Siffīn. If Muʿāwiya may be excused for not putting ʿUthmān’s killers to death, either(1) because he was unable to do so or because this would have led to turmoil, division(2) within the community, and the weakening of his authority, then ʿAlī has a greater claim to be regarded as excused [to an even greater extent](3) than Muʿāwiya, since the turmoil, division(4) within the community, and weakening of his authority that would have resulted from putting the killers to death—had he sought to do so—would have been even more severe.

Anyone who maintains that it was right for Muʿāwiya to cause the deaths of the many people slain in the conflict between him and ʿAlī for the sake of putting ʿUthmān’s killers to death must concede that putting a smaller number to death for that purpose would have had an even stronger claim to be right. Yet when Muʿāwiya assumed power(5), he did not do so and did not put ʿUthmān’s killers to death.

This is because the evil inherent in civil strife becomes known only after it has receded. When it first approaches, however, it is made alluring and people imagine that it contains good. Once they have tasted its evil, bitterness, and affliction, its harmfulness becomes clear to them and serves as a warning not to become involved in anything like it again. As [one of them](6) recited:

War, when first she comes, is a youthful maiden,
Parading her beauty before every fool.
But once she catches fire and her blaze flares high,
She departs(7), an old woman without a husband(8)