the judgment in that matter to human arbiters; had He willed, He could have judged Himself. He also says: “If you fear a breach between the two, appoint an arbiter from his family and an arbiter from hers” (Q 4:35). Have I answered this point?’ They said, ‘Yes.’

I continued, ‘As for your objection that he fought yet took no captives: he fought your own mother, for Allah says, “and his wives are their mothers” (Q 33:6). If you claim she is not your mother, you have fallen into disbelief; and if you admit that she is your mother, then it was never permissible to take her captive. Thus you are caught between two errors. Have I dealt with this?’ They replied, ‘Yes.’

I then said, ‘Regarding your statement that he erased the title “Commander of the Faithful” from the document, let me explain. Do you not remember that on the day of al-Hudaybiyah the Messenger of Allah ﷺ concluded a treaty with Suhayl ibn ʿAmr? He said, “ʿAlī, write: This is what Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, has agreed upon.” They protested, “Had we known you were the Messenger of Allah we would not have fought you; instead, write your own name and the name of your father.” The Prophet said, “O Allah, You know that I am Your Messenger,” then took the parchment, erased the phrase with his own hand, and said, “ʿAlī, write: This is what Muhammad son of ʿAbd-Allah has agreed upon.” By Allah, that erasure did not remove him from prophethood. Have I clarified this for you?’ They said, ‘Yes.’

A third of them returned, a third withdrew, and the remaining third were killed upon their misguidance.

ʿAwf related: Abū Naḍrah told us from Abū Saʿīd that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘My community will divide into two groups, and between them a renegade faction will break away; the group that is closer to the truth will kill them.’ Qatādah and Sulaymān al-Taymī narrated the same from Abū Naḍrah.

Ibn Wahb reported: ʿAmr ibn al-Ḥārith told us, from Bukayr ibn al-Ashajj, from Busr ibn Saʿīd, from ʿUbayd-Allah ibn Abī Rāfiʿ, that when the Ḥarūriyya emerged