Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

14. It is a basic principle of rationality that if two parties have a dispute both can be wrong, but both can not be right. Applying this to the battles of Jamal and Sifeen, will both the murderers and the murdered be in heaven, because both were right?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Battles- Jamal and Siffin: Right or wrong

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Battle of Jamal:

Hadrat Ali (r.a.) was the Ameer ul Mu’mineen and was on the side of the Truth, as acknowledged unanimously by all the historians and scholars of Islam. The two parties had an agreement and did not intend to fight, but some unscrupulous rebellious people under the chief mischief-maker Marwan bin Haqam, created a mis-understanding and fitnah, and started the ambush which resulted in the fight, each army thinking the other had broken the agreement and truce, and attacked their army.

Battle of Siffin:

There is absolutely no doubt in any muslim’s mind that in this war, Mauwiya and his supporters were the rebellious party, and Hadrat Ali (r.a.) and his supporters were on the side of the Truth. This decision was in light of the famous hadith and prophecy of the Messenger of Allah (saws) who had said: “Ammar (bin Yasser) will be killed by a rebellious people.” And Hadrat Ammar bin Yassir (r.a.) was killed by the army of Muawiya in the Battle of Siffin.

And who will make it to heaven, and who will not; is not for us to decide, nor has Allah Subhanah made it our duty to judge! Allah, the All Knowing, All-Wise is watching over everything, and He Alone will decide who goes to heaven and who does not.

The deen of Islam was completed, the Quran revealed, and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) was established at the time of the death of the Prophet (saws). Whatever happened after the death of the Prophet (saws) is the History of the Muslims, and this is in the knowledge of Allah Alone. Allah will not hold us accountable for the deeds of these people, nor ask us about them on the Day of Judgment. We will be asked about our deeds and what did we do for the cause of Islam.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 134: They were a people who passed away. They shall receive the reward of what they earned, and you shall have the reward of what you will earn. And you will not be questioned as to what they did.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan