First Fitna

Sparked by demands for justice for Cali - Ali ibn Abi Talib was one of the earliest converts to Islam and a close companion of the Prophet Muhammad.ph Uthman - Uthman ibn Affan was an early convert to Islam and a wealthy merchant who supported the Muslim community financially.'s assassination, this was the first major battle between Muslims. The conflict centered around the camel ridden by Aisha - Aisha is one of the most important female figures in Islamic history, known for her scholarship and as a narrator of Hadiths., the widow of Prophet Muhammad, where the fiercest fighting took place. Ali's forces eventually hamstrung the camel to end the battle. Rebel leaders Talha and Zubayr were killed, but Ali treated Aisha with respect and sent her back to Medina - The second holiest city in Islam and the capital of the Rashidun Caliphate until the First Fitna.. Following this victory, Ali moved the capital from Medina to Kufa - A prominent city in Iraq that served as the capital of the Rashidun Caliphate under Ali ibn Abi Talib..

Facing imminent defeat, Muawiyah - Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan was a masterful politician and administrator who served as the governor of Syria for 20 years.'s advisor Amr ibn al-Aas ordered troops to raise Qurans on spears. This was a symbolic appeal to 'stop shedding Muslim blood and let God's word decide the outcome.' Ali's pious soldiers, shaken by this religious plea, demanded a halt to the fighting despite their advantage. Although Ali recognized it as a trick to delay defeat, he was forced to accept arbitration to prevent a mutiny. However, a faction of his supporters, who believed 'Judgment belongs to God alone,' condemned Ali for negotiating with rebels instead of punishing them as per God's law. Viewing this compromise as a betrayal of faith, they broke away to form the Kharijites - The Kharijites ('Those who went out') were an early Islamic sect that emerged during the First Fitna. Originally supporters of Ali, they defected after he agreed to arbitration at the Battle of Siffin, arguing that 'judgment belongs to God alone.' They became known for their radicalism and opposition to both the Ummayads and Ali, eventually assassinating Ali. ('Those who went out'), eventually becoming enemies of both Ali and Muawiyah.

The Kharijites, having declared Ali an apostate for accepting arbitration, gathered at Nahrawan and terrorized the local population. Ali, initially intending to march against Muawiyah, was forced to deal with this internal threat first. He offered them amnesty if they surrendered the murderers among them, but most refused. In the ensuing battle, Ali's forces decisively defeated the Kharijites, killing most of them. However, this victory deepened the hatred of the surviving Kharijites, leading ultimately to Ali's assassination.