The Kharijite Rebellions were the uprisings instigated by the Kharijites against the Caliphate of Ali. Various rebellions took place throughout the Caliphate but were all militarily suppressed. However, Ali would be assassinated by a Kharijite dissident in 661 in retaliation, which left Mu'awiya I free to take control over the Caliphate from Ali's son Hasan.
After the arbitration between Ali and Mu'awiya I following the Battle of Siffin, about 12,000 troops from Ali's Iraqi army dissented and set up a camp at Harura. They rejected the arbitration and declared that the murder of Uthman was justified, while accusing Ali of blasphemy for accepting arbitration with Mu'awiya despite being the legitimate caliph, holding that Mu'awiya was a rebel who should be fought until he repented by citing the Qur'anic verse:
And if two groups of believers fight each other, then make peace between them. But if one of them transgresses against the other, then fight against the transgressing group until they ˹are willing to˺ submit to the rule of Allah. If they do so, then make peace between both ˹groups˺ in all fairness and act justly. Surely Allah loves those who uphold justice.
Ali visited the Harura camp to attain their support again by insisting that it was the dissenters which forced him to accept the arbitration. The troops at Harura subsequently pledged their allegiance to Ali on the condition that the war with Mu'awiya be resumed within six months.[3][4]
Conflicts
Skirmish at Karkh
While Ali was delivering his sermon in a mosque, Kharijites interrupted his speech and Ali rebuked them. Ali returned to his residence while the Kharijites went to the camp of Abd Allah ibn Wahb al-Rasibi to gain his support, however Wahb refused to support them by advising that they lacked enough strength to launch a military offense against Ali and that they find another place for strengthening themselves. The Kharijites including Hurqus ibn Zuhayr and Hamza ibn Sinan then departed during the night in groups of two or five men to avoid suspicion and left for Mada'in. Ali sent Sa'd ibn Masud, the governor of Mada'in to chase the Kharijites who changed their direction. He confronted them at Karkh and fought with them for a day. The Kharijites then crossed the Euphrates and fled to Nahrawan.[5][6]
In July 658, Kharijite rebels and the forces of Ali fought near the Nahrawan canal after Ali received the news of Kharijite violence against civilians and sent 14,000 troops. In the ensuing battle, the Kharijites with 2800 troops were outnumbered and defeated by the forces of Ali. Also killed was Abd Allah ibn Wahb al-Rasibi, who the Kharijites had announced as their caliph.[7][8] Ali visited the camp of Harura to convince them to return to him, while they agreed to return only if war with Mu'awiya was resumed in 6 months. Ali refused to denounce the arbitration.
Al-Khirrit ibn Rashid al-Naji who rose against Ali was a former supporter of Ali in the Battle of Camel and the Battle of Siffin. Khirrit aligned himself with various groups in opposition to Ali in Iraq and Iran, but his revolt was ultimately suppressed and he was killed by the forces of Ali.[9][10]
Revolt of Ashras ibn Awf
Ashras ibn Awf and his followers, having decided to pledge allegiance to Wahb, departed during the night in groups of two to five men to avoid suspicion from the government, and they left for Mada'in. Awf al Shaybani was known to have instigated the first rebellion after the Battle of Nahrawan. He rebelled in al-Daskra and went to Anbar. Ali al-Abrash ibn Hasan sent 300 men against Ashras, where Ali ibn al-Harith is said to have killed Ashras in the month of Rabi' al-Awwal in 658.[11][12][13][14]
Revolt of Hilal ibn Ulafa
Hilal ibn Ulafa, along with his brother Mujalid, left Taym al Ribab. It is said that the leadership of the splinter group was with Mujalid, and Hilal accompanied him. Ali sent Ma'qil bin Qays to confront Hilal, who killed Hilal and two hundred of his men in the month of Jumada al-Awwal in 658.[15][16]
Battle of Jarjaraya
Al-Ashhab ibn Bashir with 130 men visited the battlefield of Hilal bin Ulafa and prayed for them. Ali sent Jariyah ibn Qudamah and Hujr ibn Adi to confront him. They met at Jarjaraya where Al-Ashhab was and his men were killed in the month of Jumada al-Thani in 658.[17]
Revolt of Sa`id ibn Qafil
Sa`id ibn Qafil rebelled along with al-Bandanijin with 200 men and advance till the al-Darzijan bridge which was near Mada'in. Ali wrote a letter to Sa`d ibn Mas`ud al-Thaqafi, the governor of Mada'in about the army of Sa'id. They confronted in Rajab of the year 658 where Sa`id ibn Qafil and his men were killed. [18]
Battle of Kufa (658)
When Ali returned to Kufa from the river where there were three thousand Kharijites in his among them one thousand left Ibn Wahb and joined the army of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari and those who were in al Nukhayla, went out to join the Syrian army before the river. When Ali fought the people of the river, many Kufans did not join Ali in his fight. Abu Maryam al-Sa'di stayed in Shahrizor with 200 men and reminded his companions of the incident of the river and himself advanced near Kufa. Ali asked for the pledge of allegiance and assured that he will be with those who would not fight him or fight for him and sent Shuraih ibn Hani with 700 men to take the oath of allegiance from them. Abu Maryam refused to pledge allegiance stating the killing of Kharijite leaders by Ali. They attacked Shuraih but were defeated, however Shuraih remained with 200 troops and retreated to some of the nearby villages while other companions joined him and made an army of 500 while the rest entered Kufa and spread the rumour of the killing of Shuraih. Ali himself marched with 2000 men along Jariyah ibn Qudamah who had 500 men against Abu Maryam. Ali called for the pledge of allegiance which was refused and Ali was attacked and many of his companions were wounded. Abu Maryam's troops were killed except for 50 people who asked for production. Abu Maryam was killed in Ramadan, 658. According to Abu al-Hasan al-Madaini, Abu Maryam was with 400 men who were mostly non Arab and only 6 of them were of Banu Sa'd including Abu Maryam.[19][20][21]
On 28 January 661, a Kharijite dissident named Ibn Muljam struck Ali with a poisoned sword in the Great Mosque of Kufa. Ali was about sixty-two years old and had passed away of his wounds about two days later. Hasan ibn Ali then executed Ibn Muljam[22].
↑ Madelung, Wilferd, "Excursuses", The succession to Muḥammad, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.356–387, retrieved 2025-11-02
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