I was tickle when I read Buya Syafii's resonance on Tuesday (28/4) with the title "When are Muslims Loathe The war? (I) (Reflecting on the Camel war and Siffin War)." A bit dubious when Buya Syafii wrote directly, but even if he was, of course we are still seeing it carefully and need to clarify it. What's going on?
On the last paragraph, Buya wrote: "But, it turns out everything is not enough to curb their ambitions and absence of willingness to make peace between the warring parties." Peace effort was not done at all either at the beginning or the end of the conflict.
According to observers the history of Islam from India, Akramulla Syed, in his article The Battle of Islam at Siffin, Muawiyah who still had a kinship with Utsman, was wanted the killer brought to justice Utsman. However, Muawiyah considers Ali did not have any intention to do so, so that the governor of Syria was also in rebellion against the caliph.
As a respond of Muawiyah's rebellion, the first step Ali's taken was trying to resolve the problem peacefully, by sending his envoys to Syria. "The negotiation process was no avail, so Ali decided to put down the rebellion of Muawiyah through the war," wrote Akramulla.
To deal with Muawiyah, Ali sent an army of 90 thousand soldiers to Syam, is divided into seven units. While, Muawiyah with supported by 120 thousand soldiers also divide his army into seven groups. When the army of Ali and Muawiyah met in the Siffin, both parties immediately took the idle position. However, before the war, the two sides first sending each of their delegates to carry out negotiations, with the hope of battle could be avoided.
Ibnu Katsir in al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah mentioned, Abu Muslim al-Khaulani along with a few people came to Muawiyah and said, "Are you against Ali?"
Muawiyah then replied, "No, In the Name of Allah. Actually I really know that he is more important than me and better than I was entitled to hold the caliphate. However, as you know Utsman was killed in a state of victimization, while I was his cousin who is entitled to ask for justice. Tell Ali, give the killers of Utsman to me and I will be subject to him. "However, Ali still refused to grant that request with the consideration of their benefit.
The negotiations became deadlocked again, so the war was inevitable. The most fierce armed clashes between Ali and Muawiyah camp takes place on a cliff of Furat River for three days, from July 26 to 28 657 (9-11 Safar 37 H). This battle is later known as the War of Siffin.
A number of friends who led troops in Ali's side are Malik al-Ashtar, Abdullah Ibn Abbas, Ammar, and Khuzaimah bin Thabit. Meanwhile, Muawiyah's troops was reinforced by Amr bin Ash and Walid bin Uqbah.
A fierce battle that raged throughout the day causing many victims on both sides, especially in Muawiyah's side. However, Ali also lost some friends of the Prophet Muhammad who supported him in the war. Among them were Hashim bin Utba and Ammar Yasir.
History of the number of troops killed on both sides are different from each other. Nevertheless, the classic British historian, Edward Gibbon in his book The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire said, the number of soldiers killed in the camp of Ali estimated as many as 25 thousand people, meanwhile in the Muawiyah reached 45 thousand people.
The death of Ammar Ali and Muawiyah made both sides feel shaken, so the two had agreed to stop the war. They are also concerned that the border of region is weak and could be attacked at any time by the Persians and the Eastern Roman (Byzantine). Siffin War ended in a draw.
And, at the end of the war, a peace agreement between Ali and Muawiyah made based on the Qur'an and Sunnah. The negotiators of Ali's side was Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, whereas from the Muawiyah's side was Amr bin Ash.
A few years after these negotiations, a group that was not satisfied with Ali, plotting the murder of the caliph. A cousin and son in law of the Prophet Muhammad finally died on 21 Ramadan 40 H after being attacked by a Khawarij named Abdurrahman ibn Muljam. Thus, efforts to generalize that there was never a peace agreement, was too hasty. wallahu a'lam.
*Translated by Idealisa Masyrafina
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