( 424 )
biters abide by the stipulation of the document
they
would be ruling according to what God has revealed.
Had the rebellious extremists said that the two chosen
arbiters were not qualified to issue a judgment
they would
have been right and this was the Imam's opinion. But the
extremists were the ones who forced him to accept the two
arbiters while he knew they were the worst choice.
Ibn Al-Auss was an arch enemy of the Imam. Abu
Musa was extremely limited in knowledge and understanding. His past during the days of Omar and Othman indicates his unscrupulousness in religion. His recent past at
the beginning of the reign of the Imam indicates that he
was following selfish interests. He hated the Imam and did
everything in his power to discourage people of Kufa from
supporting the Imam to regain his authority in Bassrah.
The two arbiters undoubtedly were not qualified to
decide in a matter about which the nation was divided.
Yet the Imam was not responsible for choosing them. He
accepted the invitation for the arbitration and accepted the
two arbiters under pressure and unwillingly.
These extremists themselves were a very important part
of the power which forced the Imam to do that.
However the lack of qualification of the two arbiters
for making a decision does not prevent their commission
as arbitrators because the acceptance of their decision was
conditioned by their adherence to the teaching of the Holy
Book and the instructions of the Holy Prophet.
VIOLENT EXTREMISM
The truth is that the Seceders never were
moderate in any of their stands. At the beginning they were the most
zealous for arbitration and they threatened the Imam
with war if he insisted upon the continuation of the war.
They considered his continuation of the battle
after he was invited to accept the rule of the Book of God
an unforgivable major sin and a disbelief in Islam.( 5 )
( 5 ) Ibn Al-Atheer Al-Kamil part 3 pp. 171-173-174.
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