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Islamiyat IGCSEPDF 173
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Arbitration: Two arbitrators were selected. Ali’s forces who were mostly from Kufa and
Basra, called for Abu Musa Ashari to be their arbitrator. Ali argued that Abu Musa was
neutral and was not among his supporters; however, he gave in and 6 agreed. Muawiya on
the other hand chose Amr ibn al-Aas who was a heroic figure and a respected governor. He
skillfully commanded one of Muawiya’s divisions throughout the four-day battle of Siffin
and, in return of his support, had Muawiyya’s secret assurance for being resorted as the
governor of Egypt. Two days after the fighting had stopped at Siffin, Amr rode across the
battlefield and entered Ali’s camp to workout the details of the arbitration. The draft at the
end read that both parties agreed to bind themselves by Allah’s word. For Ali this truce was a
pressure of rebels who had assassinated the 3rd Caliph. When Talha and Zubair were killed
in the battle of Camel at Basra, Muawiya presented them as martyrs who had laid down their
lives in seeking revenge for the blood of Usman. He also criticized Ali for the ill-treatment of
Hazrat Aisha. As a result, not only Syria, but Iraq and Iran also were won over by this
propaganda. After the election of Ali, within a year, Muawiya gained enough strength to take
up offensive against the khalifa. Ali did not wish that Muslims should fight among
themselves. so he wrote to Muawiya that since the people who had elected Abu Bakr, Umar
and Usman had accepted him as khalifa, Muawiya and his followers must also accept him as
such. Otherwise they should be ready to face the consequences meaning a war. Muawiya’s
reply was that Ali must first hand over Usman’s assassins to him before further negations.
When war between Ali and Munawiya became inevitable, preparations for a battle were
made by both the sides. The khalifa managed to raise any army of eighty to ninety thousand
Muawiya also with a large army of 50000 proceeded against him. Both the armies met at
Siffin. The two armies that camped at Siffin were the largest armies so far assembled in the
history of Islam. For several months, the rival soldiers remained facing each other. Except
occasional skirmishes, no decisive battle took place. Ali did not want to shed Muslim blood in
vain. So he sent messengers to Muawiya asking him to submit in the interest of the unity of
Islam. Muawiya in reply demanded that the assassins of Usman should be punished first.
Thereafter, all negotiations for peace broke down and both the sides got ready for war. The
main battle began on the 8th of safar 37 A.H. On the fourth day, the position of Muawiya
army began worsening in order to avoid crushing defeat. Muawiya on the advice of Amr bin
Aas, ordered the soldiers in the front ranks to fasten the Quran to their lances as a sign that
war should cease now. They cried out ‘Let the word of Allah decided between us and you.
Who will defend the border towns of Syria if we are slain and who will protect the people of
Iraq after u are gone? Let the Book of Allah judge between you and us’ Ali wanted his men
not to fall into this track, but to fight till the end. But his exhortations had no effect and many
officer of the army refused to fight. Some even said that if war was not stopped immediately
they would fight against Ali . He was compelled to recall his forces. Thereafter fighting
stopped. After the cessation of hostilities it was decided that the matter be referred to
arbitration. Abu Musa Ashari was appointed Arbitrate on behalf of Ali and Amr Bin Aas on
behalf of Muwaiya. They were to settle the dispute in accordance the holy Quran and suunah
and announce their decision by the month of Ramzan. In the meantime, all hostilities were
to cease. After the signing of this agreement Ali left Siffian for kufa. Ali left the battlefield of
Saffin with a heavy heart. There were heavy casualties on the both the sides and he mourned
the dearth of so many Muslims. He had lost some of his best supporters. He felt distressed
the only one generation after the death of holy Prophet pbuh. The Muslim nation had lost its
unity and its Islamic character. The battle of saffin led to the birth of the first sect among the
Muslim that came to be known as the kharijites.