Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 2 of 2

'Ali ibn Abi Tcilib 275
who was pregnant, and they slit her belly open. I never accompanied
any people whose company was more abhorrent to me than them, and
when I found an opportunity, I fled."'58
This action spread fear among the people and showed the
extent of their terror, as they slit open the belly of this woman and
slaughtered Abdullah like a sheep. They did not stop there, though;
they started threatening to kill people until some of their own number
objected to what they were doing and said: "Woe to you! We did not
leave 'Ali for this."59
Despite the evil atrocities committed by the Kharijites, Amir
al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) did not hasten to fight them. Instead, he sent
word to them telhg them to hand over the killers so that the hadd
punishment might be carried out on them. They responded with
stubbornness and arrogance, saying: "All of us are killer^."^' He
marched towards them in the month of Mnlpmam in 38 AH, with the
m y that he had prepared to fight the people of ria.^' He camped
on the western bank of the river of Nahrawin, and the Kharijites
camped on the eastern bank, level with the city of ~ahraw%n.~'
1.5.2. Amir al-Mu'rnineen 'Ali (&)
encourages his army to fight
Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) reaIised that these people were
the Kharijites whom the Messenger of Allah (@) had pedickd
would pass out of Islam. During their march towards them, he began
to urge his companions to fight them. The hadiths of the Messenger
of Allah (g) about the Khaijites had an effect on the Companions
and the followers of Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&). .. 'Ali (&) urged
his army to start with these Kharijites, and he said: "0 people, I heard
the Messenger of Allah (g) say: 'There will emerge some people
from my Ummah who will recite the Qur'an, and your recitation
$auld seem insignificant in comparison to theirs, your prayer would