Part 3
Written by: Rashid Shafiq
How did the Khawārij rebel after the Battle of Ṣiffīn?
Following the martyrdom of Hazrat ʿUthmān (RA), when people pledged allegiance to Hazrat Alī (RA), Muʿāwiya ibn Abī Sufyān, the governor of Syria, demanded the surrender of ʿUthmān’s murderers and declined to pledge allegiance to Alī (RA) until the perpetrators were brought to justice.
Hazrat Ali (RA) aimed to establish his authority over all cities first due to the significant increase in unrest after Uthman’s martyrdom. The killers had blended in with the general population, making it difficult to identify them. The identification of the perpetrators and the execution of Qisas (retribution) based on Islamic law necessitated time. However, Muʿāwiya (RA) was unwilling to grant this time, fearing that if too much time passed, the killers would disperse and evade justice.
Both sides had their own justifications for their positions, which eventually led to a direct confrontation in the Field of Siffin. Hazrat Alī (RA) commanded the army of Iraq, whereas Muʿāwiya (RA) led the army of Syria.
During the battle, when signs of defeat began to appear for Mu’awiya’s army and Hazrat Alī (RA) seemed close to victory, Muʿāwiya (RA) consulted Amr ibn al-As (RA) for a way to escape the situation. ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ (RA) advised him to raise copies of the Quran on the tips of spears and call upon the Iraqi army to accept arbitration based on the Quran.
According to Al-Masʿūdī, the Syrian forces raised 500 Qurans during this moment, urging the Iraqi forces to accept arbitration in light of the Quran’s teachings.
Alī (RA) was cautious and firm from the outset regarding this tactic. He believed the true purpose of this move was to sow discord within his army and allow Muʿāwiya’s (RA) forces time to regroup. He warned his companions about the consequences of accepting this request, but a faction within his army insisted on halting the battle and urged Alī (RA) to agree to arbitration.
This faction is known as the Khawārij. They eventually rebelled against Alī (RA), addressing him by his name instead of the title “Amir al-Mu’minin,” saying: “O Ali! Respond to the call of the Book of Allah, or we will deal with you as we dealt with ʿUthmān.”
This group threatened Hazrat Alī (RA) harshly and forced him to accept arbitration. They believed that religion demanded this action from them and cited the Quranic verse:
“Have you not seen those who have been given a portion of the Book? They are being invited to the Book of Allah to settle their dispute, then a party of them turns away, and they are averse.” (Surah Aal-e-Imran: 23)
Consequently, arbitration was initiated at their insistence. Nevertheless, this faction later deviated from the principles of Islam and rebelled against Hazrat Alī (RA), earning the title of Khawārij.
