The Tribulations
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ {11} أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَٰكِنْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ {12}
And when it is said to them, Do not make mischief (Fitna) in the land, they say: But rather, we are the reconcilers (rather making peace) [2:11] Indeed! They themselves are the mischief makers, but they are not recognising (it – the Fitna they are creating) [2:12]
. عن أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام قال: إنّ الله تبارك وتعالى يُعذّب ستّةً بستّةٍ: العرب بالعصبيّة، والدهاقنة بالكِبْر، والأُمراء بالجور، والفقهاء بالحسد، والتُجّار بالخيانة، وأهل الرستاق بالجهل
Ameer-ul-Momineen-asws said: Allah-azwj the Almighty will Punish six groups of people: 1- Arabs for racism, 2- The headmen, or chiefs of a village or town for haughtiness, 3- Rulers for oppression, 4- Jurisprudents for jealousy, 5- Businessmen for cheating, 6- Villagers for ignorance.”[1]
Amir ul-Momineen Ali-asws Ibn Abi Talib-asws foretells the severity of the Fitna hitting the Muslims due to them being far away from the true teaching of Islam:
وَ قَالَ ع يَأْتِي عَلَى النَّاسِ زَمَانٌ لَا يَبْقَى فِيهِمْ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ إِلَّا رَسْمُهُ وَ مِنَ الْإِسْلَامِ إِلَّا اسْمُهُ وَ مَسَاجِدُهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَامِرَةٌ مِنَ الْبِنَاءِ خَرَابٌ مِنَ الْهُدَى سُكَّانُهَا وَ عُمَّارُهَا شَرُّ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ مِنْهُمْ تَخْرُجُ الْفِتْنَةُ وَ إِلَيْهِمْ تَأْوِي الْخَطِيئَةُ
And he-asws said: ‘There shall come a time upon the people, there will not remain among them, from the Quran except its ritual, and from Al-Islam except its name. Their Masjids in those days would be built up of the construction, in ruins of the guidance, and its dwellers and its religious ones would be the evilest of the people of the earth. The Fitna would come out from them and to them will the sins shelter.
يَرُدُّونَ مَنْ شَذَّ عَنْهَا فِيهَا وَ يَسُوقُونَ مَنْ تَأَخَّرَ عَنْهَا إِلَيْهَا يَقُولُ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ فَبِي حَلَفْتُ لَأَبْعَثَنَّ عَلَى أُولَئِكَ فِتْنَةً [أَتْرُكُ] تَتْرُكُ الْحَلِيمَ فِيهَا حَيْرَانَ وَ قَدْ فَعَلَ وَ نَحْنُ نَسْتَقِيلُ اللَّهَ عَثْرَةَ الْغَفْلَةِ
‘They will return the one who turns away from it, to it, and they would usher the one staying back from it, to it. Allah-azwj the Glorious Says: “I-azwj Swear by Myself-azwj! I-saww shall Send such Fitna upon them, it will leave the wise ones to be confused during it!” And He-azwj will Do so, and we seek Pardon of Allah-azwj for the stumbles of neglect’’[2]
قَالَ ع كُنْ فِي الْفِتْنَةِ كَابْنِ اللَّبُونِ لَا ظَهْرٌ فَيُرْكَبَ وَ لَا ضَرْعٌ فَيُحْلَبَ
He-asws (Amir ul Momineen-asws) said: ‘During the Fitna (discord) be like the young camel, neither a back for the riding nor an udder to be milked’. [3]
NB: https://hubeali.com/fitna-strife-in-the-land/
[1] Mishkat ul-Anwar fi Ghurar al-Akhbar, H. 782.
[2] Nahj Al Balagah – Saying 369
[3] Nahj Al Balagah – Saying 1