Abu Mikhnaf Lut ibn Yahya al-Azdi, in the book he composed on the war of Basra, relates from his companions — and others like him among the narrators of history relate from their predecessors and companions — that when the Commander of the Faithful (AS) resolved to march to Basra, word reached him that Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, Ibn Maslama, Usama ibn Zayd, and Ibn Umar were holding back from him. He sent for them, and when they came he said to them: I have heard things from you that I dislike, yet I will not compel you to march with me. Are you not bound by your allegiance to me? They said: Indeed we are. He said: Then what keeps you from accompanying me? Sa'd said to him: I dislike going out in this war lest I strike down a believer; if you give me a sword that can tell the believer from the unbeliever, I will fight alongside you. Usama said to him: You are the dearest of all creation to me, but I have made a covenant with God not to fight anyone who says 'There is no god but God.' For in the time of the Messenger of God (PBUH), Usama had thrust his spear toward a man from among the polytheists in battle, and the man, fearing him, said: There is no god but God — but Usama struck him with the spear and killed him. When news of this reached the Prophet (PBUH), he said: O Usama! Did you kill a man who bore witness that there is no god but God? He said: O Messenger of God, he only said it to seek refuge from death. The Prophet (PBUH) said to him: Did you split open his heart? And Usama claimed that the Prophet (PBUH) had commanded him to fight with the sword only so long as he fought polytheists, and that if it came to fighting Muslims, he should strike his sword upon a rock and break it. Abdullah ibn Umar said: I do not recognize anything in this war; I ask you not to compel me to what I do not know. Then the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to them: Not everyone beguiled is to be reproached! Are you not bound by your allegiance to me? They said: Indeed we are. He said: Then depart, for God the Exalted will soon make me needless of you. (al-Jamal wa'l-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 95)
Abu Mikhnaf, in the book he composed about the war of Basra (the Camel), relates from his own companions — and likewise other narrators of reports and biography relate from the companions of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) — that when he resolved to march on Basra, he learned that Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, Usama, Muhammad ibn Maslama, and Abdullah ibn Umar were dragging their feet and holding back from marching with him. He sent someone to them, and when they came, he said: I have heard frivolous words attributed to you which I do not like; and yet, although my allegiance binds you, I will not compel you to come with me. They said: It is so. He said: What has caused you to refrain from accompanying me? Sa'd said: I do not wish to take part in this war; I fear I might kill a believer. If you give me a sword that can distinguish the believer from the unbeliever, I will fight alongside you! Usama said: You are the most honored of God's creation in my eyes, but I have made a pact and covenant with God not to fight anyone who says 'There is no god but God.' In the days of the Messenger of God (PBUH), during one of the battles against the polytheists, Usama had raised his spear against a man, and the man, terrified, said 'There is no god but God.' But Usama paid no heed, brought the spear down, and killed the man. When this matter came to the attention of the Prophet (PBUH), he said: O Usama! Did you kill a man who was bearing witness that there is no god but God? He said: O Messenger of God! He only uttered that phrase to escape death. He said: Did you not fear killing him? And Usama claimed that the Prophet (PBUH) had told him: Fight with your sword only alongside one who fights the unbelievers. So when war broke out among the Muslims, he struck his sword upon a rock and broke it. Abdullah ibn Umar likewise said: I cannot see anything rightly in this war, and I ask you not to compel me to a matter I do not understand! The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said at last: Not everyone beguiled can be reproached! Then he said: Do you remain in your allegiance to me? They said: Yes! He said: Then go, for God will soon make me needless of you.
And he (AS) said: I have been wronged as many times as the number of the stones and the clods of earth. (al-Jamal wa'l-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 95)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said one day: I have been wronged as many times as there are pebbles!
Ishaq ibn Rashid related from Abd al-Hamid ibn Abd al-Rahman, from Ibn Abza, who said: Shall I not tell you what my own eyes saw and my own ears heard? When the people gathered at the treasury, Ali said to Talha: Stretch out your hand that I may pledge allegiance to you. Talha said: You are more entitled to this matter than I, and the inclinations of the people have gathered for you as they have not gathered for me. He (AS) said to him: We fear none but you. Talha said: Have no fear, for by God no harm shall come to you from my direction. Then Ammar ibn Yasir, Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihan, Rifa'a ibn Rafi' ibn Malik ibn al-Ajlan, and Abu Ayyub Khalid ibn Zayd rose and said to Ali: This matter has fallen into corruption, and you have seen what Uthman did and how he acted contrary to the Book and the Sunna. So stretch out your hand that we may pledge allegiance to you, so that you may set right what has become corrupted in the affairs of the community. But Ali (AS) declined and said: You have seen what was done to me, and you know the disposition of these people; I have no need of them. (al-Jamal wa'l-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 128)
Ishaq ibn Rashid relates from Abd al-Hamid ibn Abd al-Rahman, from Ibn Abza, who would say: Do you wish me to recount for you what I saw with my own eyes and heard with my own ears? Beside the treasury, in the presence of the people, Ali (AS) said to Talha: Stretch out your hand that I may pledge allegiance to you! Talha said: You are worthier of this matter than I, and the number of people who have gathered to pledge allegiance to you have not gathered for me. Ali (AS) said: It is you we fear! Talha said: Fear nothing from my side, for by God no harm shall reach you from me. At that moment Ammar ibn Yasir, Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihan, Rifa'a ibn Abi Rafi', Malik ibn al-Ajlan, and Abu Ayyub Khalid ibn Zayd rose and said: O Ali! You see that affairs have fallen into ruin, and you saw what Uthman did and what befell him because of his opposition to the Qur'an and the Sunna. Now stretch out your hand that we may pledge allegiance to you, so that the affairs of the community, which have fallen into ruin, may be set right. Ali (AS) did not accept, and said: You saw how I was treated, and you know these people. I have no need of them.
Sayf related from his authorities: The people gathered around Ali (AS) and asked him to take charge of their affairs, offering him their allegiance. He said to them: Seek someone other than me. They said: We adjure you by God! Do you not see the sedition? Do you not fear God concerning the ruin of this community? When they pressed him insistently, he said to them: If I answer you, I shall lead you according to what I myself know; and if you leave me be, I shall be as one of you. They said: We are content with your rule, and there is none among us who opposes you; lead us according to what you see fit. Then the assembly pledged allegiance to him. (al-Jamal wa'l-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 129)
Sayf relates from his authorities that the people gathered in the presence of Ali (AS), offered to pledge allegiance, and asked him to oversee their affairs. He said: Seek out someone other than me. They said: We adjure you by God! Do you not see this sedition? Do you not fear God, lest the affairs of this community fall into ruin? He said: Now that you insist, I say: if I accept, I will direct you and lead you according to what I myself know; and if you leave me be, I shall be like one of you. They said: We have all consented to your rule, and there is no one among us who opposes you; lead us in whatever way you deem right. And then they all pledged allegiance.
Zayd ibn Aslam said: Talha and Zubayr came to Ali (AS) while he had withdrawn to the walled gardens of Medina. They came in to him and said: Stretch out your hand that we may pledge allegiance to you, for the people will be content with none but you. He said to them: I have no need of that; for me to be a vizier to you two is better than to be your commander. Let whichever of you wishes stretch out his hand, and I will pledge allegiance to him. They said: The people prefer no one over you and will not turn from you to another; so stretch out your hand that we may be the first of the people to pledge allegiance to you. He said: My allegiance shall not be given in secret; wait until I go out to the mosque. They said: No, we will pledge to you here, and then pledge to you again in the mosque. So they pledged allegiance to him as the first of the people, and then the people pledged allegiance to him at the pulpit. The first of them was Talha ibn Ubaydallah, whose hand was withered; he climbed up the pulpit to him and clapped his hand upon his. A man of Banu Asad who practiced augury by birds was standing there watching. When he saw that the first hand clapped upon the hand of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) was Talha's — a withered hand — he said: Truly we belong to God and to Him we return! The first hand clapped upon his hand is withered; this affair is unlikely to be completed. Then Talha and Zubayr came down, and the people pledged allegiance to him after them. (al-Jamal wa'l-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 130)
The narrator says: Talha and Zubayr came to Ali (AS), who had gone out to the palm groves of Medina, and said: Stretch out your hand that we may pledge allegiance to you, for the people are content with no one but you. Ali (AS) said: I have no need of the caliphate; and if I were a vizier to you two, that would be better than being commander. Let one of you, who is of Quraysh, put forth his hand that I may pledge allegiance to him. They said: The people want no one but you and have no inclination toward anyone else; put forth your hand that we may pledge allegiance to you and be the first to do so. He said: What meaning is there in a pledge given to me in secret?! Give me time to go to the mosque. They said: We will first pledge allegiance to you right here, and then we will pledge to you again in the mosque. And those two were the first who pledged allegiance to Ali (AS); and when the people also pledged allegiance to Ali, again the first to pledge was Talha. He went up the pulpit and, with his hand which was withered, took the hand of Ali (AS) and pledged allegiance. A man of Banu Asad, who practiced augury and divination, was standing there watching the scene. When he saw that the first hand to touch the hand of Ali (AS) was Talha's withered hand, he uttered the formula of istirja' (Truly we belong to God and to Him we return) and said: The first pledger's hand is withered — this allegiance will not reach completion! And when Talha and Zubayr came down from the pulpit, the people pledged allegiance to Ali (AS).
Muhammad ibn Sa'd related from his father: Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) sent to my father to come and pledge allegiance. He said to him: When no one but me remains, I will pledge allegiance to you. Ali (AS) said: Leave Sa'd be. And he sent to Usama ibn Zayd, and Usama said to him: I am obedient to you, but I refuse to go forth with the sword. Ali (AS) said to him: I compel no one to pledge allegiance to me. (al-Jamal wa'l-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 131)
The son of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas says: Ali (AS) sent someone to my father to come and pledge allegiance. My father said: When there is no one left but me, I will pledge allegiance to you. Ali (AS) said: Leave Sa'd free. He likewise sent someone to Usama ibn Zayd, and Usama sent back the message: I am obedient to you, but excuse me from coming with you bearing the sword. And Ali (AS) said: I compel no one to pledge allegiance to me.
Umar ibn Abdullah al-Asamm and Ziyad ibn al-Nadr came to Ali (AS) to ask his leave on behalf of the people to enter Medina. He (AS) said to the two: Have you gone to anyone before me? They said: Yes, we went to Aisha, and after her to the wives of the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions among the Emigrants and the Helpers, and they told them to come forward. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: But I will not command them to do so. Let them seek redress from him at close hand; if he satisfies them, that is better for them, and if he refuses, they know best. So the two men returned to their people, and a group from Medina hastened out to them, joining together with men of noble descent and men of honor. When word of their gathering reached Uthman, he sent to Ali (AS) and said to him: Go out, O Abu al-Hasan, to these people and turn them back from what they have come for. So he went out to them, and when they saw him they welcomed him and said: You know, O Abu al-Hasan, the vile deeds this man has committed and what the Muslims suffer from him and from his governors. We met him and sought redress from him, but he gave us none; we spoke to him, but he did not listen to our words, and that only emboldened him against us. We have now come to demand that he withdraw from the command of the Muslims, and we asked leave in this from the Helpers and the Emigrants and the wives of the Prophet (PBUH), the mothers of the believers, and they gave us leave to enter Medina, and we are resolved upon it. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to them: O people, be patient; do not rush toward something whose outcome is unknown. We ourselves reproached him over a certain matter, and he turned back from it; so turn back. They said: Far from it, O Abu al-Hasan! We will be satisfied with nothing from him except his withdrawal from this office, so that someone whose trustworthiness is relied upon may take charge of it. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) returned to Uthman and informed him of what they had said. Uthman went out to the pulpit, addressed the people, and began to speak, calling for their support and for the people to be repelled from him. Amr ibn al-As rose before him and said: O Uthman! You have driven the people into perilous straits, and they have come upon you for it; so repent to God. Uthman said to him: So you are here too, O son of al-Nabigha! Then he raised his hands to the sky and said: I repent to God. O God, I repent to You! O God, I repent to You! The Commander of the Faithful (AS) then sent word to the people of what had passed with Uthman and of his repentance and desisting, and they all set out for Medina; and Amr ibn Ma'dikarib came to them with many people and kept inciting them against Uthman, recounting his favoritism, and then began to recite: Have we not perished, with no one to weep for us? Quraysh said: Such indeed are the decrees of fate. We stood in the battle line, our brows dripping blood; we were given equal shares of what the bellows refined — equal shares on the day of striking, as they well knew; but no equal shares when it came to dinars. From the Emigrants, Talha and Zubayr joined them, and the mass of the Helpers likewise. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) went out to them and said: O people, fear God! What business have you with the man? Has he not turned back from what you condemned? Did he not repent upon the pulpit with a repentance he proclaimed openly? And he continued to deal gently with them until their fury subsided. Then the people of Egypt asked him to meet Uthman about dismissing Abdullah ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Sarh from over them; the people of Kufa proposed the dismissal of Sa'id ibn al-As from over them; and the people of Nahrawan asked that he remove Ibn Kariz from over them and turn from the wicked deeds he had been committing. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) went in to Uthman and persisted with him until he granted what the people wanted of that, and offered them pledges and covenants. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) went out to the people with what Uthman had guaranteed him, and persisted with them until they dispersed, each group setting out for its own lands. But when the people of Egypt had traveled part of the way, they looked and saw a rider hastening along the road. When he drew near, they examined him, and behold, it was a slave of Uthman on one of his she-camels. They grew suspicious of him and asked: Where are you going? He said: Uthman has sent me on an errand of his. They said: To where has he sent you? He was tongue-tied and stammered in his speech, so they rebuked him and berated him. He said: He has dispatched me to Egypt. They said: For what has he dispatched you? He said: I do not know. Their suspicion increased, so they searched him and found nothing on him. Then they took his water-skin bag and searched it, and in it was a letter from Uthman to Abdullah ibn Abi Sarh, which read: When this letter of mine reaches you, strike off the head of Abu Amr ibn Budayl and of Abd al-Rahman al-Balawi, and cut off the hands and feet of Alqama, Kinana, and Urwa; then leave them to writhe in their blood, and when they are dead, hang them up on the trunks of palm trees. When they saw this, they seized the slave and returned to Medina. They sought audience with Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) and handed him the letter. He (AS) was alarmed at it and went in to Uthman and said: You placed me in the middle of a matter in which I spent every effort for you and for your good counsel, and I obtained pardon for you from the people. Uthman said: What is it, then? He brought out the letter to him; he broke its seal, read it, and then denied it. Ali (AS) said to him: Do you recognize the handwriting? He said: Handwriting can resemble handwriting. He said: Do you recognize the seal? He said: A seal can be engraved in imitation. He said: Then this camel standing at the door of your house — do you recognize it? He said: It is my camel, but I ordered no one to take it or to ride it. He said: Then your slave — who dispatched him? He said: He was dispatched without my order. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to him: Then I withdraw from you; you and your companions may see to your own affair. And he left him, entered his own house, shut his door upon himself, and gave leave to none of the people to reach him. Then Talha and Zubayr went out to them and said: Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) has withdrawn, and has left us to act with you against this man. So the people agreed upon besieging him. When Uthman knew that the people had besieged him and that the resolve to depose him was confirmed, he wrote to Muawiya summoning him with the armies of Syria, and wrote to Abdullah ibn Amir summoning him with the armies of Basra and Fars, that by them he might be aided and might repel them from himself. The people of Egypt, Iraq, and the Hijaz learned that he had called out against them the people of Syria and his partisans from Basra, Fars, and Khuzistan, so they pressed hard in his siege. Talha and Zubayr took charge of it, denied him water, and pressed him hard; Talha commanded the guard over the house, preventing anyone from bringing in to him any food or drink, and preventing anyone in the house from leaving it for anywhere else. (al-Jamal wa'l-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 138)
In the affair of the killing of Uthman, a large number of people from Kufa, in protest against the governor there, set out for Medina and encamped outside the city. Then they sent two representatives to the companions of the Prophet (PBUH) and his wives. Next they requested a meeting with Ali (AS). Ali (AS) went out to them, and as soon as they saw him they welcomed him and declared: O Abu al-Hasan! You know what vile deeds this man [Uthman] commits and what the Muslims see from him and from his agents. We met with him and asked him to win back our contentment, but he paid no heed; we spoke with him, but he did not listen to our words, and his anger has moreover been roused against us. Now we have come to demand that he step down from the caliphate and command over the Muslims; and in this matter we sought leave from the Emigrants and the Helpers and the wives of the Messenger of God (PBUH) — who are like mothers to all the believers — and they have given us leave to enter Medina, and we are resolved upon this. Ali (AS) said to them: O people! Be patient, and do not rush into something whose outcome is unknown. We too reproached Uthman over certain of his deeds, and he desisted from them. You too should turn back. They answered: O Abu al-Hasan! We shall never be satisfied or content unless he removes himself from the caliphate and someone trustworthy is appointed to it. Ali (AS) came to Uthman and repeated their words. Uthman came out of his house, went up the pulpit, delivered a sermon to the people, and began appealing for aid, asking the people to hold that group back from him. Amr ibn al-As rose and said: O Uthman! You stand accused, and they have laid charges against you. Now repent and turn back to God. Uthman said mockingly: O son of al-Nabigha! Are you here too? Then he raised his hands to the sky and said: I repent before God. O Lord! I return to You and repent. Ali (AS) sent someone to that group with the message that Uthman had repented and withdrawn himself from those deeds. But they all came to Medina, and Amr ibn Ma'dikarib joined them with a large company, inciting them against Uthman and enumerating his misdeeds. From the Emigrants, Talha and Zubayr, and from the Helpers the generality of them, joined that group. Ali (AS) went to them and said: O people! Fear God — what business have you with this man [Uthman]? Has he not turned back from what you disapprove of? Did he not openly repent upon the pulpit? And he continually treated them with kindness and spoke gentle words until their rage and clamor subsided. Then the people of Egypt asked Ali (AS) to meet Uthman and request that he dismiss Abdullah ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Sarh from the governorship of Egypt. The people of Kufa likewise asked him to request from Uthman the dismissal of Sa'id ibn al-As from the governorship of Kufa, and the people of Nahrawan asked him to request the removal of Ibn Kariz, and to admonish Uthman to refrain from the wicked deeds he had been committing. Ali (AS) went again to Uthman and pressed him until Uthman accepted the proposals of that people and bound himself with a firm pledge and covenant. Ali (AS) returned to that group and said that Uthman had accepted all their demands, and he spoke with them at such length that they dispersed and set out for their own lands. But the Egyptians, when they had gone some distance along the road, suddenly came upon a rider traveling in haste, and when he drew near them, they looked closely and saw it was Uthman's slave, mounted on his she-camel. They became suspicious of him and asked: Where are you going? He said: Uthman has sent me to carry out a task. They asked: To where? His tongue failed him and he could not speak properly. They treated him roughly, and he was forced to say: He has sent me to Egypt. They said: For what task? He said: I do not know. Their suspicion deepened. They searched his person and found nothing on him. They examined his baggage and found a letter Uthman had written to Abdullah ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Sarh, whose content was as follows: When this letter of mine reaches you, strike off the necks of Amr ibn Budayl and Abd al-Rahman al-Bakri, and cut off both the hands and feet of Alqama, Kinana, and Urwa, and leave them to flail in their own blood until they die; and when they are dead, hang their bodies upon the palm trees. Seeing this, they seized the slave, brought him back with them to Medina, came before Ali (AS), and gave him that letter. Ali (AS) was appalled by the letter, went to Uthman, and said: You made me intercede in a matter in which I exerted my utmost effort for you and for your good, and I asked the people to let you be and to pardon you. Uthman said: Why, what has happened? Ali (AS) brought out the letter, unfolded it, and read it. Uthman denied it. Ali asked: Do you recognize this handwriting? He said: Yes, it resembles the hand of my scribe. He said: Do you recognize this seal? He said: It may be forged. He said: This camel standing at the door of your house — do you recognize it? He said: Yes, it is my camel, but I gave no such order to anyone, and those around me would not commit such a deed. He said: Who, then, dispatched your slave? He said: They dispatched him without my order. Ali (AS) said: In that case I withdraw from your affair — you and your reckless companions may see to yourselves! And he left Uthman's house, went to his own house, shut the door upon himself, and permitted none of that people to come into his presence. At this point Talha and Zubayr went to that group and told them: Ali ibn Abi Talib has withdrawn, and we are ready to act with you against this man [Uthman]. And they resolved to besiege him. When Uthman realized that they had besieged him and had resolved on his deposition, he wrote a letter to Muawiya asking him to come to Medina with the armies of Syria, and another letter to Abdullah ibn Amir asking him to come to Medina with the armies of Basra and Fars, so that through them he might prevail over that people and drive them away from himself. The people of Egypt, Iraq, and the Hijaz learned that Uthman had summoned the people of Syria and his own partisans from Basra, Fars, and Khuzistan to make war on them. Because of this they intensified their siege, and Talha and Zubayr took charge of it, pressing Uthman hard and cutting off the delivery of water. Talha assumed command over the besiegers and those surrounding Uthman's house, allowing no one to carry water or food into the house, and allowing no one to leave the house and go elsewhere.
When Uthman refused to depose himself, Talha and Zubayr took charge of his siege, with the people alongside them in this. They besieged him severely and denied him water. So he sent to Ali (AS), saying: Talha and Zubayr have killed me with thirst, and death by weapons would be better. Ali (AS) went out, leaning on the hand of al-Miswar ibn Makhrama al-Zuhri, and went in to Talha ibn Ubaydallah, who was sitting in his house shaving arrows, wearing an Indian shirt. When Talha saw him, he welcomed him and made room for him on the cushion. Ali (AS) said to him: Uthman has sent to me saying that you are killing him with thirst, and that this is not good — death by weapons would be better for him. I had sworn to myself not to hold anyone back from him after the affair of the people of Egypt; but I would like you to let water in to him, until you have decided your course concerning him. Talha said: No, by God, no comfort shall his eye have; we will not leave him to eat or drink. Ali (AS) said: I did not think I would speak to any man of Quraysh and be refused. Leave off what you are engaged in, O Talha! Talha said: O Ali, you have no share whatsoever in this matter. Ali (AS) rose in anger and said: You shall soon know, O son of the Hadrami woman, whether I have a share in this matter or not. Then he departed. (al-Jamal wa'l-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 145)
When Uthman refused to step down, Talha and Zubayr took charge of leading the people in besieging him; they placed him under a severe siege and withheld water from him. Uthman sent a message to Ali (AS): Talha and Zubayr are killing me with thirst, whereas being killed by the sword would be better! Ali (AS) went out holding the hand of al-Miswar ibn Makhrama and went to Talha's house. Talha, wearing an Indian shirt, was busy in his house shaving arrows; and when he saw Ali, he welcomed him and made room for him on his own cushion. Ali (AS) said: Uthman has sent me word that you intend to kill him by thirst, and this is not praiseworthy — being killed by the sword would be better. Although I have vowed to myself that after the Egyptians I would hold no one back from him, still I would be pleased if you would send water in to him, until you make your decision about him. Talha said: No, by God, we will not let him be at ease, and we will not permit him to eat or drink anything. Ali (AS) said: I did not think that I would make a request of any man of Quraysh and he would refuse! O Talha! Give up this obstinacy. Talha said: O Ali! You shall have no share in this matter (the caliphate). Ali (AS) rose in anger and said: O son of the Hadrami woman! You shall soon know whether I have a share in this matter or not. And he left his house.
She [Aisha] said, in her account of the story of those who accused her concerning Safwan ibn al-Mu'attal and what befell her in the expedition against Banu al-Mustaliq — the Messenger of God (PBUH) shunning her and turning away from her, and his consulting Usama ibn Zayd about her affair. She said: He was a righteous and trusted [believing] servant. He mentioned to him the people's accusation involving Safwan, and Usama said to him: Think nothing but good, O Messenger of God, for the woman is trustworthy and Safwan is a righteous servant. Then he consulted Ali (AS), who said to him: O Messenger of God — God's blessings upon you — women are many; and ask Barira, her servant, and search out the truth of her story from her. The Messenger of God (PBUH) said to him: Then you, O Ali, take charge of questioning her. So Ali (AS) cut a palm branch and took her aside, questioning her about me, threatening her and frightening her. No wonder that I shall never love Ali. (al-Jamal wa'l-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 157)
The narrator says: The origin of Aisha's hostility toward Ali goes back to the affair of the expedition against Banu al-Mustaliq, when Aisha was left behind by the caravan, and consequently a man named Safwan ibn al-Mu'attal found her alone in the desert and rescued her. Talk then multiplied behind Aisha's back. The Messenger of God (PBUH) consulted Usama. Usama said to him: Think well of Aisha, for in these matters she is trustworthy, and Safwan too is a God-fearing servant. Then the Messenger of God (PBUH) consulted Ali (AS). Ali (AS) said: Women are plentiful (that is, if you have doubts about one, another wife may be taken). And his view was that the Messenger of God (PBUH) should make inquiry of Barira, Aisha's maidservant. The Messenger of God (PBUH) asked Ali (AS) himself to investigate the matter with Barira. So Ali (AS) took up a switch from a palm tree, questioned Barira alone, and frightened her. Aisha says: From that day on, I have not loved Ali.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) entered, and Uthman said to him: O Ali! Do you not see how this liar fabricates lies against the Messenger of God (PBUH)? Ali said to him: O Uthman, regard him, in what he has said, as you would the believer of the house of Pharaoh. God, whose name is mighty, has said: 'If he is a liar, his lie is upon him; but if he is truthful, some of what he threatens you with will befall you' [Qur'an 40:28]. Uthman grew angry and said: Be silent — dust be in your mouth! He (AS) rose upon his knees and then said to him: Rather, dust shall indeed be in your mouth. (al-Jamal wa'l-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 178)
The narrator says: Ali (AS) entered. Uthman said: O Ali! Do you see how this liar (Abu Dharr) fabricates lies against the Messenger of God? Ali (AS) said: Regard him as the believer of the house of Pharaoh, of whom God the Exalted said: "If he is a liar, his lie is upon him and to his own loss; but if he is truthful, some of the threats he utters may befall you" [Qur'an 40:28]. Uthman became furious and said to Ali (AS): Be silent — dust upon your mouth! Ali (AS) raised himself upon his knees, restrained his anger, and said: Soon there shall be dust upon your mouth!
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) rose, whip in hand, toward al-Walid. When al-Walid saw him coming toward him to strike him, he rose from his place to leave, but he (AS) hastened to him and seized him. Al-Walid reviled him, and the Commander of the Faithful (AS) rebuked him as he deserved, and held him fast until he secured the carrying out of the legal punishment upon him. Uthman flared up in rage at this and said to him: You have no right, O Ali, to manhandle him, nor any right to revile him. He (AS) said to him: Indeed I have the right to compel him to submit to the punishment; and I only rebuked him because he reviled me falsely, whereas what I said of him was the truth. Then he struck him with the whip — which had two heads — forty lashes, counting as eighty; and Uthman harbored a grudge against him for it. (al-Jamal wa'l-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 179)
Ali (AS) rose with the whip in his hand and went toward al-Walid; and when al-Walid saw Ali (AS) coming toward him, he stood up to flee. Ali (AS) outpaced him and stopped him from moving. Al-Walid hurled abuse at Ali (AS). Ali (AS) answered him as he merited and deserved, and then held him firmly in restraint. Uthman grew angry and said to Ali (AS): It is not for you to treat him with violence or to revile him. Ali (AS) said: Not so; it is my right to compel him to submit to the execution of the punishment. Moreover, until he had reviled me, I did not revile him — he cast a false insult at me, while I said nothing of him except what was his due. Then Ali (AS), with a whip that had two heads, struck him forty strokes — in place of eighty strokes — and Uthman harbored in his heart a grudge against Ali (AS) over that gathering.
(We say: al-Walid ibn Uqba was the half-brother of Uthman ibn Affan on his mother's side. His father Uqba was among those whom the Prophet (PBUH) cursed directly. Uqba was taken captive and killed in the Battle of Badr. Al-Walid himself embraced Islam on the day of the conquest of Mecca, in the eighth year of the Hijra. Al-Walid was skilled in composing poetry, and he composed verses against Ali (AS). In the ninth year of the Hijra, the Prophet (PBUH) sent al-Walid to Banu al-Mustaliq to collect their alms-tax. When Banu al-Mustaliq heard that al-Walid was approaching, twenty men with a number of camels and sheep went out joyfully to welcome him; but al-Walid, as soon as he saw them, did not go near them; he returned to Medina and told the Prophet: When I drew near them, they took up arms and prevented the collection of the alms-tax. The Prophet (PBUH) resolved to send someone to fight them. When the news reached them, they came to Medina, informed him of the true account, and said: O Messenger of God, ask him whether he even spoke a word with us or held any conversation with us! At that very time this verse was revealed: "O you who believe! If a wicked person brings you news, verify it..." [Qur'an 49:6]. The Prophet (PBUH) recited the verse and said: Your excuse is sound; this verse was revealed concerning al-Walid.
When Uthman came to the caliphate, he dismissed Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas — who had been governor of Kufa in the days of Umar — from the governorship of Kufa and made al-Walid ibn Uqba governor of Kufa. During his governorship al-Walid drank wine, and one day he appeared drunk to lead the dawn prayer and prayed the dawn prayer in four units, saying to those behind him: Shall I pray more for you? In his drunkenness he had prolonged the prostration, saying: Drink, and give to drink! After al-Walid was summoned to Medina and witnesses testified against him, no one was willing to administer the punishment upon him, so Ali (AS) carried out the divine punishment on him. While al-Walid adjured him by the bond of kinship not to strike, Ali (AS) said: Be silent, for the Children of Israel perished precisely because they trampled upon the punishments ordained by God. Afterwards Uthman dismissed al-Walid and sent Sa'id ibn al-As to govern Kufa. Yet despite al-Walid's vile conduct and his dismissal from the governorship of Kufa, Uthman again entrusted him with another responsibility, appointing him to collect the alms-tax.
In the course of the pledge of allegiance to the Commander of the Faithful Ali (AS), many of the men of Quraysh pledged allegiance to him — except three: Sa'id ibn al-As, Marwan ibn al-Hakam, and al-Walid ibn Uqba. During his caliphate, al-Walid's opposition and enmity toward him were great. In the wars of this period, al-Walid stood in the ranks of the enemy, facing Ali (AS). In the Battle of the Camel he joined the army of Aisha. In the Battle of Siffin, too, al-Walid was in Muawiya's army, and he was among those who proposed cutting off the water from the army of Ali (AS). In the end, al-Walid settled in the city of Raqqa in the time of Muawiya and died in that same city.)
And his saying (AS): By God, the killing of Uthman neither angered me nor gladdened me; I neither loved it nor loathed it. (al-Jamal wa'l-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 202) And his saying (AS): May God cast down the killers of Uthman. (al-Jamal wa'l-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 202) And, along with this, his saying (AS): O God, slay the killers of Uthman on the land of the earth and on its sea. (al-Jamal wa'l-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 202)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: By God, the killing of Uthman neither angered me nor made me glad; I neither approved of that deed nor disliked it!
And elsewhere he said: May God destroy and annihilate the killers of Uthman!
And elsewhere he said: May God slay the killers of Uthman, whether they be on land or at sea.
When the people had joined together, as we have recounted, in dissension against the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and in preparing to march to Basra, and the news reached him, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: I shall march in person, with those who are with me, following the road behind the people. If I overtake them on the way, I will seize them; and if they escape me, I will write to Kufa and summon reinforcements from the garrison towns and march against them. As for Umm Salama, I do not see fit to bring her out of her house, as those two men saw fit to bring out Aisha. (al-Jamal wa'l-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 239)
After news reached the Commander of the Faithful (AS) that Talha and Zubayr had taken Aisha along with them and were hastening toward Basra, he summoned the elders of his companions and sat in counsel with them: what are we to do? Each one offered an opinion. Ammar said: Let us first go to Kufa and win over its people to our side. Ibn Abbas said: Send someone to Kufa to take the pledge of allegiance to you from the people there, and from there let an army set out toward Basra. Usama's view was that the Commander of the Faithful (AS) should not leave Medina; he said: this is a sedition that will die out by itself. Someone also proposed: Just as they took Aisha with them to Basra, let us take Umm Salama with us and set out in their pursuit. After the Commander of the Faithful (AS) had heard all these words, he said: The right course is that I set out myself with those who will accompany me and pursue them. If I overtake them on the way, I will seize them; and if I do not reach them, I will write to the people of Kufa and request reinforcements from the other cities as well, and march against them. But as for Umm Salama, I do not consider it lawful to bring her out of her house, even though those two men have acted as they did with Aisha.
When the letter was brought to Ali (AS) and he had read it, he summoned his son Hasan, Ammar ibn Yasir, and Qays ibn Sa'd, and sent them to Abu Musa, writing with them: 'From the servant of God, Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, to Abdullah ibn Qays. Now then, O son of the weaver: by God, I always believed that your remoteness from this matter — for which God has not made you fit, nor given you any share in it — would keep you from rejecting my command. I have sent to you Hasan, Ammar, and Qays; so vacate the garrison town and its people for them, and withdraw from our service, blamed and driven off. If you do so, well; but if not, I have ordered them to declare open war on you — surely God does not love the treacherous — and if they prevail over you, they will cut you to pieces. Peace be upon him who is thankful for blessing, is content with his allegiance, and works for God in hope of the final outcome.' (al-Jamal wa'l-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 239)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) first sent Hashim ibn Utba, known as Hashim al-Mirqal, with a letter to Kufa, to Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, whom he had retained in the governorship of Kufa. In that letter he had asked Abu Musa to take the pledge of allegiance to him from the people of Kufa and to dispatch an army of its people toward Basra. Abu Musa, whose heart was not in this task, tore up the letter and threatened Hashim. Hashim wrote a letter to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) saying that the problem of Kufa was Abu Musa himself. When Hashim's letter reached Ali (AS), he summoned his son Hasan (AS), Ammar Yasir, and Qays ibn Sa'd ibn Ubada, and sent them to Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, and with them he wrote a letter to this effect: From the servant of God, the Commander of the Faithful, to Abdullah ibn Qays (Abu Musa al-Ash'ari). Now then: O son of the weaver! By God, I suspected that you would come between me and the people, and for that reason from the beginning I did not consider you fit for the governorship of Kufa. Now I have sent Hasan, Ammar, and Qays. Hand the city over to them and withdraw from our service in disgrace and reproach! If you do so, well and good; if not, I have told them to declare war on you, for you are a traitor, and God does not love the treacherous. And if you do not submit and they prevail over you, I have told them to cut you to pieces! And at the end of the letter he wrote: Peace be upon him who gives thanks for blessing, remains faithful to his allegiance, and acts for God's sake in pursuit of the hereafter.
Al-Waqidi related from Shayban ibn Abd al-Rahman, from Asim ibn Kulayb, from his father, who said: When Uthman was killed, only a little time passed before Talha and Zubayr arrived in Basra; then only a short while after that, Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) approached and encamped at Dhu Qar. Two elders of the tribe said: Take us to this man that we may see what he calls to. When we came to Dhu Qar, we found ourselves before the most discerning of the Arabs. By God, he entered into the genealogy of my people until I began saying: he knows it better than I, and is more heeded among them. He said: Who is the chief of Banu Rasib? I said: So-and-so. He said: And who is the chief of Banu Qudama? I said: So-and-so — naming another man. He said: Will you convey to the two of them two letters from me? I said: Yes. He said: Will you not pledge allegiance to me? The two elders who were with me pledged allegiance, but I held back from pledging. Then men around him, whose faces prostration had worn, began saying: Pledge! Pledge! But he (AS) said: Let the man be. I said: My people sent me only as a scout, and I shall report to them what I have seen; if they pledge, I pledge, and if they hold aloof, I hold aloof. He said to me: Tell me — if your people sent you as a scout and you found a meadow and a pool, and you said, O my people, to the pasture, to the pasture! and they refused — would you not go and benefit yourself by it? So I took hold of one of his fingers and said: I pledge allegiance to you on the condition that I obey you so long as you obey God, and that if you disobey Him, I owe you no obedience. He said: Yes — and he drew the word out, raising his voice with it — and I struck my hand upon his. Then he turned to Muhammad ibn Hatib, who was at the edge of the gathering, and said: When you set out to your people, convey to them my letters and my words. Muhammad moved over to him until he sat before him and said: When I come to my people, they will say: What does your companion say concerning Uthman? At this, those around him began to revile Uthman, and I saw that Ali disliked it so much that his brow broke into sweat, and he said: O people, desist! It is not you who are being asked. He said: I had not yet left the camp when the people of Kufa arrived before Ali (AS), and they began saying: We see our brothers of the people of Basra preparing to fight us — and they laughed and marveled, saying: By God, if we meet face to face, we shall render one another what is right — as though they believed there would be no fighting between them. And I went out with the two letters of Ali (AS) and came to one of the two men; he accepted the letter and gave a favorable answer. I was directed to the other, who had hidden himself — had they told him 'It is Kulayb,' he would not have admitted me. I went in to him, handed him the letter, and said: This is the letter of Ali — and I told him the news, and said: I told Ali that you are the chief of your people. But he refused to accept the letter and did not answer what was asked of him, saying: I have no need of chieftainship today. (al-Jamal wa'l-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 290)
The narrator says: After Uthman was killed, it was not long before Talha and Zubayr entered Basra. Not long after that, Ali (AS) reached Dhu Qar. Two of the elders of the tribe said to me: Take us to Ali, that we may see what he calls to and what he says! We set out, and when we reached Dhu Qar, we found that we had come into the presence of the most learned of the Arabs. Then Ali (AS) asked me: Who is the chief of Banu Rasib? I said: So-and-so. He asked: Who is the chief of Banu Qudama? I said: So-and-so. He said: Are you willing to deliver two letters of mine to them? I said: Yes. At that point he said: Will you not pledge allegiance to me? The two elders who were with me pledged allegiance, but I refrained from pledging. A group of the men gathered around him, on whose foreheads the mark of prostration showed, kept saying to me: Pledge allegiance! But Ali (AS) said: Leave him free! I said: My people have sent me as a reporter. I shall report to them what I have seen; if they pledge allegiance, I too will pledge, and if they hold aloof, I too will hold aloof. Ali (AS) said: If your people were to send you out as an advance scout, and you saw a pool and a garden and said, Come, here are water and pasture! — and they refused, would you not take advantage of it for yourself? When I heard the beauty of his reasoning, I took one of his fingers in my hand and said: I pledge allegiance to you on this condition — that so long as you obey God, I too shall obey you; and when you disobey God's command, no obedience to you shall be owed by us. He said: Yes — and that indeed is the right way! And he drew out and raised his voice as he said it. I placed my hand upon his and pledged allegiance. Then the Commander of the Faithful (AS) turned to Muhammad ibn Hatib, who was seated farther away, and said: When you wish to return to your people, convey my letters and my words to them! Muhammad rose, drew near, sat facing him, and said: When I reach my people, they will ask: What is the opinion of this friend of yours [that is, Ali] concerning Uthman? Suddenly those around Ali (AS) began hurling abuse at Uthman, and I saw that he was so distressed by this that sweat appeared on his brow, and he addressed them: O people! Enough — this question was not put to you, and no one asked you! Kulayb says: I had not yet left the camp of Ali (AS) when the people of Kufa arrived. They were saying: How strange — we see our brothers of Basra intending to make war on us; and laughing in astonishment they said: By God, if we come face to face, we shall render justice to the truth. And it was as though they imagined there would be no war and no one would be killed. He says: I brought the letters of Ali (AS) with me and went to one of those two men. He accepted the letter and gave a favorable reply. I asked after the other, who had concealed himself; they pointed him out to me. Had they told him Kulayb has come, he would not have received me. I went in to him, gave him the letter, and said: This is the letter of Ali — and I told him that I had told Ali (AS) that he was the chief of his people. He refused to accept the letter, gave no answer either, and said: I have no need of chieftainship.
Nasr related from Umar ibn Sa'd, from al-Ajlah, from Zayd ibn Ali, who said: When news of the people of Basra was slow in reaching Ali (AS), and we were few in number, Abdullah ibn Abbas (may God be pleased with him) said: I informed Ali of this, and he said to me: Be silent, O Ibn Abbas! For by God, within these two days there shall come to us from Kufa six thousand six hundred men, and the people of Basra shall assuredly be defeated, and Talha and Zubayr shall assuredly be killed. (al-Jamal wa'l-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 293)
The narrator says: When no news reached the Commander of the Faithful Ali (AS) from the people of Kufa, who were on the move across the open plain, Ibn Abbas recounted this matter with anxiety. He says that Ali (AS) replied: Be calm and silent! For by God, within today and tomorrow six thousand six hundred men of the people of Kufa will come to us and will triumph over the people of Basra; and by God, Talha and Zubayr shall both be killed.
So I returned to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and met him before he entered Basra. He said, 'What news do you bring, O Sa'sa'a?' I said: O Commander of the Faithful, I have seen a people who want nothing but to fight you. He said: 'God is the One whose help is sought.' (al-Jamal wa al-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 313)
Sa'sa'a ibn Suhan relates: I returned to the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (AS), and reached him before he arrived at Basra. He said: O Sa'sa'a! What news? I said: O Commander of the Faithful! I saw a people who want nothing but war with you. He said: 'Allah al-Musta'an' — that is, one must not fear, and help must be sought from God.
Ammar and Malik al-Ashtar advanced with their swords drawn toward the enemy, and the Commander of the Faithful called out: 'O Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr! If Aisha falls, cover her and take charge of her affairs.' When the people heard this they were shaken and thrown into confusion, while the Commander of the Faithful (AS) stood firm in his place. (al-Jamal wa al-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 344)
At the beginning of the Battle of the Camel, Ammar and Malik al-Ashtar charged the army of the Camel with drawn swords, and the Commander of the Faithful (AS) cried out: O Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr! If Aisha falls to the ground, cover her and take charge of her affairs. When the army of the Camel heard these words, they grew weak and agitated, while Ali (AS) stood firm in his place.
Al-Waqidi narrated from Hisham ibn Sa'd, from one of the elders of the people of Basra, who said: When Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) had arranged his ranks, he stood for a long while and the people awaited his command. This weighed heavily upon them and they said, 'How long?' He clapped one hand upon the other and said: 'Servants of God, do not be hasty, for I used to see the Messenger of God (PBUH) prefer to charge when the winds began to blow.' So he waited until the sun passed its zenith and prayed two rak'as, then said: 'Call my son.' Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya was summoned for him and came — he was then nineteen years old — and stood before him. He called for the standard and it was set up. He praised and extolled God and said: 'Truly this standard has never been turned back and never will be turned back, and today I place it in the hands of those worthy of it.' He handed it to Muhammad and said: 'Advance, my son.' When the people saw him coming with the standard borne before him, they were shaken; and no sooner had the two sides met, looked upon the radiant brow of the Commander of the Faithful (AS), and felt the touch of the weapons, than they were routed. (al-Jamal wa al-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 356)
The narrator relates: When Ali ibn Abi Talib had arranged his ranks, he stood facing them and remained standing for some time while the people awaited his command. The waiting grew so long that they cried aloud: How long must we wait? The Commander of the Faithful (AS) clapped his hands together and said: O servants of God! Do not be hasty, for I saw that the Prophet (PBUH) liked to charge when the breeze began to blow. And he continued to delay until midday came, and he prayed two rak'as. Then he said: Call my son Muhammad. They called him and he came — Muhammad was nineteen years old at the time — and stood before his father. Ali (AS) called for the standard and ordered that it be mounted on its shaft and raised. After offering praise and glorification of God, he said: Truly this banner has never returned in defeat and never will, and today I entrust it to one who is worthy of it. He gave it to his son Muhammad and said: Go forward, my dear son. And when that host saw Ali (AS) advancing with the standard moving before him, they faltered and at once fell into disarray. They gazed at the radiance of Ali's (AS) brow and felt the sharpness of the weapons upon themselves, and they all scattered.
Al-Waqidi narrated: Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) related to me from his father, who said: On the day of the Camel, when my father heard the voices of the people rising, he said to his son Muhammad: 'What are they saying?' He said: 'They are saying: O avengers of Uthman!' So he resolved firmly upon the attack, while his companions kept urging him to his face, saying: 'The sun has risen high, the sun has risen high!' And he kept saying: 'Patience is more conclusive in argument.' (al-Jamal wa al-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 357)
The narrator relates from Abdullah ibn Umar ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib that on the day of the Battle of the Camel, when Ali (AS) heard the clamor of the people, he said to his son Muhammad: What are they saying? He said: They are saying: O avengers of Uthman's blood, rise up! Then Ali's (AS) resolve to attack became firm, yet he still acted with deliberation. His companions kept saying: The sun has risen high; let us attack! But he would say: Patience and forbearance are the best completion of the proof.
Muhammad ibn Ali (may God have mercy on him) said: We met in battle, and the companions of the Camel hastened and advanced upon us. My father (AS) shouted, 'Go forward!' So I went before him, carrying the standard steadily forward, and the swiftest of our companions advanced. The companions of the Camel closed ranks, fighting broke out, and swords clashed, while my father was at my shoulders saying, 'Forward, my son!' But I could find no way forward, and he kept saying, 'Forward.' I said, 'I find no way forward except onto the spearpoints.' My father (AS) grew angry and said, 'I tell you to advance and you speak of spearpoints? Have trust, my son, and advance before me onto the spearpoints.' He took the standard from me and advanced with it at a quick pace. A surge of fervor seized me; I caught up with him and said, 'Give me the standard.' He said, 'Take it,' and I had understood what he had shown me. Then he advanced ahead of me, bared his sword, and began to strike with it. I saw him strike a man so that he laid bare the bone of his forearm. Then he said, 'Keep to your standard, my son, for this suffices.' I followed my father's voice and glanced at him: he was driving the sword in and drawing it out, yet I saw no blood upon it — he withdrew it so swiftly that it outstripped the blood. We surrounded the camel and the fighting centered around it, and we were shaken with the most violent turmoil any onlooker had ever seen, until I thought it meant certain death. Then my father (AS) shouted, 'O son of Abu Bakr, cut the girth!' He cut it and brought down the litter — and by God, it was as though the war were an ember upon which water had been poured. (al-Jamal wa al-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 360)
Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya relates: When we came face to face, the companions of the Camel took the initiative and attacked us. My father shouted to carry the standard forward, and I advanced, moving forward in such a way that our companions could reach me. The companions of the Camel, massed together, charged; the battle broke out, and swords rose and fell. My father, moving behind me, said: Go further forward! I said: I have no way to advance, for the spearpoints are right before me. He grew angry and said: I command you to advance, and you say the spearpoints are before you? My dear son, put your trust in God and advance ahead of me despite the spearpoints! And he himself took the standard from me and pressed forward at a rapid pace. I was somewhat stung by this; I caught up with him and said: Give me the standard. He said: Take it — and I understood how I was to conduct myself. Then my father began to advance ahead of me; he had drawn his sword and was striking blows. He struck one man such a blow that the bone of his forearm was laid bare, and he said to me: My son! Keep watch over your standard, and soon this burden will be lifted from your shoulders. I kept watching my father's sword-strokes and saw that he struck so swiftly that no blood could be seen on the blade — only moments after his blow would the blood burst from the stricken limb — and I realized that the speed of his sword outstripped the gushing of the blood. At that point we surrounded the camel, and the killing and fighting arose there, and we were in intense turmoil and anxiety, so much so that I thought our death and destruction certain. My father shouted: O son of Abu Bakr! Cut the girth beneath the camel's belly. He did so, and they took down Aisha's litter — and it was as though water had been poured upon the fire of war, and it was quenched.
Ibrahim ibn Nafi' narrated from Sa'id ibn Abi Hind, who said: Our companions who were present at the fighting on the day of Basra told me that Ali fought that day with the utmost fierceness, and they heard him saying: 'Blessed is He who has given these swords leave to do what they do.' That day he caught sight of Abu Sufyan ibn Huwaytib ibn Abd al-Uzza, who was reciting the istirja' out of fear at the evil that had come to grips, and the Commander of the Faithful said to him: 'Withdraw to my companions and do not get yourself killed — woe to you!' So he went over to them. (al-Jamal wa al-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 361)
The narrator says: On that day Ali (AS) fought fiercely, and they heard him say: Blessed is the God who has given these swords leave to do what they do. That day Ali's (AS) eye fell upon Sufyan ibn Huwaytib, who was in the enemy army and, out of fear of death, was reciting the istirja' ['Indeed we belong to God and to Him we return']. So he said to him: Join me, that you may remain safe from being killed! And he did so.
Muhammad ibn Abdillah narrated from Amr ibn Dinar, who said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to his son Muhammad, 'Take the standard and go forward,' while Ali (AS) was behind him. He called to him, 'O Abu al-Qasim!' He answered, 'At your service, dear father.' He said: 'My son, let not what you see unnerve you. I carried the standard when I was younger than you, and my enemy never unnerved me — for I never met anyone in combat without my soul telling me that I would kill him. So tell yourself, by God's help, that you will prevail over them, and let not weakness of soul undermine your certainty, for that is the worst of failures.' Then he (AS) advanced before me at a quick pace with a band of his companions, and they struck those who faced him until they dislodged them, and I caught up with them bearing the standard. They halted for a while; the people mingled together and the swords fell still for a time. Then I watched my father parting the people right and left and driving them before him until he reached the camel, around which were four thousand fighters of Banu Dabba, Azd, Tamim, and others. He shouted, 'Cut the girth!' Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr (may God have mercy on him) hastened, cut it, and looked into the litter. Aisha said, 'Who are you?' He said, 'The most hateful of your kin to you.' Then Ali (AS) came, rapped on the litter with his spear, and said, 'O Shuqayra, is this what the Messenger of God (PBUH) enjoined upon you?' She said, 'O son of Abu Talib, you have prevailed, so be magnanimous.' Ammar (may God be pleased with him) came to her and said, 'O mother, how did you find the sword-strokes of your sons today in defense of their religion?' She fell silent and did not answer him. Malik al-Ashtar (may God have mercy on him) came to her and said, 'Praise be to God who granted victory to His friend and cast down His enemy. The truth has come and falsehood has vanished; indeed falsehood is ever bound to vanish. How do you find what God has done with you, O Aisha?' She said, 'Who are you? May your mother be bereaved of you!' He said, 'I am your son, al-Ashtar.' She said, 'You lie; I am not your mother.' He said, 'Yes you are, though you dislike it.' Then the Commander of the Faithful (AS) called Muhammad and said: 'Ask her whether any spear or arrow has reached her.' He asked her, and she said, 'Yes, an arrow reached me and grazed my head, but I escaped it. God will judge between me and you.' [He said:] 'By God, God will surely judge against you on the Day of Resurrection for what passed between you and the Commander of the Faithful (AS) — that you rose against him, incited the people to fight him, and cast the Book of God behind your back.' She said, 'Leave us, O Muhammad, and tell your master to guard me.' He said: the litter was like a hedgehog with arrows. So I returned to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and told him what had passed between me and her, what I had said and what she had said. He (AS) said: 'She is a woman, and women are weak of judgment. Take charge of her affairs and carry her to the house of Banu Khalaf until we consider her case.' So I carried her to that place, and her tongue never ceased reviling me and Ali (AS) and invoking mercy upon the companions of the Camel. (al-Jamal wa al-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 368)
The narrator relates: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to his son Muhammad: Take this standard and go forward — while he himself moved behind him. He called to him and said: O Abu al-Qasim! He said: Yes, dear father! He said: My son! Let not what you see fill you with dread, for when I was younger than you I bore the standard upon my shoulder, and the enemy has never cast me into fear or agitation. And it was thus: I never fought anyone without saying to myself that I would prevail and kill him. Keep God's help ever in mind and be hopeful that you will triumph over them, and beware lest weakness of soul loosen your certainty, for that is the worst of abasements. My father moved on ahead of me together with a group, advancing in haste, and drove from his path all who stood before him, and they retreated so far that they fell back beneath their own banner and halted there. Then the people grappled with one another again and the swords were set in motion, and I watched my father putting people to flight left and right and clearing them from before him. My father brought himself to the side of the camel, where four thousand warriors of the tribes of Dabba, Tamim, Azd, and other tribes were fighting, and my father shouted: Cut the girths beneath the camel's belly! Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr got there first, did so, and took down the litter. Aisha said: Who are you? He said: The most hostile of your kin in your eyes. Ali (AS) also came, struck the litter with the butt of his spear, and said: O Shuqayra! Did the Prophet (PBUH) command you to do this? She said: O son of Abu Talib! You have prevailed — pardon and forgive! Ammar also came and said: Dear mother, how did you find the sword-strokes of your sons today in this battle? Aisha kept silent and gave no answer. Malik al-Ashtar also came and said to Aisha: Praise be to God, who granted victory to His friend and crushed His enemy. Aisha said: May your mother mourn you — who are you? He said: I am your son, al-Ashtar. Aisha said: You lie; I am not your mother. He said: Though you may not like it, you are indeed my mother. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) called Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr and said: Ask Aisha whether any arrow or spear has struck her. Muhammad asked her. She said: Only an arrow has slightly grazed the skin of my head; in all other respects I am unharmed, and God will be judge between me and you. Muhammad said: Indeed, God will judge against you on the Day of Resurrection for what you did against the Commander of the Faithful. You rose up against him, stirred the people to war against him, and cast the ordinances of the Book of God behind your back. She said: O Muhammad, let us be, and tell your master to protect me. And her litter, from the many arrows that had struck it, looked like a hedgehog. Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr says: I returned to the presence of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and informed him of my conversation with Aisha and all that had passed. He said: In any case, she is a woman, and the thought and judgment of women are weak. Take charge of her affairs yourself, and for now take her to the house of Abdullah ibn Khalaf until we consider her case. I took her there, and all the while her tongue did not rest for a single moment from insulting me and Ali (AS), and from imploring forgiveness and mercy for the slain of her own army!
Then Ali ibn Abi Talib came forward and stood over her while she was in her litter. He rapped the litter with his spear and said: 'O Humayra, did the Messenger of God command you to make this journey?' And Ammar ibn Yasir called out that day: 'Do not finish off any wounded man, and do not pursue any who flees.' That day Sa'id and Aban, the two sons of Uthman, were taken prisoner and brought to Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS). When they stood before him, one of those present said: 'Kill them, O Commander of the Faithful.' Ali (AS) said: 'Evil is what you have said! Shall I grant safety to all the people and then kill these two men?' Then he turned to them and said: 'Turn back from your error, desist, and go wherever you wish; and if you prefer, stay with me and I will maintain the ties of kinship with you.' They said: 'O Commander of the Faithful, we will pledge allegiance and depart.' So they pledged allegiance and departed. (al-Jamal wa al-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 382)
The narrator relates: Ali (AS) came and stood beside the litter while Aisha was still within it. Ali (AS) struck the litter with the butt of his spear and said: O Humayra! Had the Prophet (PBUH) commanded you to do this? And Ammar ibn Yasir had raised the cry: Do not kill any wounded man, and do not pursue anyone who has fled or turned his back on the battle. Then Aban and Sa'id, the sons of Uthman, were brought before Ali (AS), and when they stood before the Commander of the Faithful (AS), one of those present said: O Commander of the Faithful, kill these two! Ali (AS) said: What a wrong thing to say! I, who have granted safety to all the people — shall I kill these two?! Then he turned to the two and said: Turn back from your error and go wherever you wish; and if you like, you may stay with me, for I will honor kinship and the ties of blood. The two said: O Commander of the Faithful! We pledge allegiance to you — and they pledged allegiance and went their way.
Isma'il ibn Abd al-Malik narrated from Yahya ibn Shibl, from Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father (AS), who said: My father, Ali Zayn al-Abidin (AS), told me: Marwan ibn al-Hakam said to me: When I saw the people scattered on the day of the Camel, I said: By God, I shall now take my revenge and attain it. So I shot Talha and struck the great vein of his leg, and the blood would not stop; then I shot a second arrow that finished him. They took him and laid him beneath a tree, and he remained there bleeding until he died. (al-Jamal wa al-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 383)
Isma'il ibn Abd al-Malik relates from Yahya ibn Shibl, from Imam al-Sadiq (AS), from his father, from Imam Zayn al-Abidin (AS), that Marwan ibn al-Hakam said to me himself: On the day of the Battle of the Camel, when I saw the people scatter, I said: By God, now I must take vengeance for Uthman's blood upon his true killer. So I shot an arrow at Talha that struck the great vein of his leg, and it began to bleed. I shot yet another arrow at him. They picked him up and carried him beneath a tree, and so much blood flowed from him that he died.
It is narrated from Zayd ibn Firas, from Ghazal ibn Malik, who said: When al-Zubayr was killed and his head was brought to the Commander of the Faithful (AS), he said: 'Al-Zubayr was closer to me than Talha, and he remained one of us, the People of the House, until his son grew up and cut him off from us.' (al-Jamal wa al-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 389)
The narrator says: When al-Zubayr was killed and his head was brought to the Commander of the Faithful (AS), he said: Al-Zubayr was closer to me than Talha. Al-Zubayr was one of us, the People of the House, until his son grew up and separated him from us!
Al-Thawri narrated from Dawud ibn Abi Hind, from Abu Harb ibn [Abi] al-Aswad, who said: I saw a wonder in Basra. When Talha and al-Zubayr arrived, they sent for certain men of the people of Basra, myself among them, and we entered the treasury with the two of them. When they saw the wealth within it, they said: 'This is what God and His Messenger have promised us,' and then they recited this verse: 'God has promised you abundant spoils that you will take, and He has hastened this one for you' [Qur'an 48:20], to the end of the verse, and said: 'We are more entitled to this wealth than anyone.' Then, when there befell the people what befell them, Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) summoned us and we entered the treasury with him. When he saw what was in it, he struck one hand upon the other and said: 'O yellow gold, O white silver — beguile someone other than me!' (al-Jamal wa al-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 401)
The narrator says: I myself saw Talha and al-Zubayr in Basra. They invited a group of the people of Basra, myself among them, and we went with the two of them to the treasury. As soon as their eyes fell upon the wealth, they said: This is the very thing that God and His Messenger have promised us — and then they recited this verse: 'God has promised you many spoils which you shall take, and this one He has hastened for you' [Qur'an 48:20] — and said: We are more deserving of this wealth than anyone. After their affair ended as it did, we entered the treasury once more, this time with Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), and as soon as his eye fell upon that wealth, he clapped his hands together and said: O coins of gold and silver, deceive me not!
Sufyan ibn Sa'id narrated: Ammar (may God be pleased with him) said to the Commander of the Faithful (AS): 'What is your view concerning taking their offspring captive?' He said: 'There is no way against them; we fought only those who fought us.' And when he divided what the army camp contained, one of the Qur'an-reciters among his companions said: 'Divide among us their offspring and their wealth as well — otherwise, what made their blood lawful yet did not make their property lawful?' He (AS) said: 'These offspring — there is no way against them; they are in the abode of hijra. We killed only those who made war upon us and rebelled against us. As for their property, it is inheritance for its rightful heirs among their kin.' Ammar said: 'Then shall we not pursue their fugitives, nor finish off their wounded?' He (AS) said: 'No, for I have granted them safety.' (al-Jamal wa al-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 405)
The narrator says: Ammar said to the Commander of the Faithful (AS): What is your view concerning taking captive the women and children of these people? He said: There is no way to that; we have fought only those who fought us. And when he divided the mounts and weapons that were in the camp, one of his companions, who was among the Qur'an-reciters, said: You must divide their women, children, and other property among us as well — otherwise, on what ground would the shedding of their blood be lawful and the seizure of their property unlawful? He said: Against these women and children there is no way, for they are in the land of the Muslims; we have killed only those who made war upon us and those who wronged us, but their property is the inheritance of those entitled to receive it — their kin and relatives. Ammar, may God have mercy on him, said: Then we shall not pursue their fugitives, and we shall not kill the wounded. He said: Indeed — for I have granted safety to all.
And Sa'd ibn Jusham narrated from Kharija ibn Mus'ab, from his father, who said: We were present with the Commander of the Faithful (AS) at the Battle of the Camel. When we prevailed over them, we went out in search of food; we would pass by gold and silver and not touch them, but when we found food we took of it. He said: And Ali (AS) divided whatever perfume he found in the camp among our women, and he (AS) said: 'Bid the women of these slain men of Basra observe their waiting period, and let us divide the property of the slain among their families, for it is an inheritance for them according to the ordinance of God.' He said: And when a prisoner of theirs was brought to him, if he had killed, he put him to death; and if no proof of killing was established against him, he released him. And when he divided what the camp contained, he gave orders concerning a horse among it, and it was about to be sold when a man rose and said: 'O Commander of the Faithful, this horse was mine; I only lent it to so-and-so, and I did not know that he would ride out upon it.' He asked him for proof of this, and he established proof that it was a loan, so he returned it to him and divided the rest. (al-Jamal wa al-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 405)
The narrator says: We took part in the Battle of the Camel alongside the Commander of the Faithful (AS), and when we prevailed over them we went in search of food. We would pass by silver and gold and take nothing, but when we came upon food we would take it and eat. And Ali (AS) divided whatever perfume and fragrance he found in the camp among us and for our women, and said: Tell the women of Basra whose husbands have been killed to observe the waiting period, and we shall divide the property of the slain among their families, for it is their inheritance, in the very manner that God has ordained. And when a prisoner of theirs was brought, if he was a killer and had slain someone, they put him to death; and if there was no evidence at hand that he was a killer, they released him. And when he divided the horses and weapons that were in the camp, a horse was brought forward and its value was appraised, and just as it was about to be sold, a man came before Ali (AS) and said: O Commander of the Faithful! This horse is mine; without my knowing that so-and-so would use it to rise against you and to fight, I lent it to him. Proof was asked of him in this matter, and when he brought witnesses and it became clear that it had been a loan, he returned the horse to that man and divided the rest.
Abu Mikhnaf Lut ibn Yahya narrated: When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) appointed Abdullah ibn al-Abbas over Basra, he addressed the people. He praised and extolled God and invoked blessings upon His Messenger, then said: 'O people! I have appointed Abdullah ibn al-Abbas as my deputy over you. Listen to him and obey his command so long as he obeys God and His Messenger. If he introduces any innovation among you or deviates from the truth, inform me, and I will remove him from over you; for I hope to find him abstinent, God-fearing, and scrupulous. I have not appointed him over you save that I hold this opinion of him. May God forgive us and you.' (al-Jamal wa al-Nusra, vol. 1, p. 420)
The narrator relates that when the Commander of the Faithful (AS) appointed Ibn Abbas over Basra, he delivered a sermon to the people, and after praise and glorification of God and blessings upon the Prophet (PBUH), he said: 'O people! I have made Abdullah ibn Abbas your governor and my deputy. Hear his word and obey him so long as he obeys God and the Messenger. And if he commits an innovation or an ugly deed, or deviates from the truth, inform me so that I may remove him — though I hope to find him abstinent, pure, and chaste. I have appointed him over you only because I hold this opinion of him. And may God forgive us and you.'