Ibn Umar’s refusal to fight in civil strife during the turmoil of Ibn al-Zubayr

Two men came to him during the turmoil of Ibn al-Zubayr and said, “The people have been neglected, and you are Ibn ʿUmar, a Companion of the Prophet ﷺ. What is preventing you from going out?” He said, “What prevents me is that Allah has forbidden the blood of my brother.” They said, “Did Allah not say, ‘Fight them until there is no fitnah’?” He said, “We fought until there was no fitnah and the religion was for Allah, while you want to fight until there is fitnah and the religion is for other than Allah.”

ʿUthmān b. Salih > Ibn Wahb > so-and-so and Ḥaywah b. Shurayḥ > Bakr b. ʿAmr al-Maʿāfirī > Bukayr b. ʿAbdullāh > Nāfiʿ, that a man came to Ibn ʿUmar and said, “O Abu ʿAbd al-Rahman, what led you to perform Hajj one year and ʿUmrah one year, and to leave jihad in the path of Allah, though you know what Allah has encouraged regarding it?” He said, “O son of my brother, Islam is built upon five: faith in Allah and His Messenger, the five prayers, fasting Ramadan, paying zakat, and pilgrimage to the House.”

He said, “O Abu ʿAbd al-Rahman, do you not hear what Allah mentions in His Book: ‘If two groups of the believers fight, then reconcile between them … until the command of Allah,’ and: ‘Fight them until there is no fitnah’?” He said, “We did that in the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, when Islam was a minority. A man would be put to trial in his religion: either they would kill him or they would torture him, until Islam increased and there was no fitnah.”

He said, “Then what do you say about ʿAli and ʿUthman?” He said, “As for ʿUthman, it is as though Allah has pardoned him, while you disliked to pardon him. And as for ʿAli, he is the cousin of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his son-in-law,” and he gestured with his hand and said, “This is his house where you see.”

أَتَاهُ رَجُلَانِ فِي فِتْنَةِ ابْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، فَقَالَا: إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ ضُيِّعُوا، وَأَنْتَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ وَصَاحِبُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، فَمَا يَمْنَعُكَ أَنْ تَخْرُجَ؟ فَقَالَ: يَمْنَعُنِي أَنَّ اللَّهَ حَرَّمَ دَمَ أَخِي. فَقَالَا: أَلَمْ يَقُلِ اللَّهُ: ﴿وَقَاتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّىٰ لَا تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ﴾؟ فَقَالَ: قَاتَلْنَا حَتَّىٰ لَمْ تَكُنْ فِتْنَةٌ، وَكَانَ الدِّينُ لِلَّهِ، وَأَنْتُمْ تُرِيدُونَ أَنْ تُقَاتِلُوا حَتَّىٰ تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ، وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ.

وَزَادَ عُثْمَانُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي فُلَانٌ، وَحَيْوَةُ بْنُ شُرَيْحٍ، عَنْ بَكْرِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو الْمَعَافِرِيِّ، أَنَّ بُكَيْرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ حَدَّثَهُ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، أَنَّ رَجُلًا أَتَى ابْنَ عُمَرَ، فَقَالَ: يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى أَنْ تَحُجَّ عَامًا، وَتَعْتَمِرَ عَامًا، وَتَتْرُكَ الْجِهَادَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ﷻ، وَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا رَغَّبَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ؟ فَقَالَ: يَا ابْنَ أَخِي، بُنِيَ الإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ: إِيمَانٍ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، وَالصَّلَاةِ الْخَمْسِ، وَصِيَامِ رَمَضَانَ، وَأَدَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ، وَحَجِّ الْبَيْتِ.

فَقَالَ: يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَلَا تَسْمَعُ مَا ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ: ﴿وَإِنْ طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا ... إِلَىٰ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ﴾، ﴿قَاتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّىٰ لَا تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ﴾؟ فَقَالَ: فَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَكَانَ الإِسْلَامُ قَلِيلًا، فَكَانَ الرَّجُلُ يُفْتَنُ فِي دِينِهِ، إِمَّا قَتَلُوهُ وَإِمَّا يُعَذِّبُوهُ، حَتَّىٰ كَثُرَ الإِسْلَامُ، فَلَمْ تَكُنْ فِتْنَةٌ.

قَالَ: فَمَا قَوْلُكَ فِي عَلِيٍّ وَعُثْمَانَ؟ قَالَ: أَمَّا عُثْمَانُ، فَكَأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَفَا عَنْهُ، وَأَمَّا أَنْتُمْ فَكَرِهْتُمْ أَنْ تَعْفُوا عَنْهُ، وَأَمَّا عَلِيٌّ، فَابْنُ عَمِّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَخَتَنُهُ، وَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ فَقَالَ: هَذَا بَيْتُهُ حَيْثُ تَرَوْنَ.

That a man came to him (while two groups of Muslims were fighting) and said, "O Abu ʿAbdur Rahman! Don't you hear what Allah has mentioned in His Book: 'And if two groups of believers fight against each other...' (49.9) So what prevents you from fighting as Allah has mentioned in His Book?"' Ibn ʿUmar said, "O son of my brother! I would rather be blamed for not fighting because of this Verse than to be blamed because of another Verse where Allah says: 'And whoever kills a believer intentionally..." (4.93) Then that man said, "Allah says:-- 'And fight them until there is no more afflictions (worshipping other besides Allah) and the religion (i.e. worship) will be all for Allah (Alone)" (8.39) Ibn ʿUmar said, "We did this during the lifetime of Messenger of Allah ﷺ when the number of Muslims was small, and a man was put to trial because of his religion, the pagans would either kill or chain him; but when the Muslims increased (and Islam spread), there was no persecution." When that man saw that Ibn ʿUmar did not agree to his proposal, he said, "What is your opinion regarding ʿAli and ʿUthman?" Ibn ʿUmar said, "What is my opinion regarding ʿAli and ʿUthman? As for ʿUthman, Allah forgave him and you disliked to forgive him, and ʿAli is the cousin and son-in-law of Messenger of Allah ﷺ ." Then he pointed out with his hand and said, "And that is his daughter's (house) which you can see."

أَنَّ رَجُلاً جَاءَهُ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَلاَ تَسْمَعُ مَا ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ {وَإِنْ طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا} إِلَى آخِرِ الآيَةِ فَمَا يَمْنَعُكَ أَنْ لاَ تُقَاتِلَ كَمَا ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ فَقَالَ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي أَغْتَرُّ بِهَذِهِ الآيَةِ وَلاَ أُقَاتِلُ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ أَغْتَرَّ بِهَذِهِ الآيَةِ الَّتِي يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى {وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُتَعَمِّدًا} إِلَى آخِرِهَا قَالَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَقُولُ {وَقَاتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّى لاَ تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ} قَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ قَدْ فَعَلْنَا عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذْ كَانَ الإِسْلاَمُ قَلِيلاً فَكَانَ الرَّجُلُ يُفْتَنُ فِي دِينِهِ إِمَّا يَقْتُلُوهُ وَإِمَّا يُوثِقُوهُ حَتَّى كَثُرَ الإِسْلاَمُ فَلَمْ تَكُنْ فِتْنَةٌ فَلَمَّا رَأَى أَنَّهُ لاَ يُوَافِقُهُ فِيمَا يُرِيدُ قَالَ فَمَا قَوْلُكَ فِي عَلِيٍّ وَعُثْمَانَ قَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ مَا قَوْلِي فِي عَلِيٍّ وَعُثْمَانَ أَمَّا عُثْمَانُ فَكَانَ اللَّهُ قَدْ عَفَا عَنْهُ فَكَرِهْتُمْ أَنْ يَعْفُوَ عَنْهُ وَأَمَّا عَلِيٌّ فَابْنُ عَمِّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَخَتَنُهُ وَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ وَهَذِهِ ابْنَتُهُ أَوْ بِنْتُهُ حَيْثُ تَرَوْنَ

" عَنْ نَافِعٍ أَنَّ رَجُلًا أَتَى ابن عُمَرَ فَقَالَ: يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ: مَا الذى يَحْمِلُكَ عَلَى أَنْ تَحُجَّ عَامًا وَتَعْتَمر عَامًا وَتَتْرُكَ الجِهَادَ في سَبِيلِ الله، وَقَدْ علِمْت مَا رَغَّبَ الله فِيهِ؟ قَالَ: يَابْنَ أَخِى: بُنى الإسْلاَمُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ: إِيمانٌ بِالله وَرَسُولِه، وَصَلاَةُ الْخَمْسِ، وَصِيامُ شَهِرِ رَمَضَانَ، وَأَدَاءُ الزَّكَاةِ، وَحَجُّ الْبَيْت، فَقَالَ: يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ: أَلاَ تَسْمَعُ مَا ذَكَرَ الله فِى كِتَابِهِ {وَإِنْ طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا فَإِنْ بَغَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا عَلَى الْأُخْرَى فَقَاتِلُوا الَّتِي تَبْغِي حَتَّى تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ}، فَمَا يَمْنَعُكَ أَنْ تُقَاتِلَ الْفِئَة الْبَاغِية كمَا أَمَرَكَ الله في كتَابِهِ؟ فَقَالَ: يَابْنَ أَخِى لأَنْ أَعْتَبِرَ بِهَذِهِ الآيَةِ فَلاَ أَقَاتِل أَحَبّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ أَعْتَبِرَ بِالأَيَةِ التَّي يَقُولُ الله فيها {وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ} فَقَالَ: أَلاَ تَرَى أَنَّ الله يَقُولُ: {وَقُاتِلُوهُم حَتَّى لاَ تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ كُلُّهُ لله}، قَالَ ابن عُمَرَ: قَدْ فَعَلنَا عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ الله ﷺ أنْ كَانَ أهْلُ الإسْلاَمِ قَلِيلًا وَكَانَ الرَّجُلُ يُفْتَنُ فِى دِينهِ إِمَّا أَنْ يَقْتُلُوهُ وِإمَّا أَنْ يَسْتَرِقِّوهُ حَتَّى كَثُرَ أَهْلُ الإسْلاَمِ فَلَمْ يَكُن فِتْنَةً، قَالَ: فَمَا قَوْلُكَ في عَلِىٍّ وَعُثْمَانَ؟ قَالَ أَمَّا عُثْمَانُ: فَكَانَ الله عفى عَنْهُ وَكَرِهْتُم أَن تَعْفُوا، وَأَمَّا عَلِىٌّ: فَابْنُ عَمِّ رَسُولِ الله ﷺ وَخَتَنِهِ وَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ، وَهَذَا بَيْتُهُ حَيْثُ تَرَوْنَ ".