Muslim Political Dynamics Post-Tahkim: A Case Study of the Shiffin War
Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi, Vol. 5, No. 9, September 2024 3783
political situation and conditions at that time were in a chaotic position. So the conflict
between the two was resolved by war (Syifa, 2022).
Actually, from the beginning of the election, initiation, until the election of Ali bin
Abi Talib to serve as caliph, he was always faced with a complicated political
atmosphere, because of the interference from various parties who wanted to bring him
down. Until the Jamal war, it was suspected that many provocateurs tried to pit the
companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) against each
other. Fortunately, some companions were not provoked, such as Sa'ad bin Abi Waqqas,
Sa'id bin Zaid, Zaid bin Tsabit, Muhammad bin Maslamah, Abdullah bin Umar, and
Abu Musa al-Ash'ari. However, some of the companions were provoked, such as Talhah
and Zubair, who then together with 'Aisha resisted Ali bin Abi Talib in the battle of
Jamal. (Mubarrak, 2020).
As in the Jamal war, even in the Shiffin war, Ali bin Abi Talib could not avoid
confronting Mu'awiyah bin Abi Sufyan, because the two could not agree on peace, so
on Wednesday, 8 Shafar 37 H./26 July 657, there was the Shiffin war, which was
viewed, especially by Muslim historians, as a heartbreaking slander, because it was
from that war that the spirit of brotherhood between Muslims and Muslims was really at
a nadir. (El-Shimy, 2015). Not to mention, the Shiffin war also continued with a feud
between Ali bin Abi Talib and his followers and the Khawarij, known as the Nahrawan
orang, which although it ended in victory on the side of Ali bin Abi Talib, on the 20th
of Ramadan 40 H. (660 AD.) Ali bin Abi Talib was killed by one of Khawarij's
followers Abdur Rahman bin Muljam (Ariga & Ilham, 2023).
When faced with Alli bin Abi Talib, Mu'awiyah was often underestimated, even
though he was one of the companions who had advantages compared to other
companions. Among other things, it was he who Umar bin al-Khaththab trusted to unite
the whole of Sham under his leadership and some of his important tasks. (Nahar, 2020).
The Prophet (saw), as narrated by Abdullah bin Abbas, acknowledged him as a Faqih.
(Kubro & Faizah, 2019). Ibn al-Arabi stated, that if anyone thinks that it was Mu'awiyah
who poisoned Hasan bin Ali so that he died, it is a lie, for two reasons. First, Hasan bin
Ali had handed over his leadership to Mu'awaiyah, so that there was no concern of
Muawiyah about Hasan. Second, there is no evidence that Muawiyah has done it, let
alone supported by justice and his safe attitude. (Alomar, 2016). Ibn Taymiyyah, in his
book Minhâj as-Sunnah, 2/225, as quoted by Ibn al-Arabi, stated, that the accusations of
the Shi'a against Mu'awiyah, that he was the one who poisoned Hasan is an accusation
without evidence.
Method
This article is the result of a search of manuscripts about the Shiffin War, its
background, and impact, both in the form of books, journals, and non-book articles that
are expected to map the problem of conflict between the two Muslim forces represented
by Ali bin Abi Talib and Mu'awiyah bin Abu Sufyan and their supporters to find out the