Battle of Siffin

Battle of Siffin; معركة صفين
	Part of the First Fitna
	; Persian miniature, likely depicting Ali at the Battle of Siffin, created in Safavid Iran, dated 1516
Date	July 26 to July 28, 657 AD ; (8 Safar to 10 Safar, 37 AH)
Location	Siffin ; (Tell Abu Hureyra, near Raqqa, Syria)
Result	Inconclusive (See Arbitration)
Belligerents
Rashidun Caliphate; Pro-Alids;	Umayyad Syria; Uthmaniyya;
Commanders and leaders
Ali ibn Abi Talib; Hasan ibn Ali; Husayn ibn Ali; Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya; Malik al-Ashtar; Qays ibn Sa'd; Abd Allah ibn Abbas; Ammar ibn Yasir †; Uways al‑Qarani †; Jabir ibn Abd Allah; Khuzaima ibn Thabit †; Hashim ibn Utba †; Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr; Ibrahim ibn al-Ashtar; Muhajir ibn Khalid †; Al-Ash'ath ibn Qays; Hujr ibn Adi; Adi ibn Hatim; Jundab al-Azdi; Al-Ahnaf ibn Qays; Hurqus ibn Zuhayr; Alqama ibn Qays	Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan; Amr ibn al-As; Abu al-A'war; Habib ibn Maslama; Al-Dahhak ibn Qays; Muslim ibn Uqba; Abd al-Rahman ibn Khalid; Zufar ibn al-Harith; Husayn ibn Numayr; Busr ibn Abi Artat; Marwan ibn al-Hakam; Nu'man ibn Bashir; Utba ibn Abi Sufyan; Hassan ibn Malik; Ubayd Allah ibn Umar †; Rawh ibn Zinba; Shurahbil ibn Simt; Abd Allah ibn Mas'ada; Hubaysh ibn Dulja; Samayfa ibn Nakur †; Uqba ibn Amir; Hatim ibn al-Nu'man †;
Strength
130,000–150,000 men	100,000–150,000 men
Casualties and losses
25,000 killed	90,000 killed

The Battle of Siffin (Arabic: مَعْرَكَة صِفِّينَ, romanized: Maʿraka Ṣiffīn) was fought in 657 CE (37 AH) between the Iraqi Arab forces of the fourth Rashidun caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Syrian Arab forces of the rebelling long-time governor of the Levant, Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan. The battle is named after its location Siffin on the banks of the Euphrates river. The fighting stopped after the Syrians called for arbitration when Ali's forces had gained the upper hand, to which Ali reluctantly agreed under pressure from some of his troops. The arbitration process ended inconclusively in 658 though it strengthened the Syrians' support for Mu'awiya and his political position while weakening the authority of Ali and causing dissension among the Iraqis. The battle was part of the First Fitna and is considered a major step towards the establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate.