First Fitna

The Kharijites were a portion of Ali's supporters that defected and later opposed both parties. 'Amr ibn al-'As was originally a supporter of Ali, but subsequently sided with Muawiya. Islamic Civil Wars The First Islamic Civil War (656–661), also called the First Fitna ( "The Fitna of the killing of Uthman"), was the first major civil war within the Islamic Caliphate . It arose as a struggle over who had the legitimate right to become the ruling Caliph . The dispute shattered the unity of the Muslim ummah and resulted in the permanent division of Islam into Shi'a and Sunni sects. The Fitna began as a series of revolts fought against Ali ibn Abi Talib , the fourth and final of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs , caused by the controversial assassination of his predecessor, Uthman Ibn Affan . It lasted for the entirety of Ali's reign, and its end is marked by Muawiyah 's assumption of the caliphate (founding the Umayyad dynasty ), and the subsequent recorded peace treaty between him and Hassan ibn Ali .

The Kharijites were a portion of Ali's supporters that defected and later opposed both parties. The First Fitna or Great Fitna ( Fitnat Maqtal Uthmān , "The Fitna of the Killing of Uthman") was a civil war within the early Islamic state which resulted in the overthrowing of the Rashidun caliphs and the establishment of the Umayyad dynasty . It began when the caliph Uthman ibn Affan was assassinated by Egyptian rebels in 656 and continued through the four-year reign of Uthman's successor Ali ibn Abi Talib . It ended in 661 when Ali's heir Hasan ibn Ali concluded a treaty acknowledging the rule of Muawiyah , the first Umayyad caliph. Encyclopaedia of Islam (2nd ed.).

Civil war within the Rashidun Caliphate Belligerents Rashidun Caliphate Aisha 's forces Muawiyah 's forces Commanders and leaders Ali Ammar ibn Yasir † Malik al-Ashtar Aisha Talha † Zubayr ibn al-Awam † Muawiyah I 'Amr ibn al-'As The Kharijites were a portion of Ali's supporters that defected and later opposed both parties. The First Fitna ( fitnat maqtal ʻUthmān " strife/sedition of the killing of Uthman") was a civil war within the Rashidun Caliphate which resulted in the overthrowing of the Rashidun caliphs and the establishment of the Umayyad dynasty . It began when the caliph Uthman was assassinated by rebels in 656 and continued through the four-year reign of Uthman's successor, Ali . It ended in 661 when Ali's heir Hasan ibn Ali concluded a treaty acknowledging the rule of Muawiyah , the first Umayyad caliph. Encyclopaedia of Islam (2nd ed.).

The Camel : 400–500+ Siffin : 25,000 Nahrawan : 7–13 Total: 47,500+ The Camel : 2,500+ Siffin : 45,000 2,400 The First Fitna was the first civil war in the Islamic community. It led to the overthrow of the Rashidun Caliphate and the establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate . The civil war involved three main battles between the fourth Rashidun caliph, Ali , and the rebel groups. The roots of the first civil war can be traced back to the assassination of the second caliph , Umar . Before he died from his wounds, Umar formed a six-member council which elected Uthman as the next caliph. During the final years of Uthman's caliphate, he was accused of nepotism and killed by rebels in 656. After Uthman's assassination, Ali was elected the fourth caliph. Aisha , Talha , and Zubayr revolted against Ali to depose him. The two parties fought the Battle of the Camel in December 656, from which Ali emerged victorious. The two parties fought the Battle of Siffin in July 657, which ended in a stalemate and arbitration. This arbitration was resented by the Kharijites , who declared Ali, Mu'awiya, and their followers infidels. Following Kharijite violence against civilians, Ali's forces crushed them in the Battle of Nahrawan . Soon after, Mu'awiya also seized control of Egypt with the aid of Amr ibn al-As . In 661, Ali was assassinated by the Kharijite Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam . After Ali's death, his heir Hasan was elected caliph and soon after attacked by Mu'awiya. The embattled Hasan concluded a peace treaty , acknowledging the rule of Mu'awiya, who subsequently founded the Umayyad Caliphate and ruled as its first caliph.