه الناحية وفرقة قعدت»
“At that time, the Companions (Sahaba) were divided into three groups: ➊ One group fought from one side (Ali, may Allah be pleased with him), ➋ The second group fought from the other side (the people of the Camel and Mu’awiyah, may Allah be pleased with them), ➌ And the third group was the one that abstained from fighting (did not approve of fighting with either of them and instead separated themselves from the matter).”
[Majmu’ al-Fatawa, ed. Ibn Qasim: 20/394]
The characteristics of the third group were as follows:
① These individuals did not raise their swords against anyone in the internal fighting among Muslims.
② They also kept their tongues silent regarding the Companions who participated in the fighting.
③ The majority of the Companions belonged to this group, while the total number of all Companions who participated in the fighting on both sides was less than thirty.
④ Some Companions on both sides went to the battlefield merely out of respect for their fathers, but they had no intention to fight, such as ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr and Hasan (may Allah be pleased with them). This means their stance was essentially the same.
⑤ This group, comprising the majority of the Companions, also included the majority of the scholars, jurists, and narrators of Hadith among the Companions.
⑥ These Companions based their position on the authentic Hadiths that emphasize staying away from internal strife.
⑦ All the Companions who narrated the Hadiths related to abstaining from internal fighting were part of this group.
⑧ These Companions never regretted their stance later. In contrast, several Companions who participated in the fighting later expressed their sorrow.
⑨ Numerous scholars have declared the position of these very Companions to be the position of the majority of the Companions and the Ahl al-Sunnah.
⑩ The Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) foretelling the peace treaty of Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) also supports this position.
In light of these characteristics of the third group, the majority of the Companions and Ahl al-Sunnah consider the position of this third group to be the most correct. Furthermore, in light of the Hadiths, they also state that ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was “closer to the truth” (aqrab ilal-haqq) and Mu’awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) was also “near the truth” (qarib min al-haqq).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
«ثبت عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في الصحيحين من حديث أبي سعيد الخدري أنه قال: {تمرق مارقة على حين فرقة من الناس فتقتلهم أولى الطائفتين بالحق وفي لفظ فتقتلهم أدناهم إلى الحق} فهذا الحديث الصحيح دليل على أن كلتا الطائفتين المقتتلتين – علي وأصحابه ومعاوية وأصحابه – على حق وأن عليا وأصحابه كانوا أقرب إلى الحق من معاوية وأصحابه»
“It is established from the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the two Sahihs from the hadith of Abu Sa’id al-Khudri that he said: {A renegade group (mariqah) will emerge during a time of division among the people. They will be killed by the party that is “closer to the truth” of the two}, and in another wording, {They will be killed by the one “nearest to the truth”}. This authentic hadith is evidence that both warring factions—’Ali and his companions, and Mu’awiyah and his companions—were upon a right, but ‘Ali and his companions were “closer to the truth” than Mu’awiyah and his companions.”
[Majmu’ al-Fatawa 4/467]
And what Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
«ولم يتردد أحمد ولا أحد من أئمة السنة في أنه ليس غير علي أولى بالحق منه ولا شكوا في ذلك. فتصويب أحدهما لا بعينه تجويز لأن يكون غير علي أولى منه بالحق وهذا لا يقوله إلا مبتدع ضال فيه نوع من النصب»
“Neither Imam Ahmad nor any of the Imams of the Ahl al-Sunnah hesitated that none other than ‘Ali could be “closer to the truth,” and they had no doubt about it. Therefore, to deem one of the two groups correct without specifying which one is to allow for the possibility that someone other than ‘Ali could be “closer to the truth,” and this is only said by a misguided innovator in whom there is a type of Nasibism.”
[Majmu’ al-Fatawa 4/438]
Here, Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) refutes those whose position necessitates that among the two fighting groups, the opponents of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) could be “closer to the truth” (aqrab ilal-haqq).
And the ones whose position necessitates this are the Mu’tazilah, who hold the view that it is not clear which of the two groups fighting in the Battle of the Camel was upon the truth, but it is certain that only one was upon the truth.
In short, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him), in light of the Hadith, declares ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) to be “closer to the truth” (aqrab ilal-haqq) among the two fighting groups (‘Ali and his opponents).
As for the third group that did not participate in the fighting and kept their swords and tongues silent, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) gives preference to the position of this group over the two groups that participated in the fighting.
Thus, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
«وفي الصحيح عن النبي – صلى الله عليه وسلم – أنه قال: «إن ابني هذا سيد، وإن الله سيصلح به بين فئتين عظيمتين من المؤمنين» فأصلح الله به بين أصحاب علي وأصحاب معاوية، فمدح النبي – صلى الله عليه وسلم – الحسن بالإصلاح بينهما، وسماهما مؤمنين. وهذا يدل على أن الإصلاح بينهما هو المحمود، ولو كان القتال واجبا أو مستحبا، لم يكن تركه محمودا»
“It is in the Sahih from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said: ‘Indeed, this son of mine (Hasan) is a master, and through him, Allah will bring about reconciliation between two great factions of the believers.’ So, Allah brought about reconciliation through him between the companions of ‘Ali and the companions of Mu’awiyah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) praised Hasan for making peace between them and called both groups believers. This indicates that making peace between them is praiseworthy, and if fighting had been obligatory or recommended, then abandoning it would not have been praiseworthy.”
[Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah 4/450]
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) further writes:
«وأما قتال الجمل وصفين فقد ذكر علي – رضي الله عنه – أنه لم يكن معه نص من النبي – صلى الله عليه وسلم – وإنما كان رأيا. وأكثر الصحابة لم يوافقوه على هذا القتال، بل أكثر أكابر الصحابة لم يقاتلوا: لا مع هؤلاء ولا مع هؤلاء، كسعد بن أبي وقاص، وابن عمر، وأسامة بن زيد، ومحمد بن مسلمة، وأمثالهم من السابقين الأولين من المهاجرين والأنصار والذين اتبعوهم بإحسان، مع أنهم معظمون لعلي، يحبونه ويوالونه ويقدمونه على من سواه، ولا يرون أن أحدا أحق بالإمامة منه في زمنه لكن لم يوافقوه في رأيه في القتال. وكان معهم نصوص سمعوها من النبي – صلى الله عليه وسلم – تدلهم على أن ترك القتال والدخول في الفتنة خير من القتال، وفيها ما يقتضي النهي عن ذلك، والآثار بذلك كثيرة معروفة.»
“As for the Battle of the Camel and Siffin, ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) has stated that he had no specific text (nass) from the Prophet (peace be upon him) regarding it, but rather it was his own opinion. The majority of the Companions did not agree with him in this fighting; in fact, most of the senior Companions did not fight, neither with these nor with those, such as Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas, Ibn ‘Umar, Usamah ibn Zayd, Muhammad ibn Maslamah, and others like them from the foremost pioneers among the Muhajirun and the Ansar and those who followed them in righteousness. This was despite the fact that they greatly respected ‘Ali, loved him, were loyal to him, and gave him precedence over others. They did not see anyone as more entitled to the Imamate in his time than him, but they did not agree with his opinion regarding the fighting.
And these Companions had texts (Hadiths) they had heard from the Prophet (peace be upon him) which indicated to them that refraining from fighting and entering into fitnah (strife) was better than fighting, and among them were texts that necessitated forbidding such an action. The narrations concerning this are numerous and well-known.”
[Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah 6/333]
From this detailed explanation, it is clear that the majority of the Companions and the Ahl al-Sunnah gave preference to the position of the group that distanced itself from the fighting and kept their swords and tongues silent in the disputes of the Companions.
And regarding the two groups that fought each other, they do not approve of one over the other without specification. Instead, they specify that between them, the group of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was “closer to the truth,” and his opponents (the people of the Camel and Siffin) were “near the truth,” as is the conclusion from the Hadith related to this matter.
(Abu al-Fawzan Kifayatullah Sanabili)
