Another point may be raised: since no actual fighting had yet taken place, how could he say, “We 1 killed you”?

The answer is that the phrase is an expression of intimidation 2 and menace—meaning, “If you fight us, we shall fight you and kill you on account of both the taʾwīl (interpretation) and the tanzīl (direct revelation).” On either construction the word taʾwīl is not intended to mean turning the wording away from its literal sense toward a figurative one.

This is the sense in al-Zuhri’s statement: “The fitnah broke out while the Companions of Muhammad were still numerous, and they unanimously agreed that any property or blood taken on the basis of a taʾwīl of the Quran is not subject to indemnity; they treated those involved as the people of jahiliyyah.” 3

That is, the two factions in the civil war fought only over the taʾwīl of the Quran—its explanation—and over the verse-meanings that each side thought supported it, until that led them to combat. The people of al-Jamal and of Siffin fought solely over the Quran’s taʾwīl, 4 the one side adducing it and the other adducing it. 5

Granted, the illegitimate taʾwīl was the interpretation advanced by the Syrians concerning the Prophet’s ﷺ words to ʿAmmar: “The rebellious faction will kill you.” 6 They said, “We did not kill him; rather, the one who brought him and cast him in the midst