Series of Statements by Grand Ayatollah Shirazi During the Nights of the Blessed Month of Ramadan 1441 A.H.

Night 28th

In the Name of God, The Compassionate, The Merciful

The Battle of Camel, with all its side events and lessons, came to an end. What was mentioned in previous sessions was only a small portion of its incidents and atmosphere. Researchers and seekers of truth must study historical sources and become familiar with all of its dimensions.

Not long after the flames of the intense and blazing Battle of Camel had died down, Muawiya (the Umayyad Ruler) raised the banner of the Battle of Seffeen and, with thousands of fighters, marched toward (the city of) Kufa, (in Iraq), with the intention of killing the Prince of Believers, Imam Ali, peace be upon him, and his companions.

Muawiya was the initiator of the Battle of Sefeen, and Imam Ali, peace be upon him, held a defensive position. According to extensive historical narrations, Muawiya was fully prepared for war and bloodshed and was eager for the battle to begin, whereas the Imam Ali, peace be upon him, delayed entering the war, hoping that conflict would be avoided, blood would not be spilled, and people’s lives would be less endangered.

For this purpose, Imam Ali, peace be upon him, sent one of his men with a message to Muawiya. The envoy conveyed the Imam’s message, calling for avoidance of war and bloodshed, but Muawiya refused and insisted on war. After some time, Imam Ali, peace be upon him, sent several others to negotiate with Muawiya, once again calling for distance from war and preventing bloodshed. Yet again, Muawiya insisted on fighting and refused any ceasefire.

The Imam then sent additional envoys to negotiate, giving them a Quran in hand as they went to Muawiya. The representatives of Imam Ali, peace be upon him, spoke with Muawiya and, as instructed by the Imam, told him: Imam Ali, peace be upon him, accepts the Quran, you should also submit to its commands, and let us see whether the Quran instructs war or forbids it.

Muawiya responded with sophistry, evading truth and avoiding peace, insisting on falsehood, just as people of falsehood and deceit have always done, and history is full of such examples. Imam Ali, peace be upon him, tried repeatedly to prevent war, but to no avail. In the end, Muawiya and his army reached Sefeen (in Syria) before the Imam and seized control of the Euphrates River.

Imam Ali, peace be upon him, did not want to force even a single person into the battlefield with threats or coercion, for once the two armies confronted one another, killing and bloodshed would be certain and unavoidable.

The essence of the matter is this: Muawiya seized the Euphrates River. Thousands in the army of Imam Ali, peace be upon him, were thirsty and unable to access water. Imam Ali, peace be upon him, ordered his army to break Muawiya’s blockade of the river. They obeyed and, through an attack, freed the Euphrates River from Muawiya’s forces.

The Manifestation of Imam Ali Peace be Upon him Culture in Sefeen

If Imam Ali, peace be upon him, had been worldly and power‑seeking, he would never have allowed Muawiya’s army to access even a single drop of water, and Muawiya would have been unable to do anything. It is recorded that both sides of the war had two hundred thousand people who prayed and fasted. If the Imam Ali, peace be upon him, had not allowed water to reach Muawiya’s army, Muawiya and his soldiers would have been forced to retreat. Muawiya’s men admitted that they could not confront Imam Ali’s companions, since they knew they could not fight without water.

Muawiya, knowing the character and nobility of Imam Ali, peace be upon him, said: “Ali does not retaliate in kind, and he will not block water from us. Go and take water from the Euphrates.” Some of his men began to do so.

The companions of Imam Ali, peace be upon him, observing this, said to him:

“O Ali, when they had blocked the Euphrates River, they did not allow us to take water, but now that we have freed it, they are taking water!”

The Imam replied:

“We do not fight so that someone dies of thirst, nor do we seek retaliation.”

If only this single behavior and conduct of the Imam Ali, peace be upon him, were presented to the world, it would have no historical parallel. Before Islam and after Islam, countless wars have taken place, but such nobility, virtue, and greatness were seen only during his governance. Despite the fact that the Euphrates River had been blocked against his own army, Imam Ali, peace be upon him, never retaliated and was not pleased with such an action. Even though some of his companions were unhappy about allowing Muawiya’s forces access to water, the Imam’s behavior in this event was entirely noble and virtuous.

The World Must Know!

The world must recognize these great people and their magnanimity, and comprehend the greatness of the spirit and character of Imam Ali, peace be upon him, so that the proof becomes complete for all, as the Holy Quran states: “so whoever wills, let him believe; and whoever wills let him disbelieve.” (Chapter 18, Verse 29)

If the world can present such a conduct and behavior from anyone other than the government of the Messenger of God, Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny, and the government of Imam Ali, peace be upon him, let it do so. However, it cannot. In the wars that have occurred in the name of Islam after Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny, and Imam Ali, peace be upon him, until today, one cannot find a parallel to the conduct of Imam Ali, peace be upon him.

And as for Muawiyah…

Imam Ali, peace be upon him, strived to prevent war. Therefore, he sent envoys with the Quran to Muawiyah to prevent war, but Muawiyah did not accept. Finally, he handed the Quran to one of his companions named Saeed, and sent him to Muawiyah with a message stating that “We follow the command of the Quran; you too submit to the command of God’s book and refrain from war and bloodshed.”

This time, Muawiyah did not give a verbal response and killed Saeed. In history and the laws of warfare until today, killing an envoy or messenger is considered a crime, but Muawiyah and the rulers after him committed such a crime. After Saeed was killed by Muawiyah’s order, Imam Ali, peace be upon him, ordered a defensive war. In this war too, as in previous wars, the Imam reminded his soldiers and companions of his war commands: “If an enemy warrior attacks you with a sword and intends to kill you, defend yourself and kill him, but if he is wounded and fallen on the ground, do not harm him.”

During this very Battle of Sefeen, Imam Ali’s companions were wounded and fell to the ground, and Muawiyah’s soldiers attacked them and killed them. The Master of Pious People, Imam Ali, peace be upon him, acted in the Battle of Sefeen just as he did in the Battle of Camel. In fact, the words, actions, and approvals of Imam Ali, peace be upon him, in war, against the enemy, during peace, and in front of the people were entirely virtues and the highest human ethics, drawn from the conduct and character of the Messenger of God, Prophet Muhammad, blessings of God be upon him and his progeny. In contrast, Muawiyah and his followers were entirely engaged in falsehood and sophistry, and at no moment did they stand on the path of correctness, truth, and honesty.

It is the Duty of All!

These matters and the glorious, honorable history of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, and Imam Ali, peace be upon him, must be studied, researched, and conveyed to the world. Of course, as has been stated many times, the primary duty in spreading the pure teachings and the loftiness of authentic Muhammadan and Alawi Islam rests upon the Muslims, especially the proud, zealous, and committed Muslim youth. Therefore, they should strive to define the noble and human-building culture of Islam and to present it to the people of the world, both in theory and in practice, and they should spare no effort in this regard.

I hope God Almighty grants success to the believers, especially the zealous youth, in spreading the only comprehensive and all-encompassing culture, the culture of Prophet Muhammad and his family, peace be upon them all, the culture of loftiness and virtues, and the saving culture, so that the world gradually becomes familiar with the pure culture of this immaculate household, may God’s blessings be upon them all, and establishes their individual and social lives based upon it.

And may God bless Muhammad and his progeny