“Say, “You will not be accountable for our misdeeds, nor will we be accountable for your deeds.” (Qur’an 34:25)
“Allah will judge between you on Judgment Day regarding your differences.” (Qur’an 22:69)
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Some people ask what our view or understanding of Ibn Muljam is. Before understanding the positions that may exist concerning Ibn Muljam it is important for one to be familiar with various positions in regard to Ali ibn Abu Talib.
You can find the three stances that are found in the school here:
How can an individual be both in walayah and bara’ah with the righteous?
Possible scenario.
Person A left Gwadar Port. The people of that place know person A to be upright and fair dealing. However, Person A, when he arrives in Port Bell, is known to swindle and cheat people.
The righteous people at Gwadar port judge based upon his outward actions. The righteous at Port Bell judge based upon his outward actions.
The actions of the person in Port Bell never reach the people of Gwadar port.
The Ibadi and Ibn Muljam.
First, one has to realize that the early community of Muslims who differed with Ali’s decision at Siffin were not very fond of the Umayyads. Thus, it is not difficult to imagine that every grievance one had with the Umayyads would most likely would have implicated Ali in some way shape or form.
In a recent interview, Shaykh Sassi Ben Yahyateen from Tunisia (h) mentioned Ibn Muljam.
This is from the following interview:
Interviewer: In my research, I found a historical accusation I don’t want to believe, so I will ask you about it. It is said that the Ibadis venerate and sanctify Abdul Rahman ibn Muljam, who killed Imam Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). What is your response?
Shaykh Sassi: You will not find in any reliable, respected book the sanctification of Abdul Rahman ibn Muljam.
Interviewer: What is the stance of Ibadis…
Shaykh Sassi: and Abdul Rahman ibn Muljam is not Ibadi. They say he was Sufri.
Interviewer: So, what is your stance on this figure?
Shaykh Sassi: We do not attack or sanctify any person in our books. If the accusations of murder are proven, he will be held accountable for it. We do not exonerate anyone. Conversely, you will not find cursing of any person in our books.
Interviewer: So, the murder is not proven in your narrations?
Shaykh Sassi: The murder is proven. But who killed? Who incited? Who planned? This is found in Hisham Ja’it and found in other books that explain it.
Prima Qur’an comments: “and Abdul Rahman ibn Muljam is not Ibadi. They say he was Sufri.“
With due respect to the esteemed Shaykh, Ibn Muljam was neither Ibadi nor Sufri. That is because these political/juristic distinctions did not happen until later.
One of our teachers Shaykh Hilal Al Wardi when asked about Abdur-Rahman Ibn Muljam gave a fair and balanced perspective concerning him (Abdur-Rahman Ibn Muljam).
As the Shaykh said, in general, no one speaks well or ill of him
However, out of the thousands of Ibadi scholars that existed down through the ages there are some exceptions to the general rule.
Three examples of those exceptions.
For example: Abdullah ibn Muhammed ibn Barakah (r), a major scholar of the Ibadi school. He explicitly states in it the disavowal (al-bara’ah) of Ali, disavows Ali, and the allegiance (walayah) to Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam, and being pleased with him, and praying for mercy on him (tarahhum).” Meaning “May Allah have mercy on Ibn Muljam, and may Allah be pleased with him”, and disavows Ali ibn Abi Talib.
So this is the view of the respected Shaykh. It is not a view that all the Ibadi scholars agree with.
The second example.
In The book Al-Siyar wa-l-Jawabat li-‘Ulama’ wa-A’immat ‘Uman which was compiled and edited by Sayyidah Ismāʻīl Kāshif, who published the collection of these historical Ibadi text we find a view that states:
“We said to them: Likewise, Allah commanded Ali to fight them, so it is not permissible for him to abandon that nor to consider it forbidden to kill them until they fulfill the command of Allah.” This is evidence of the disbelief and misguidance of Ali, and the correctness and justice of the people of Nahrawan. “Then Ali (Allah scattered his command) was killed by Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam out of anger for Allah, and that was permissible for him because he killed him.” Allah! “Those who command justice from the people. May Allah have mercy on Abd al-Rahman.”
This is the view of those who put Ali in bara’ah. When you see the word ‘disbelief’ yes you can read that as kufr. You have to understand that kufr for us is of two types. One that expels form the millat of Islam and one that does not. The example for Ali ibn Abu Talib is the example of that which does not expel from the millat of Islam.
We explained this here:
Shaykh Hilal (h) continues…
So there are three things in relation to Abdur-Rahman ibn Muljam.
- That he took the right of the people of Al Nahrawan. Ali killed them with injustice and Abdur-Rahman was applying Qisas. *
- That Abdur-Rahman Ibn Muljam fell in love with a woman named Qatam bint Shajna and that he chanced upon her while she was broken with grief over the loss of loved ones at Al Nahrawan. Abdur-Rahman Ibn Muljam proposed to marry her at which she wanted as dowry the head of Ali Ibn Abu Talib.
- That Al-Ash’ath bin Qais, the double agent was not done sabotaging Ali. That Mu’awiya received word of what happened at Nahrawan and how people were deeply displeased with Ali’s actions (we saw the cooling in relation between Ali and Ibn Abbas-ra) and we also noted that Ibn Abbas (ra) was with Ali at the battles of Jamal and Siffin but absent at Nahrawan. Mu’awiya received word of the people’s displeasure sent Al-Ash’ath bin Qais who chanced upon Abdur-Rahman Ibn Muljam and hatched the plot to kill Ali.
*Note* There are historical reports that Abdur Rahman Ibn Muljam was with Ali in the killing of the people of Al Nahrawan, felt guilt and remorse and wanted to make amends by extracting vengeance upon Ali. The other is that he was with the people of Al Nahrawan all the while.
Other information is that he migrated during the Caliphate of ‘Umar (ra) And that he had received knowledge of Islam at the hands of Mu’aath ibn Jabal (ra) he was among the people of piety, and jurisprudence and among the and he was among the qurrā and the people of Fiqh and worship.
Source: ( al-Aʻlām: Qāmūs Tarājim li-Ashhar al-Rijāl wa-al-Nisāʼ min al-ʻArab wa-al-Mustaʻribīn wa-al-Mustashriqīn by Khayr al-Dīn al-Ziriklī -publisher Dār al-ʻIlm lil-Malāyīn, Bayrūt, Lubnān, 2002 )
So for us in the Ibadi school we don’t have this view that the blood of the people of Nahrawan is cheap and Ali’s blood is expensive. Just like we do not say the blood of an Arab is expensive and the blood of the Non Arab is cheap.
Justice is blind to status, lineage, or political allegiance.
No one is above the law.
We remind the people of what Allah (swt) says:
“That is why We ordained for the Children of Israel that whoever takes a life unless as a punishment for murder or mischief in the land—it will be as if they killed all of humanity; and whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity.” (Qur’an 5:32)
If anyone has an issue with Shaykh Hilal’s comments then this person would take issue with the Blessed Prophet (saw) himself who said:
Narrated `Aisha:
Usama approached the Prophet (saw) on behalf of a woman (who had committed theft). The Prophet (saw) said, “The people before you were destroyed because they used to inflict the legal punishments on the poor and forgive the rich. By Him in Whose Hand my soul is! If Fatima (the daughter of the Prophet (saw) did that (i.e. stole), I would cut off her hand.”
Source: (https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6787)
No one from among the Muslims is exempt from the justice of Islam, regardless of their status, clan, heritage etc.
So it could simply be that Abdul Rahman Ibn Muljam wanted revenge for the death of his loved ones, friends, and family who fell to Ali’s army. There are some people who among Muslims that believe that the blood of Ali is expensive and the blood of other Muslims is cheap. No, this is not the case at all. Nonetheless Allah (swt) is the final judge. In regard to Abdul Rahman Ibn Muljam acting as some type of lone wolf. The last he knew is that the people of Nahrawan were unjustly attacked by Ali’s forces. To his (Ibn Muljam’s) knowledge there was no peace treaty or terms reached with Ali or his forces. Thus, being in a state of war he continued to act as a person in a state of war whose last legitimate authority was attacked and killed.
“Two years later Seyyidina Ali was murdered by one Ibn Muljam in 40H (661 CE) to avenge the massacre of the relatives of his wife at the battle of Nahrawan. The conspiracy to kill him was hatched, according to Jalaluddin Assyuti, In Mecca, not in Basra where there was a large concentration of the people of Nahrawan. The identity of Ibn Muljam is not known but some historical sources allege that he was a Khariji, and so they accuse the Khawarij including the Ibadhis, of having murdered Seyyidna Ali. Today some Muslim leaders bitterly complain that the Western media unjustifiably accuse Muslims in general of terrorism because of the tragedy which happened in the World Trade Center in New York on 11th of September, 2001 and perpetrated by a group of young men belonging allegedly to the Islamic faith. But the same Muslim leaders had been in the forefront in accusing Ibadhis today for a crime which was committed by one man almost 1400 years ago. Allah will punish the individual who murdered Seyyidna Ali but not all future generations belonging to a particular sect or madh-hab.”
Source: (pg.152 Ibadhism The Cinderella of Islam by Shaykh Soud H. Al-Ma’awaly)
Prima Qur’an comments: So you can see by the title of Seyyidina in front of the name Ali that Shaykh Soud H. Al-Ma’awaly is among those who believe that Ali repented for his actions. Though, we do not know on what basis he says that Allah (swt) will punish Ibn Muljam for his actions if the news of Ali’s repentance did not reach Ibn Muljam or as stated above no news of a cessation in hostilities reached him (Ibn Muljam). Allah knows best.
Lastly, Nahrawan & Karbala. Can you imagine if those of our school commemorated the atrocity of Nahrawan in the way that many Shi’a do with Karbala. Think about it. Imagine if every year people from the Ibadi school commemorated the massacre of the Muslims of al Nahrawan with poems, and wailing, and public displays of anger and sadness. How is that helpful to the unity of Muslims to commemorate such historical tragedies?
And a large majority of those killed from Ahl Nahrawan were companions and thousands of Muslims and the majority of those killed from Ahl Nahrawan that day were from the best of people on the earth that day and the most ascetic. Amongst them were those who fought the battle of Badr; those who gave allegiance under that tree and reciters and the best of the tabi’un.
So as regard Ibn Muljam and the killing of Ali rather it was done with justice or not done with justice. It is best to leave it to history. However, if people want to be emotional about it we can propose the following.
We can say to those filled with emotion: “You make du’a that if Ali was not killed with justice that the one who killed him will be dealt justly by Allah and we will say Amin along with you.Likewise make du’a that if the people of Nahrawan were not killed with justice that the one’s who killed them be dealt justly by Allah and we will say Amin along with you.
“If some of you do believe in what I have been sent with while others do not, then be patient until Allah judges between us. He is the Best of Judges.” (Qur’an 7:87)
Simple. No one from our school has any reason to be uncomfortable. So that is that, and let us move forward as an Ummah.
Our way is to be civil and to move on from the issues of the past.
This is unlike those Sunni Muslims on social media who come to the defense of the Umayyads dynasty and they frequently post pictures of Ali with his head severed. Or those Shi’i who made an entire film disparinging Umar ibn Al Khattab (ra) or who frequently insult Lady Aisha (ra).
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May Allah Guide the Ummah.
May Allah Forgive the Ummah.
Prima Quran 