حياة السلف بين القول والعمل

The stance of the early Muslims regarding fighting during times of strife and the regret of those who engaged in it: Mutarrif, may God have mercy on him, said: “Strife does not come to guide people, but rather it comes to fight the believer for his religion. And for God to say, ‘Why did you not kill so-and-so?’ is more beloved to me than for Him to say, ‘Why did you kill so-and-so?’” [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/362].

The position of the Salaf regarding fighting in times of strife and the regret of those who engaged in it: On the authority of Abu Aqil Bashir bin Uqba, he said: I said to Yazid bin Al-Shikhkhir, may God have mercy on him: What did Mutarrif do when people were in turmoil? He said: He would stay in the depths of his house, and he would not go near them for Friday prayers or congregational prayers until it was over. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/475].

The position of the Salaf regarding fighting during the fitna (civil strife) and the regret of those who engaged in it: On the authority of Abu Al-Aliyah, may God have mercy on him, he said: When the fighting between Ali and Muawiyah took place, I was a young man, so I prepared myself, put on my weapons, and then I went to the people. There were two lines whose ends could not be seen. He said: So I recited this verse: “And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally.” [An-Nisa: 93] He said: So I returned and left them. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/367].

The position of the Salaf regarding fighting in times of strife and the regret of those who engaged in it: On the authority of Ibrahim al-Nakha’i, may God have mercy on him, he said: They used to say and hope that if a Muslim man meets God with his hands clean of blood, God will pardon him and forgive him for all his other sins. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/91].

The state of the Salaf with regard to the temptations of desires and women: On the authority of Ali bin Zaid, on the authority of Saeed bin Al-Musayyab, may God have mercy on him, he said: Satan does not despair of anything except that he comes to him from the direction of women. And Saeed said to us, and he was eighty-four years old and one of his eyes was gone and he saw dimly with the other: There is nothing more frightening to me than women. [Sifat Al-Safwa 2/438].