The Battle of Nahrawan

Ali's reaction to the Arbitration decision

The arbitration decision came as a great shock to Ali. Ali had hoped that as the umpires were to take the decision in accordance with the injunctions of the Holy Quran, they would act with a due sense of justice and fair play. The decision that was taken was neither just nor fair. It was taken in the spirit of the old Arab traditions of the age of Ignorance and was repugnant to Islamic values. The umpires were supposed to judge the relative merits of Ali and Muawiyah in the light of Islamic values and then choose one out of the two. The umpires did nothing of the sort. Abu Musa the umpire of Ali had some bias against Ali because Ali had deposed him from the governorship of Kufa, and hence wittingly or unwittingly he acted against the interests of Ali. Ali had been duly elected as the Caliph by the authorized electorate and Abu Musa had no authority to depose Ali. 'Amr b Al-6Aas the umpire of Muawiyah was a clever man, and taking advantage of the weakness in the stand of Abu Musa, he manipulated victory for Muawiyah. The entire arbitration proceedings thus turned out to be a farce based on betrayal and trickery. It nevertheless created an embarrassing position for Ali. The arbitration agreement had provided that the decision of the umpires was to be binding on both the parties. According to the terms of the agreement, Ali was bound to accept the decision and step aside from the office of the Caliph. Ali held the office as a trust from God and he could not betray such trust on the basis of a decision, which was arbitrary, frivolous, and capricious, and therefore no decision. Ali could not, therefore, accept the decision, and the only option loft with him was to renew the war against Muawiyah who had manipulated to win power through underhand means. Ali accordingly gave call for arms and exhorted the people to join the war for the vindication of the truth and the suppression of falsehood. The people responded enthusiastically to the call, and soon an army of 65,000 strong was assembled.

The Kharijites

After the Battle of Siffin the Kharijites had separated from the community and camped at Harura a few miles from Kufa. Their stand was that Ali had made a mistake in accepting the arbitration of men Ali was asked by them to lead them to war against Muawiyah. Ali had tried to conciliate them, and assured of them that he would lead them to war in case the decision of the umpires was against the injunctions of Islam. Some sort of conciliation was brought about between Ali and the Kharijites, and most of the Kharijites returned to Kufa. The Kharijites were a restive and over sensitive people of the extremist type. The Kharijites slipped from Kufa one by one, established a settlement at Nahrawan, a few miles to the east of the Tigris near Madain. The Kharijites from Basra and elsewhere in Iraq also migrated to Nahrawan Here the Kharijites gathered in strength. They elected an Amir of their own. They were very meticulous in observing prayers and following other injunctions of Islam. They aspired to live sinless lives. They declared that they were not interested in the affairs of this world, and that they had sold their lives to win paradise in the next world. Where a Kharijite picked up a date under a date tree and ate it he subsequently cut his right hand himself on the ground that the eating of the date without purchasing it from the owner amounted to a theft. On the other hand when any Muslim indulged in any controversy with them, they invariably killed him. They held that no one except themselves was a Muslim, and it devolved on them to get rid of such people who did not agree with them. They let loose a reign of terror in the countryside and created a problem of law and order for the administration. When the Kharijites of Basra migrated to Nahrawan they met in the way some Muslims including Abdullah the son of an eminent companion Khabab. The Kharijites killed him as well as the woman who accompanied him.

When Ali was ready for a march to Syria he sent a message to the Kharijites asking them to join him in the march to Syria. Ali brought home to them the point that he had undertaken to lead them to war against Muawiyah after the decision of the arbitrators was known and now that he had repudiated the decision of the umpires and was leading a force to Syria they should 30in his ranks as originally agreed upon. The Kharijites gave an insolent reply to the invitation. They said that when they had asked Ali to lead them to war he was the Caliph of the Muslims, and it was incumbent on them to support him for thereby they were to serve the cause of God. After the decision of the umpires the position had been changed. According to this decision Ali had been deposed, and power had been vested in his rival Muawiyah. In these circumstances Ali was undertaking a campaign against Muawiyah for a personal end. They observed that as the warriors of God, they were committed to fight in the cause of God alone, and not in the cause of any particular person to secure a worldly end.

Ali felt that it was futile to argue with a fanatic people like the Kharijites. He was accordingly of the view that they should march to Syria without bothering for the assistance of the Kharijites. His army men however expressed the view that when they were to be away there was the danger that the fanatic Kharijites would terrorize and murder their families. Ali was accordingly prevailed upon to deal with the menace of the Kharijites before proceeding to Syria. Ali agreed to this view and the force that was to proceed to Syria proceeded to Nahrawan instead.

The Battle of Nahrawan

Ali marched with forces to Nahrawan. Reaching Nahrawan Ali planted a standard on the ground, and declared that those who came under the standard would have amnesty and safe conduct. Some persons deserted the Kharijite camp and were allowed amnesty and safe conduct to their houses. Thereafter Ali sent a message to the Kharijite asking them that should surrender the persons who were guilty of killing Abdullah b Khabab and other Muslims. The Kharijite refused to surrender any person, and declared that they would consider it to be a virtue to fight against Ali and his forces.

Ali marshaled his force and launched an attack against the Kharijites, with the battle cry "on to paradise," the Kharijites rushed on their troops of Ali. The Kharijites hardly numbered four thousand, while the troops Ali numbered about fifty thousand. The Kharijites fought desperately and frantically but they were outnumbered by the forces of Ali. Out of four thousand Kharijites, only two or three dozen Kharijites escaped; the rest were killed.

Ali won a decisive victory at Nahrawan, but it proved to be a hollow and fatal victory, which diverted Ali from his main war against Muawiyah. After the victory of Nahrawan, Ali felt that the victory would raise the morale of his people. That was however, not to be the case. Ali wanted that from Nahrawan he should proceed direct to Syria. His army, however, desired that they should return to Kufa and thereafter proceed to Syria after taking some rest. Ali agreed with the wishes of his troops. The army returned to Kufa and went to Nukhails outside Kufa. The troops given leaves for two or three days and were commanded to return to camp thereafter in order to proceed to Syria. The men left the camp, but did not return to march to Syria. Ali addressed the people in the mosque, and exhorted them to join the camp. He reproached them for their disobedience and accused them of treachery. These exhortations, reproaches, and accusations had no effect on the people, and heart broken Ali had to abandon the campaign to Syria. When we reflect at the events that happened it appears that there was something wrong with the military organization. The troops lacked discipline, and instead of obeying orders from above, the troops indulged in giving orders. The troops betrayed Ali at Siffin and forced him to stop the war when the victory was almost in sight. At Kufa Ali was betrayed by his troops again when they refused to march to Syria. This naturally led to the advantage of Muawiyah. When he got the intelligence that Ali was planning a march to Syria he led his forces to Siffin. When Ali had to abandon the campaign to Syria, Muawiyah withdrew his forces from Siffin and led them to Egypt with a view to wresting that prize province from the control of Ali. Misfortune was now stalking the footsteps of Ali. Henceforward he was faced not with the loss of territories alone, he came to be exposed to the danger of losing his life as well. Though most of the Kharijites were killed at the Battle of Nahrawan, some Kharijites escaped the massacre, and these people conspicuous for their fanaticism vowed vengeance against Ali. The victory of Nahrawan thus paved the way to the assassination of Ali, for a Kharijite assassinated Ali two years later.