Islam's Reformers .pdf

assembled one night and planned to commence the battle.They unexpectantly assaulted the opposite side. Those whowere on the side of Hadrat ’Â’isha (radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ) werebewildered at this sudded attack. Ashtar and his friends toldHadrat ’Alî (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) that the opposite side assaultedand they resisted.’ It is seen that ’Abdullâh ibn Saba’, a Jew,and his friends were the ones who incited both the battles andbroke the agreements. In Siffîn, Hadrat ’Alî attacked theDamascenes with all his soldiers and much blood was shed infew days. Selecting ten thousand people, he attacked again.Hâshim, who carried his flag, attacked, too, continuouslysaying, “O those who love Allah! Come with me!” It was a verybloody combat. All Thursday night they fought until morning.And those who did not die were either wounded or exhausted.On Friday, Ashtar assaulted again. Mu’awiya and ’Amr ibn ’Âs(radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ), upon finding out that forty-five thousandMuslims on their side and twenty-five thousand on the oppositeside had died, searched ways of preventing the shedding offraternal blood and rescuing Muslims from this calamity. Hadrat’Amr ibn ‘Âs said, “Let’s show them the Qur’ân to tell them thatMuslims are brothers.” Hadrat Mu’âwiya commanded to attachcopies of the Qur’ân on the points of spears. His soldiers criedout. “We call you to Allah’s book,” and the opponent soldierssaw the Qur’ân and gave up fighting. Hadrat ’Alî summonedAshtar, who was taken back from the battle by force.Agreement was settled. Thus, the combats which lasted onehundred and ten days came to an end. The attachment ofcopies of the Qur’ân on the points of spears prevented theshedding of the blood of thousands of Muslims. The great fire ofinstigation among Muslims was thus extinguished.4 - The reformer says:“The combats for sovereignty caused the splitting into themadhhabs, Muslims’ parting into groups!”Attribution of the splitting into the maddhabs to fights forsovereignty may be done by ignoramuses who do not knowwhat the madhhabs are. It is to mix the religion with politics. Themadhhabs resulted from the freedom of idea which Islam hasendowed upon people. If in the separation of the madhhabsthere is a purpose of ingratiating oneself with the occupant of ahigh post, this exalted post is certainly the Divine Post.5 - The reformer says:- 19 -