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Battle of Nahrawan

The Battle of Nahrawan (Arabic: مَعْرَكَة النَّهْرَوَان, romanized: Ma'rakat an-Nahrawān) was fought between the army of Caliph Ali and the rebel group Kharijites in July 658 CE (Safar 38 AH). They were a group of pious allies of Ali during the First Fitna. They separated from him following the Battle of Siffin when Ali agreed to settle the dispute with Mu'awiya, governor of Syria, through negotiations, a move labeled by the group as against the Qur'an. After failed attempts to regain their loyalty and because of their rebellious and murderous activities, Ali confronted the Kharijites near their headquarters by the Nahrawan Canal, near modern-day Baghdad. Of the 4,000 rebels, some 1,200 were won over with the promise of amnesty while the majority of the remaining 2,800 rebels were killed in the ensuing battle. Other sources put the casualties at 1500–1800.

The battle resulted in a permanent split between the group and the rest of the Muslims, whom the Kharijites branded as apostates. Although defeated, they continued to threaten and harass cities and towns for several years. Ali was assassinated by a Kharijite in January 661.

Aftermath[edit]

After the battle, Ali ordered his army to march with him on Syria. They refused due to exhaustion, seeking to recover their energies in Kufa, after which they would embark on the Syrian campaign. Ali agreed and moved to Nukhayla, a mustering ground outside Kufa, and permitted his soldiers to rest and occasionally visit their homes. His soldiers were unwilling to go on the campaign and in the next few days the camp was almost completely deserted. Consequently, he had to abandon his plans.[24] The slaughter of Ali's erstwhile allies and pious Qur'an readers undermined Ali's position as Caliph.[25] He was eventually assassinated by the Kharijite dissident Ibn Muljam in January 661.[21]


Although the Kharijites were crushed, their insurgency continued for several years and the Battle of Nahrawan cemented their break from the Muslim community.[21] Many of them abandoned city life and resorted to brigandage, robbery, pillaging settled areas and other anti-state activities throughout the reign of Ali and later that of Mu'awiya (r. 661–680), who became caliph a few months after Ali's assassination. During the Second Fitna they controlled large parts of Arabia and Persia, but were later subdued by the Umayyad governor of Iraq, al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf.[26][27] They were, however, not eliminated until the 10th century.[28]

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