The Biography of Hazrat Ali “May Allah be Pleased with Him” (Part 22)
Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) Enters the Battlefield Personally
Hazrat Ali himself entered the battlefield to strengthen the army. The Rabi’ah tribe, upon seeing that Ali was personally engaged in combat, felt empowered and rallied. A slave of Abu Sufyan, named Ahmar, approached Hazrat Ali, but Al-Kisān, Hazrat Ali’s servant, intervened to prevent him. They clashed, and eventually, Hahmar killed Al-Kisān. When Imam Ali (MABPH) saw his servant wounded, he was visibly upset. Following this, Hazrat Hussein and Muhammad ibn Hanafiyyah confronted and killed Ahmar.
The Sham army attacked Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), but the Rabi’ah tribe repelled them. At the same time, Hazrat Ali fortified Maimana. The two sides fought fiercely until evening, near the area of Malik Ashtar in Misra. However, the companions of Hazrat Mu’awiyah, who had broken the covenant, reinforced their position and forced Ali’s army to retreat.
On Imam Ali’s side (may Allah be pleased with him), ‘Abdullah ibn Abi al-Husayn al-Azdi, who was part of ‘Ammar ibn Yasir’s group, went forward. On the opposing side, ‘Uqbah ibn Hadid al-Nimeiri confronted him, and ‘Uqbah was killed. With his death, the people of Sham intensified their attacks, inflicting heavy casualties on the Iraqi army. Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) personally came to reinforce his forces, while on the other hand, Zu’l-Kala al-Hamayri and ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab launched an attack on Imam Ali’s army. The Rabi’ah tribe also could not withstand the onslaught, and the death toll rose significantly. The situation in Misra deteriorated until ‘Abd al-Qays stepped forward and halted the advance of the Syrian forces.
Despite his efforts, he was cautious, having heard from his companions that he stated, “The people of Syria have become disbelievers.” ‘Ammar rebuked him, saying, “They have rebelled against us, so we will fight against them due to their rebellion. Our Lord is one, our Prophet is one, and our qibla is one.” Simultaneously, ‘Ammar entered the battlefield and engaged in combat. Hashim ibn ‘Uqba, the flag bearer of Imam Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), accompanied ‘Ammar, who attacked the heart of the Sham army as night fell. ‘Ammar’s assaults continued fiercely. On the other hand, ‘Amr ibn al-‘As managed to halt his advances, and ultimately, Imam ‘Ammar was martyred in this battle.
Both Hazrat Mu’awiyah and Hazrat ‘Amr ibn al-‘As (may Allah be pleased with them) were acutely aware of the martyrdom of Hazrat ‘Ammar’s (may Allah be pleased with him) martyrdom. They were careful not to directly target him, understanding that the army of Sham would not willingly have killed Hazrat ‘Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him). Even when Mu’awiyah and the Syrians learned of ‘Ammar’s martyrdom, they said, “Those who brought him and threw him among us are responsible for his martyrdom.” Consequently, the martyrdom of Hazrat ‘Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) was carried out by those elements within the two armies who were intent on chaos and warfare, seeking to exact harsh revenge on the Muslims. This perspective is supported by scholars such as ‘Allama Muhallab and Ibn Battal, among others.
Additionally, it cannot be claimed that the entire army of Sham was in rebellion based on this hadith; rather, it was only a group of accomplices involved in this heinous act. For further research on this matter, refer to the book “Unveiling the Scene of a Mysterious Murder.”
When the news of the martyrdom of ‘Ammar ibn Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him) reached Hazrat Ali, he was profoundly affected. Qays ibn Abbad had met ‘Ammar and asked him, “Tell me, have you joined Ali and are you supporting him in this fight? Is it your personal opinion? If it is your personal opinion, then scholars can be both right and wrong, or is it that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has commanded you?” Hazrat ‘Ammar replied, “No, it is our personal opinion; there is no order from the Messenger of Allah in this matter that is unknown to the general public.”
After that, all sections of the Sham army began fighting. The clashing of swords, the sounds of spears, and the shouts of poets and warriors filled the night. This night was Friday night, known as Lailat al-Harir, because no words or sounds could be heard but for the commotion and the labored breathing of the soldiers due to fatigue and bravery. On this same night, Hazrat Owais al-Qarni (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred. It was a dark night for the Muslims when all spears were broken, arrows were depleted, and combatants resorted to throwing stones at one another.
Hazrat Ali was seen at times in Maymaneh and at other times in Misra. Abdullah ibn Abbas managed Misra, while Malik Ashtar was in command of Maimana. The entire night was spent in fierce fighting, and the battle continued into Friday.
One memorable event of Lailat al-Harir occurred when Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), along with twelve thousand horsemen, charged toward Hazrat Mu’awiyah’s army with great speed and force, approaching his tent. Hazrat Ali called out to Hazrat Mu’awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), challenging him to come out for a duel, declaring, “There is no benefit in killing Muslims; come forth, so we can confront each other, man to man. Whoever prevails shall be the caliph.” Hearing Hazrat Ali’s voice, ‘Amr ibn al-‘As advised Mu’awiyah to accept the challenge, calling it reasonable. However, Mu’awiyah replied, “Why would you suggest that? Don’t you know that anyone who faces Ali will not survive?” He then laughed, adding, “Are you hoping I will die fighting Ali so you can rule over Sham afterward?” Ultimately, Hazrat Ali received no response, and Mu’awiyah returned to his army.
On Friday, the war persisted until noon. Over the seventy-seven days of conflict in Siffin, approximately ninety skirmishes took place, resulting in about seventy thousand casualties on both sides—forty-five thousand from Mu’awiyah’s forces and twenty-five thousand from Ali’s army. Zohri notes that in one grave, up to fifty bodies were buried. The loss of such a large number of Muslims represented a tremendous disaster. The Muslims had the potential to conquer the world with their brave warriors.
In the afternoon, Malik Ashtar transferred command of his army to Hayan ibn Huzah al-Nakhai. He then rallied a group of horsemen, pledging they would stand to the death and not retreat without victory. Malik Ashtar charged the Sham army with his cavalry. Until Thursday afternoon, the Sham army appeared dominant, leading to concerns that Hazrat Ali’s forces might be defeated. However, on Friday night, significant losses were inflicted on the Sham army, with half of their forces decimated, leaving only thirty-five thousand out of eighty thousand. The casualties were twenty-five thousand from Ali’s army, leaving sixty thousand remaining.
This situation favored Hazrat Ali’s forces. Seizing the opportunity, Ashtar commanded a cavalry charge. Due to exhaustion among the foot soldiers after prolonged fighting, he wisely chose horsemen for the assault.
Ashtar advanced into the heart of the Sham army with his rapid attacks. When Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) noticed Ashtar’s advances, he consistently sent fresh reinforcements to maintain pressure. The standard-bearer of the Sham army was killed by Ashtar; fierce fighting ensued before the residences of Hazrat Mu’awiyah and ‘Amr ibn al-‘As. The conflict involved all units of the army, and the circumstances leading to the Sham army’s defeat were becoming evident. The relentless attacks and the loss of the standard-bearer had demoralized the commanders of the Syrian forces. Previously, the possibility of their defeat seemed distant, yet the momentum had shifted, and they now faced defeat. However, ‘Amr ibn al-‘As’s strategic interventions managed to turn the tide.
