# Why did the Muslims fight each other at Siffin? *Ali's caliphate, the Umayyad governors, and the civil war to Siffin* - URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/iabl5vis3rg/s/6/ - Date: 2020-10-16 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Karbala & it's precursors | Mufti Abu Layth (21:33–24:18) - Status: general teaching - Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaBL5ViS3Rg&t=1293s - Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/iabl5vis3rg/ **Topics:** Succession and the first civil wars **Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** When Ali tried to remove Uthman's Umayyad governors the old rivalry flared into civil war, and Mufti Abu Layth calls Siffin the point of no return that left Muslims forever divided. **Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says the battle of Siffin was a point of no return for Muslim history, after which the Muslims became forever divided. **Evidence, his words at 23:25:** “And it ends up with a kind of um it is a point of no return for Muslim history. Because here you the Muslims become forever divided.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaBL5ViS3Rg&t=1405s) ## Longer summary Mufti Abu Layth says that after the murder of Uthman the rebels pledged allegiance to Ali, who first declined and then accepted. He says Ali found that the governors everywhere, in Damascus, Egypt, Africa, Iraq and Yemen, were of Banu Umayya, who demanded that Uthman's murder be dealt with, and that his attempt to remove them was taken as an open declaration of hostility, setting the old rivalry alight. Civil war followed, including the battle between Ali and Aisha, which he says had nothing to do with the clans, and then the intense battle of Siffin against Muawiya, which he calls a point of no return after which the Muslims became forever divided. He describes the arbitration that went wrong, proposing to remove everyone from power, and Ali's martyrdom before it could meet again. ## Sources and names cited - assassination of Uthman - Ali ibn Abi Talib - Aisha - Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan - Banu Umayya - Banu Hashim - the battle of the Camel - the battle of Siffin ## Transcript (machine tier, 21:33–24:18) [21:04] And he's already established there as a governor. So, Bani Umayya are quite powerfully in control. And this obviously triggers problems and then people complained about Uthman as well. People said he wasn't doing this right, he wasn't doing that right. But, I mean I'm you know, I'm not we can't discuss all everything that has its own you know, has to be judged on its own merit. But, the point is Bani Bani Umayya are now in very powerful positions. [21:33] Now, you fast forward to the martyrdom of Uthman. What happens is the rebels who take over um they eventually pledge their allegiance with Ali. They all want. Now, Ali takes the the the allegiance eventually. So, initially he declined, but then he takes it. [21:58] Now, what what he realizes is the powerhouses everywhere like in Damascus, in Egypt, in Africa, in Iraq, in Yemen, everywhere the power the governors the rulers are all Bani Umayya. So, they are going to be incredibly annoyed because they are going to say that Uthman's been murdered and we need to deal with that. [22:27] And so at this stage there's certain things that happen. And Ali tries to depose them, remove them from their positions. This to them becomes an outright declaration of animosity. So, it you the fuel is is set alight. [22:52] That old rivalry of Bani Hashim and Bani Umayya is is absolutely alive and kicking. So, what follows are some more tragedies, some wars, some infighting amongst Muslims, the civil war, the the battle between Ali and Aisha and her. Although that didn't really have anything to do with Bani Umayya and Bani Hashim, but that was still the the kind of civil war Ali ends up in. [23:25] And then the battle of Siffin against Muawiyah. Now, this was a very intense battle. Many Muslim lives were lost. And it ends up with a kind of um it is a point of no return for Muslim history. Because here you the Muslims become forever divided. [23:51] And what should they be doing? And they do set an arbitration which still kind of goes goes wrong. Uh they set some people who eventually say, "Okay, we're going to remove everyone from power. We remove Ali, we remove Muawiyah, we remove everyone. We're going to meet again and then we'll decide." And then before they can meet again uh Ali is martyred. [24:17] So, and there's an attempt to martyr Muawiyah as well, but it's unsuccessful. And then Ali's son Hassan is given rulership. So, Hassan you know, in my understanding I not I my opinion of Hassan and it very high opinion of Hassan. It may appear very controversial to certain people, but I actually feel out of all the you know, out of the three out of Ali and his two sons Hassan and Hussein, I feel that Hassan out of all three was ## Cite Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment iaBL5ViS3Rg/s/6. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/iabl5vis3rg/s/6/ Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.