THE PREPARATION FOR THE BATTLE OF SIFEEN
Qays’s control of Egypt constituted a great threat on Mu’awiyah who started to prepare himself and the people of As-Sham to fight ‘ Ali and his soldiers in a fierce battle. Mu’awiyah feared that if he went to fight ‘Ali from the direction of Iraq he might surround him from behind – from the direction of Egypt -with the help of the Egyptians under the command of Qays. That is why Mu’awiyah did his best to make Qays join his ranks because winning Qays on his side meant gaining about one thousand men who were under Qays’s command in addition to the support of the Egyptians, and in this way he would secure himself from behind if the war broke out. However, Mu’awiyah’s efforts to win Qays on his side were all in vain, for Qays remained loyal to the Commander of the Faithful, ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him. Mu’awiyah lost all hope when he received Qays’s message saying: “In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Compassionate, from Qays Ibn Sa’d to Mu’awiyah Ibn Abi Sufyaan, it is wonder that you trick me, pin hope on me, and brush my view aside. Oo you want me to disobey the people in charge, who speak the truth and guide to the straight path, and are the most closest to Allah’s Messenger (i.e. ‘ Ali), and order me to obey you – how odd is this demand!”
When Mu’ awiyah failed to win Qays to his side, he tried to drive a wedge between Qays and ‘Ali. So he spread among the people of As-Shaam that Qays had joined his ranks and that he advised him about what to do, and he also treats the Ottomans well. Such a rumor reached ‘ Ali in Al-Kufa through his spies in As-Shaam but he did not believe at first. However, Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr and Muhammad Ibn Ja’ far Ibn Abi Taalib insisted that ‘Ali should order Qays to fight the Ottomans in Egypt who took the city of Kharbata as their stronghold. ‘Ali wrote to Qays ordering him to fight the ottomans but Qays refused and wrote to the ‘ Ali saying; “If you accuse me of disloyalty, you can depose me and assign somebody else in my place”. As a result, the caliph deposed him and assigned Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr in his place, but he could not hold his position for long. Mu’awiyah and his ally ‘ Amr Ibn Al-‘Aas seized his position and killed him in 38 AH.
In spite of all this, Qays remained loyal to ‘Ali and participated in the battle of Sifeen after he reconciled with ‘Ali who then realized that Qays was loyal and that it had been a conspiracy made by Mu’awiyah to divide them. ‘ Ali then sent one of the Companions, Jareer Ibn ‘ Abdellaah Al-Bajlyy with a message to Mu’ awiyah informing him of the agreement of the Muhajireen and the Ansaar to pledge allegiance to him while Talhah and Az-Zubayr refused, and asked him to pledge allegiance as well. When Jareer came to Mu’awiyah, the latter kept dragging out till Jareer could see for himself the support of the people and eager to take revenge on the murderers of ‘ Uthmaan whom ‘Ali did not punish, and made them join his army. Mu’ awiyah and ‘ Amr Ihn Al-‘ Aas convinced the people that ‘ Ali was keen on killing ‘ Ulhmaan, and that he supported his murderers.
Jareer saw all that, then he returned to Al-Kufa to report to ‘Ali without getting a response from Mu’awiyah, but he confirmed to ‘Ali that Mu’awiyah and his followers were determined to fight him. So ‘ Ali had no other alternative but to muster his army and prepare them for fighting Mu’ awiyah who was weaving conspiracies against ‘Ali and doing his best to turn the people against him using what happened in the battle of Al-Al-Jamal as evidence on his claims.
(Source: Biographies of the Rightly Guided Caliphs )
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