those who love them.”

The effect of the Messenger of Allah’s love for them both, peace and blessings be upon him, became evident in their aversion to fighting during the civil strife. Usāma refused to fight alongside either group. Likewise, al-Hasan constantly advised ʿAlī not to fight, and when authority passed to him, he did what he had advised his father to do. May Allah be pleased with them all.

It is also authentically established in the Sahīh that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“A faction will break away at a time of division among the Muslims; of the two groups, the one closer to the truth will kill them.”

This breakaway faction was the Khawārij, whom ʿAlī ibn Abī Tālib fought. This is corroborated by the other hadiths commanding that the Khawārij be fought. They make clear that killing them is something Allah and His Messenger love, and that those who fought them alongside ʿAlī were closer to the truth than Muʿāwiya and his companions. Yet despite their being closer to the truth, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not command either group to fight as he commanded fighting the Khawārij. Rather, he praised reconciliation between them.

Many authentic hadiths establish the Prophet’s aversion to fighting during times of strife and his warnings against such strife, though this is not the place to recount them all. Among them is his saying:

“There will be times of strife in which the one sitting will be better than the one standing, the one standing better than the one walking, and the one walking better than the one running.”

He also said:

“Soon the best wealth a Muslim possesses will be sheep that he takes to the mountaintops and places where rain falls, fleeing strife to preserve his religion.”