Second Syria campaign of Ali
656–661 campaign of the First Fitna
The Second Syria campaign of Ali refers to the abortive efforts of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Muslim caliph (r. 656–661) and the first Shia Imam, to organize a renewed military campaign against Mu'awiya, the governor of Syria. Following the indecisive Battle of Siffin against Mu'awiya in 657 CE, Ali subdued the Kharijites revolt in the Battle of Nahrawan in 658, but his military coalition in Iraq collapsed afterward when the tribal chiefs withdrew their support, as they hoped for peace with Mu'awiya on beneficial terms. Ali henceforth could barely muster enough force to repel the frequent raiding parties dispatched by Mu'awiya to harass the civilian population loyal to Ali. Egypt too fell to Mu'awiya in 658, further limiting the influence of Ali outside of Iraq. Following the raid of Busr ibn Abi Artat in 661, however, the public outrage against Mu'awiya finally seems to have galvanized the Iraqis' support for war, and a large offensive was planned for the late winter. These plans were abandoned after the assassination of Ali by the Kharijite Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam on 26 January 661, during the morning prayers. His assassination paved the way for Mu'awiya, who later founded the Umayyad Caliphate.
Background
Following the assassination of the third caliph Uthman in 656 CE, Ali ibn Abi Talib was elected caliph in Medina. His authority was immediately challenged by Mu'awiya, the governor of Syria and cousin of Uthman, who demanded retribution for the caliph's death.
The ensuing civil war led to the Battle of Siffin in 657, which ended in a stalemate when Mu'awiya called for arbitration by the Qur'an.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Second Syria campaign of Ali” as 656–661 campaign of the First Fitna. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
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Chronology, provenance and viewpoint should be read together before a broad social or political interpretation is accepted. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 3, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q118906017. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
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