The Chaliphate - Muir - The Search For Mecca

CHAPTER XXXVII
BATTLE OF SIFFiN
36-37 A.H. 657 A.D.
Mu'dwiya's AFTER 'All had established himself at Al-Kufa, there
to 'a"i ^\nJ followed a short interval of rest. The lieutenants and
36 A.H.
commanders, from far and near, flocked to the new capital to
' ^
'.do homage to the Caliph. Towards one of these, a Bedawi
chief, Mu'awiya was known to entertain friendly sentiments.
Him, therefore, 'All deputed to Damascus with a letter,
wherein, after making mention of his election to the Caliphate,
and the discomfiture of the enemy at Al-Basra, he
called on Mu'awiya to follow the example of the Empire, and
take the oath of allegiance. As on a former occasion, the
envoy was kept long in waiting. At last he was dismissed
with an oral promise that submission would be tendered if
punishment were meted out to the regicides, but on no other
condition. With this reply the envoy further reported that
'Othman's blood-stained garment still hung upon the pulpit
of the Mosque, and that a multitude of Syrian warriors had
sworn " that they would use no water to wash themselves
withal, neither sleep upon their beds, till they had slain
the murderers of the aged Caliph, and all those that sheltered
them."
Seeing Mu'awiya thus hopelessly alienated, 'All, resolved
no longer to delay, proclaimed an expedition against Syria.
At first the people were slack in answering the call. But
after a time he succeeded in gathering together an imposing
force of 50,000 men. His plan was to march through
Upper Mesopotamia, and so invade Syria from the north.
A detachment was sent as an advance-guard along the
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