The first battle of Islam at Badr:

The emigration of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) to Medina had

turned the enemies from Mecca more hostile, and they
constantly kept on thinking how they could overthrow him, and
put an end to Islam. The Meccans and their allies started to bring
their raids to the very outskirts of Medina, destroying the fruit
trees of the Muslims and carrying away their flocks.

The winter of 624 AD saw the invasion of Medina by a strong

force of Meccans led by Abu Jahl consisting of all army of 1000
strong with 700 camels and 100 horses.

Receiving information about this force, the Holy Prophet

(S.A.W) decided to meet the enemy outside Medina at a place
called as Badr (200 Miles from Mecca and 80 Miles from
Medina). He set out with three hundred and thirteen (313) of his
followers. This small force was marshaled out of Medina with
the youthful Ali holding the Banner of the Prophet (S.A.W).

The battle of Badr was the most important among the Islamic battles of Destiny. For the first
time the followers of the new faith were put into a serious test. Had victory been the lot of the
pagan army while the Islamic Forces were still at the beginning of their developments, the faith
of Islam could have come to an end.

No one was aware of the importance of the outcome of the Battle as the Prophet (S.A.W.)
himself. We might read the depth of his anxiety in his prayer before the beginning of the Battle
when he stood up supplicating his Lord:

"God this is Quraish. It has come with all its arrogance and boastfulness, trying to discredit Thy
Apostle. God, I ask Thee to humiliate them tomorrow. God, if this Muslim band will perish
today, Thou shall not be worshipped."

Warfare in those days followed a different pattern. Before the general battle began, a number of
duels were fought between the leading warriors on each side. When the Muslims reached the
fertile vale of Badr, a favorite watering place and camping ground on the caravan route, three
stations northwards from Mecca, the Prophet (S.A.W) ordered a halt, taking up a suitable
position near a stream of fresh water, to await the arrival of the infidel army. It was on the next
day, Friday, 17th Ramazan 2 AH or January 13th 624 AD that the enemy, blowing their
trumpets, approached the Muslims, and both forces were arrayed in battle.

Three of the infidel warriors, Utbah, the father-in-law of Abu Sufyan, his brother Shaybah, and
Al-Walid son of Utbah came out of the ranks and arrogantly challenged the Muslims. Three
Ansars of Medina stepped forward to meet this challenge. This greatly enraged the Meccans
who refused to combat with the Ansars saying, "We have not come all this way to cross arms
with the Medinites, against whom we bear no grudge. We challenge the people of Mecca who
have the courage to defy us." Upon this Ali and Ubaydah, cousins of the Prophet, and Hamzah
his uncle, responded to the challenge. In the words of Col. Bodley, "At the taunt of the
Quriashite, Ali dashed out of the Muslim ranks glittering in breast-plate and helmet. He was
soon followed by Ubaydah bin al-Harith, a paternal cousin of Muhammad and Hamzah who
wore an ostrich feather in his Cuirass. The three companions were thus closely related to
Muhammad and fulfilled the Quraish for Hashimite (the clan of the Prophet) blood!"

The three duels were as rapid as they were murderous. Hamzah killed Shaybah, While Ali killed
Al-Walid. Ubaydah was mortally wounded, but before he fell, Ali and Hamzah were able to
come to his rescue. Hamzah hurled himself at Utbah, and with a sweep of his sword cut off his
head. In a few minutes three of Mecca's most important warriors had been sent to find out the
truth about the hell which Muhammad (S.A.W) had promised them!" Ubaydah was the first
martyr at this battle. He died after he lost his leg.

With a cry of rage three more Meccans darted from under Abu Jahl's banner and assailed the
Muslim champions (Ali and Hamzah). They too went down before the sword of Islam. A
further three were dealt with the same fate. There was a moment of hesitancy among the
Quraishites. Muhammad (S.A.W) did not miss his advantage. With a sharp order he sent his
soldiers charging into a general attack.

When the general offensive began, hundreds of companions participated in the battle and
offered sacrifices and pleased their Lord. But the members of the house of the Messenger
(S.A.W.) distinguished themselves. Ali's endeavor was unique at this battle. When Hanthala Ibn
Abu Sufyan faced him, Ali liquefied his eyes with one blow from his sword. He annihilated Al
Auss Ibn Saeed, and met Tuaima Ibn Oday and transfixed him with his spear, saying "You shall
not dispute with us in God after today."

The Messsnger (S.A.W.) took a handful of gravel when the battle was extremely heated. He
threw it at the faces of the pagans saying "May your faces be disfigured. God, terrify their hearts
and invalidated their feet." The pagans ran away, turning their faces to no one.

The line of the Quraish wavered and a number of their bravest and noblest fell; they took to
flight ignominiously, and in their haste to escape they threw away their armor and abandoned
their transport animals with all their camp and equipage. Seventy of the bravest Quraish were
slain and forty-five taken prisoners, and their commander, Abu Jahl and Hanzala Ibn Abu
Sofyan, were amongst the slain.

Though it was the first engagement of the youthful Ali, he showed surprising results and was
praised by one and all. He killed no less than sixteen-though some historians give him credit for
thirty-six of the bravest and the most prominent of the Quraish army.

This battle laid the foundation of the Islamic State and made out of the Muslims a force to be
reckoned with by the dwellers of the Arabic Peninsula.
 Reasons for the battle of Uhud

The Qureshites came out from the Battle of Badr with an astonishing
result which they did not expect. They were confident of their capability
to annihilate the Muslims easily. Because of they were more numerous
and with a bigger reserve and more logistics. Yet, they suddenly found
themselves losing seventy of their warriors and leaders, along with
seventy captives, in a one-day battle. And above all, the resounding
defeat which they received was at the hand of a group whom they used
to be little.

The Qureshites were unwilling to admit a final defeat. They lost a battle, but they believed that
they would never lose the war. All they needed was to mobilize forces to which the Muslims
would not be able to stand. The burning hatred in the hearts of Qureshites and their desire to
wash away the shame of the defeat at Badr and their eagerness to avenge their lost leaders
added to their physical superiority a tremendous psychological strength.

The Qureshites mobilized for the battle of avenge three thousand fighters compared to nine
hundred and fifty fighters at the Battle of Badr. This army was financed and its logistics were
secured through the gross income of the commercial caravan which was allotted to the battle of
avenge. Thus, the community of Quraish, one year after the Battle of Badr, marched towards
Medina to annihilate the Muslims, their religion, and their Prophet. The Meccan army arrived
at the area of Uhud which is five miles away from Medina. There, the expected battle took
place.

The Uhud region

The big and lengthy valley which joined the trade route of Syria with Yemen is called Wadiul
Qura. Different Arab tribes and the Jews took up their abode at a spot where necessities of life
were available. A number of villages, therefore, came into existence and their sides were
fences by stones. Yathrib (which was later named Madinatur Rasul i.e., city of Prophet) was
consider to be center of these villages.

Whoever came from Makkah to Madina was obliged to enter there from the southern side.
However, as this region was stony and it was difficult for an army to move into it, the army of
Quraysh bent its route and established itself in the north of Madina in the valley named 'Aqiq',
situated at the foot of Mt. Uhud. This area was fit for all sorts of military operations as there
was no palm-grove in it and the land was also even. Madina was more vulnerable from this
side because there were very few natural obstacles in this part.

The Holy Prophet goes out of Madina

The prophet offered Friday prayers and then left Madina for Uhud with an army consisting of
one thousand men. He did not take with him persons like Usamah bin Zayd Harith and
Abdullah bin Umar on account of their tender age, but two young men named Samurah and
Rafe, who were not more than fifteen years of age, participated in the battle, because, in spite
of their being young, they were good archers. The Prophet (S.A.W.) reached Uhud in the
morning of Saturday, the 7th of Shawwal, 3 AH (January or February 625 AD).

Array of the two armies

The Islamic forces arrayed themselves opposite the invading

and aggressive forces of Quraysh (Khalid bin Walid on
right, Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl on left, Abu Sufyan in middle).
The Muslim army selected as their camping place a point
which had a natural barrier and protection at the back of it in
the shape of Mt. Uhud. There was, however a particular gap
in the middle of the mountain and it was probable that the
enemy forces might turn round the mountain and appear at
the back of the Muslim army through that gap and might
attack them from behind.

In order to obviate this danger the prophet posted two groups

of archers on a mount and addressed their Commander
Abdullah Jabir in these words: "You should drive away the
enemies (which were led by Khalid bin Walid) by shooting
arrows. Don't allow them to enter the battlefield from behind
and take us by surprise. Whether we are victorious or
defeated, you should not vacate this point.

The elements of the Islamic defence

In this second battle of destiny for the Muslims, the Islamic defense consisted of the same three
important elements which played their roles at the battle of Badr:

1. The ideal leadership of the Messenger and his firmness.

2. The members of the house of the Holy Prophet and their heroism.

3. An Islamic army consisting of seven hundred companions, the

hearts of many of them were filled with faith and readiness for
sacrifice.

The start of the Battle of Uhud followed the method of the beginning
or the Battle of Badr. Talhah Ibn Abu Talhah (from Banu Abdul-Dar
clan), the bearer of the banner or the pagans, challenged the Muslims,
saying: "Are there any duelers?" The respondent to his call was the
same respondent of the Battle of Badr. Ali came to him and when they faced each other
between the two hosts, Ali swiftly dealt him a blow by his sword through which his head was
split. The Holy Prophet was pleased. He exclaimed: Allahu Akbar (God Is Great), and so did
the Muslims, for the biggest hero of the pagan army had died. It is a noteworthy incident that
Talha the first standard bearer of the Meccans lost one of his legs by a stroke of Ali's sword,
fell down and his lower garment being loosened, he became naked. Ali, instead of finishing
him, turned his face from him and hit him no more. When Prophet asked Ali why he had
spared the man, he said the man was nude and entreated for the sake of Allah to spare his life.

Abu Saad Ibn Abu Talhah (brother of Talhah) carried the banner and challenged the Muslims,
saying Companions of Mohammad, you allege that your dead go to Paradise and our dead go
to Hell. By "Al Lat", you lie. If you were so confident, some of you could have faced me. Let
one of you come to fight me.

Ali came to him and Abu Saad was not luckier than his brother Talhah. The men of Abdul-Dar
continued replacing the bearers of their banner with their men, and the Muslims continued
annihilating them. Ali destroyed Artat Ibn Sharhabeel, Shureih Ibn Qaridh and their servant,
Sawab.

Ali and the banner bearers

However, Ibn Al-Atheer reported that Ali, alone, destroyed all the standard bearers at the
Battle of Uhud and said that Abu Rafi reported that. And so did Al-Tabari.

The death of the bearers of the banner heightened the morale of the Muslims and shook the
hearts of the pagans. Following the death of the banner bearers, the Muslims undertook a
general offensive led by Ali, Al-Hamzah, Abu Dujanh, and others. The Islamic offensive
terrified the pagan army, but the Muslims lost during this operation a giant hero Al-Hamzah,
Lion of God, and uncle of the Messenger of God. Wahshi bin Harb, an Abyssinian (Ethiopian
slave of Mut'am), transfixed him with his dart while he was fighting. However, the pagans
were forced to flee and leave their camps. The Muslims entered the pagan camps and went on
collecting what they found of equipment and material without meeting any resistance from the
pagans.

Who were fighting for the sake of lust?

It is learnt from the verses, which Hind and other women were reciting with tambourines to
instigate the warriors of Quraysh and to incite them to blood-shed and revenge, that these
people were not fighting for the sake of spirituality, purity, freedom and moral virtues. On the
contrary they were prompted by sexual and material consideration. The song which the women
sang with tambourine and a particular tune amongst the rows of the army was: "We are the
daughters of Tariq. We walk on costly carpets. If you face the enemy we shall sleep with you,
but if you show your back to the enemy and flee, we shall disengage ourselves from you".

Defeat after victory

We may mention here as to why the warriors of Islam were victorious. It was due to the fact
that till the last moment of their victory they had no motive except that of jihad in the path of
Allah, acquisition of His pleasure, conveying the message of Allah and the removal of every
impediment in its path.

Why were they defeated thereafter? It was because, after achieving victory, the aim and
intention of most of the Muslims underwent a change. Attention towards the booty, which the
army of Quraysh had themselves thrown in the battlefield and had fled, affected the sincerity of
a large group and they ignored the orders given by the Prophet.

Here are the details of the event: While explaining the geographical conditions of Uhud we had
mentioned that there was a particular gap in the middle of Mt. Uhud and the Prophet had
entrusted fifty archers under the command of Abdullah Jibir to guard the valley behind the
battle front and had given these orders to the commander of the group: "Prevent the enemy
from passing through the gap in the mountain by shooting arrows and don't vacate this point at
any cost whether we are defeated or victorious".

The fire of warfare blazed up on both the sides. Every time the enemies wished to cross this
valley they were repulsed by the archers.

When the army of Quraysh threw away their weapons and property on the ground and ignored
everything else to save their lives, a few brave officers of Islam whose oath of allegiance was
perfectly sincere pursued the enemy outside the battle-field. But the majority ignored the
pursuit and placing their weapons on the ground began collecting the booty and imagined that
the battle had come to an end.

The persons guarding the valley behind the battle front also decided to avail of the opportunity
and said to themselves: "It is useless for us to stay here and it is profitable that we too should
collect the booty". Their commander, however, reminded that the Prophet had ordered that
whether the Muslim army gained victory or was defeated they should not move from their post.
Majority of the archers, who were guarding the passage, opposed their commander and said:
"0ur staying here is useless and the Prophet meant only that we should guard this passage when
the battle was in progress, but now the fighting has ended".

On the basis of this false presumption forty men came down from the vigilance post and only
ten persons remained there. Khalid bin Walid, who was a brave and experienced warrior and
knew from the very start that the mouth of the passage was the key to victory and had
attempted many times to reach at the back of the war-front through it, but had to face the
archers, took advantage of the small number of the guards this time. He led his soldiers
towards the backside of the Muslim army and making a surprise attack reached at the party of
the Muslims. The resistance by the small group which was stationed above the mount could not
prove effective till all the ten persons after putting up a tough fight were killed at the hands of
the troops of Khalid bin Walid and Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl. Soon after that the unarmed and
neglectful Muslims were subjected to a severe attack of the enemy from behind.
After having gained possession of the sensitive point Khalid sought the collaboration of the
defeated army of Quraysh, which was in a state of flight, and strengthened the spirit of
resistance and perseverance of Quraysh with repeated shoutings and cries. On account of
disruption and confusion, which prevailed in the ranks of the Muslims, the army of Quraysh
soon surrounded the Muslim warriors and fighting commenced between them once again.

This defeat was due to the negligence of those persons who vacated the passage for their
material gains and unintentionally cleared the way for the enemy in such a manner that the
mounted soldiers under orders of Khalid bin Walid entered the field from behind.

The attack by Khalid was supported by an attack by Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl and unprecedented
and surprising disorder prevailed in the forces of Islam. The Muslims had no alternative but to
defend themselves as a scattered group. However, as liaison with the command had also been
disrupted they did not succeed in defending themselves and suffered heavy casualties, so much
so that some Muslim soldiers were inadvertently killed by other Muslims.

The attacks by Khalid and Ikrimah strengthened the morale of the army of Quraysh. Their
retreating forces re-entered the field and lent them support. They encircled the Muslims from
all sides and killed a number of them.

The rumor about the Prophet being killed spreads

A brave warrior of Quraysh named Laythi attacked Mus'ab bin Umayr, the daring standard-
bearer of Islam, and after exchange of a number of blows between them the standard-bearer of
Islam was killed. As the Muslim warriors had hidden their faces Laythi thought that the person
killed was the Prophet of Islam. He, therefore, shouted and informed the chiefs of the army that
Muhammad had been killed.

This rumor spread from man to man in the army of Quraysh. Their chiefs were so happy that
their voices were ringing in the battlefield and all of them were saying: "O people! Muhammad
has been killed! O people! Muhammad has been killed!"

Publicity of this false news encouraged the enemy and the army of Quraysh came into motion.
Every one of them was keen to participate in cutting the limbs of Muhammad so that he might
secure a high status in the world of polytheism.

This news weakened the morale of the warriors of Islam much more than it gave strength to the
morale of the army of the enemy, so much so that a considerable majority of Muslims
abandoned fighting and took refuge in the mountains and none of them, except a few, who
could be counted on fingers, remained in the field.

Is it possible to deny the flight of some persons?

It is not possible to deny that some companions fled the field and the fact that they were
companions of the Prophet or that later they acquired status and honor amongst the Muslims
should not prevent us from accepting this bitter reality.

Ibn Hisham, the famous historian, writes thus: "Anas bin Nazr, the uncle of Anas bin Malik
says: "When the army of Islam came under pressure and the news of the death of the Prophet
was afloat, most of the Muslims thought of their own lives and every person took refuge in one
corner or the other". He adds: "I saw a group of Muhajirs and Ansar, including Umar bin
Khattab and Talhah bin Ubaydullah Taymi, who were sitting in a corner and were anxious for
themselves. I said to them with a tone of protest: "Why are you sitting here?" They replied,
"The Prophet has been killed and it is, therefore, no use fighting". I said to them: "If the
Prophet has been killed it is no use living. Get up and meet martyrdom in the same path in
which he has been killed".

According to many historians, Anas said: "If Muhammad has been killed his Lord is alive".
And then he added: "I saw that my words had no effect on them. I put my hand to my arms and
began to fight with determination". Ibn Hisham says that Anas sustained seventy wounds in
this battle and none could identify his dead body except his sister.

A group of Muslims were so much depressed that in order to ensure their safety they planned
to approach Abdullah Ubayy so that he might obtain security for them from Abu Sufyan.

Al-Hakim reported that Abu Bakr said: "When people left the Messenger of God on the day of
Uhud I was the first one to come back to the Messenger of God ... then he mentioned in the
hadith that Abu Obeidah lbn Al-Jarrah followed him."

The holy Qur'an reveals some facts

The verses of the Holy Qur'an tear the veils of fanaticism and ignorance and make it
abundantly clear that some companions thought that the promise given by the Prophet about
victory and success was baseless and the Almighty Allah says thus about this group: Then after
sorrow He sent down security upon you, a calm coming upon a party (a group of companions)
of you, and (there was) another party whom their own souls had rendered anxious; they
entertained about Allah thoughts of ignorance quite unjustly, saying: We have no hand in the
affair. (Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:154)

You can learn the hidden facts about this battle by studying the verses of Surah Al-e-Imran.
These verses fully bear out the facts in which we believe. We believe that all the companions
were not self-sacrificing or lovers of Islam, and some persons with weak faith were hypocrites
who were amongst them. And at the same time there were among the companions a large
number of true believers and pious and sincere persons. Nowadays a group of writers attempt
to draw a curtain on many of these unworthy acts of the companions (their specimens have
been seen by you in connection with the events of this battle). They protect the position of all
of them by offering unrealistic explanations, which only show their fanaticism and cannot hide
the real facts of history.

Who can deny the substance of this verse which says clearly: (Believers, remember) When you
ran off precipitately and did not wait for any one, and the Messenger was calling you from
your rear, (Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:153)

This verse is about the same persons, who were seen by Anas bin Nazr with his own eyes when
they were sitting in a corner and were anxious about their future.

The following verse is more clear than that quoted above: (As for) those of you who turned
back on the day when the two armies met, only the Shaitan sought to cause them to make a slip
on account of some deeds they had done, and certainly Allah has pardoned them; surely Allah
is Forgiving, Forbearing. (Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:155)

Allah reprimands in the following verse those persons who made the news about the Prophet's
assassination an excuse for abandoning fight and were thinking of approaching Abu Sufyan
through Abdullah bin Ubayy to guarantee their safety:

And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; the messengers have already passed away
before him; if then he dies or is killed will you turn back upon your heels? And whoever turns
back upon his heels, he will by no means does harm to Allah in the least and Allah will reward
the grateful. (Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:144)

Five persons conspire to kill the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.)

At the time when the army of Islam was faced with disorder and chaos, the Prophet was being
attacked from all sides. Five notorious men of Quraysh determined to put an end to his life at
any cost. They were:

1. Abdullah bin Shahib who wounded the forehead of the Prophet.

2. Utbah Abi Waqqas who, by flinging four stones, broke his ruba'iyat (Ruba'iyat are the teeth
(four in number) which are between the front teeth and the canine teeth) teeth of the right side.

3. Ibn Qumi'ah Laythi who inflicted a wound on the face of the Prophet. The wound was so
severe that the rings of the Prophet's helmet penetrated into his cheeks. These rings were
extracted by Abu Ubaydah Jarrah with his teeth and he lost four of his own teeth in doing so.

4. Abdullah Hamid, who was killed, at the time of attack, at the hands of the hero of Islam,
Abu Dujanah.

5. Abi Khalf. He was one of those persons who fell at the hands of the Prophet himself. He
faced the Prophet at the time when He (the Prophet) had managed to reach in the valley and
some of his companions had come round him, on having identified him. Abi Khalf advanced
towards the Prophet. The Prophet took a spear from Hasis bin Simmah and thrust it in the neck
of Abi Khalf as a consequence of which he fell down from his horse.
Although the wound sustained by Abi Khalf was minor, he
had become so much terrified that when his friends consoled
him he could not compose himself and said: "I said to
Muhammad in Makkah that I would kill him and he said in
reply that he would kill me, and he never tells a lie". All was
over with him on account of the wound and fear, and after
some time he breathed his last on his way back to Makkah.

Defense associated with success and renewed victory

It will not be inappropriate if we give the name of 'renewed

victory' to this part of the history of Islam. What is meant by
this victory is that contrary to the expectations of the enemies,
the Muslims succeeded in saving the Prophet from death. And
this was the renewed victory, which fell to the lot of the army
of Islam.

If we are associating this victory with the entire army of Islam

we are doing so as a mark of respect to the warriors of Islam.
In fact, however, the heavy burden of this victory fell on the
shoulders of a few persons who could be counted on fingers.
These were the persons who protected the Prophet by risking
their own lives and in fact it was due to the self-sacrifice of
this minority that the State of Islam remained in tact and this
luminous candle did not extinguish.

Here is a brief role of self-sacrificing Ali (A.S.) in this battle

Ibn Athir says: "The Prophet become the object of the attack of various units of the army of
Quraysh from all sides. Ali attacked, in compliance with the Prophet's orders, every unit that
made an attack upon him (the Prophet) and dispersed them or killed some of them, and this
thing took place a number of times in Uhud. In the meantime the Archangel Jibreel came and
praised the devotion of Ali before the Prophet and said: 'It is the height of sacrifice which this
officer is displaying'. The Prophet confirmed the remark of Jibreel and said: 'I am from Ali and
Ali is from me'. Then a voice was heard in the battlefield saying: La Fata Illa Ali, La Saifa Illa
Zulfiqar [There is no brave man except Ali and there is no sward which renders service except
Zulfiqar (which was in the hands of Ali)].

NASIBA THE HERO OF UHUD BATTLE

The deep scar on the shoulder of Nasiba, daughter of Kaab, spoke of a major wound in the
past. Whenever the women, especially of the younger generation who had not seen the time
of the Prophet or were too small at that time, noticed the cavity in her shoulder, they
enquired with extreme curiosity about the frightening incident, which had resulted in the
injury to her shoulder. They loved to hear her adventures in the battle of Uhud from her own
mouth.

She had never imagined that she would fight shoulder to shoulder with her husband and two
sons defending the Prophet in the battle of Uhud. She had only taken the water-skin on her
back so that she could provide water to the injured and also had taken some home-made
bandages to dress their wounds. She had not thought of herself as worthy of any other work
on that day.

Although the Muslims were small in number and had only a limited supply of equipment's,
they gave a grand defeat to the enemy who took to their heels vacating the battlefield. But
soon after, due to the negligence of some men guarding the "Ainain Hills", the enemy made a
surprise attack from the rear, turning the victory of the Muslims into defeat. The Muslims
surrounding the Prophet fled away, leaving him almost alone in the battlefield.

When Nasiba saw this precarious situation, she put the water-skin on the ground, and took a
sword in her hand. She fought with the sword and also made good use of bows and arrows;
and took a shield left over by a fleeing soldier. Once she noticed a man shouting: "Where is
Mohammed himself?" She approached him immediately and inflicted a few blows on him;
but he was double-armored and her attacks had not much effect on him. He then inflicted
such a heavy blow on the shoulder of the armor less woman that it required treatment for one
year. Noticing a stream of blood gushing from her shoulder, the Prophet called to one of her
sons to immediately dress her wound. He put a bandage over her shoulder and she again got
busy in the battle.

Meanwhile one of her sons got injured. She took out a bandage and dressed his wound. The
Prophet watching the scene smiled at the heroism of this woman. After dressing her son's
wound she instructed him to get going for the battle. These words were still in her mouth
when the Prophet pointed out a man to her and told her that he was the same man who had
injured your son. She attacked the man like a lioness and inflicted her sword on his leg. He
fell on the ground. The Prophet said, "Well, thou hast taken thy revenge. Thanks for God
who gave the victory on him and made thy eyes cool."

Many Muslims were martyred and wounded. She herself was severely wounded and there
was no hope of her life. After the battle of Uhud, the Prophet ordered the wounded Muslims
to persue the enemy unto Hamra-ul-Asad, to be sure of their intention and condition. Nasiba
also wanted to accompany them but the deep injuries did not allow her to do so. On returning
from Hamra-ul-Asad, the Prophet before reaching his house sent someone to enquire about
her health and was pleased to learn that she was alive.
THE BLESSED MONEY
At the request of the Prophet (SAW) of Islam, Hadrat Ali (AS) went to buy a
shirt for him. Hadrat Ali (AS) went to the market and bought a shirt for
twelve Dirhams. Hadrat Muhammad (SAW) asked.

"For how many Dirhams did you buy it?"

"For twelve Dirhams."
"I didn't like it, I want a cheaper one. Would the shopkeeper take it back?"
"I don't know, O Messenger (SAW) of Allah."
"Please go and see if he agrees to take it back."

Hadrat Ali (AS) took the shirt to the shopkeeper and said to him: "The Messenger (SAW) of
Allah wants a cheaper shirt; would you agree to take it back and give back the money?"

The shopkeeper agreed to do so and he gave the money back to Hadrat Ali (AS). Hadrat Ali
(AS) took the money to the Prophet (SAW). After this, Hadrat Muhammad (SAW) and
Hadrat Ali (AS) went to the market together. While on the way, the Prophet (SAW) saw a
slave-girl, who was crying. He went to her and asked:

"Why are you crying?"

"My master gave me four Dirhams to buy things from the market. I don't know where that
money got lost. Now, I don't have the courage to go home.

Out of twelve Dirhams, Hadrat Muhammad (SAW) gave four Dirhams to the slave-girl and
said: "Buy whatever you had to buy and go back home." Prophet (SAW), himself, went to
the market and after buying a shirt for four Dirhams, he put it on.

While coming back from the market, he saw an undressed man. He quickly took off his shirt
and gave it to him. He again went to the shop and bought another shirt for four Dirhams. He
put it on. On his way, he again saw the same slave-girl, who was sitting scared and troubled.
He asked:

"Why didn't you go home?"

"O Messenger (SAW) of Allah, it's too late for me and I am scared that they might beat me
and ask as to why I took so long."

"Tell me the address of your house and come with me, so that I might request that no one
should say anything to you." Hadrat Muhammad (SAW) took the slave-girl with him. As
soon as they reached near the house, the girl said: "This is the house." With a loud voice, the
Messenger (SAW) of Allah said:

"My salaam to you, the inhabitants of this house."

He didn't get any reply; so he again said, salaam. But still he got no reply. He said salaam for
the third time and then everyone replied saying: "Assalamu Alayk, O Messenger of Allah
(SAW)."

"Why didn't you people respond me for the first time? Did you not hear my voice?"

"Yes! After hearing your voice for the first time itself, we came to know that it was you."

"Then what was the reason for the delay in response?"

"O Messenger (SAW) of Allah, we loved to hear your voice (salaam) again and again. Your
salaam is virtuous, peace and blessing for us."

"Your slave-girl has taken long in coming back. Hence, I have come to request that you don't
punish her."

"O the Messenger (SAW) of Allah! By the blessing of your gracious coming over to our
place, we have set this girl free." The Prophet (SAW) said: "Thanks a million to Allah. How
blessed these twelve Dirhams were; with which two undressed persons got dressed as well as
a slave-girl got free.
THE PRAYER THAT WAS GRANTED

He was lame in one foot and like other multi-theists, he worshipped idols. He had also once
been the custodian of one of the idol temples of the city of Medina.

With the spread of Islam, people gave up idolatry and came to believe in the
Oneness of God. However, he continued to believe in idols. With complete
sincerity, he worshipped the idol he himself had made. He prayed to it for his
needs.

The young children of his city stole his idol many times and threw it among the
rubbish so that he would stop worshipping idols. However he continued to worship
the idols. He would take a great deal of trouble finding it and then he would take it
home, clean and scent it and start worshipping the idol again.

He used to say to the idol: "If I only knew who takes you, I would make him pay
for it. But believe me, I do not know who he is!"

He continued in this way worshipping idols until one day he was faced with a
strange scene - he saw that someone had tied his idol to the corpse of an animal and
had thrown it in the middle of a pit!

Upon seeing this, he was taken aback. In fact, he could not believe such an insult had been
made to his idol. He decided to take the idol to his home again and apologize when suddenly
an idea occurred to him. He asked himself, "Really, what sort of a god is this idol? Why is it
so helpless and
miserable? Why is it
unable to defend itself?
How can such a weak
thing be my
protector?" ..and thus
he came to realize the
truth and to hate such a
weak god who was
unable to do anything.
He then reproached
himself for having
been an idolater. It was
then that the spark of
faith lit up his heart so
that while shedding
tears of remorse, he
started repenting. In
this way he came to
believe in the unique
God and he became
one of the most
devoted Muslim.

A few years later,

when the multi-theists
attempted to fight and
destroy Islam, he
hurried to help God's
religion and thereby
left a splendid
reminiscence.

The city of Medina

was over-excited.
People were getting
themselves ready for a
great war with the
infidels and multi-
theists of the Quraish
in order to give them
the punishment they
deserved and to
prevent their further
oppression.
Each of the Muslim hurriedly tried to be the first to announce his readiness to help the Holy
Prophet of Islam in fighting against the enemies of Islam.

Amr bin Jamuh, the lame man whom we have already

mentioned was, like other Muslims, desirous of defending
Islam alongside the Holy Leader of Islam. But each time he
remembered that he was lame in one leg, he became rather
annoyed and worried lest the Holy Prophet should not allow
him to go to war.

Amr had three sons who were all ready to go to the

battlefield. However, he himself was sad and said, "Today I
must stay at home and not go to the jihad (religious and
spiritual struggle in the way of God) on account of my lame leg! It will be a dishonor if I die
in bed while I know my jihad is necessary and useful for the cause of Islam. Why should I
not fight for the cause of God and achieve the sublime honor of martyrdom?"

As Amr was thus talking to himself, a thought occurred to him, which made his heart tremble
with joy and his eyes flash with eagerness. He seemed to have found the solution to his
problem. Limping, he ran towards his house and called his wife, Hind, in a loud voice.

Hind went to her husband rather amazed and asked, "Amr what is the matter?"

"Hurry up. Hurry up. Bring me whatever is left over from my son's war equipment. I want to
take part in this battle. Hurry up..."

"What are you saying, Amr. God has exempted people like you from fighting..."

"Stop saying that. Do you want your husband to stay at home while your sons acquire the
glorious blessing of martyrdom? I swear by God that I, too, am longing for martyrdom and
wish to defend Islam as my sons do. Of course, I love you, but I cannot prefer my love for
you to my love for meeting my God. Moreover, though God has exempted me from fighting,
He has not prohibited me from doing so. Now please prepare my things quickly."

Think over it that by

simply granting you the
privilege of praying for His
favors and mercy, He has
handed over the keys of His
treasures to you. Whenever
you are in need, pray, and
He gives His favors and
blessings. Imam Ali
[A.S.]
Seeing that her husband was so determined to take part in the battle and would by no means
change his mind, Hind did not say anything more and hurriedly got his things together.
However, as she was worried about her husband, she quickly went to the chief of the tribe
and her family to see if they might be able to convince him from going to the battlefront. She
then returned to her home with them.

Amr was quite ready. He had put on his chain, put his helmet on his head, drawn his sword
out of its sheath and was looking at them.

When Amr observed that his wife had gathered the chief of the tribe to prevent his going to
war, he turned to him with a determined face and said, "Do not insist. It is useless. I will not
change my decision!"

But the chief of the tribe went on insisting that he should not go to the battlefront. Their
reasoning was that it was impossible for a lame man to fight.

The old man was not able to make them understand that his love for God and for martyrdom
could not easily be driven out of the heart of a Muslim. Finally, he had no choice but to go to
the Holy Prophet with his family and with the chief of the tribe and to obey whatever
command he would give him.

When they were in the presence of the Prophet, Amr said, "Oh Prophet of God, my relatives
want to prevent me from going to the jihad. They want to imprison me at home while I am so
eagerly desirous of jihad and fighting for God's sake with this very lame leg."

The Holy Prophet answered, "Oh Amr! God has exempted you from jihad. Fighting is not a
duty of yours."

"I know oh Messenger of God, but I ask that you allow me to fight against the enemies of
Islam alongside you. I beg of you not to disappoint me..."

When the great Prophet saw that the fire of faith was so enflaming in Amr's pure heart, he
gave him an affectionate look and then addressing his relatives and the chief of his tribe,
said, "Do not disturb him. Let him go to the battlefield. Martyrdom is his heart's desire.
Perhaps God will grant him this blessing." And thus Amr went to the warfront.

As the battle broke out, all saw Amr attacking the core of the
enemy's army like a powerful, angry lion and shouting,
"Where are you, enemies of God? I challenge you all because
I desire to meet my God."

His sons, too, were busy fighting and creating memorable

legends on the battlefield. God witnessed the combat of the
brave fighters who were defending their divine faith. Amr
and one of his sons fought and fought and were so severely
wounded that they finally fell to the ground while their bodies
were covered with blood. Thus they sacrificed their lives for their truthful faith. Like a faded
tulip, Amr was resting in the middle of the battlefield.

And after a while, the battle ended. The women of Medina hurried to the battlefield to see
what had happened to their combatant men.

Some had spread the rumor that the Prophet had been martyred. They were all anxious to
know whether that heart-rending news was true.

Ayesha, the Holy Prophet's wife, was among these women. As she, was going towards the
battlefield, she saw that Hind, Amr's wife, had put the corpses of her martyred husband and
son on a camel and was holding its halter in her hands, but the camel refused to move on!

Ayesha asked her, "What news can you give me?"

Hind answered, "Many thanks to the Gracious God for the Holy Prophet is safe and sound. I
feel no sorrow as long as God's Prophet is healthy and safe."

Ayesha asked her, "Whose corpses are these?"

"These are the corpses of my husband, my son and my

brother and I want to bury them in Medina. But I wonder why
the camel does not go ahead and seems to be inclined to
return to the battlefield."

No matter how hard Hind tried to make the camel go to

Medina, she failed and instead she observed that the camel
started going towards Uhud in which place the battle had
taken place.

Hind had no choice but to follow the camel and when she reached Uhud she went straight to
the Holy Prophet and told him the whole matter.

The Holy Prophet of Islam asked, "Did Amr not say anything when he was leaving Medina
for the battlefield?"

"Yes, he did, oh Prophet of God. He begged God not to return him to Medina."

"Then his prayers have been heard by Almighty God. Now

we will bury the three of them in Uhud."

After the three bloody bodies had been buried, the Holy
Prophet said to Hind, "In the next world, too, they will be
together. How blessed they are!"
While shedding tears of love for God and for the believers, Hind asked the Holy Prophet,
"Oh Prophet of God, please pray for me so I too might join them and share in their
blessings." And the Holy Prophet prayed for all of them.

Battle of al-Ahzab (T
(Ditch, Moat, Trench)

The Qureshite
community had one
important dream:
The destruction of
Mohammed and his
religion. Pagan
tribes outside Mecca
were sharing with
them the same
dream. Like the
Meccans, these tribes considered Mohammed a serious menace to their religion. This belief
brought these tribes and the Muslims into military confrontations in which the Muslims had
the upper hand. These tribes, therefore, were like the Meccan community full of resentment
and rancor towards Mohammed and his religion.

Non-Pagan Tribes

There were clashes between the Muslims and some of the people of scripture who were
neighboring Medina caused by their breaching of covenants with the Holy Prophet. Tribes
from among them such as Banu Al-Natheer and others were exiled by the Prophet.

A delegation from these people went to Mecca and other Arab communities during the fifth
year after the Hijrah, propagating war against the Prophet and attempting to mobilize the
Arab forces for the proposed war. They did not need much effort to persuade the Meccans to
a military undertaking against the Prophet. Their response to the invitation was prompt, and
without hesitation, they mobilized four thousand fighters. This army was supplemented with
six thousands from Ghatafan, Saleem, and other tribes. Thus, ten thousands strong marched
towards Medina.

The Holy Prophet received the news of the imminent invasion a few days before their
arrival at Medina. He consulted his companions, and Salman Al-Farisi (the Persian) advised
the Prophet to dig a moat around Medina to prevent the invaders from entering it. The
Messenger commanded the Muslims (who were about three thousands) to implement the
plan. The moat was dug within six days.

Witnessing the moat, the invaders were surprised and realized that it had become difficult
for them to enter Medina. Thus they found it necessary to besiege Medina instead of
invading it directly. Banu Quraidhah, a community from the followers of the Scripture,
joined the pagan army after its arrival. This community had a covenant of peace with the
Prophet. Their treacherous action was a frightening surprise to the Muslims. By breaching
the covenant, this community gave the pagan army additional forces and equipment. It
became the duty of the Muslims to add to their defensive lines another line.

The Muslims in horror

There were many hypocrites among the Muslims who circulated frightening rumors, which
added to the fear of the Muslims. The Holy Qur'an tells us of the psychological crisis with
which the Muslims lived during that period:

"Behold! They came upon you from above you and from below you, and when the eyes
grew wild and the hearts gaped up to the throats, and ye imagined various (vain) thoughts
about God! In that situation the believers were tried: They were shaken with a mighty
Shock. And behold! The hypocrites and those in whose hearts there is disease (even) say:
God and His Apostle promised us nothing but delusion! Behold! A party among them said:
O people of Yathrib (Medina), you cannot stand (the attack), therefore turn back! And a
band of them ask for leave of the Prophet, saying: Truly our houses are bare and exposed
though they were not exposed; they intended nothing but to flee." (33:10-13)

The pagan army, on the contrary, was enjoying an extremely high morale. Victory to them
was certain. Medina was under their siege, and its inhabitants did not possess the courage to
come out of it. Their confidence in victory and morale went higher when Banu Quraidhah
joined them. This made them change their strategy from the siege of Medina to a direct
invasion.

Amr's Venture

Amr Ibn Abd Wodd, accompanied by Dhirar Ibn Al-Khattab, Akramah Ibn Abu Jahl, and
others, sought and found a narrow place in the moat. Their horses leaped above the moat to
the other side. Had this adventure succeeded many pagan fighters were expected to follow
them and make it feasible for the whole army to pass through that narrow place, for they
could have spanned the two sides of the ditch by filling that narrow gap with soil.

The Muslims were in a state of shock and horror before the passage of these pagan soldiers
to their side. The new danger, which was presented by their passage, made the morale of the
Muslims much lower than before.

Men of strong faith

Though the hearts of most of the Muslims were filled with fear, some of them were
unshaken by the new danger. It rather made their faith stronger in God, His Messenger, and
the promised victory. These individuals were ready to sacrifice themselves and one of them
certainly was determined to try to confine the danger, then to remove it. The Holy Qur'an
tells us of the morale of these believers.

When the believers saw the confederate forces, they said: This is what God and His Apostle
had promised us. And God and His Apostle told us what is true. And it only added to their
faith and their zeal in obedience. "Among the believers are men who have been true to their
covenant with God: Of them some have completed their vow (to the extreme), and some
(still) wait; but they have never changed (their determination) in the least." (33:23)

The Holy Qur'an does not inform us of the number of those believers whose faith was
increased by the increase of the danger. These believers may have been scores or just a few.
However, faith sometimes remains only as a state of mind without being transformed into
action. Some of the faith is active, flowing with vitality and moving the faithful to face the
danger and to rise to its level and above its level.

The number of these distinguished believers remained unknown.

Ali's Response

However, history informed us of one of them because of his outstanding achievements at

this battle, in confining and removing the danger, which shook the very foundation of the
Islamic state. That man was no other than Ali Ibn Abu Talib.

Amr Ibn Wodd, who crossed the moat, was well known among the Arabs. He attended the
battle, boastfully making his place known to people. His very passage from one side to the
other side of the moat, accompanied only by a small number of fighters, indicates that the
man was extremely courageous. He was the only one from among the ten thousand fighters
who tried to invade the Muslims directly and challenge them totally while he was with them
on one side.

The passage of Amr and his companions presented to the Muslims a new and serious danger
and a frightening surprise, which they never expected. The door was about to be opened
widely, and hundreds and thousands were expected to follow. The surprise, however, did
not frighten or astonish Ali. History informs us of Ali's present-mindedness and fast
response, for he immediately moved to confine the danger, then to remove it. Leading a
small number of believers, he went immediately to the point where the Islamic defense line
was broken by the passage of Amr. He had his companions stand there, preventing others
from attempting to follow Amr. And after he confined the new danger, he managed to
remove it completely.

While mounting his horse, Amr went around the area of Sal'a, facing the Muslims and
challenging them: "Is there any dueler?" He repeated this call but there was no response on
the part of the companions. This compelled Ali to leave his place where he was deterring the
pagan forces from following Amr by crossing the Moat. Responding to Amr's challenge, he
left that place temporarily to be defended by the few who were with him.

He neared Amr and asked him to face him in a duel. At this moment the Prophet (S.A.W.)
uttered this historical sentence: "Entire faith is facing entire infidelity". Amr arrogantly
replied: "Why, son of my brother (Amr was a friend of Abu Talib, father of Ali)? By God, I
would not like to kill you." Ali replied: "But, by God; I would love to kill you." A short but
extremely violent duel between the two heroes took place. Ali killed Amr immediately and
Amr's companions ran away, trying to re-cross the moat from the Islamic side to the pagan
side.

Ali exclaimed: "Allahu Akbar," (God is Great) and so did the

Muslims. The death of Amr was the end of the new danger. Those
who were with him ran away, trying to save their skin; but most of
them were killed before they could cross to the other side.

Ali made a great contribution in the defense of Islam at this battle

during which the danger against the new Faith reached its peak.

At this battle the Muslims faced a greater danger than ever before.
The elements of the Islamic defense were the same three elements
which played their roles during the two battles of Badr and Ohod: The firmness of the
Messenger and his ideal leadership: the heroism of Ali; and the determination of the Islamic
army.

A fourth element was added at this battle: The role of Salman Al-Farisi (the Persian) who
counseled the Prophet to dig the moat around Medina.

The role of the Islamic army during the Battle of Ohod was smaller than its role during the
Battle of Badr. And it was less important at the Battle of the Moat than it was at the Battle
of Ohod, for the Muslims during the Battle of the Moat did not even dare face the enemy.
They only dug the moat around the city before the arrival of the pagan army then stood
behind the moat until the end of the battle.

The roles of the first two defensive elements were similar to their roles at Badr and Ohod
and probably bigger. The firmness of the Messenger, his leadership, his war strategy and his
speed in digging the moat were most essential in making the Muslims pass the crisis safely.

Ali's role at this battle was outstanding in the history of the Islamic defense.

The magnitude of Ali's contribution

It would not be logical to say that the Muslims were unable collectively to kill Amr, who
could not by himself prevail against thousands of Muslims. But this was not the case. Amr
was calling for a duel. A duel could only be between two persons. It was considered to be
shameful for two men or more to have a duel with one man. Amr challenged all the
Muslims to send one of them to have a duel with him. None of them was willing to face him
except Ali.

Nor would it be logical to say that Amr was the entire power of the pagan forces, and that
his death was a defeat for the whole confederate army. But it would be logical to affirm two
important matters:

1. Ali's initiative to block the passage point and prevent others from following Amr had
stopped the danger and confined it. Had the passage point remained open, a great number of
the pagan soldiers would have followed Amr and their passage could have resulted in
establishing a bridge between the two sides of the moat. Such a bridge would enable the
whole army to cross.

One hour of negligence could have led to a decisive defeat of the Islamic army. This did not
happen because Ali was fast in his response to the new danger, present minded, calm and
collective and ready to deal with the serious crisis.

2. The death of Amr proved to the pagan army that they were unable to pass the moat again,
and that what Amr could not accomplish could not be accomplished by others. By this the
pagan army had to face one of two alternatives: Withdrawal, or continuation of the siege
until the Muslims surrender or were forced to cross the moat and fight the pagans. The
continuity of the siege of Medina was beyond the ability of the pagan army. It did not have
the food supplies for ten thousand fighters and their horses and camels, which could enable
them to continue the siege for several months or weeks. In addition, a hurricane like wind
went on causing the pagan army many damages and making its life miserable. The hurricane
was preceded by an argument between the pagans and their Jewish allies, which made their
co-operation in the battle highly difficult.

Thus, there was only one alternative for the pagan army to take after the failure of Amr and
his death: The withdrawal and that is what they did.

We ought not to forget an important matter! The death of Amr and most of his companions
raised the morale of the Muslims. Their hope in continuity of life and in victory was
revived. All this was a result of Ali's endeavor, and by this we can understand the meaning
of the declaration of the Prophet: "The duel of Ali Ibn Abu Talib against Amr Ibn Abd
Wodd at the Battle of the Moat out weighs the good deeds of my whole nation until the Day
of Judgment."

The Confederate Army withdrew and the Muslims passed the crisis safely. They regained
their confidence concerning the future because of failure of the Confederate forces after
their biggest mobilization. The Messenger said after their withdrawal: "After today, we shall
invade them and they will not invade us."

The Battle of Islam at Nahrawan

After the unsatisfactory conclusion to the Battle of Siffin, Imam Ali (A.S.) returned with
his army back to Kufa on the 13th of Safar 37 A.H. During the march, a group of 12,000
men kept themselves at a distance from the main part of the army.

The group was furious at the way things had ended at Siffin. These were the Kharjites
(Kharjite means one who rebels against religion). They were the same people who had put
down their weapons on the battlefield. Now they said that Imam Ali (A.S.) had betrayed
Islam by agreeing to the truce and should have referred judgment to the Holy Qur'an alone
or continued to fight. They demanded that he repent for this great sin.

When the army neared Kufa, the Kharjites camped

at a village named Harura. They started saying that
all Muslims were equal and nobody could rule over
the other. In this way, they denounced both Imam
Ali (A.S.) and Muawiya and said that their belief
was in "La Hukma Illa Lillah", meaning, "No Ruler
ship except by Allah alone."

Imam Ali (A.S.) sent Sasaa Bin Sauhan and Ziad

Bin Nazr Harisi in the company of Ibne Abbas
towards them and afterwards himself went to the
place of their stay and tried to explain to them that they were misunderstanding the words
"La Hukma Illa Lillah", and that in accepting the arbitration (peace talks) at Siffin, he
had not gone against the teachings of the Holy Qur'an.

He pointed out that they themselves were at fault, because they should never have laid
down their arms and forced him to call back Malike Ashtar, who was at the point of
securing victory. He reminded them that they had pressed for the arbitration and had forced
him to appoint Abu Musa Ash'ari as their representative. He told them that he found their
present behavior very strange, considering their involvement in Siffin. To this they
admitted that they had sinned but now they had repented for it and he should do the same.

Imam Ali (A.S.) replied that he was a true believer and did not have to repent because he
had not committed any sin and dispersed them after discussion.

The Kharjites refused to accept the words of Imam Ali (A.S.) and awaited the decision of
Amr al-Aas and Abu Musa Ash'ari. When they learnt of the decision they decided to revolt,
and they set up their headquarters at Nahrawan, twelve miles from Baghdad. Some people
came from Basra to join the rebels.

On the other side, after hearing the verdict of Arbitration Imam Ali (A.S.) rose for fighting
the army of Syria and wrote to the Kharijites that the verdict passed by the two arbitrators
in pursuance of their heart's wishes instead of the Qur'an and sunnah was not acceptable to
him, that he had therefore decided to fight with them and they should support him for
crushing the enemy. But the Kharijites gave him this reply, "When you had agreed to
Arbitration in our view you had turned heretic. Now if you admit your heresy and offer
repentance we will think over this matter and decide what we should do." Imam Ali (A.S.)
understood from their reply that their disobedience and misguidance had become very
serious. To entertain any kind of hope from them now was futile. Consequently, ignoring
them he encamped in the valley of an-Nukhaylah with a view to marching towards Syria to
fight against Muawiya.

Imam Ali (A.S.) had already started towards Muawiya when he received the news that they
had butchered the governor of Nahrawan namely Abdullah Ibn Khabbab Ibn al-Aratt and
his slave maid with the child in her womb, and have killed three women of Banu Tayyi and
Umm Sinan as-Saydawiyyah. Imam Ali (A.S.) sent al-Harith Ibn Murrah al-Abdi for
investigation but he too was killed by them. When their rebellion reached this stage it was
necessary to deal with them. There was a danger that the Kharjites might attack Kufa while
Imam Ali (A.S.) and his men were marching towards Muawiya, so Imam Ali (A.S.)
decided to stop them. He changed his course eastward, crossed the river Tigris and
approached Nahrawan.

On reaching there Imam Ali (A.S.) sent a messenger to the Kharjites demanding that those
people who had murdered innocent Muslims around their camp should be surrendered. The
Kharjites replied that they were all equally responsible for killing these sinners.

There was some reluctance in the army of Imam Ali (A.S.) to fight the Kharjites, because
they had been their companions against Muawiya at Siffin. Imam Ali (A.S.) himself did not
desire the bloodshed of these misguided fanatics, so he sent Abu Ayyub al-Ansari with a
message of peace. So he spoke to them aloud, "Whoever comes under this banner or
separates from that party and goes to Kufah or al-Mada'in would get amnesty and he would
not be questioned. As a result of this Farwah Ibn Nawfal al-Ashja'i said that he did not
know why they were at war with Imam Ali (A.S.). Saying this he separated along with five
hundred men. Similarly group after group began to separate and some of them joined Imam
Ali (A.S.). In the end, only cores of 1,800 die-hards were left under the command of
Abdallah bin Wahab. These Kharjites swore that they would fight Imam Ali (A.S.) at any
cost.

Nahjul Balagha - Sermon 36/Warning the people of Nahrawan of their fate:

"I am warning you that you will be killed on the bend of this canal and on the level of this
low area while you will have no clear excuse before Allah nor any open authority with you.
You have come out of your houses and then divine decree entangled you. I had advised you
against this arbitration but you rejected my advice like adversaries and opponents till I
turned my ideas in the direction of your wishes. You are a group whose heads are devoid of
wit and intelligence. May you have no father! (Allah's woe be to you!) I have not put you
in any calamity nor wished you harm."

The Kharjites attacked Imam Ali's (A.S.) army with desperate courage. However, they did
not stand a chance against the superior army that faced them and they were all killed except
nine men. These nine managed to flee to Basra and elsewhere, where they spread the fire of
their hatred and recruited more followers. From Imam Ali's (A.S.) army only eight persons
fell as martyrs. The battle took place on the 9th Safar, 38 A.H. Two years later, in 40 A.H.,
it was the Kharjites who sent out three assassins to kill Imam Ali (A.S.), Muawiya and Amr
al-Aas. The latter two survived but Imam Ali (A.S.) was martyred following Ibne Muljam's
cowardly attack in the mosque of Kufa.

Having disposed of the Kharjites at Nahrawan, Imam Ali (A.S.) resumed his march to
Syria. However, the chiefs of his followers urged him to stop at Kufa to let the men rest
before the long journey and to enable the army to repair their weapons and armours. Imam
Ali (A.S.) agreed to this request and camped at Nukhayla outside Kufa. The soldiers were
allowed to leave the camp for a day.

On the next day, hardly any men returned and at length, Imam Ali (A.S.) entered Kufa and
gave a stern sermon to the people. However, nobody came forward and finally, Imam Ali
(A.S.) turned away from them in disappointment. The Syrian expedition was abandoned,
never to be resumed.

The battle of Hunayn 8 (A.H.)

The formidable Bedouin tribes, the Hawaazin, the Saqif and various others pastured their
flocks on the territories bordering Mecca. Some of them possessed strongly fortified towns
like Tayef, and were unwilling to render obedience to the Muslims without resistance.
They formed a league with the intention of overwhelming Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
before he could make preparations to repulse their attack.

It was the usual practice with the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) that whenever he conquered
a region, he personally looked after its political problems and the religious matters of its
inhabitants, so long as he stayed there, and as and when he left that place he appointed
there suitable persons on different posts. Its reason was that the people of these regions,
who were acquainted with the old and wound-up systems, did not possess information
about the system, which had replaced it. Islam is a social, moral, political and religious
system, its laws emanate from revelation, and acquainting people with these laws and their
enforcement amongst them needs distinguished, mature and learned persons, who should
teach them correct principles of Islam intelligently and should also enforce Islamic system
amongst them.

When the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) decided to leave Makkah for the territories of
Hawazin and Saqif, he appointed Mu'az bin Jabal as a guide to educate and instruct the
people and entrusted the government and administration of the city and imamate (leading
prayers) in the mosque to Atab bin Usayd, who was a capable person. The threatening
information compelled the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to cut short his stay in Makkah.
After staying in Makkah for fifteen days the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) proceeded to the
land of Hawazin tribe.

An unmatched army

On that day the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had twelve thousand armed soldiers under his
standard, out of them ten thousand were those, who had accompanied him from Madina
and had taken part in the conquest of Makkah, and the other two thousand were from
amongst Quraysh, who had embraced Islam recently. The command of this group rested
with Abu Sufyan. Imam Ali as usual, held the Sacred Standard of the Prophet Muhammad.

In those days such an army was hardly found anywhere and this numerical strength of
theirs became the cause of their initial defeat. It was because, contrary to the past, they
prided themselves on the large number of their soldiers and ignored the military tactics and
principles of war. When Abu Bakr's eyes fell on the large number of men he said: "We
should not at all be defeated, because our soldiers far outnumber those of the enemy". He
did not, however, pay attention to this reality that numerical superiority is not the only
factor for victory and in fact this factor is of little importance.

The Holy Qur'an itself mentions this fact and says: Allah has helped you on many
occasions including the day of Hunayn. When you were happy with the number of your
men who proved to be of no help to you and the whole vast earth seemed to have no place
to hide you (from your enemies) and you turned back in retreat. (Surah al-Tawbah, 9:25)

Acquisition of Information

After the conquest of Makkah great excitement and enthusiasm could been seen in the
areas inhabited by the tribes of Hawazin and Saqif. Special contacts existed between them.
The connecting link between them was a war like person named Malik bin Awf Nasri. The
result of their mutual contacts was that before the Islamic army could pay attention to them
they themselves came up to encounter it, so that, before the Muslims moved, they
themselves should strike them hard by military tactics. They also selected from amongst
them a thirty-year-old brave and courageous man to act as their commander.

Besides the aforesaid two tribes, the tribes of Bani Hilal, Nasr and Jasham also participated
in this battle and all of them came up as a single striking force.

As ordered by the chief commander, all those, who participated in the battle, stationed their
women and retinue, behind the rear of the army. When he was asked about the reason for
this decision he said: "These men will remain steadfast in their fighting to protect their
women and property and will not at all think of flight or retreat".

When Durayd bin Sammah, an old man and an experienced warrior, heard the wailing's of
the women and the children, he quarreled with Malik, and, considering this act of his to be
wrong from the point of view of principles of war, said to him: "The result of this action
will be that if you are defeated you will be surrendering all your women and property to the
army of Islam gratuitously". Malik did not pay heed to the words of this experienced
soldier and said: "You have grown old and have lost your wisdom and knowledge of
military tactics". However, the later events proved that the old man was right and the
presence of women and children in a sphere of operation in which one has to strike and run
proved to be of no use, except that the soldiers got involved in difficulties and their
activities were hindered.

The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) sent Abdullah Aslami Ibn Abi Hadrad to collect
information about the equipment, intentions and itinerary of the enemy. He roamed about
in the entire army of the enemy, collected the necessary information and placed it at the
disposal of the Prophet Muhammad. Malik, too, sent three spies towards the Muslims in a
special manner so that they might bring the requisite information for him. They, however,
returned to Malik with their hearts full of awe and fear.

The commander of the enemy army decided to make amends for the numerical inferiority
and weak morale of his soldiers by means of a military trick i.e. by making a surprise
attack, create confusion among the army of Islam so that the discipline of their units might
be disrupted and the schemes of their high command might be frustrated.

To achieve this end, he encamped at the end of the pass, which led to the region of Hunayn.
He then ordered all the soldiers to hide themselves behind the stones, the rocks and gaps of
the mountains and at elevated places around the pass, and as soon as the army of Islam
arrived in this deep and lengthy pass, all of them should come out of their places hiding
and attack the units of Islam with arrows and stones. Thereafter a special group should
descend from the mountains in an orderly manner and put the Muslims to sword under the
cover of their archers.

Equipment of the Muslims

The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was aware of the strength and the obstinacy of the enemy.
Before leaving Makkah therefore, he called Safwan bin Umayyah and borrowed one
hundred suits of armor from him and guaranteed its return. He personally put on two suit of
armor, put a helmet on his head, and mounted a white mule, which had been presented to
him, and moved on behind the army of Islam.

In the dead of night the army reached the Hunayn valley, which lies about midway between
Mecca and Tayef. In order to reach the fertile valley of Tayef, they had to pass through a
narrow defile called Hunayn. This was the key point or the enemy's defense. It was a
narrow and dismal place leaving little room for an army to pass through, except in single
file, nor could camels and horses be maneuvered within its narrow walls. The army of
Islam rested at night at the mouth of the Hunayn and the day had not yet dawned fully
when the tribe of Bani Salim arrived in the passage of Hunayn under the command of
Khalid bin Walid. When a major part of the army of Islam was still in the pass. Concealing
themselves under the precipitous side of the rocky valley, the tribesmen, from the heights,
showered avalanches of rocks and arrows on the Muslims, and prevented all attempts by
the Muslim cavalry to organize a charge. Panic began to spread amongst the Muslim troops
and defeat seemed very probable.

This sudden attack terrified the Muslims so much that they began to flee and created, more
than the enemy itself, disorder and disruption among their ranks. According to Habib-us-
Siyar and Rouzath-ul-Ahbab, Khalid Bin Walid was the first to leave the field. These
developments were a source of great joy for the hypocrites present in the army of Islam, so
much so that Abu Sufyan said: "Muslims will run up to the coast of the sea". Another
hypocrite said: "The magic has been counteracted". A third from amongst them determined
to do away with Islam in that confused state of affairs by killing the Prophet Muhammad
(SAW) and thus destroy the belief of the Oneness of Allah and the Prophet Hood of Islam
lock, stock, and barrel.

The steadfastness of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and of a group of self-sacrificing

persons

The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was disturbed immensely by the flight of his friends
which was the main cause of all the alarm and disorder, and felt that if matters were
allowed to take their own course, even for a moment longer, the pivot of history would be
different, humanity would change its course and the forces of polytheism would beat down
the army of monotheism. While riding his mule, therefore, he said loudly: "O supporters of
Allah and His Prophet! I am the servant of Allah and His Prophet". He uttered this sentence
and then turned his mule towards the battlefield, which was occupied by Malik's men, who
had already killed some Muslims and were busy killing others. A group of self-sacrificing
persons like Imam Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, Abbas, Fazal bin Abbas, Usamah
and Abi Sufyan bin Hirith, who had not left him alone and unprotected ever since the battle
started, also proceeded along with him.

At this critical moment Imam Ali rallied the disorganized forces around him inspiring them
to fight with fresh valor. At the same time the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) asked his uncle
Abbas, who held his mule, who had a very loud voice, to call back the Muslims in this
manner: "O Ansar, who helped the Prophet! O you who took the oath of allegiance to the
Prophet under the tree of Paradise! Where are you going? The Prophet is here!" The words
of Abbas reached the ears of the Muslims and stimulated their religious zeal and fervor. All
of them responded immediately by saying, Labayk! Labayk! (Here am I! Here am I!) And
returned bravely towards the Prophet Muhammad.

The repeated call by Abbas, which gave the good tidings of the Prophet's safety, made the
fleeing men return to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) with a peculiar regret and remorse
and made them reorganize their rows. About a hundred men, all Ansars (Abul Fida; Ibn
Hisham), gaining the narrow Pass, checked the advance of the enemy. The standard bearer
of the enemy, a man of extraordinarily tall stature and stout built, came forward and
challenged the Muslims to single combat, As usual, Imam Ali stepped forward and
engaged him and within a short time put an end to him. In compliance with the orders of
the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and also to obliterate the shameful stain of desertion, the
Muslims launched a general attack and compelled the enemies, in a very short time, to
retreat or flee. The Prophet Muhammad, who was watching the struggle from an eminence,
taking a handful of gravel, cast it towards the enemy saying, "May these faces be
disgraced!" The enemy became panicky within a short time and finally took to flight,
chased by the Muslims, and many of them were killed. In order to encourage the Muslims
the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was saying: "I am the Prophet of Allah and never tell a lie
and Allah has promised me victory". This war tactics made the warriors of Hawazin and
Saqif run away to the region of Autas and Nakhlah and to the forts of Ta'if leaving behind
their women and retinue and a number of those killed in the battle. The battle was won by
Muslims.

War Booty

In this battle the casualties of the Muslims were large, but the biographers have not
mentioned the number of those killed. The enemy lost seventy of their bravest, of whom
forty fell under the sword of Imam Ali.

As a result of this victory, enormous booty fell into the hands of the Muslims. The
Muslims, however, stood to gain and the enemies fled leaving behind six thousand
captives, twenty four thousand camels, forty thousand sheep and four thousand Waqih (It is
equal to 213 grams approximately) of silver. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) ordered that
all the men and the entire property should be taken to Ji'ranah. He also appointed some men
to keep a watch. The captives were kept in a particular house and the Prophet Muhammad
(SAW) ordered that the entire booty should remain there as it was, till he returned from
Ta'if.

The battle of Hunayn, is one of the most famous events in the history of Islam. It was
notable for the strategy of Imam Ali regrouping the Muslim army, turning defeat into
victory. It also showed the clemency with which the prisoners were treated. Six hundred of
the enemies were freed without having to pay ransom.

The battle of Jamal (Camel)

Ummul Momeneen Ayesha the daughter of the first Caliph Abu Bakr, and the widow of the
Holy Prophet (S.A.W.), was in Makka for the pilgrimage when third Caliph Uthman was killed.
She had always expected either Talha or Zubayr to succeed him and when she heard of Imam
Ali's (A.S.) appointment as Caliph, she was very upset. And said, 'By God! Uthman was
innocent, I will avenge his blood.'

Both Talha & Zubayr were brothers-in-law of Ummul Momeneen Ayesha. Her youngest sister
was the wife of Talha, who was also a cousin of her father. Her eldest sister was a wife of
Zubayr, whose son Abdullah was adopted by Ummul Momeneen Ayesha.

Ummul Momeneen Ayesha was a jealous woman. Now she declared herself as the avenger of
the murder of Uthman and prepared to wage war against Imam Ali (A.S.), whom she had
always hated.

She managed to recruit the support of the powerful clan of Bani Umayyah, to whom Uthman
had belonged. The ex-governors of Uthman, who had been replaced by Imam Ali (A.S.), also
joined her.

Yala the ex-governor of Yemen carried off to Makka all the treasure
from Yemen when he was deposed. Amounting to sixty thousand Dinars,
which he made over to Ummul Momeneen Ayesha along with six
hundred camels, one of which was a rarity, a big-sized, well bred animal,
valued at 200 gold pieces. It was named Al-Askar and was specially
presented for the use of Ummul Momeneen Ayesha.

Talha and Zubayr also joined her, in spite of their oath of allegiance to Imam Ali (A.S.). A large
number of Arabs were also paid to enlist in the army, whose fathers and brothers had been
killed by Imam Ali (A.S.) in defending the Prophet's (S.A.W.) cause on the occasion of various
wars in his time. Many a discontented Arab flocked under the Standard.

The preparations of war having been completed, Ummul Momeneen Ayesha's army proceeded
to Basra. Before leaving, she had asked Umme Salma, a faithful widow of the Holy Prophet
(S.A.W.), to accompany her. Umme Salma had indignantly refused, reminding Ummul
Momeneen Ayesha that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) had said that Imam Ali (A.S.) was his
successor and whoever disobeyed him, disobeyed the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) himself. She also
reminded her of the time when he had addressed all his wives saying that the dogs of Hawab
would bark at one of his wives, who would be part of a rebellious mob. She then warned
Ummul Momeneen Ayesha not to be fooled by the words of Talha and Zubayr who would only
entangle her in wrong deeds. This advice had a sobering effect on Ummul Momeneen Ayesha,
who almost gave up her plan. However, her adopted son, Abdallah bin Zubayr, convinced her to
go ahead.

Ummul Momeneen Ayesha mounted on a litter on the camel al-Askar, and marched from
Makka at the head of 1,000 men. On her right was Talha and on her left, Zubayr. On their way
many more joined them, swelling their numbers to 3,000.

On the way to Basra, the rebel army received news that Imam Ali (A.S.) had come out of
Madina in their pursuit. They decided to leave the main road and proceed to Basra through a
different route. When they passed through the valley of Hawab the dogs of the village
surrounded Ummul Momeneen Ayesha's camel, barking loudly. She was immediately worried
and asked for the name of the place. When she was told it was Hawab, she was shocked and she
despairingly cried, "Alas! Alas! I am the wretched woman of Hawab. The Prophet of Allah had
already warned me against this."

She got off her camel and refused to go any further. Talha and Zubayr tried to convince her that
the place was not Hawab and even brought 50 witnesses to testify to this lie, but in vain. This is
said to be the first occasion of false evidence given publicly since the dawn of Islam. Finally,
they raised a cry that Imam Ali (A.S.) was approaching, and Ummul Momeneen Ayesha, struck
with terror, quickly remounted and the march was resumed.

The army reached Basra and camped in the suburbs. Ummul Momeneen Ayesha, Talha and
Zubayr began talks with the leading citizens of Basra, trying to get their support for their cause.
In this they failed and were subjected to ridicule.

Finally, some of them entered the city and during the congregational prayers, they treacherously
captured Imam Ali's (A.S.) governor, Uthman bin Huneif, after killing 40 of his guards.
Fighting broke out in the city and many of Imam Ali's (A.S.) supporters were killed before
Ummul Momeneen Ayesha gained control of Basra. The governor, Uthman, suffered the
indignity of having his eyebrows, moustache and beard plucked out, hair by hair, before being
turned out of the city.

Meanwhile, Imam Ali (A.S.) had received information about Ummul Momeneen Ayesha's plans
from Umme Salma, and news of the disturbances in Makka and Basra also came through.

Imam Ali (A.S.) made immediate plans to march towards Basra but could only raise 900 men
with difficulty. This was because the people were reluctant to fight Ummul Momeneen Ayesha,
who was considered to be the Mother of the Faithful by virtue of being the widow of the Holy
Prophet (S.A.W.). Also, Muawiya had succeeded in making people think that Imam Ali (A.S.)
was somehow involved in the murder of Uthman.

In Kufa, Imam Hasan (A.S.) raised 9,000 men, and other units arrived as well, all joining Imam
Ali (A.S.) at his camp at Zhi-Q'ar. Meanwhile, Uthman bin Huneif arrived with fresh news from
Basra. Imam Ali (A.S.) smiled and said to him that he had left them as an old man but had
returned as a beardless youth.

Imam Ali (A.S.) wrote letters to Ummul Momeneen Ayesha, Talha and Zubayr, warning them
against the unwise steps they had taken, but his words were ignored. Finally he marched to
Basra at the head of 20,000 men.

Ummul Momeneen Ayesha's forces numbered 30,000 but they were mostly raw recruits, while
Imam Ali's (A.S.) army was full of battle veterans.

In Basra, the sight of Imam Ali's (A.S.) men in battle formation filled Ummul Momeneen
Ayesha and her comrades with terror. Imam Ali (A.S.) talked at length with Talha and Zubayr,
negotiating for peace. He reminded them of the words of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) regarding
his authority, which they both admitted they had heard. Zubayr was ashamed of his deeds and
left the scene but Talha remained doubtful. Ummul Momeneen Ayesha was furious at the
conduct of the two and ordered a raid at nighttime to end the chance of peace.

The next morning Ummul Momeneen Ayesha mounted her camel al-Askar and urged her troops
to prepare for battle. Thus began the unfortunate Battle of Jamal (Camel), where Muslims
fought each other for the first time. Although outnumbered, Imam Ali (A.S.) and his soldiers
were too skilled to be defeated. Soon victory began to incline towards Imam Ali (A.S.). Talha
was wounded and later died. Ummul Momeneen Ayesha's camel was brought down and Imam
Ali (A.S.) ordered her brother Muhammad bin Abu Bakr to take care of Ummul Momeneen
Ayesha.

After that, the battle was soon over, and Imam Ali (A.S.) declared a general amnesty for all the
rebels.

Ummul Momeneen Ayesha's plans had come to nothing and 10,000 men lay dead as a result of
her jealousy. In this battle Imam Ali (A.S.) restrained his men from taking any war booty and all
property found on the battle ground was gathered in the mosque of Basra, from where the
owners could claim their possessions.

The Battle of Islam at Siffin

After the battle of Jamal was over, Imam Ali (A.S.) returned from Basra to Kufa in Rajab of 36
A.H. He decided to transfer the capital of his government to Kufa from Madina because it was
more centrally placed in the Muslim Empire, and he could halt Muawiya's progress into Iraq.

Before marching towards Muawiya, Imam Ali (A.S.) tried to settle matters peacefully by
sending Jarir, chief of Bani Bajila and the governor of Hamdan, to Syria as an envoy.
However, Jarir became so engrossed in the entertainment that Muawiya put his way, that he
wasted his time in Syria. He finally returned three months later with the useless message that
peace could only be negotiated if the murderers of Uthman were brought to justice. Malik al-
Ashtar accused him of having wasted time in effeminate pleasures with Muawiya, who
purposely kept him long enough to mature his plans of hostilities. Jarir left Kufa and joined
Muawiya.

Imam Ali (A.S.) decided that matters could be only decided by war, so he marched without
delay through the Mesopotamian desert to Riqqa at the banks of the Euphrates. After crossing
the river by constructing a bridge they came across the Syrian outposts at Sur al-Rum. There
were a few skirmishes between the armies but the Syrians gave way and in the month of Zilhaj
of 36 A.H., the army of Imam Ali (A.S.) came into sight of Muawiya's main forces, which had
already camped at Siffin.

At Siffin, Muawiya had stationed his general, Abul Awr, with 10,000 men on the river to stop
the access to water for Imam Ali's (A.S.) army. Imam Ali (A.S.) sent Sasaa Bin Sauhan al-
Abdi to Muawiya that this action was not necessary because, after all, the people whom he was
refusing water were also Muslims. He further assured Muawiya that if the situation had been
reversed, the river would have been open to both armies. However, Muawiya sent back a
message that the murderers of Uthman had not allowed him any water when they had laid siege
to his palace, and Muawiya was avenging that action.

Imam Ali (A.S.) knew that this situation would be intolerable and he launched an attack under
Malike Ashtar. The brave commander secured the river after heavy fighting and Abul Awr was
dislodged from its banks. Having control of the river, Imam Ali (A.S.) kept to his word and
allowed unlimited access to Muawiya's side.

Imam Ali (A.S.) divided his army of 90,000 men into seven units each commanded by brave
warriors. Muawiya similarly divided his army of 120,000 men into seven columns. Everyday
one column from each army would engage one another in combat.

The battles were mostly restricted to single combats or small groups fighting because Imam Ali
(A.S.) was trying to avoid the serious loss of Muslim lives that would have resulted from a full
scale battle. The month of Zilhaj ended in this manner and the month of Muharram, in which
fighting is forbidden, set in. During this month, Imam Ali (A.S.) tried hard to resolve the crisis
by negotiation, but to no avail. He pointed out that he was ready to punish the murderers of
Uthman if Muawiya would point them out. However, Muawiya did not wish the matter to end
so easily, because it was the issue of Uthman's unavenged death that had enabled him to gather
such a large army.

In the month of Safar fighting was resumed. For a week, fierce battles raged all day. Everyday
the conflict got more severe and bitter. In the second week Imam Ali (A.S.) came to the
battlefield for the first time. After a series of single combats, in which he overcame every
opponent with his awesome skill, no body would come to fight him.

He was forced to disguise himself to get anybody to challenge him. On one such occasion, an
unsuspecting warrior from Muawiya's side attacked Imam Ali (A.S.). The man was struck with
a single sweep of Zulfiqar with such force by Imam Ali (A.S.) that the upper half of his body
was severed from the lower half. Those who watched thought that the blow had missed, and it
was only when the horse moved and the two halves fell to the ground, that people realized
what had happened.

Day after day the loss of lives increased, especially in the ranks of Muawiya. However, Imam
Ali (A.S.) also lost several distinguished Companions of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) from his
side. Amongst them were Hashim bin Utba and Ammar Yasir.

Ammar, who was 93 years old, had been informed by the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) that he would
die fighting rebels and enemies of Islam. This was well known by all, and when he died there
was some commotion in Muawiya's army. He managed to quieten them down by saying that,
since Ammar had been brought to fight by Imam Ali (A.S.), it was he who was the cause of his
death. He said that Imam Ali (A.S.) therefore was the rebel that the prophecy talked about, and
not Muawiya. This incredible argument was accepted by his men and war continued until the
13th night.

On that day the commander-in-chief of Imam Ali's (A.S.) army,

Malike Ashtar, attacked the enemy ferociously. His shout of
Allahu Akbar, every time he killed a man, was heard no less than
400 times.

The hero of the battle began to bring on victory when Amr al-
Aas on Muawiya's side said, "Call the enemy to the Word of
God."

Muawiya eagerly accepted these words and his men raised 500 copies of the Holy Qur'an on
their spears, saying that the Holy Book would decide their differences. This trick had a strange
effect on some people in the army of Imam Ali (A.S.), who dropped their weapons and agreed
that the Holy Qur'an should decide the matter.

Imam Ali (A.S.) stepped into the battlefield urging his men to continue fighting and ignore the
tricks of Muawiya, but they disobeyed. The war thus came to an unsatisfactory end, and it was
decided that one representative from each side should meet to reach a final decision.

Imam Ali (A.S.) wanted Abdullah bin Abbas or Malike Ashtar to represent him, but his men
insisted that Abu Musa Ash'ari be chosen instead. Muawiya appointed Amr al-Aas to represent
him. Abu Musa had neither wit nor tact and was no match for the cunning Amr al-Aas.
In the meeting that took place some months later, Abu Musa was badly tricked by Amr into
giving up the rights of Imam Ali (A.S.), and it is as follows.

Decision of the umpires

The time for arbitration having come, the umpires proceeded to Dumat-al-
Jondel or Azroh, each with a retinue of four hundred horsemen according to
the agreement. Many a leading Chief from Mecca, Medina, Iraq and Syria
went there to watch the proceedings, which were to decide the future of
Islam. Abdallah bin Abbas, who accompanied Abu-Musa to preside at the
daily prayers, while having a discourse with Abu-Musa upon the topic of
arbitration, urged him to beware of the crafty ways of his astute colleague and to keep
particularly in his mind the fact that Ali had no blemish to render him incapable of
government, nor Muawiya any virtue to qualify him for it. When Abu-Musa reached Duma,
Amr bin Aas received him with great respect. A private conference was held between the two
alone in a pavilion erected for the purpose. Amr was already well aware of the weaknesses in
Abu-Musa's character. He treated Abu-Musa with utmost respect and civility till he brought
him completely under his influence. Having won his confidence, he made him admit that
Osman was foully murdered. Then he asked him why the avenger of his blood, a near relation
of his and an able administrator viz. Muawiya should not be taken as his successor. To this
Abu-Musa replied that the succession should not be determined on such a basis which would
give preference to Osman's Sons as legitimate claimants; but that they must above all things
take care lest a mutiny should be kindled or civil wars break again. Upon this Amr bin Aas
asked Abu-Musa to reject both Ali and Muawiya, and let the Faithful elect a third. This is the
simplest and safest solution of the problem. 'I agree,' said Abu-Musa, let us go forth to
pronounce. A tribunal was erected from which each of the umpires was to declare publicly his
decision. Abu-Musa wished Amr to go up first, but Amr, alleging reasons to give preference to
Ali's man, overcame all his scruples and insisted upon Abu-Musa going up first. Abu-Musa
ascended and addressed the people thus: 'Brethren! I and Amr bin Aas, both of us, have given
full consideration to the matter and have come to the conclusion that no other course to restore
peace and to remove discord from the people can possibly be better than to depose both Ali
and Muawiya in order that people may have their choice of a better man in their stead. I
therefore depose both Ali and Muawiya from the Caliphate to which they pretend, in the
manner as I draw this ring from my finger.' Having made this declaration Abu-Musa came
down. Amr bin Aas now took his turn and went up to announce what he had to declare. 'You
have heard,' he said, 'how Abu-Musa on his part has deposed his chief Ali; I, on my part, do
depose him too and I invest my chief Muawiya with the Caliphate and I confirm him to it, as I
put this ring upon my finger. I do this with justice because Muawiya is the avenger of Osman
and his rightful successor.' So saying, he came down. This arbitration took place in the month
of Ramadan, 37 A.H. or February 658 A.D.

Muawiya thus managed to escape certain defeat at Siffin. The damage done at the battle was
great. Muawiya lost 45,000 men and 25,000 men were killed on the side of Imam Ali (A.S.).