( 100 ) The battle was halt so that the Quran may be made arbiter...

( 100 ) The battle was halt so that the Quran may be made arbiter, so that an arbitration council may be constituted and the arbitrators of both the sides as is enacted in the Quran and Sunnah may sit to decide the matters and remove the animosities or it may add yet another difference to the existing ones and may make worse what was bad. Ali said, "They should appoint their arbitrator so that we may appoint ours".

They without little difference rather unanimously appointed Amr-bin-'As, the craftiest of the world, to be their arbitrator. Ali proposed that Abdullah bin Abbas the well-known statesman or Malik-ul-Ashtar, the devoted and far-sighted faithful, or a man of their caliber may be appointed (as arbitrator). But the asinine went in search of their own homogeneous and proposed Abu Moosa, an unwise person who had no mutuality with Ali.

The more Ali and his friends asked them that Abu Moosa was not a man fit for the job, the more they disagreed with each else. He said: "If the things have assumed these proportions, then do whatever you like". Ultimately he, with the assumptive authority of an arbitrator from the side of Ali and his friends, joined the arbitration council. After months of consultations, Amr bin 'As said to Abu Moosa, "It is better that in the larger interest of Muslims, neither Ali nor Mo'awiyah should be there.

We must elect a third person and he could be no other than your son-in-law, Abdullah bin Omar. Abu Moosa replied, "You are right. What is now the difficulty? " He said, "You should remove Ali from Caliphate and I shall remove Mo'awiyah. Thereafter the Muslims should go to elect a befitting person. They will definitely elect Abdullah bin Omar. Thus the disputes will be out rooted".

( 101 ) They agreed to this proposition and made proclamation for the public to assemble for hearing the results to be announced. People collected, Abu Moosa looked towards Amr bin 'As to take the pulpit and declare his verdict. Amr bin 'As said, "I? You are the gray-hair and veteran companion of the Prophet. I will never take courage to have precedence on you in expressing my views". Abu Mossa moved from his seat and sat on the pulpit. Hearts were beating fast.

Eyes were dazzled and breaths were held up in the bosoms. All were zealously expectant of what could the result be?