The Battle of Nahrwan
The Battle of Nahrwan Location : Nahrawan located 12 miles from Basra, Iraq When the battle was fought : 9th of Safar 37 A.H., January 657 AD for about 2 weeks. Army of Imam Ali(a.s.): 65,000 men Kharjites : 1,800 men Casualties: 12 from the army of Imam Ali(a.s.) and almost all apart from a few men of the Kharjites Background and Reason This was a battle between Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib(a.s.) and the Kharijites. After the unsatisfactory conclusion to the Battle of Siffin, Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib(a.s.) returned with his army back to Kufa on the 13th of Safar 37 A.H. (~30 July 657 C.E.) During the march, a group of 12,000 men kept themselves at a distance from the main part of the army. The group was furious at the way things had ended at Siffin. These were the Kharijites. They were the same people who had put down their weapons on the battlefield. Now they said that Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib(a.s.) had betrayed Islam by agreeing to the truce and should have referred judgment to the Quran