Question
I want to know the truth about the Battles Hazrat Ali (rta) fought with the Companions and Mu‘awiyah (rta). Who was to blame and what was the truth? Was Hazrat Ali nominated by Prophet (sws) during his life time as his successor? Please explain these things because as I conduct research on this topic, it puzzles me a lot. I am troubled to think what it is all about. Were they fighting for power or Islam?
Answer
Let me answer your last question first:
“Were they fighting for rule or Islam?”
My dear brother, we cannot say for sure what the intention of people we meet every day might be. How do you expect us to know the intention of people who lived 1400 years ago and we do not have even accurate report of their actions and words?
In the absence of reliable and full information and insights into the historical event of the time we have no other option but to rely on individual reports (that often are not very consistent). Based on these reports Mu‘awiha did not accept Ali’s (rta) instruction to leave his post as the governor of Syria. Instead he demanded Ali (rta) to arrest and punish the assassins of Uthman (rta) who according to Mu‘awiha were in the army of Ali (rta). Ali (rta) on the other hand had the opinion that it would lead to anarchy if he decided to punish the assassins of Uthman (rta) and that the matter needed to be resolved later at the appropriate time. The battle of Jamal that involved Ayesha (rta) and a number of the Companions of the Prophet (sws) too was started on the basis of the same argument (demanding the punishment of assassins of Uthman – rta).
In the opinion of this author, Mu’awiah (rta) did not have any stance to rebel against Ali (rta) who was holding the position of Khalifa. I also think that the action Hazrat Ayesha (rta) too needs to be analyzed fully before reaching any conclusion. According to some reports Ayesha (rta) herself expressed her regret about this after the event.
As far as I know there is no reliable narrative from the Prophet (sws) indicating that Ali (rta) should be Khalifa after him. In fact such an important appointment deserves to be explicitly instructed in the Qur’an and as you know we do not have any such instruction in the Qur’an.
I would like to emphasize that first, historical events are not the sources of understanding Islam. Second, it is not our responsibility as Muslims to make up our minds about these historical events. Third, views of individuals on historical events are based on the reports that they are relying on. The view that I expressed above is not an exception from this rule.
Answered by: Farhad Shafti
Date: 2015-01-28
