حقيقة الخلاف بين الصحابة في معركتي الجمل وصفين وقضية التحكيم-ابن كثير

Haqiqat al-Khilaf bayna al-Sahabah fi Ma'rakatay al-Jamal wa-Siffin wa-Qadiyyat al-Tahkim

This book is a chapter from The Biography of the Commander of the Faithful ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, may Allah be pleased with him. In it, we discuss the disagreement that occurred among the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, during the Battles of the Camel and Ṣiffīn and the incident of arbitration.

I have explained the role of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Sabaʾ in fuelling internal strife, the disagreement among the Companions concerning the manner in which retribution should be taken from the killers of ʿUthmān, the position of Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah, Mother of the Believers, the position of those who remained aloof from the fitnah, such as Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ and ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar, and the position of those who favoured delaying the implementation of retribution until conditions had stabilised, such as the Commander of the Faithful ʿAlī. I also discuss the attempts at reconciliation before the outbreak of the Battle of the Camel, the outbreak of fighting, and those among the noble Companions who were martyred.

I then discuss the Battle of Ṣiffīn, Muʿāwiyah’s reasons for withholding his pledge of allegiance, the correspondence that took place between him and ʿAlī, may Allah be pleased with him, the attempts at reconciliation, and the call for arbitration.