▁I , ▁the ▁governor ▁of ▁Lev ant ▁and ▁the ▁cousin ▁of ▁U th man , ▁who ▁refused ▁Ali ' s ▁dem ands ▁for ▁alleg iance ▁and ▁called ▁for ▁reven ge ▁for ▁U th man . ▁Ali ▁opened ▁negoti ations ▁with ▁him ▁with ▁the ▁hope ▁of ▁reg aining ▁his ▁alleg iance ▁but ▁Mu aw iy ah ▁ins isted ▁on ▁Lev ant ▁aut onomy ▁under ▁his ▁rule . ▁Mu aw iy ah ▁replied ▁by ▁mobil izing ▁his ▁Lev antine ▁supp or ters ▁and ▁ref using ▁to ▁pay ▁hom age ▁to ▁Ali ▁on ▁the ▁pre text ▁that ▁his ▁cont ing ent ▁had ▁not ▁participated ▁in ▁his ▁election . ▁The ▁two ▁arm ies ▁enc amp ed ▁themselves ▁at ▁S iff in ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁hundred ▁days , ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁being ▁spent ▁in ▁negoti ations . ▁Although , ▁Ali ▁ex changed ▁several ▁letters ▁with ▁Mu aw iy ah , ▁he ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁dismiss ▁the ▁latter , ▁nor ▁persu ade ▁him ▁to ▁p ledge ▁alleg iance . ▁Sk irm ishes ▁between ▁the ▁parties ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁S iff in ▁in ▁ 6 5 7 . ▁After ▁a ▁week ▁of ▁combat ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁violent ▁battle ▁known ▁as ▁lay lat ▁al - har ir ▁( the ▁night ▁of ▁cl am or ) ▁the ▁Mu aw iy ah ' s ▁army ▁were ▁on ▁the ▁point ▁of ▁being ▁rout ed ▁when ▁Am r ▁ibn ▁al - A as ▁ad vised ▁Mu aw iy ah ▁to ▁have ▁his ▁soldiers ▁ho ist ▁m ush af ▁( e