Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 2 of 2

262 'Ali's anitude towards the Kharijites and Shia
"I said: 'This is one; what is the second?' They said: 'He
fought and did not take the womenfolk of his opponents captive or
take any booty. If they are disbelievers, we should be allowed to take
their womenfolk captive; if they are believers, it is not permissible to
take their womenfolk captive or to fight them.'
"I said: 'This is the second; what is the third? They said: 'He
erased his title of Amir al-Mu'mineen [in the arbitration document].
If he is not the leader of the believers, then he is the leader of the
disbelievers.' I said: 'Do you have anything else? They said: 'That is
all.' I said to them: 'If1 bring evidence to you from the Book of Allah
(&) and the Sunnah of His prophet (g) to answer your questions, do
you think that you will recant?' They said: 'Yes.'
"I said: 'With regard to what you said about him leaving the
judgement or decision to men concerning a matter of religion, I shall
recite to you from the Book of Allah to show that Allah delegated His
ruling and decision to men with regard to something worth onequarter
of a dirham, and Allah (%) instructed them to issue a ruling
concerning it. Do you not see that Allah (B) says: $0 you who
believe, kill not the game while you are in a state of &rim [for hajj or
'umrah (pilgrimage)], and whosoever of you kills it intentionally, the
penalty is an offering, brought to the Ka'bah, of an eatable animal
[i.e. sheep, goat, cow] equivalent to the one be killed, as adjudged by
two just men among you) (Qur'an 5: 95)? This verse refers to
something concerning which men are to judge. I adjure you by Allah,
is the ruling or decision of men with regard to reconciling between
people and sparing their blood more important than the ruling on a
rabbit? They said: 'Yes, this is more important.'
"I said: 'Concerning a woman and her husband, Allah (%)
says: $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) (Qur'an 4 35). 1 adjure you by Allah, is the ruling or