Khuzayma bin Thabit — Dhul-Shahadatayn, the Sahabi who stood with Imam Ali after Ammar exposed the rebellious group
Khuzayma bin Thabit was not an ordinary fighter.
He was a Companion of the Prophet ﷺ.
He was the famous Dhul-Shahadatayn — the man whose testimony the Prophet ﷺ made equal to the testimony of two men.
And Sunni sources record that he was from the senior men of Imam Ali’s army and was martyred with Imam Ali a.s at Siffin.
His case is extremely important because it connects directly to Ammar bin Yasir.
The Prophet ﷺ had said:
Ammar will be killed by the rebellious group.
When Ammar was killed at Siffin, Khuzayma understood the sign.
He said:
قد بانت لي الضلالة
“Now misguidance has become clear to me.”
Then he fought on Imam Ali’s side until he was killed.
Core narration 1: The Prophet made Khuzayma’s testimony equal to two witnesses
Arabic:
أنّ النبيّ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم جعل شهادته شهادة رجلين.
English:
“The Prophet ﷺ made his testimony equal to the testimony of two men.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar, al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, biography of Khuzayma bin Thabit.
Status:
Sunni biographical report.
Comment:
This is why Khuzayma is known as Dhul-Shahadatayn.
He was not a random soldier.
He was a recognized Sahabi with a special virtue from the Prophet ﷺ.
Core narration 2: Al-Bukhari-linked report mentions Khuzayma as the one whose testimony was made equal to two
Arabic:
فوجدتها مع خزيمة بن ثابت الّذي جعل النبيّ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم شهادته بشهادتين.
English:
“I found it with Khuzayma bin Thabit, the one whose testimony the Prophet ﷺ made as two testimonies.”
Reference:
Sahih al-Bukhari’s report on the collection of the Qur’an; also quoted by Ibn Hajar in al-Isabah.
Status:
Sahih al-Bukhari-linked report.
Comment:
Sunni books themselves preserve Khuzayma’s special rank.
So when this man stands with Imam Ali a.s at Siffin, his position cannot be brushed aside.
Core narration 3: Al-Dhahabi says Khuzayma was from the senior men of Imam Ali’s army
Arabic:
وكان من كبار جيش علي، فاستشهد معه يوم صفين.
English:
“He was from the senior men of Ali’s army, and he was martyred with him on the day of Siffin.”
Reference:
Al-Dhahabi, Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’, biography of Khuzayma bin Thabit.
Status:
Sunni biographical / historical report.
Comment:
This is clear:
من كبار جيش علي
“from the senior men of Ali’s army.”
So Khuzayma’s side at Siffin was Imam Ali a.s’s side.
Core narration 4: Al-Dhahabi says he was killed in 37 AH carrying the banner of Banu Khatmah
Arabic:
قتل رضي الله عنه سنة سبع وثلاثين وكان حامل راية بني خطمة.
English:
“He was killed in the year 37 AH, and he was the bearer of the banner of Banu Khatmah.”
Reference:
Al-Dhahabi, Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’.
Status:
Sunni biographical / historical report.
Comment:
Year 37 AH is the year of Siffin.
This means Khuzayma, the Sahabi Dhul-Shahadatayn, was martyred in Imam Ali’s camp at Siffin.
Core narration 5: Khuzayma waited for Ammar’s killing before fighting
Arabic:
ما زال جدي كافا سلاحه يوم الجمل حتى قتل عمار بصفين، فسل سيفه فقاتل حتى قتل، قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: تقتل عمارا الفئة الباغية.
English:
“My grandfather kept his weapon restrained on the day of Jamal until Ammar was killed at Siffin. Then he drew his sword and fought until he was killed. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘The rebellious group will kill Ammar.’”
Reference:
Musnad Ahmad, Hadith of Khuzayma bin Thabit.
Status:
Supporting report.
Comment:
This is powerful.
Khuzayma did not act blindly.
He waited for the Prophetic sign.
When Ammar was killed, he knew the killer-side was the rebellious group.
Core narration 6: Ibn Sa‘d’s version — “Misguidance has become clear to me”
Arabic:
شهد خزيمة بن ثابت الجمل، وهو لا يسل سيفا، وشهد صفين، وقال: أنا لا أقاتل أبدا حتى يقتل عمار، فأنظر من يقتله، فإني سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: تقتله الفئة الباغية. فلما قتل عمار قال: قد بانت لي الضلالة. ثم اقترب فقاتل حتى قتل.
English:
“Khuzayma bin Thabit witnessed Jamal but did not draw a sword. He witnessed Siffin and said: I will never fight until Ammar is killed, so I may see who kills him, for I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘The rebellious group will kill him.’ When Ammar was killed, Khuzayma said: ‘Misguidance has now become clear to me.’ Then he advanced, fought, and was killed.”
Reference:
Ibn Sa‘d, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra; also preserved in Ibn Asakir’s Tarikh Dimashq.
Status:
Historical report.
Comment:
Read the words carefully:
قد بانت لي الضلالة
“Misguidance has become clear to me.”
What misguidance?
The side that killed Ammar.
And who killed Ammar?
Muawiya’s side at Siffin.
Core narration 7: The hadith of Ammar is sahih
Arabic:
تقتل عمارا الفئة الباغية.
English:
“The rebellious group will kill Ammar.”
Reference:
Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim.
Status:
Sahih.
Comment:
Even if someone debates the chain of Khuzayma’s personal statement, the main Prophetic hadith is already sahih.
Ammar was with Imam Ali a.s.
Muawiya’s side killed Ammar.
The Prophet ﷺ called Ammar’s killer group:
الفئة الباغية
“The rebellious group.”
Core narration 8: Ibn Hajar says Ali was correct because Muawiya’s supporters killed Ammar
Arabic:
ودل حديث: تقتل عمارا الفئة الباغية على أن عليا كان المصيب في تلك الحرب لأن أصحاب معاوية قتلوه.
English:
“The hadith ‘The rebellious group will kill Ammar’ proves that Ali was correct in that war, because the supporters of Muawiya killed him.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Fath al-Bari.
Status:
Sunni hadith commentary.
Comment:
This is not Shia emotion.
This is Ibn Hajar saying:
عليا كان المصيب
“Ali was correct.”
Why?
Because:
أصحاب معاوية قتلوه
“Muawiya’s supporters killed him.”
Core narration 9: Ibn Kathir says Ali was upon truth and Muawiya was rebellious
Arabic:
قتله أهل الشام، وبان بذلك وظهر سر ما أخبر به الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم من أنه تقتله الفئة الباغية، وبان بذلك أن عليا محق وأن معاوية باغ.
English:
“The people of Syria killed him, and by that the secret of what the Messenger ﷺ foretold became clear — that the rebellious group would kill him. By that it became clear that Ali was upon truth and Muawiya was rebellious.”
Reference:
Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, events of Siffin.
Status:
Sunni historical commentary.
Comment:
Ibn Kathir’s words are direct:
عليا محق
“Ali was upon truth.”
معاوية باغ
“Muawiya was rebellious.”
So do not pretend both sides were equal.
Core narration 10: Ibn Hajar also reports Khuzayma’s martyrdom at Siffin
Arabic:
أن خزيمة استشهد بصفين.
English:
“Khuzayma was martyred at Siffin.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar, al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, biography of Khuzayma bin Thabit.
Status:
Sunni biographical report.
Comment:
Ibn Hajar collects the report that Khuzayma was martyred at Siffin and also mentions the narration that he drew his sword after Ammar was killed.
Important academic note:
There is a minority/conflicting report that says the Khuzayma at Siffin was another Khuzayma, and that Dhul-Shahadatayn died earlier.
But major Sunni sources such as Ahmad, Ibn Sa‘d, Ibn Hajar’s al-Isabah, and al-Dhahabi’s Siyar preserve the report that Khuzayma bin Thabit Dhul-Shahadatayn was with Imam Ali a.s at Siffin and was martyred there.
So the fair wording is:
Sunni sources preserve the report that Khuzayma bin Thabit Dhul-Shahadatayn stood with Imam Ali a.s at Siffin and was martyred there, especially after Ammar’s killing exposed the rebellious group.
Now ask honestly:
Why did Khuzayma wait for Ammar?
Because he knew the hadith.
Why did he fight after Ammar was killed?
Because the Prophet ﷺ had already identified Ammar’s killer group.
Why did he say:
قد بانت لي الضلالة
“Misguidance has become clear to me”?
Because Ammar’s blood made the truth of Siffin clear.
Ammar was with Imam Ali a.s.
Khuzayma was with Imam Ali a.s.
The Prophet ﷺ said Ammar would be killed by the rebellious group.
Muawiya’s side killed Ammar.
Khuzayma then fought on Imam Ali’s side until he was martyred.
Qur’an says:
Arabic:
وَإِنْ طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا، فَإِنْ بَغَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا عَلَى الْأُخْرَى فَقَاتِلُوا الَّتِي تَبْغِي حَتَّى تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ.
English:
“And if two groups of believers fight, then make peace between them. But if one of them rebels against the other, then fight the one that rebels until it returns to the command of Allah.”
Reference:
Qur’an 49:9
And the Prophet ﷺ said:
Arabic:
تقتل عمارا الفئة الباغية.
English:
“The rebellious group will kill Ammar.”
Reference:
Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim.
Khuzayma bin Thabit was a Sahabi.
He was Dhul-Shahadatayn.
He waited for the sign of Ammar.
When Ammar was killed, he knew misguidance had become clear.
Then he fought with Imam Ali a.s until he was martyred.
So do not use “ijtihad” to erase the words of the Prophet.
Do not use Imam Hasan a.s’s treaty to erase Ammar’s blood.
Do not pretend Khuzayma’s stand means nothing.
The treaty stopped future bloodshed.
It did not cancel the Prophetic hadith.
It did not turn the rebellious group into the rightful side.
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