and His Messenger, and that what al-Hasan did in this regard was among his greatest virtues and merits, for which the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—praised him. Had fighting been obligatory or recommended, the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—would not have praised anyone (1) for abandoning an obligation or a recommended act. For this reason, the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—did not praise anyone (2) for the fighting that occurred on the Day of the Camel or at Siffīn, let alone what occurred in Medina on the Day of al-Harra, what occurred in Mecca during the siege of Ibn al-Zubayr, or what occurred during the civil strife involving Ibn al-Ashʿath, Ibn al-Muhallab, and other such conflicts.

It has, however, been mass-transmitted from him that he commanded fighting the Kharijite renegades whom the Commander of the Faithful, Alī ibn Abī Tālib—may Allah be pleased with him—fought at al-Nahrawān after they had rebelled against him at Harūrā’. Prophetic reports commanding that they be fought are abundantly transmitted. When Alī—may Allah be pleased with him—fought them, he rejoiced at having done so and narrated the hadith concerning them. The Companions agreed that they should be fought, as did the leading scholars after them. This fighting was not [in their view] (3) like the fighting against the people of the Camel, at Siffīn, or in other conflicts for which there was neither a textual warrant nor consensus. Nor did the most virtuous of those who took part in such fighting commend it; rather, they regretted it and withdrew from it.

This hadith is one of the signs of the prophethood of our Prophet Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—for he said what he said concerning al-Hasan and praised what he praised in him, [and what he said and praised] (4) accorded with the reality that came to pass more than thirty years later. For Allah’s reconciliation, through al-Hasan, between the two groups