The Battle of Nahrawan crushed the Kharijite rebellion but entrenched a permanent sectarian schism within Islam that persisted for centuries.
Key Facts
- Date
- July 658 CE (Safar 38 AH)
- Kharijite force size
- 4,000 rebels
- Rebels won over by amnesty
- ~1,200
- Rebels killed
- majority of ~2,800
- Ali's assassination
- January 661 CE, by a Kharijite
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Kharijites were former allies of Caliph Ali who broke with him after the Battle of Siffin in 657 CE, when Ali agreed to resolve his conflict with Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan through arbitration. The Kharijites condemned this decision as contrary to the Quran, severing their alliance and embarking on violent, rebellious activities against Ali's authority.
Ali led largely Kufan forces to confront the Kharijites near their base by the Nahrawan Canal, close to modern Baghdad, in July 658 CE. Approximately 1,200 of the 4,000 rebels accepted an offer of amnesty, while the great majority of the remaining 2,800 were killed in battle, effectively destroying the Kharijite military force.
The defeat caused a permanent rupture between the Kharijites and mainstream Muslims, with the Kharijites branding other Muslims as apostates. Despite their military defeat, surviving Kharijites continued to threaten cities for years, and one ultimately assassinated Caliph Ali in January 661 CE, destabilizing the early Islamic caliphate.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Ali ibn Abi Talib.
Side B
1 belligerent