A thesis titled “The Geographical Environment and Its Impact on the Wars of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (Peace Be Upon Him) in Islamic Geographical Literature (35–40 AH): A Historical Study”was discussed in the Department of History at the College of Education for the Humanities, University of Kerbala. The thesis was submitted by Aliya Hussein Ali and supervised by Prof. Dr. Zaman Ubaid Wanas.
The significance of the thesis lies in being the first study to explore the geographical aspect of Imam Ali’s (PBUH) wars, aiming to understand the terrain and climate that played a major role and had a substantial impact on the course of the battles.
The study aimed to shed light on the geographical influence and depth in the battles fought by Imam Ali (PBUH) after the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him and his family), specifically the three major battles: Jamal, Siffin, and Nahrawan, as well as to highlight the strategic impact and geographical environment on the outcomes of those battles.
The thesis comprised three chapters:
• The first chapter examined the Battle of Jamal and its geographical setting.
• The second chapter focused on the Battle of Siffin and its geographical environment.
• The third chapter dealt with the geographical impact on military operations in the Battle of Nahrawan.
The discussion committee consisted of:
• Prof. Dr. Maytham Murtadha Mustafa – Chair
• Prof. Dr. Abbas Khamis Abbood – Member
• Prof. Dr. Salwa Hassan Idan – Member
• Prof. Dr. Zaman Ubaid Wannas – Member and Supervisor
