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Battle of Siffin

Type Event Region West Asia Time 657

In 657 CE, Caliph Ali and Syrian governor Muawiyah fought a major battle at Siffin on the Euphrates;…

Timeline

  1. 657Siffin · SyriaAli marched north from Iraq while Muawiyah deployed the Syrian army at Siffin. Both sides invoked the Quran to call on the other to submit, and fighting broke out amid disputes over religious and political legitimacy.
  2. 657battlefield of Siffin · SyriaThe two sides fought fiercely for days with heavy casualties. Muawiyah's troops placed the Quran on spear tips to call for a truce and arbitration; Ali's camp was divided over the issue and ultimately accepted the arbitration proposal, pausing the battlefield slaughter.
  3. 657–658Adhruh · JordanArbitrators Abu Musa and Amr ibn al-As announced a verdict favoring Muawiyah. Many of Ali's supporters saw the arbitration as a betrayal of the faith and broke away to form the Kharijites, deepening the split in the Islamic community.

Sources