Hadith 440

Nasr said, ‘And it is reported by Al Shaby, ‘Ali-asws said on the day of Siffeen when the people accepted the truce: ‘These people will not become turning towards the truth, nor will they be answering to a word of equality until they are shot at with the arrows, pursued by the soldiers, and until they are pelted by the battalions, restrained by the legions, and until the police drag them in their cities, followed by the police, and until the cavalries attack them in areas of their land, and in their primary paths and their battlegrounds, and until there are raids upon them from every direction. And until they are met by a truthful people, patient, the one who dies does not increase them in any destruction, from their slain ones and their deceased in the Way of Allah-azwj except in exertion in obedience of Allah-azwj, and eagerness upon meeting Allah-azwj. And we were with Rasool-Allah-saww. The killing of our fathers, and our sons, and our brothers, and our uncles, that did not increase us except in Eman and submission. And they continued upon the past pains, and strived upon fighting the enemy, and the independence of the duelling pairs, and it used to be the man from us and another from our enemies, competing like two competing horses, and they were being sincere themselves as to which of them two would make his counterpart drink a cup of death. So, at times it was for us from our enemies, and at times for our enemies from us. When Allah-azwj Saw us being sincere, patient, He-azwj Sent down the suppression with our enemies and Send down the Help upon us; and by my-asws life! If we had come with similar to what you are coming with, the religion would not have stood and there would have been no honour for. And I-asws swear by Allah-azwj! You will be milking the blood. Memorise what I-asws am saying to you all’ – meaning the Khawarijites’’. [68]