← Explore on the interactive map

First Islamic Civil War (Battle of the Camel, etc.)

Type Event Region West Asia Time 656–661

Between 656 and 661 CE, a full-scale civil war erupted within the Rashidun Caliphate over succession and vengeance after the assassination of Uthman.…

Timeline

  1. 656Medina · HejazAfter Uthman's assassination, Ali was chosen in Medina as the fourth caliph. Some Companions of the Prophet questioned his failure to punish the murderers promptly; al-Zubayr, Aisha, and others demanded vengeance for the Prophet's companions, and the political rift became public.
  2. 656Near Basra · IraqThe coalition of al-Zubayr, Aisha, and Talha fought Ali's army near Basra. Talha and al-Zubayr were killed; Aisha was captured and then treated honorably and sent back. This was the first large-scale civil war among Muslims, profoundly shaping later sectarian memory.
  3. 657–658Siffin · SyriaAli led an expedition east against Muawiya, governor of Syria, and the two sides fought fiercely at Siffin. After the stalemate, both agreed to arbitration, but the arbitration's outcome sparked greater controversy, and some of Ali's supporters broke away to form the Kharijites.
  4. 661Kufa · IraqA Kharijite assassin killed Ali in the mosque at Kufa. His son Hasan made peace with Muawiya and abdicated; the First Fitna ended with Umayyad forces unifying most of the caliphate's territory.

Sources