Hence, they could not stay in Kufah, for they saw `Ali there.

Hence, they could not stay in Kufah, for they saw `Ali there. So, they left it for Nahrawan. Still `Ali let them act freely and had nothing to do with them. When he set out to suppress Mu`awiyah, he wrote a letter as such, “We are going to suppress your enemies, a common enemy; come long with us.” The Kharijites did not accept the offer and declared war against him! Still `Ali did not go to them and set off for Syria.

`Ali was asked to put an end to the enmity of Kharijites first and then set out for Syria. It was not accepted and the order to move to Syria was issued. `Ali’s army was or the way to Syria when news reached that the Kharijites have become active, forcing people to curse `Ali and anyone who does not comply with it, is killed. `Ali headed for Nahrawan, the Kharijites base. He still refused to enter battle against them. So, he started to admonish and guide them.

He managed to dissuade many of them from fighting though they refused to assist `Ali in suppressing Mu`awiyah. Those Kharijites who were dissuaded to fight `Ali returned to Kufah but remained `Ali’s enemies. The seeds of Kharijites in the history of Islam were sown by same people and the rest did not accept any option but fighting and preferred death to living with `Ali. So they attacked `Ali’s army with the motto of ‘we are going to Paradise’.

Still no order of counterattack was issued until one of `Ali’s soldiers was killed. It was then that Imam `Ali said, “It is now the right time to fight them.” `Ali’s army started its attack which put the Kharijites to flight.[^21] A Light Diet Suwayd ibn Ghaflah reports: I went to see Imam `Ali while he was in governor’s seat. Before the Imam was a bowl of sour yoghurt the smell of which I could feel. A loaf of bread of barley the husk of which I could see was in his hand.

The Imam was breaking the dry bread either with his hand or with his knee! At this time, I said to Fi¤¤ah, his slave-girl who was standing by him, “Don’t you fear Allah for treating this old man as such? Don’t you sieve the barley flour?” Fi¤¤ah said, “He has asked me not to sieve the flour.” `Ali asked, “What are you talking about?” I told him the story.