the merits of Muāwiya—may Allah be pleased with him—hadiths intended to enrage (1) the Rāfidis. Certain Rāfidis likewise became fanatically partisan and fabricated hadiths disparaging him. Both groups committed a grievous wrong.”

As for his statement:

“He went to extremes in fighting Alī.”

There is no doubt that the two armies—the armies of Alī and Muāwiya—fought each other at Siffīn. Muāwiya was not one to choose war from the outset. Rather, he was among those most determined (2) that no fighting should take place, while others were more eager to fight than he was.

Regarding the fighting at Siffīn, people have held several views. Some say that each of the two exercised independent judgment [and was correct] (3). This is maintained by many scholars of theology, jurisprudence, and hadith who hold that every qualified scholar exercising independent judgment is correct, and who say that both men exercised such judgment. This is the view of many Asharīs, Karrāmīs, jurists, and others. It is also the view of a group (4) of the followers of [Abu Hanīfa and al-Shāfiī] (5), Ahmad, and others.

The Karrāmīs say that each was a legitimate imam whose judgment was correct, and that two imams may be appointed when necessity requires it.

Others say that one of the two was correct, without specifying which one [and this is the view of a group among them].

Still others say that Alī alone was correct, while Muāwiya exercised independent judgment but erred. This is maintained by groups of theologians and jurists belonging to the four schools of law.