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Do not fight a person who does not fight you,
and do not oppress the Jews and Christians who
have made a pact with the Muslims.
Imam 'Ali
Now we should see what Imam 'Ali did against these
unmanly raids and bloody assaults of Busr, the
commander of Mu'awiyah's army. As usual he stood
up against wrong and injustice and asked the people's
aid to remove these agents of tyranny and oppression.
The Kufans as usual received his order coldly,
as if they had no wish to defend their realm,
which was exposed to destruction; as if the dust
of death was scattered over their city. The painful
outcries of Imam 'Ali echoed in the mosque and
city of Kufah, but it could not awaken the motionless
and dead spirits of the Kufans.
Some time passed until one of the remaining heirs
of Islam's warriors, named Jariyah ibn Qudamah,
rose and responded positively to the call of the
Imam. According to al-Ya'qubi, the Imam issued
the following order on dispatching him on this
mission: "Never fight a person who does not
fight you. Never kill a wounded person. Even if
you and your men are forced to go on foot, never
seize people's horses forcefully. In inhabited
places and springs never take the lead over the
owners of water, and consume only their extra
supply of water, even then, with their approval.
Never abuse or reproach a Muslim, since in such
a case it would be necessary for others to admonish
you. Never oppress the followers of divine books
who have made pacts with the Muslims."
Another part of this order states: "Do not
shed anyone's blood except where you are ordered
by God, in the same way that your duty is to protect
people's blood for the sake of God."(176)
In the book of al-Gharat we read the following
about the defensive battles of Jariyah: Jariyah
left Kufah and at first he went to Basra, and
from there he went towards Hejaz, and advanced
until he reached Yemen. At this time Busr learnt
of
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