التحكيم بعد صفين

After the lifting of the Qur'ans, the document of arbitration was written between Ali and Mu'awiya. It provided that Abd Allah ibn Qays and Amr ibn al-As (may God be pleased with him) should judge between the community, and that the judgement should be given by Ramadan. ¹

al-Tabari relates that a man from the side of the mosque said: "No judgement but God's." Then men followed, calling for arbitration. Ali replied that judgement belongs to God. ²

The people of Syria chose Amr ibn al-As. al-Ash'ath and those with him insisted on Abu Musa, despite Ali's objection and his saying that Abu Musa was not trustworthy. The document stated that the two arbiters should revive what the Qur'an revives and cause to die what it causes to die, and should not follow their own desires. Its drafting took place a few days before the end of Safar 37 AH. ³

al-Mas'udi mentions that the first to speak the words "No judgement but God's" was Urwa ibn Udhayna. ³

The reports differ over the number killed. Yahya ibn Ma'in reported one hundred and ten thousand from both sides, over a hundred and ten days. al-Haytham ibn Adi, al-Sharqi ibn al-Qatami and Abu Mikhnaf reported seventy thousand, among them twenty-five men who had fought at Badr. al-Mas'udi preferred a higher figure. ³

The indexes point to the meeting of the two arbiters at Dumat al-Jandal. See the meeting of the arbiters at Dumat al-Jandal. ⁴