ʿAbdullah bin Shaddad came and entered upon ʿAʿishah ؓ when we were sitting with her, as he was returning from Iraq during the time when ‘Ali ؓ was murdered. She said to him: O ʿAbdullah bin Shaddad, will you tell me the truth about what I am going to ask you? Tell me about these people whom ‘Ali ؓ killed. He said: Why shouldnʿt I tell you the truth? She said: Tell me about them. He said: When ʿAli ؓ corresponded with Muʿawiyah and the two arbitrators gave their verdict, eight thousand of the pious rebelled against him and camped in a land called Harooraʿ, 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 ʿAli ؓ heard about their criticism of him and the reason why they had split from him, he told his caller not to admit anyone but those who had memorised the Qurʿan. When the house was filled with people who had memorised the Qurʿan, 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-Muʿmineen, 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: ʿIf 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.ʿ [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 Muʿawiyah and wrote ʿAli bin Abi Talib [without adding the title Ameer al-Muʿmineen]. But Suhail bin ʿAmr came to us when we were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at al-Hudaibiyah, when he made a peace deal with Quraish, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ wrote, ʿIn the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.ʿ 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: ʿIn Your Name, O Allah.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Write ʿMuhammad the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.ʿ He [Suhail] said: If I knew that you were the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I would not have opposed you. So he wrote: This is what was agreed by Muhammad bin ʿAbdullah with Quraish. And Allah says in His Book: “Indeed in the Messenger of Allah ﷺ (Muhammad) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes for (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Dayʿ [Al-Ahzab 33:21]. So ʿAli sent ʿAbdullah bin ʿAbbas ؓ to them and I went out with him until we reached the middle of their camp. Ibnul-Kawwaʿ stood up and addressed the people, saying: O bearers of the Qurʿan, this is ʿAbdullah bin ʿAbbas ؓ . 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 ʿthey are a quarrelsome peopleʿ [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-Kawwaʿ. He took them to ʿAli in Koofah, and ʿAli sent word to the rest of them, saying: You know the turmoil between us and our opponents. Stay wherever you wish until the ummah of Muhammad ﷺ 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. ʿAʿishah ؓ 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 dhuth-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 ؓ 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 ʿAli 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 ʿAli ؓ : 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. (Using translation from Aḥmad 656)
عَائِشَةَ ؓ فَبَيْنَا نَحْنُ جُلُوسٌ عِنْدَهَا مَرْجِعَهُا مِنَ الْعِرَاقِ لَيَالِيَ قُوتِلَ عَلِيٌّ ؓ إِذْ قَالَتْ لِي يَا عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ شَدَّادٍ هَلْ أَنْتَ صَادِقِي عَمَّا أَسْأَلُكَ عَنْهُ؟ حَدِّثْنِي عَنْ هَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ قَتَلَهُمْ عَلِيٌّ قُلْتُ وَمَا لِي لَا أَصْدُقُكِ؟ قَالَتْ فَحَدِّثْنِي عَنْ قِصَّتِهِمْ قُلْتُ إِنَّ عَلِيًّا لَمَّا أَنْ كَاتَبَ مُعَاوِيَةَ وَحَكَّمَ الْحَكَمَيْنِ خَرَجَ عَلَيْهِ ثَمَانِيَةُ آلَافٍ مِنْ قُرَّاءِ النَّاسِ فَنَزَلُوا أَرْضًا مِنْ جَانِبِ الْكُوفَةِ يُقَالُ لَهَا حَرُورَاءُ وَإِنَّهُمْ أَنْكَرُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا انْسَلَخْتَ مِنْ قَمِيصٍ أَلْبَسَكَهُ اللهُ وَأَسْمَاكَ بِهِ ثُمَّ انْطَلَقْتَ فَحَكَمْتَ فِي دِينِ اللهِ وَلَا حُكْمَ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ فَلَمَّا أَنْ بَلَغَ عَلِيًّا مَا عَتَبُوا عَلَيْهِ وَفَارَقُوهُ أَمَرَ فَأَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ لَا يَدْخُلَنَّ عَلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِلَّا رَجُلٌ قَدْ حَمَلَ الْقُرْآنَ فَلَمَّا أَنِ امْتَلَأَ مِنْ قُرَّاءِ النَّاسِ الدَّارُ دَعَا بِمُصْحَفٍ عَظِيمٍ فَوَضَعَهُ عَلِيٌّ ؓ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَطَفِقَ يَصُكُّهُ بِيَدِهِ وَيَقُولُ أَيُّهَا الْمُصْحَفُ حَدِّثِ النَّاسَ فَنَادَاهُ النَّاسُ فَقَالُوا يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَا تَسْأَلُهُ عَنْهُ إِنَّمَا هُوَ وَرَقٌ وَمِدَادٌ وَنَحْنُ نَتَكَلَّمُ بِمَا رَوَيْنَا مِنْهُ فَمَاذَا تُرِيدُ؟ قَالَ أَصْحَابُكُمْ الَّذِينَ خَرَجُوا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُمْ كِتَابُ اللهِ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ اللهُ ﷻ فِي امْرَأَةٍ وَرَجُلٍ {وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ شِقَاقَ بَيْنِهِمَا فَابْعَثُوا حَكَمًا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ} [النساء 35] فَأُمَّةُ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ أَعْظَمُ حُرْمَةً مِنَ امْرَأَةٍ وَرَجُلٍ وَنَقَمُوا عَلَيَّ أَنِّي كَاتَبْتُ مُعَاوِيَةَ وَكَتَبْتُ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وَقَدْ جَاءَ سُهَيْلُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو وَنَحْنُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ بِالْحُدَيْبِيَةِ حِينَ صَالَحَ قَوْمَهُ قُرَيْشًا فَكَتَبَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ فَقَالَ سُهَيْلٌ لَا تَكْتُبْ بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ قُلْتُ فَكَيْفَ أَكْتُبُ؟ قَالَ اكْتُبْ بِاسْمِكَ اللهُمَّ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ اكْتُبْهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ اكْتُبْ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولِ اللهِ فَقَالَ لَوْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ رَسُولُ اللهِ لَمْ نُخَالِفُكَ فَكَتَبَ هَذَا مَا صَالَحَ عَلَيْهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ قُرَيْشًا يَقُولُ اللهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ {لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخَرَ} [الأحزاب 21] فَبَعَثَ إِلَيْهِمْ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ؓ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَخَرَجْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى إِذَا تَوَسَّطْنَا عَسْكَرَهُمْ قَامَ ابْنُ الْكَوَّاءِ فَخَطَبَ النَّاسَ فَقَالَ يَا حَمَلَةَ الْقُرْآنِ إِنَّ هَذَا عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَعْرِفُهُ فَأَنَا أَعْرِفُهُ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللهِ هَذَا مَنْ نَزَلَ فِيهِ وَفِي قَوْمِهِ {بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ} [الزخرف 58] فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى صَاحِبِهِ وَلَا تُوَاضِعُوهُ كِتَابَ اللهِ ﷻ قَالَ فَقَامَ خُطَبَاؤُهُمْ فَقَالُوا وَاللهِ لَنُوَاضِعَنَّهُ كِتَابَ اللهِ فَإِذَا جَاءَنَا بِحَقٍّ نَعْرِفُهُ اتَّبَعْنَاهُ وَلَئِنْ جَاءَنَا بِالْبَاطِلِ لَنُبَكِّتَنَّهُ بِبَاطِلِهِ وَلَنَرُدَّنَّهُ إِلَى صَاحِبِهِ فَوَاضَعُوهُ عَلَى كِتَابِ اللهِ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ فَرَجَعَ مِنْهُمْ أَرْبَعَةُ آلَافٍ كُلُّهُمْ تَائِبٌ فَأَقْبَلَ بِهِمُ ابْنُ الْكَوَّاءِ حَتَّى أَدْخَلَهُمْ عَلَى عَلِيٍّ ؓ فَبَعَثَ عَلِيٌّ إِلَى بَقِيَّتِهِمْ فَقَالَ قَدْ كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِنَا وَأَمْرِ النَّاسِ مَا قَدْ رَأَيْتُمْ قِفُوا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ حَتَّى تَجْتَمِعَ أُمَّةُ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ وَتَنَزَّلُوا فِيهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَنْ نَقِيَكُمْ رِمَاحَنَا مَا لَمْ تَقْطَعُوا سَبِيلًا وَتَطْلُبُوا دَمًا فَإِنَّكُمْ إِنْ فَعَلْتُمْ ذَلِكَ فَقَدْ نَبَذْنَا إِلَيْكُمُ الْحَرْبَ عَلَى سَوَاءٍ إِنَّ اللهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْخَائِنِينَ فَقَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ ؓ يَا ابْنَ شَدَّادٍ فَقَدْ قَتَلَهُمْ؟ فَقَالَ وَاللهِ مَا بَعَثَ إِلَيْهِمْ حَتَّى قَطَعُوا السَّبِيلَ وَسَفَكُوا الدِّمَاءَ وَقَتَلُوا ابْنَ خَبَّابٍ وَاسْتَحَلُّوا أَهْلَ الذِّمَّةِ فَقَالَتْ آللَّهِ؟ قُلْتُ آللَّهِ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ لَقَدْ كَانَ قَالَتْ فَمَا شَيْءٌ بَلَغَنِي عَنْ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ يَتَحَدَّثُونَ بِهِ يَقُولُونَ ذُو الثَّدْيِ ذُو الثَّدْيِ قُلْتُ قَدْ رَأَيْتُمُوهُ وَقَفْتُ عَلَيْهِ مَعَ عَلِيٍّ ؓ فِي الْقَتْلَى فَدَعَا النَّاسَ فَقَالَ هَلْ تَعْرِفُونَ هَذَا؟ فَمَا أَكْثَرُ مَنْ جَاءَ يَقُولُ قَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ فِي مَسْجِدِ بَنِي فُلَانٍ يُصَلِّي وَرَأَيْتُهُ فِي مَسْجِدِ بَنِي فُلَانٍ يُصَلِّي فَلَمْ يَأْتُوا بِثَبْتٍ يُعْرَفُ إِلَّا ذَلِكَ قَالَتْ فَمَا قَوْلُ عَلِيٍّ حِينَ قَامَ عَلَيْهِ كَمَا يَزْعُمُ أَهْلُ الْعِرَاقِ؟ قُلْتُ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ صَدَقَ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ قَالَتْ فَهَلْ سَمِعْتَ أَنْتَ مِنْهُ قَالَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ؟ قُلْتُ اللهُمَّ لَا قَالَتْ أَجَلْ صَدَقَ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ يَرْحَمُ اللهُ عَلِيًّا إِنَّهُ مِنْ كَلَامِهِ كَانَ لَا يَرَى شَيْئًا يُعْجِبُهُ إِلَّا قَالَ صَدَقَ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ