Making Peace between Disputing Muslims

Allah commands making peace between Muslims that fight each other,

وَإِن طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا ...

And if two parties among the believers fall to fighting, then make peace between them both.

Therefore, Allah calls both opposing groups among Muslims, believers, although they are fighting each other. Al-Bukhari and other scholars relied on this Hadith as evidence that committing a sin does not nullify faith, no matter how major the sin is. This creed contradicts the creed of the Khawarij sect and those who accepted their idea, such as the Mutazilah sect.

Al-Bukhari narrated that Al-Hasan said that Abu Bakrah said;

the Messenger of Allah gave a speech on the Minbar while Al-Hasan bin Ali was with him. He was repeatedly looking at Al-Hasan and then at the people; then said,

إِنَّ ابْنِي هذَا سَيِّدٌ وَلَعَلَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى أَنْ يُصْلِحَ بِهِ بَيْنَ فِئَتَيْنِ عَظِيمَتَيْنِ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِين

Verily, this son of mine is a Sayyid (chief or master), and may Allah make peace between two great groups of Muslims through him.

What the Prophet said, occurred. Al-Hasan brought peace between the people of Ash-Sham and Iraq, after they fought tremendous wars and frightening battles.

Allah's statement,

... فَإِن بَغَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا عَلَى الْأُخْرَى فَقَاتِلُوا الَّتِي تَبْغِي حَتَّى تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ ....

But if one of them outrages against the other, then fight you (all) against the one that which outrages till it complies with the command of Allah.

means, until the rebellious group refers to the commands of Allah and His Messenger for judgement and they listen to and obey the truth.

There is a Hadith in the Sahih in which Anas states that the Messenger of Allah said,

انْصُرْ أَخَاكَ ظَالِمًا أَوْ مَظْلُومًا

Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is oppressed.

"I asked, `O Allah's Messenger! It is right that I help him if he is oppressed, but how should I help him if he is an oppressor?'

He said,

تَمْنَعُهُ مِنَ الظُّلْمِ فَذَاكَ نَصْرُكَ إِيَّاه

By preventing him from oppressing others; this is how you help him in this case.''

Sa`id bin Jubayr said that tribes of Aws and Khazraj once got in a scuffle using date tree branches and slippers. Allah revealed this honorable Ayah commanding them to make peace between them.

As-Suddi said,

"A man from Al-Ansar, whose name was Imran, had a wife called Umm Zayd. She wanted to visit her family, but her husband prevented her from visiting them by locking her in an upper room. So, none of her family could visit or see her. She sent someone to her family. They came, took her down from the room and wanted to take her away. Her husband was absent at the time, so his family called on their people. Their cousins came to help prevent the wife from going with her family. A push and shove situation occurred that led to them fighting using slippers.

This Ayah was then revealed in their case, and the Messenger of Allah sent someone to bring peace between them, and they both agreed to resort to the decision of Allah the Exalted.''

The statement of Allah the Exalted, next,

... فَإِن فَاءتْ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا بِالْعَدْلِ وَأَقْسِطُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ ﴿٩﴾

Then if it complies, then make reconciliation between them justly, and be equitable. Verily, Allah loves those who are the equitable.

means, be fair in your judgement regarding the dispute that occurred between them,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ (Verily, Allah loves those who are the equitable), Ibn Abi Hatim recorded, that Abdullah bin `Amr said that the Messenger of Allah said,

إِنَّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ فِي الدُّنْيَا عَلَى مَنَابِرَ مِنْ لُؤْلُؤٍ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الرَّحْمنِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِمَا أَقْسَطُوا فِي الدُّنْيَا

Verily, those who are equitable in this life, will be on podiums made of pearls before Ar-Rahman, the Exalted and Most Honored, on account of their fairness in this life.

An-Nasa'i collected this Hadith.