And whoever judges that this fighting causes more harm than benefit knows that it is fighting amid civil strife, in which obedience to the ruler is not obligatory. Obedience to him is obligatory only when the person commanded does not know, on the basis of a scriptural text, that the command entails disobedience to Allah. Whoever knows that this is fighting amid civil strife—which is better avoided than undertaken—is not obliged to set aside a specific, directly applicable text in favour of a general, unrestricted text concerning obedience to those in authority. This is especially so since Allah Most High has commanded that disputes be referred to Allah and the Messenger.

This is supported by the fact that the Messenger foretold the injustice and transgression of rulers after him, yet forbade fighting them, because doing so would be beyond people’s capacity: its harm would outweigh its benefit. Likewise, Muslims were forbidden to fight in the early days of Islam, as Allah mentions in His words:

“Have you not seen those who were told, ‘Restrain your hands’?”

Similarly, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his Companions were commanded to endure patiently the harm inflicted by the polytheists and hypocrites, and to pardon and overlook their offences until Allah brought His command.

The second line of reasoning is that the group became transgressing as events unfolded, through such overt acts as appointing a ruler and calling him Commander of the Believers, cursing the rightful ruler, and similar acts. These constitute transgression, unlike the fighting that preceded them, which was fighting amid civil strife.

Allah, glorified is He, mentioned the fighting between the two groups of believers, then said:

“But if one of them transgresses against the other”.

Since He commanded fighting when one of the two warring groups transgresses, this indicates that one of those groups may be transgressing at one stage but not at another.

Thus, the texts enjoining abstention from fighting amid civil strife would apply before the transgression, while those describing the group as transgressing would apply thereafter. Fighting alongside ‘Alī would then be obligatory once