ither ▁par ch ments ▁ins cribed ▁with ▁vers es ▁of ▁the ▁Q ur ' an , ▁or ▁complete ▁copies ▁of ▁it ) ▁on ▁their ▁spe ar head s ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁cause ▁disag re ement ▁and ▁confusion ▁in ▁Ali ' s ▁army . ▁ ▁The ▁two ▁arm ies ▁finally ▁agreed ▁to ▁sett le ▁the ▁matter ▁of ▁who ▁should ▁be ▁C ali ph ▁by ▁arbitr ation . ▁The ▁ref us al ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁b loc ▁in ▁Ali ' s ▁army ▁to ▁fight ▁was ▁the ▁decis ive ▁factor ▁in ▁his ▁accept ance ▁of ▁the ▁arbitr ation . ▁The ▁question ▁as ▁to ▁whether ▁the ▁ar b iter ▁would ▁represent ▁Ali ▁or ▁the ▁K uf ans ▁caused ▁a ▁further ▁split ▁in ▁Ali ' s ▁army . ▁Ash ' ath ▁ibn ▁Q ays ▁and ▁some ▁others ▁who ▁later ▁became ▁the ▁K har ij ites ▁rejected ▁Ali ' s ▁nom ine es , ▁` Ab d ▁Al lah ▁ibn ▁` A bb as ▁and ▁Mal ik ▁al - As ht ar , ▁and ▁ins isted ▁on ▁Ab u ▁Mus a ▁Ash ' ari , ▁who ▁was ▁opposed ▁by ▁Ali , ▁since ▁he ▁had ▁earlier ▁prevent ed ▁people ▁from ▁supporting ▁him . ▁Ali ▁was ▁ur ged ▁to ▁accept ▁Ab u ▁Mus a ▁but ▁he ▁never ▁did . ▁ ▁Those ▁who ▁preferred ▁Ab u ▁Mus a ▁went ▁decided ▁to ▁continue ▁with ▁the ▁arbitr ation ▁anyway . ▁The ▁K har ij ites ▁( sch ism at ics ), ▁later ▁opposed ▁the ▁decision ▁to ▁choose ▁Ab u ▁Mus a ▁bl aming ▁Ali