THE EPISTLE OF

SALIM IBN
DHAKWAN
PATRICIA CRONE
AND
FRITZ ZIMMERMANN

Crone & Zimmermann, Salim Ibn Dhakwan’s Epistle Page 3. December 29, 2000, 12:18.
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Salim ibn Dhakwan, 8th cent.
[Sirat Salim ibn Dhakwan. English & Arabic]
The Epistle of Salim ibn Dhakwan / [edited by] Patricia Crone and Fritz Zimmer-
mann. – [1st ed.].
p. cm. – (Oxford Oriental monographs)
Arabic epistle which is here edited, translated, and discussed in full for the first
time.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and indexes.
1. Ibadites. 2. Kharijites. 3. Murji!a. 4. Islam–Doctrines. 5. Sh"h–Doctrines.
6. S"lim ibn Dhakw"n, 8th cent. S"rat S"lim ibn Dhakw"n. I. Crone, Patricia,
1945- II. Zimmermann, Fritz (Fritz W.) III. Title. IV. Series.
BP195.I3 S213 2001
297.8’33–dc21 00-024409
ISBN 0-19-815265-5

Typeset in Ehrhardt
by Atelier Fluxus Virus
http://www.fluxus-virus.com
Printed in Great Britain
on acid-free paper by
Biddles Ltd, Guildford and King’s Lynn.

Crone & Zimmermann, Salim Ibn Dhakwan’s Epistle Page 0. January 18, 2001, 23:24.
92 S ! R A T S " L I M: T E X T A N D T R A N S L A T I O N

"# ( <#;&6/* ## :#2(9# 78'6* [59] 5-4" 32#1 !0 *! /-.% ,!+! *! !) '(%& $ "#!! 485

IF>2CG* I$? IF68FHG /FD!0 E"!D#/ 3@="CB! !A8 1 #@?!>=!* 486

* RH0 %8 % I$? Q? 3@"8 P!O6/ 2 N-8%!M 7D /F$! -0* /FL?K JD-< 487

]F" IFL2\A/ 3@L#8 1 J[ZY Q? 4 3@WU%!* XOW !A EV U'T 3 "-8S! 488

"F+$" I$ * a 3@b2? /Fa>G I$ ]Z`#/* _!< "*U[8^a * R## # / 489

* ]Z`#/ d!% 3@b6$ /F0UB* c8&/ 3@b2? /*-84H1 3@2H0 490

hg6/ "*8-? 7Df "/"!c * (L2\A/ _/ b 'O1 5!He6!< "*%-#<# 491

ki-? *) j 7D#* 3@=/i!` /F2H0* c _/ I^&< "FD;@1 IF>8)&f 492

* JH2>0 RY! 7D (l--/ $ _/ 5F`" ', 3@b1 /F+& 3@OD 493

]!m6/ RY! /Fe6 %8 % /*"!` .8 [60] J4D /F2H0 7D#* I$? $ 5 3@+, 494

I! hg6/ ('!< (+/" I$46 (68FHD JH4bS* ## G#*f!4D& 495

]Z`#/* _!< "*U[8^* c8&/ n$ IFL2\A/ "$-1 k Jb2? 496

c8&/ 3@b2? /*-84H1 3@2H0 "F+$" I$ * 3@b2? /Fa>G I$ 497

Q# H(e# 6/ s/& [* P!O6/ r) %8 % /-VG-S jV !H0 (pq of% /F2HH0!1 498

"t 'w & !@b2? /FvD %6/ (L2\A/ Rb&` 7? ut" !b.2? I8$ .8 [61] 499

*g6/* cq&# !< 0f e( G# 6 _&/*d _/ 5!0* Jb1 _/ '# % -0 () ! $ _/ 500

k d "& o>#6/ X&bL\#6/ FY _#/ I8$ (1 ( # % IFv&e( G# j Jf Tf*i& 7Df IF?&-(G# 501

I! "*8-? $ _/ '%& I!* k e (# +f !&/ !f '#%()< _&/ x # '( 6#! 5!0*

e
502

*& -f6/ I#F'G* JyO#H(1f I#F'= j %8 %g * f _/ (! n$ 7 /F*bpf G# %8 %f "F2=!eG 503

/F2C41 _

('&%$#"! MSS
1 2 *+)" MSS 3 ,*)" MSS 4 0/.-"! MSS 5 (321 S (324 N
(32! HX 6 –HX 7 "6!54 S "654 N "54 HX
a-a Cf. 49: 9 (invoked at l. 503 below): FE:#: 78&D ('A"8 1 "62C</ 8 %D "6C;:;:B8" !A="@?" >:=< 7<%;5: $%9 78# !
... P<" !< 8 ) O# (N<#: "+ - ME< $8#: "?" "6C#<%LD K.:J8'" I& %@GH"*:-8# b Cf. 61: 13 (quoted at l. 130
above) c-c Cf. 3: 152 %= (X"W+ %= *
H : < V# >=< . . . 0< U<R8*1 ('HU:6ST2H#: R# ,H*:&8!: PH" (3B:*:/: *L?!Q
Y. . . 7:6$T2<#H d-d 40: 20 e-e 95: 8 f-f Cf. 49: 9 (n. a above) g-z 2: 193, 8: 39
NB: This section begins with the Battle of the Camel and ends with the “Kharijites.”

S ! R A T S " L I M: T E X T A N D T R A N S L A T I O N, I I 93
he had judged unjustly, neglected a fixed penalty (#add), or divided (rev-
enues) unfairly.
59. But !al"a, al-Zubayr, and their followers rose (up in arms), when
the command eluded them, and declared for #Uthm$n, seeking vengeance
for his blood — or so they said — they of all people, who had been among
the fiercest opponents of #Uthm$n until he was killed, the strongest critics
of his deeds, and the persons most bent on his destruction. The Muslims
reasoned with them on the Day of the Camel and admonished them in
the name of God and Islam not to transgress against them (cf. 49: 9) and
not to put them in the position of having to kill them. But they viol-
ated their right (not to be attacked by fellow Muslims) and tore the veil
of Islam (by charging?) towards them and starting to fight them. God
helped the Muslims and showed them of their enemy what they wanted
so that they routed them with God’s permission (cf. 3: 152) and killed
their leaders along with countless others. They treated them according
to the judgement passed by the Messenger of God on mischief-makers
among the people of his qibla and the judgement applied by themselves
to #Uthm$n and the people they had killed along with him.
60. Then they went to meet the Syrians, Mu#$wiya and his party, who
had declared for #Uthm$n and approved of his ways. The Muslims called
them to what is right and implored them by God and Islam not to trans-
gress against them and not to put them in the position of having to kill
them. But they violated their right (to freedom from attack), and so they
fought a fierce battle at %iff&n until people were wounded and many were
killed.
61. Then #Al& abandoned the path the Muslims had followed in the past
by making somebody other than God the judge in a case already settled
by God. God says, ‘And God shall decide justly, and those that they
call on, apart from Him, shall not decide by any means; surely God is
the all-hearing, the all-seeing’ (40: 20). And: ‘Is God not the justest of
judges?’ (95: 8) God’s judgement concerning their enemy was that they
should fight them till they reverted to God’s command (cf. 49: 9) and ‘till
there is no fitna and the religion

Crone & Zimmermann, Salim Ibn Dhakwan’s Epistle Page 93. December 29, 2000, 12:22.
94 S ! R A T S " L I M: T E X T A N D T R A N S L A T I O N

_/ ]#% /F1U8%a * JO? /F>t"* z6^ $ _/ '% /F2C841 z _f 504

_/ 5!0* _/ J6.! !D "t Q? I-,6/ /F6*8"=* a J4+/FD 7? 505

k b I#FO0fF"& /) Fe6f &V ( %& _f/ 7#Df 7&\#%(! 7D#* IFa&>(G# #f b82fYf !2/ '# ( && # +b 506

/F24{* "*8-? 7Df Jb6$ /F+!3* J+, /F+" hg6/ I!* [62] 507

Q? 3@WU%!* EV */-? J6 "-8S! 7Df J+&& !4V>#=# _/ '%& 508

Jb8&O6f _/ 5!0* c _f/ "fF$& ,!p9$c Q? 1 N"-8%!*M 3@H'2Y 509

d#!H'6/ 'b6- 5.+ hg6/ FY* &V # %# |af H#<(+ _f/ "# ( a#1#! 2 R0&d 510

*i $ "F2/ RY! '8 %* &V # %# _/ "t Q~? |a#H<(}1 k d ZV owp# D& 511

$ _/ "t '8 ) I! 4# "1 J<8" # ?!9 ];f6 7D# I8! 0K* [63] _/ 512

Rb&` ,!>=q/ I8!* #D8gf6/ JOD €.2f # 1fy ! Jb1 _/ '# % -0 () ! 513

$ FY* y 6Z+ (+# &/ 5'3 R>0 "!=FD* (OD/A/ 3 Q# H(0# 514

)I8!( 0K* k e _/ -O? fK(Uf6/* E!b&!<e 36 F{3* "j8 FHG z6^ 515

]F"* I$? RH0 ]#F" J\pT Jb2? FY I! 4 !D Q? ]!0! 7D# 516

(L2\A/ Gj*# n$ * c8&/ 4{/( n$ 6Zv6/ RY! $i* R#/ 517

/F+5!* z6^ /F[4 I&1 32(‚&6/ #L81! 7Df 0D 78w E0/76/* 518

-0 JT8! 06 FY* JD&i J6 5y Z* 5 5~ !+ Jb2? "-Y!! JO? 519

'%& J@bp\+ IFL2\A/ h!" #821 [64] k ]-6/ ]/U% #V2\D I! 520

('/ J[4( * *-H@A/ 7Df 0D 7D# Rb&` 7? JH>t"* _/ 521

_/ *i $ JLb'3* OH(pf 6/ 5*. -O? P!O6/ Jb2? /*-Y!! hg6/ 522

1(G*+Z)! Madelung ] (G*-"! S (G[J"! N (G[-"! HX

or 2 –ST 3 \;B S N
];B HX 4 >= MSS 5 _\^ MSS
a-a Y 0HU:6D.b2:4H (+aH P<" `:\X 76V@:S8$: . . .Q and 4: 46
Cf. 2: 75 . . .
Y. . . 0< V< ^<"6=: >& (:C<3:?" 76D.b2:4H . . .Q, sim. 5: 13, 41 (always of Jews) b-b 5: 50 c-c Cf. 9: 32
Y. . . P<" W:6%H "6,5< c84H 78) 7:!*4.<4HQ, sim. 61: 8 d-d 6: 114 e-e Cf. 3: 169 at ll. 123 f above
 S ! R A T S " L I M: T E X T A N D T R A N S L A T I O N, I I 95
is God’s’ (2: 193, 8: 39). But they suspended God’s judgement in this case,
shunning it, and they distorted God’s word by taking it out of context (cf.
4: 46 etc.) and interpreted the Qur'$n in a sense other than that in which
it was sent down. God says: ‘Is it the judgement of paganism, that they
are seeking? Yet who is fairer in judgement than God, for a people having
sure faith?’ (5: 50).
62. The enemy whose judgement they were so happy to accept as to
make him their judge, and thus to subordinate God’s judgement to his,
was among those most hostile to God, most bent on the destruction of the
Muslims, and most eager to extinguish the light of God (cf. 9: 32 etc.).
God says to His prophet: ‘Say: What, shall I seek after any judge but
God? For it is He who sent down to you the Book well-distinguished’
(6: 114). But #Al& did seek after a judge other than God, appointing people
of injustice as judges in God’s religion.
63. He claimed that those who clung to obedience to their Lord and who
refused to let anyone but God be their judge of anything already settled
by God were infidels who had forfeited their covenant of protection, and
that it was misguided to follow the path of the believers who had been
slain and died before the appointment of the two judges, though he was
still declaring for them and hoping that they would find eternal life and
sustenance with God (cf. 3: 169). He also branded as misguided those who
upheld the principles on which he himself had acted on the day #Uthm$n
was killed and on the Day of the Camel, (in other words those) who had
called on the people of error to return to what is right (#aqq) by siding
with the Muslims, disowning past imams of wrongdoing, (warning them
that,) if they refused and turned away, they would fight them over it in
holy war (jih$d) — those, he claimed, had forfeited their lives, though he
admitted that they had (previously) been Muslims whose lives it would
(therefore) have been unlawful to take.
64. When the Muslims saw how he was making a mockery of God’s
judgement, shunning the path of those who had been rightly guided in
the past, abandoning what they had fought for when the fitna broke out,
appointing someone other than God to be a judge in God’s religion,

Crone & Zimmermann, Salim Ibn Dhakwan’s Epistle Page 95. December 29, 2000, 12:22.
96 S ! R A T S " L I M: T E X T A N D T R A N S L A T I O N

J6!H0 7Df 1 Jb2? kF4"!< hg6/ ('/ 7? J?*.* _/ "t 523

kF42, _/ *& i U@‚G 2 *! J\pT 9# p= %8 % a "*w-?* _f/ *w-?a 524

b
(# +f !&/ "& ( B# FY*b _/ ',& IF+3* I-,6/ IF+8 ) /F{UB* 525

JT8! -@m" I! 7D# ',& k"/)$ * _/ '%& J[4( $ J6 (0"!pD 526

# p& T('/ /*;## * !@=g86* !bT-6/ EF@(S /F[:1 _f *~-? 1y !

x c
527

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(L2\A/ 7Df 3@2>0 0D 7D# Rb&` IF+3* k-%* _/ IF+8 ) 529

j* 3@3!\$ ƒ*1 IF28:H\" j* 3@DF0 #G8"8^& IF2HeG j 530

3@OD „/"A/ IF4CeG j* 36/FD! IF\L< j* 3@TF+$H\" 531

""t 4 N7D*M "iF@4% IF1F"* ""t n$ * 3@b6$ T!D'/ I*i8/G* 532

/F$F'G I! "t 7Df d 3@DF0 7Df 5& =f # 4(A&/* † '6/d "-O? 7D"G* 533

x# '( 6# * V 6>D R9!>6/* c8&/ (< N36 IF6>f G& j*M 3@H6Z+ $ IF'8m&"#
e 5
534

* "!2/ c8%g IF1$"# * f 3%U6/ IF2of"# f * k e 5& Zv6/ j8 $ cq&# / -#4% 535

3@b+!D n8 FHG* g 3@T!?( ! €'2D !D* Rb&\6/ 7/* 5-b6/* u%!o6/ 536

_/ u8, IF%8 !:HG h _&/ k!C?! %6/ # 2bvp6/h 3@b+!Af 7 )"-&?!0 $"# *( 6 "-#?!0 537

1 + >="4 !" MSS 2 ! MSS

Madelung ] 3 d%^! MSS ST 4 MSS

(cf. l. 846 below) ] ? 5 ('?R%f# e! S N (GR%f#e! HX (thus all MSS at l. 850 below)
6 (G*&%B! S N 7 Cf. l. 926 below

a-a Cf. 60: 1 (n. i below) b-b 7: 87, 10: 109, 12: 80 c-c Cf. 2: 207
Y. . . P<" i< %^!:8 (%E;<18h 0S:5U K# < 8 $: >=: g%A?" >=< !Q d-d Cf. 4: 90 f at ll. 242 f, 246 f
e-e Cf. 10: 32 Y. . . _H \k?" e+ # j2?" *V# "R%@D: . . .Q
above l b : : 8: f-f The Qur!"n

commends those who maintain blood-ties (13: 21 ]: / : 6$H 7) 01 PH" !:: + %= 76CHm<$: >4[?") rather than
sever them (2: 27, 13: 25 ]: / : 6$H 7) 01 PH" !:: + %= 76Vc:L8 4:, 47: 22 (3H=:%&W8+ "6VcbL#H . . . 7)); and cf.
8: 75, 33: 6 Y. . . P < " q%;X p n o V$1< O: !8+ ('kHV# "< %&W8." 6?H!-! . . .Q g-g Cf., e.g., 30: 38

Y. . . ]r'S?" >:18"! !: 3S8@:?"! 0HLl -: $: $8 H ?" "R d<#DQ. The most comprehensive list of those entitled
to charity is at 4: 36: W<%t?"! $$?" KR W<%t?"! ! < X%S@:?"! %: %;r?"! $: $8 H ?" K[1<! %Us%S-8/ ><4*:?<"6?%1! . . .
. . . (3H UH%@48+ F83:C:=: %=! ]<r'S?" ><18"! u<A8t:?%1 u<-%m?"! u<AHtH?" h-h Cf. 4: 95 at ll. 114–16 above
 S ! R A T S " L I M: T E X T A N D T R A N S L A T I O N, I I 97
and betraying the cause in which they had given him their allegiance,
namely to fight God’s enemy and theirs (cf. 60: 1) till he perished or God’s
religion prevailed, then they deposed him and went out (to fight), making
the Qur'$n their judge, satisfied with the judgement of God, who is the
best of judges (cf. esp. 10: 109), and separating from #Al& because he was
rejecting the judgement of God and accepting the judgement of a man he
used to declare an infidel and enemy of God. They gave up (all) desire
for this life and its pleasure(s) and sold themselves out of desire for the
approval of God (cf. 2: 207).
65. Then the Kh$rijite Muslims followed one another, adhering to that
way. They would make God their sole judge and accept the path of the
Muslims who had gone before them. They would not kill the offspring
of their qawm or hold sexual intercourse with their women to be lawful.
They would not expose their qawm to indiscriminate slaughter, treat their
property as booty, or sever relations of inheritance with them. They would
discharge their trusts to them and others, and honour their contracts [with
them and?] others. Those members of their qawm who restrained (their
hands and tongue) and withdrew from them would be safe with them,
even though (the Muslims) would neither doubt their error [nor grant
them?] a position between right and wrong, for there is nothing after truth
but error (cf. 10: 32). They would maintain blood ties (cf. 13: 21, etc.)
and respect the rights of neighbours, companions, orphans, travellers, and
slaves (cf. 4: 36, etc.). Those who went out (to fight) would affiliate to those
who stayed at home, <and those staying at home would acknowledge> the
superiority which God has granted to those who go out (cf. 4: 95). They
would love one another for the love of God

Crone & Zimmermann, Salim Ibn Dhakwan’s Epistle Page 97. December 29, 2000, 12:22.
98 S ! R A T S " L I M: T E X T A N D T R A N S L A T I O N

""e1 3@b8Ot @/F"* i _f/ Ef !+(#( 2!aHf<(/i !v4% 3@v4% n8 FHG* 538

7Af# /F[4 y p3!9 3@ODf €vD /^$ j Ef UBf8/ "f/-6/* _f/ Jf {(*# 2!aH<(/j 539

5Fe46/ h*^ -O? k # H<f!ˆ6/ ## ‡w&& /k "*8-? Q? 3@3!b6*! 7Df 8 N"Fp2w,M 540

7Df ƒUB .8 [66] k (OD/A/ 7Df "ˆ[ B#y %# /gY Q? 0A _/ ("< 3246/* 541

"-4%

8 ('5C( MSS
i-i Cf. 2: 207 (n. c above) and esp. 60: 1 i< vl6:@:?%1 ('r?# 76LH C8#H (%r?<!8+ (XH!l*H&! K!b*H&: "![f<;l#: e . . .Q
Y. . . %< %^!:8 (%E;<18"! Ir'w p "vs%'Z< (;Z8.:J: (;AX 7# . . . j-j see ll. 376 f above k-k see ll. 56 f
above
 S ! R A T S " L I M: T E X T A N D T R A N S L A T I O N, I I I 99
and affiliate to one another out of desire for God’s approval (cf. esp. 60: 1).
The rich among them would share with the poor out of desire for God’s
face (2: 272 etc.) and the last abode (cf. 28: 77). When a party of them
went (out? passed away?), they would leave to the friends they left behind 1
the ‘firm argument’ 2 against their enemies (that counted) with people of
understanding who knew God’s command. Large numbers of believers
proceeded in this way.

PART III

[The Az$riqa]
66. Then

1 Reading khallafʉhum. The MSS read khalafahum ‘(the friends who) succeeded them’.
2 Cf. l. 56.

Crone & Zimmermann, Salim Ibn Dhakwan’s Epistle Page 99. December 29, 2000, 12:22.