the fight against the rebels, related what he related from the Prophet—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—concerning them, called them believers, and applied to them the rulings governing believers. The same was true of ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir.”

Muhammad ibn Nasr also said:

“Ishāq ibn Rāhawayh reported to us: Yahyā ibn Ādam reported to us, from Mufaddal (1) ibn Muhalhal, from al-Shaybānī, from Qays ibn Muslim, from Tāriq ibn Shihāb, who said:

‘I was with ʿAlī when he finished fighting the people of Nahrawān. He was asked, “Were they polytheists?” He replied, “They fled from polytheism.” He was then asked, “Were they hypocrites (2)?” He replied, “The hypocrites remember Allah only a little.” He was asked, “Then what were they?” He replied, “They were a people who rebelled against us, so we fought them.”’”

(* Muhammad ibn Nasr also said: “Ishāq reported to us: Wakīʿ reported to us, from Misʿar, from ʿĀmir ibn Sufyān (3), from Abū Wāʾil, who said: A man asked, ‘Who was summoned (4) to the gray mule on the day the polytheists were killed?’ ʿAlī replied, ‘They fled from polytheism.’ The man asked, ‘Were they hypocrites?’ He replied, ‘Indeed, the hypocrites remember Allah only a little.’ He asked, ‘Then what were they?’ He replied, ‘They were a people who rebelled against us, so we fought them and were granted victory over them.’

He said: We were told (5) by Ishāq: Wakīʿ reported to us, from Abū Khālida (6), from