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we wanted to choose a fact of his life as a slogan, it would be this expression: "Sincerity, and let be what
will be."
In the sphere of jihaad, Al-Ash'ariy carried his responsibility in such a glorious and heroic manner
that it made the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) call him, " Master of horsemen, Abu Muusaa." He shows us
a picture of his life as a fighter when he says, "We went out with the Messenger of Allah on a military
campaign and our feet were full of holes and my feet were also full of holes until I lost my toe nails and
we wrapped our feet with rags."
His goodness and the peace of his real conviction and inner-most thoughts were not provoked by an
enemy in battle. He was in such a posture that he saw matters in complete clarity and he decided them
with decisive willpower and determination. It happened that while the Muslims were conquering the
kingdom of Persia, Al-Ash'ariy came down with his army upon the people of Isfahan, who agreed to pay
him the jizyah so he made a peace settlement with them.
However, it seems that they were not truthful in their agreement. They only wanted to make
themselves ready for the opportunity to prepare a treacherous attack. Nevertheless, in the time of need
the cleverness of Abu Muusaa was not oblivious to their secret plan. He perceived and saw through their
scheme and the evil plans they were contriving, so when they began their attack the leader was not taken
by surprise. Therefore, the war overwhelmed them, and the first half of the day was not over before he
gained a decisive victory.
In the battles in which the Muslims engaged against Imperial Persia, the performance of Abu
Muusaa (May Allah be pleased with him) was outstanding, and his fighting for the cause of Allah was
noble.
In the Battle of Tustar particularly, in which Hurmuzan withdrew with his army to fortify his
position and gathered massive armies, Abu Muusaa was the hero. On that day, the Commander of the
Faithful `Umar supplied him with a massive number of Muslims, at the head of which were `Ammaar
Ibn Yaasir, Al-Baraa' Ibn Maalik and Anas Ibn Maalik and Maja'ah Al-Bakriy and Salamah lbn Rajaa'.
The two armies - the Muslims under the command of Abu Muusaa and the Persians under the command
of Hurmuzan - met in the battle which was one of the fiercest in ruthlessness and violence. The Persians
withdrew inside the fortified city of Tustar and the Muslims besieged it for many days until Abu Muusaa
employed his skill and intelligence and sent 200 cavalry men with a Persian agent. Abu Muusaa
instructed him to enter the fort in order to open the gate of the city in front of the advanced guard which
he chose for the mission. The gates had hardly opened when the soldiers of the advanced guard charged
on the fortified citadel until Abu Muusaa swooped down with his army in a massive attack.
He captured this important fortified position in only hours, and the Persian leader surrendered, after
which Abu Muusaa sent them to Al-Madiinah to learn the Commander of the Faithful's judgment.
However, this fighter of great prowess did not leave the field of battle until he changed to a persistent
worshiper with much weeping, and was mild-tempered, peaceable, and gentle-hearted as a sparrow.
He recited the Qur'aan with such a voice that made the inner heart of the one who listened to it
tremble that the Messenger (PBUH) said about him, " Abu Muusaa was given a musical voice like the
musical instruments of the people of Dawuud." Every time Umar saw him he called him to recite to him
from the Book of Allah saying to him, "Make us aspire to our Lord, O Abu Muusaa."
Also, Abu Muusaa did not participate in fighting except against the army of the polytheists or
armies fighting against the religion, wanting to extinguish the light of Allah Whenever there was a fight
between Muslims, he indeed ran away from it and never had any role in it. This position of his was clear
in the dispute between `Aliy and Mu'aawiyah and in the war which ignited between the Muslims, as we
shall see.
Perhaps this point, from the account which follows, will bring us to an understanding of the most
famous position of his life, and that is his position in the arbitration between Imam `Aliy and