Battle of Siffin: Difference between revisions

: My [[allegiance]] is public and all [[Islam|Muslims]] are committed to it, both the ones who were in Medina at the time of the allegiance and the ones who were in other cities such as [[Basra]] and Syria. You think that you can avoid pledging allegiance to me by accusing me of murdering 'Uthman. Everyone knows that I have not killed him and there is no [[qisas]] on me. 'Uthman's heirs are better-positioned than you to ask for his vengeance. You are one of the people who disobeyed 'Uthman, and when he asked for your help, you did not help him until he was killed.<ref>Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd, ''Sharḥ nahj al-balāgha'', vol. 3, p. 89.</ref>

Mu'awiya did not respond to the letter.<ref>Balādhurī, ''Ansāb al-ashrāf'', vol. 2, p. 211.</ref>

After the [[Battle of Jamal]], [[Imam Ali (a)]] resided in [[Kufa]] and tried to persuade [[Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan]] to obey him.<ref>Ibn Aʿtham, ''al-Futūḥ'', vol. 2, p. 375.</ref> When Imam Ali (a) realized that Mu'awiya will not be persuaded by his advice and that the noblemen of Kufa support the decision to go to war with [[Syria]], he called people to the battle in a public sermon. Imam Ali (a) wrote a letter to [[Abd Allah b. Abbas]] to call people of [[Basra]] to attend the battle; many people from Basra went to Kufa  together with 'Abd Allah b. 'Abbas. He also wrote a letter to [[Mikhnaf b. Sulaym]], the ruler of [[Isfahan]], and called him to join his army.<ref>Ibn Muzāḥim, ''Waqʿat ṣiffīn'', p. 115.</ref>

Also a number of women from Kufa attended the battle, encouraging the Army of [[Iraq]] against the army of Syria by reciting poems involving praises of Imam Ali (a) and his virtues. These women included [[Suda bt. Amara al-Hamadani]], [[Umm Sanan]],<ref>Ibn Aʿtham, ''al-Futūḥ'', vol. 2, p. 101.</ref> Zarqa' bt. 'Adiyy al-Hamadani,<ref>Ibn Aʿtham, ''al-Futūḥ'', vol. 3, p. 143.</ref> Umm al-Khayr and Jarwa bt. Murra b. Ghalib al-Tamimi.<ref>Ibn Bakkār, ''Ikhbār al-wāfidāt'', p. 36.</ref>

Mu'awiya's assistants and advisors in the battle included: [['Amr b. 'As]] (who resided in [[Palestine]] at that time, and Mu'awiya asked him to join his army and work as his advisor in Syria; he promised him to appoint him as the ruler of [[Egypt]])<ref>Ibn Aʿtham, ''al-Futūḥ'', vol. 2, p. 382.</ref>, [['Ubayd Allah b. 'Umar]], [['Abd al-Rahman b. Khalid b. Walid]], [['Abd Allah b. 'Amr b. 'As]], [[Marwan b. Hakam]], [[Mu'awiya b. Hudayj]], [[Dahhak b. Qays]], [[Busr b. Artat]], [[Shurahbil b. Simt al-Kindi]] and [[Habib b. Maslama]].<ref>Ibn Muzāḥim, ''Waqʿat ṣiffīn'', p. 195, 429, 455, 461, 552; Dhahabī, ''Siyar aʿlām al-nubalāʾ'', vol. 2, p. 392; vol. 3, p. 91.</ref>

The two armies met in the border of [[Rome]] on the north of [[Iraq]] and [[Syria]]. [[Imam Ali (a)]] sent [[Malik al-Ashtar]] to the army of [[Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan]] for talks before the war, emphasizing that Imam Ali's (a) army should not start the war. When Malik al-Ashtar departed the camps, the army of [[Syria]] had already started the battle. However, after this attack, the army of Syria retreated.<ref>Jaʿfarīyān, ''Tārīkh-i khulafāʾ'', p. 276.</ref>

After some sporadic clashes, in the month of [[Muharram]], there was a ceasefire between the two parties of war.<ref>Ibn Muzāḥim, ''Waqʿat ṣiffīn'', p. 196.</ref> However, negotiations between Imam Ali (a)'s representatives and Mu'awiya continued. Mu'awiya suggested as his main condition for a compromise the execution of people who, in his view, were accomplices in the murder of [['Uthman b. 'Affan|'Uthman]], such as [['Ammar b. Yasir]], [['Adi b. Hatam]], and Malik al-Ashtar.

On the first day of [[Safar]], there was a violent war between the two armies. Every day one of Imam Ali (a)'s commanders undertook the leadership of the frontline. On the first day Malik al-Ashtar, on the second day [[Hashim b. 'Utba]], on the third day [['Ammar b. Yasir]], on the fourth day [[Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya]], and on the fifth day [['Abd Allah b. 'Abbas]] led the frontline.<ref>Balādhurī, ''Ansāb al-ashrāf'', vol. 2, p. 305.</ref>

The army of [[Mu'awiya]] stood between the [[Euphrate]]s and the army of [[Imam Ali (a)]] and did not allow Imam's (a) soldiers to access the water. Imam (a) sent Musayyib b. Rabi' al-Riyahi and [[Sa'sa'a b. Sawhan]] to Mu'awiya and said, "go to Mu'awiya and tell him, ‘your soldiers have stood between us and the water and have blocked our access to water. Stop blocking the water so that our army and your use it equally, otherwise we have to fight over water and each of us wins, will be the winner of the war'."<ref>Ibn Aʿtham, ''al-Futūḥ'', vol. 3, p. 5-6.</ref>

During the conversation between Mu'awiya and Imam Ali's (a) messengers, Mu'awiya became angry and said, "Ali (a) will have no share of this water. God shall not give water to Mu'awiya and his father from the [[Pound of Kawthar]], if I let Ali (a) or his companions drink from the water of Euphrates; except, he (a) wins by the force of the sword."<ref>Ibn Aʿtham, ''al-Futūḥ'', vol. 3, p. 7.</ref>

Finally, the soldiers of Imam Ali (a) attacked the army of Mu'awiya and took over the Euphrates. Then, Imam Ali (a) ordered to let the water free for everyone and no one should prevent the people of [[Syria]]; thus, they went and took water from both armies.<ref>Ibn Aʿtham, ''al-Futūḥ'', vol. 3, p. 12-13.</ref>

Laylat al-Harir was a rough night during the battle of Siffin. The armies of Imam Ali (a) and Mu'waiya fought in that night and many soldiers of both sides were killed. According to [[al-Minqari]], in that night, there was no sound heard except the sound of hitting the swords which was more terrifying in the hearts of men than the sound of thunder or horrifying fall of mountains.<ref>Ibn Muzāḥim, ''Waqʿat ṣiffīn'', p. 475.</ref> [[Ibn Miskawayh]] described that night, "They fought in that night, so hard that spears broke and no arrow was left in quivers and then they began fighting with swords."<ref>Ibn Miskawayh, ''Tajārub al-umam'', vol. 1, p. 535.</ref>

In Laylat al-Harir, the soldiers of Imam Ali (a) were close to victory, until [[Ash'ath b. Qays al-Kindi|Ash'ath]] rose among al-Kindis, gave a sermon and with a peace-making tone, asked for stopping more bloodshed. According to hadiths, as soon as Mu'awiya was informed about the sermon of Ash'ath, ordered to put the copies of the [[Qur'an]] on the spears.<ref>Ibn Muzāḥim, ''Waqʿat ṣiffīn'', p. 480-481; Dīnawarī, ''al-Akhbār al-ṭiwāl'', p. 188-189.</ref>

when the army of Mu'awiya was about to be defeated because of the attacks made by [[Malik al-Ashtar]], Mu'awiya asked 'Amr b. al-'As for advice.<ref>Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd, ''Sharḥ nahj al-balāgha'', vol. 2, p. 210.</ref> By the suggestion of 'Amr b. al-'As and the order of Mu'awiya, people of Syria put volumes of the Qur'an on their spears, shouting: "O' people of [[Iraq]]! Let [[God]] be the arbiter between us". According to some accounts, they also shouted: "O' Arab people! Think about your women and daughters. If you die, who is going to fight the Romans, Turks and the Persians?"<ref>Ibn Muzāḥim, ''Waqʿat ṣiffīn'', p. 478.</ref> They thereby asked for ending the war. Imam Ali (a) ordered his army to continue the war, but most people in his army wanted to accept the arbitration. Thus Imam Ali (a) had to accept the arbitration.<ref>Ibn Muzāḥim, ''Waqʿat ṣiffīn'', p. 490.</ref>

Imam Ali (a) proposed [[Abd Allah b. Abbas]] or Malik al-Ashtar as his arbiter, and proposed [[Ahnaf b. Qays]] as a second or third arbiter, but some people did not accept his suggestions, and imposed [[Abu Musa al-Ash'ari]] to Imam Ali (a) as an arbiter. And people of Syria elected [['Amr b. al-'As]] as their representative for arbitration.<ref>Ibn Aʿtham, ''al-Futūḥ'', vol. 4, p. 197-198.</ref>

The two arbiters decided that 'Amr b. al-'As announces the removal of Mu'awiya from power, and Abu Musa al-Ash'ari announces the removal of [[Ali b. Abi Talib (a)]] from power, leaving the election of the [[Caliph]] to a council. 'Amr b. al-'As asked Abu Musa to announce the result of the arbitration ahead of him. Thus Abu Musa al-Ash'ari announced the removal of Imam Ali (a) from power, but when it came to 'Amr b. al-'As, instead of announcing the removal of Mu'awiya from power, he confirmed the dismissal of Imam Ali (a) by Abu Musa, and appointed Mu'awiya as the Caliph. After this, there was a quarrel between these two arbiters and they cursed each other.<ref>Ibn Muzāḥim, ''Waqʿat ṣiffīn'', p. 545.</ref>

Because of what happened in the arbitration, the two armies stopped the battle and [[Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan]] could escape the inevitable defeat of his army. After this, Imam Ali (a) tried to mobilize people to attack Syria, but people of [[Kufa]] and [[Hijaz]] did not comply with his orders. Moreover, a group called [[Khawarij]] was formed that launched the [[Battle of Nahrawan]] against [[Imam Ali (a)]].<ref>Balādhurī, ''Ansāb al-ashrāf'', vol. 3, p. 114-122; Ibn Muzāḥim, ''Waqʿat ṣiffīn'', p. 513-514; Ṭabarī, ''Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk'', vol. 5, p. 63, 72, 78.</ref>

There is controversy over the number of casualties in the two armies. According to some historians, 70,000 people were killed from both sides, 45,000 of whom were from the army of [[Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan]], and 25,000 of whom were from the army of [[Imam Ali (a)]].<ref>Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd, ''Sharḥ nahj al-balāgha'', vol. 2, p. 208; Ibn Muzāḥim, ''Waqʿat ṣiffīn'', p. 475, 558.</ref>

Among the martyrs of Imam Ali (a)'s army were 25 people who had fought in the [[Battle of Badr]] together with [[the Prophet (s)]],<ref>Ibn al-Jawzī, ''al-Muntaẓam'', vol. 5, p. 120.</ref> including:

• [[Hashim b. Utba]]

• [[Suhayl b. Amr al-Ansari]]

• [[Abd Allah b. Ka'b al-Muradi]]

•''Siffin'' by [[Jabir b. Yazid al-Ju'fi]]

•''Siffin'' by [[Aban b. Taghlib]]

•''Siffin'' by [[Abu Mikhnaf]]

•''Siffin'' by [[Muhammad b. 'Amr al-Waqidi]]

•''[[Waq'at Siffin (book)]]'' by [[Nasr b. Muzahim al-Minqari]]

•''Siffin'' by [[Hisham al-Kalbi]]

•''Siffin'' by [[Ishaq b. Bishr]]

•''Siffin'' by [[Abu Ishaq Isma'il b. 'Isa al-'Attar]]

•''Siffin'' by [['Abd Allah b. Muhammad b. Abi Shayba]]

•''Siffin'' by [[Yahya b. Sulayman al-Ju'fi]]

•''Siffin'' by [[Ibrahim b. Muhammad b. Sa'id al-Thaqafi]]

•The books ''al-Siffin al-kabir'' and ''al-Siffin al-saghir'' by [[Muhammad b. Zakariyya b. Dinar]]

•''Siffin'' by Mundhir b. Muhammad b. Mundhir b. Sa'id al-Qabusi

•''Siffin'' by [['Abd al-'Aziz b. Yahya b. Ahmad al-Jaludi]]

•''Siffin'' by Abu 'Abd Allah Husayn b. Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Halwani

•''Siffin'' by Ibrahim b. Husayn b. Dizil al-Hamadani

{{ref}}

*Balādhurī, Aḥmad b. Yaḥyā al-. ''Ansāb al-ashrāf''. Edited by Muḥammad Bāqir Maḥmūdī. Beirut: Muʾassisat al-Aʿlamī, [n.d].

*Dhahabī, Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-. ''Siyar aʿlām al-nubalāʾ''. Edited by Muḥib al-Dīn Abū Saʿīd. Beirut: Dār al-Fikr, [n.d].

*Dīnawarī, Aḥmad b. Dāwūd al-. ''Al-Akhbār al-ṭiwāl''. Edited by ʿAbd al-Munʿim ʿĀmir. Cairo: [n.p], 1960.

*Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd. ''Sharḥ nahj al-balāgha''. Edited by Muḥammad Abū l-Faḍl Ibrāhīm. Beirut: Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, [n.d].

*Ibn al-Jawzī, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿAlī. ''Al-Muntaẓam fī tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk''. Beirut: Dār al-Ṣādir, [n.d].

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