مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 656

It was narrated that 'Ubaidullah bin Tyad bin 'Amr al-Qari said: 'Abdullah bin Shaddad came and entered upon 'A'ishah (RA) when we were sitting with her, as he was returning from Iraq during the time when 'Ali was murdered. She said to him: O 'Abdullah bin Shaddad, will you tell me the truth about what lam going to ask you? Tell me about these people whom 'Ali (RA) killed. He said: Why shouldn't I tell you the truth? She said: Tell me about them. He said: When 'Ali (RA) corresponded with Mu'awiyah and the two arbitrators gave their verdict, eight thousand of the pious rebelled against him and camped in a land called Haroora', near Koofah. They criticised him and said: You have taken off a chemise that Allah caused you to wear and a title that Allah gave to you, then you went ahead and asked people to issue a decree concerning the religion of Allah. There is no ruling except the ruling of Allah, may He be exalted. When 'Ali (RA) heard about their criticism of him and the reason why they had split from hirn, he told his caller not to admit anyone but those who had memorised the Qur'an. When the house was filled with people who had memorised the Qur'an, he called for a large Mushaf and put it front of him, and he started tapping it with his hand, saying; O Mushaf, tell the people. The people called out; O Ameer al-Mu'mineen, how could you ask it? It is only ink and paper, but we could speak on the basis of what we understand from it. What do you want? He said: These companions of yours who rebelled, between me and them is the Book of Allah, and Allah says in His Book concerning a woman and a man: "If you fear a breach between them twain (the man and his wife), appoint (two) arbitrators, one from his family and the other from hers; if they both wish for peace, Allah will cause their reconciliation." [an-Nisa' 4:35]. The ummah of Muhammad is more important with regard to life and sanctity than a woman and a man. They got angry with me when I wrote a document between me and Mu'awiyah and wrote 'Ali bin Abi Talib [without adding the title Ameer al-Mu'mineen]. But Suhail bin 'Amr came to us when we were with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) at al-Hudaibiyah, when he made a peace deal with Quraish, and the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) wrote, "In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful." Suhail said: Do not write. In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. He said: What should we write? He said: Write: "In Your Name, O Allah.'" The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Write "Muhammad the Messenger of Allah." He [Suhail] said; If i knew that you were the Messenger of Allah, I would not have opposed you. So he wrote: This is what was agreed by Muhammad bin 'Abdullah with Quraish. And Allah says in His Book: "Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad (PBUH) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes for (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day" [al-Ahzab 33:21]. So 'Ali sent 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas (RA) to them and I went out with him until we reached the middle of their camp. Ibnul-Kawwa' stood up and addressed the people, saying: O bearers of the Qur'an, this is 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas (RA). Whoever does not know him, I know of the Book of Allah what can tell you about him. He is one of those concerning whom the words "they are a quarrelsome people" [az-Zukhruf 43:58] were revealed. Tell him to go back to the one who sent him and do not discuss the Book of Allah with him. Their spokesmen stood up and said: By Allah, we will discuss the Book of Allah. If he says something sound and true that we recognise we will follow him, and if he says something false we will reject his false argument. So they discussed the Book with 'Abdullah for three days, and four thousand of them recanted and all of them repented, including Ibnul-Kawwa'. He took them to 'Ali in Koofah, and 'Ali sent word to the rest of them, saying: You know the turmoil between us and our opponents. Stay wherever you wish until the urnmah of Muhammad (PBUH) is united. The deal between us and you is that you should not shed any blood that it is forbidden to shed or commit acts of banditry on the roads or do wrong to any non-Muslim under Muslim protection. If you do that, we will declare war, for Allah does not love those who betray. 'A'ishah (RA) said: O Ibn Shaddad, did he kill them? He said: By Allah, no sooner had he sent this message to them but they committed acts of banditry, shed blood and regarded it as permissible to harm ahludh- dhimmah (non-Muslims living under Muslim protection). She said: Do you swear by Allah? He said: I swear by Allah besides Whom there is no other god that this is what happened. She said: I have heard that the people of Iraq are talking and saying dliuth- thuda, dhuth-thuda [i.e., the one with a deformed arm that looks like a breast]. He said: I saw him and I was with 'Ali (RA) when he was examining the slain. He called the people and said: Do you know this one? How many of them came and said: I saw him praying in the mosque of Banu So and so, and i saw him praying in the mosque of Banu So and so. And there was no proof of who he was except that. She said: What did 'Ali (RA) say when he stood over him, as the people of Iraq claim? He said: I heard him say: Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth. She said: Did you hear him say anything other than that? He said: No, by Allah. She said: Yes, Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth. May Allah have mercy on 'Ali (RA); it was his habit, if he saw something he liked, to say: Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth. But the people of Iraq fabricated lies against him and added words to what he said.