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The First Civil War: From the Battle of
Siffin to the Death of Ali A.D. 656-661 (A.H. 36-40)
Paperback , 250 Pages
G. R. Hawting - Translator
Description from the Publishers
Many of the events treated in this volume have become part of the historical
consciousness of Muslims. The first civil war of Islam, the Fitnah, is widely
seen as of decisive importance in dividing the Muslims into three major
traditions, Sunnis, Shi'is, and Kharijis, which have persisted until today.
Although this division may be an over-simplification of a much more complex
process of community formation, the events narrated here are certainly of great
importance in the early history of Islam.
The volume is focused on the struggle between the Ali (RA) and the
eventual successor Muawiyah (RA) the first Khalifah of
the Umayyad dynasty. About half of the material is concerned with the
confrontation between the two at the battle of Siffin in 657, the fighting, the
ending of the battle when the Syrian supporters of Mu'awiyah are described as
having attached Qu'ranic texts to their lances, and the subsequent negotiations
between the two Camps which resulted in the dispute's being put to arbitration.
Much detail is also provided about 'Ali's struggle against the Kharijis, his
former supporters who had turned against him as a result of his agreement with
Mu'awiyah to accept arbitration; the revolt against 'Ali in regions of Iraq and
Persia around the northern edges of the Persian Gulf, which involved Christians,
as well as Muslims, Arabs, and such non-Arab groups as Kurds; the events in
Egypt that led to the burning of 'Ali's representative there in the skin of a
donkey; and the murder of 'Ali by Ibn Muljam, the account of which sometimes
reads as if it were a popular story.
Al-Tabari's text makes available a wealth of detail in narratives collected from
the now lost compilations of scholars of earlier generations. The bulk of the
material is cited from the famous Abu Mikhnaf, who died in A.D. 774, but there
are also many reports from other traditionists and narrators whose materials
would be largely unknown to us if it were not for the work of al-Tabari. The
volume contains a number of speeches and letters attributed to the Prophet's
son-in-law and cousin 'Ali, including his deathbed speech to his sons, and there
is also a version of the document drawn up by 'Ali and Mu'awiyah in which they
agreed to appoint arbitrators.
The Arabic text of the Leiden edition of al-Tabari has been compared with the
more recent Cairo edition and with the substantial parallel passages in such
other works as the Waq'at Siffin of al-Mingari and the Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah
of Ibn Abi' l-Hadid, as well as other sources, in an attempt to provide a secure
text for translation. Individuals and places are identified in the footnotes,
further references to sources and secondary literature are provided, and textual
problems and historical matters are discussed. The volume contains a
bibliography and index.
Table of Contents
Preface
Abbreviations
Translators Foreword
The Events of the Year 36 (cont'd) (656/657)
The Departure of `Ali b. Abi Talib for Siffin
Ali Orders the Construction of the Bridge over the
Euphrates
The Battle 'by the Water
`Ali Calls Mu'awiyah to Obedience and Unity
The Events of the Year 37 (657/658)
The Truce between `Ali and Mu'awiyah
The Organization of the Military Units (Kata'ib) and
Preparation of the Troops for Battle
The Intensity of the Fighting
The Killing of `Ammar b. Yasir
Hashim b. `Utbah al-Mirqal and the 'Night of Howling'
The Raising of the Masahif and the Call for Arbitration
`Ali Sends Ja'dah b. Hubayrah to Khurasan
The Secession of the Khawarij from `Ali and His
Companions, and Their Subsequent Return
The Meeting of the Two Arbitrators at Dumat al-Jandal
The Actions of the Khawarij at the Time of `Ali's Sending
Abu Musa to the Arbitration, and the Battle at the Canal
The Events of the Year 38 (658/659)
The Killing of Muhammad b. Abi Bakr in Egypt
The Killing of Muhammad b. Abi Hudhayfah
The Episode of Ibn al-Hadrami, Ziyad, and A'yan
The Opposition of al-Khirrit b. Rashid and the Banu
Najiyah to `Ali, and al-Khirrit's Separation from Him
The Events of the Year 39 (659/660)
Mu'awiyah Sends His Forces into `Ali's Territories
The Sending of Ziyad to Fars
The Events of the Year 40 (660/661)
Mu'awiyah Sends Busr b. Abi Artat with 3,000 Fighting Men
to the Hijaz
The Circumstances of Ibn `Abbas' Going to Mecca and
Leaving Iraq
The Circumstances of the Murder and Death of `Ali
The Length of His Caliphate
His Physical Appearance
His Ancestry
His Wives and Children
His Governors
Aspects of His Conduct
Bibliography of Cited Works
Index
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