My grandfather Hasan, the author (may his resting place be sweet), said: On Saturday, the eighteenth of Dhu al-Hijja in the year 35 of the Hijra, the people gave allegiance to the Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) — the Muhajirun and the Ansar, and a group of Quraysh and others. Among them were those who displayed agreement while persisting in hypocrisy. Then he (AS) ordered his scribe Abd Allah ibn Rafi‘ to distribute what was in the treasury among the Muhajirun, three dinars to each man; then likewise among the Ansar; then likewise to all of the people who were present, red and black alike, in the same way. Then Suhayl ibn Hunayf al-Ansari said: O Commander of the Faithful, this man was my slave yesterday, and today I have freed him. He (AS) said: We give to him as we give to you. And he gave him three dinars, and gave no one preference over another. On that day these held back from giving allegiance to him: Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, a group of Quraysh, Talha ibn Ubayd Allah, al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, Abd Allah ibn Umar, Sa‘id ibn al-As, Marwan ibn al-Hakam, Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, Muhammad ibn Maslama, Hassan ibn Thabit, Usama ibn Zayd, and others of Quraysh. So he (AS) ascended the pulpit, praised God and extolled Him and invoked blessings upon the Prophet (PBUH), then he (AS) said: “O people, you have given me allegiance upon that upon which allegiance was given to others before me. The choice belongs to the people only before they give allegiance; and once they have given allegiance, they have no choice. It is incumbent upon the Imam to be upright, and upon the subjects to obey and submit. This is a general allegiance: whoever turns away from it has turned away from the religion of Islam and has followed a way other than the way of guidance. Your allegiance to me was no rash and unconsidered affair, and my concern and your concern are not one and the same: I want you for God, Mighty and Majestic, while you want me for yourselves. By God, I shall give sincere counsel even to adversaries, and I shall deal justly on behalf of the wronged. Reports have reached me concerning (Abd Allah and Sa‘d and Marwan and Muhammad and Hassan and Usama) which I find hateful, and the truth shall judge between me and them.” He said: So they all sat together and conferred in secret; then al-Walid ibn Uqba ibn Abi Mu‘ayt came to him and said: O Abu al-Hasan, you have left us all with a blood-debt! As for me, you killed my father at Badr as a bound captive, and you abandoned my brother on the day of the house. As for Sa‘id, you killed his father at Badr in battle, and he was the bull of Quraysh. As for Marwan, you belittled his father in Uthman’s presence when he had drawn him near to himself. Today we shall give you allegiance on condition that you remit for us what we have done, and that you kill the killers of Uthman; for if we fear you, we shall leave you and attach ourselves to another instead of you. He (AS) said: “As for the blood-debt I owe, it is the truth that has left you with a blood-debt. As for my remitting to you [what you have committed, that is not mine to do]: it is not for me to remit God’s right, neither from you nor from anyone else. As for the killers of Uthman, had their killing been binding upon me I would have killed them yesterday. But you have this from me: that if you fear me, I shall grant you security; and if I fear you, I shall send you away…” So al-Walid went to his companions and told them, and they dispersed, resolved upon showing open enmity [and spreading dissension], and they wrote to Mu‘awiya ibn Abi Sufyan in Syria urging him to rise in demand for the blood of Uthman, and promised him that they would rise together with him and be his helpers and supporters. He answered them favourably, save that he was to have precedence over them. (Waq‘at al-Jamal, vol. 1, p. 65)
Ali (AS) said: O people, you have given me allegiance upon the very same terms upon which you gave allegiance to others before me. Before people give allegiance they have a choice, but once they have given allegiance no choice remains to them. It is incumbent upon the Imam to stand firm in affairs, and it is incumbent upon the people to be obedient and compliant. This allegiance is the allegiance of the whole body of Muslims; whoever turns his face away from it has turned away from the religion of Islam and has followed a path other than the path of guidance. Your allegiance to me was no rash upheaval, and my concern and yours are not the same: I want you for the sake of God’s good pleasure, while you want me for yourselves. By God, I shall treat enemies with sincere counsel and the wronged with fairness. Unpleasant reports have reached me concerning Abd Allah, Sa‘d, Marwan, Muhammad, Hassan and Usama, and the truth shall judge between me and them. The narrator says: They sat together and spoke in secret; then al-Walid ibn Uqba ibn Abi Mu‘ayt came to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and said: O Abu al-Hasan, you have done evil to us all: as for me, you struck off my father’s head at the Battle of Badr, and my brother [that is, Uthman] you left humiliated and abased on the day of the incident of the house. As for Sa‘id, you killed his father — who was the warrior of Quraysh — at the Battle of Badr; and as for Marwan, you dishonoured his father at the time when Uthman had drawn him near to himself. Today we shall give you allegiance on condition that you overlook what we have done and put the killers of Uthman to death; and if we come to fear you, we shall leave you and join another. The Imam replied: As for the evil I did you, you deserved it; and as for my leaving you to what you have done, that is not in my power, and I have no right to absolve you or anyone else of the right of God. As for the killers of Uthman, if killing them had been incumbent upon me, I would have killed them yesterday. And as for you, if you fear me, then it is incumbent upon me to grant you security, and if I fear you, I shall drive you out of here. Al-Walid returned to his companions and informed them, and they dispersed with the intent of showing open enmity and opposition, and they wrote to Mu‘awiya ibn Abi Sufyan in Syria and incited him to demand vengeance for the blood of Uthman, and promised him that they would rise up together with him and be his helpers and supporters; and he accepted, on condition that in the matter of the caliphate he should have precedence over them.
Then he (AS) went out and entered the mosque, wrapped in a cloak, girded with a Qatari mantle, his sword slung upon him and leaning upon his bow. He ascended the pulpit and cried out at the top of his voice: “[O you who believe,] obey God and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you” [Qur’an 4:59]; “and if they turn away, then truly God does not love the disbelievers” [Qur’an 3:32]. Then he said: O company of the Muhajirun and the Ansar, “do you count your Islam as a favour to God [and His Messenger]? Rather it is God who confers a favour upon you, in that He has guided you to faith, if you are truthful” [Qur’an 49:17]. Then he (AS) said: I am Abu al-Hasan (and he would say this only when he became angry). Then he said: Beware — this world which you have come to long for and desire, which has come to anger you and to please you, is not your abode nor the dwelling for which you were created. So let not [the life of this world] deceive you, for you have been warned against it. Therefore complete God’s favours upon you by patience for your own sakes in obedience to God, and by humility before His judgement, exalted be His praise. (Waq‘at al-Jamal, vol. 1, p. 68)
When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) heard the murmuring of the opponents about the division of the treasury, he came out of his house wearing a dishdasha with a Qatari cloak over his shoulders, Dhu al-Fiqar girded at his waist and his bow taken as a staff; he entered the mosque and mounted the pulpit, and after the praise and glorification of God and blessings upon the Prophet (PBUH), he cried out at the top of his voice: O company of the Muhajirun and the Ansar! Do you count your having embraced Islam as a favour to God and to the Messenger of God? Rather it is God who confers a favour upon you, in that He guided you to faith — if you are among the truthful. Then he said: I am Abu al-Hasan — and he would utter this word only when he became angry — and know that this world which you long for and to which you have given your hearts, and on account of which I grow angry with you and make you content, is not your home nor the dwelling place for which you were created. Let the life of this world not deceive you, for you have been warned against it. So, by patience in obedience to God and by submission to God’s decrees, seek to complete God’s blessings upon yourselves.
Al-Mas‘udi said: When Mu‘awiya’s letter reached Talha ibn Ubayd Allah and al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, they did not doubt his sincerity in counselling them, and they agreed together upon opposing the Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS). So they went to him and said: O Commander of the Faithful, we well know the harsh treatment we suffered in the time of Uthman’s caliphate, [and how he singled out the Banu Umayya] to our exclusion. And now God Most High has favoured you with the caliphate after him; so appoint us over some of your governorships. He (AS) said: Be content with what God Most High has apportioned to you until I form my own judgement; and know that I associate none in my trust save one of my companions with whose religion and trustworthiness I am satisfied and whose inner nature I know. So despair entered into them. (Waq‘at al-Jamal, vol. 1, p. 94)
Al-Mas‘udi says: When Mu‘awiya’s letter reached Talha ibn Ubayd Allah and al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, they did not doubt his sincerity and goodwill, and they agreed together upon opposing the Commander of the Faithful (AS). They went to him and said: O Commander of the Faithful! We know what injustices befell us in the time of Uthman’s caliphate, and how he assigned affairs exclusively to the Banu Umayya; and now God Most High has favoured you with the caliphate after him. Entrust to us as well the charge of some of your affairs. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Be content and satisfied with the portion God has apportioned to you until I make my decision; and know that I make partners in my trust only those of my companions whose inner selves I know and with whose religion and trustworthiness I am satisfied. When Talha and al-Zubayr heard this, they despaired.
Ali (AS) used to patch the sandal of the Messenger of God (PBUH) and to wash his garment when it became soiled. (Waq‘at al-Jamal, vol. 1, p. 101)
The personal tasks of the Messenger of God (PBUH), such as patching his sandals and washing his clothes, were usually performed by the Commander of the Faithful (AS).
Her army numbered thirty thousand, and the army of the Commander of the Faithful Ali (AS) twenty thousand. When their march brought them to the place known as al-Haw’ab, one of the watering-stations of the Banu Abs, they found them encamped by a water, and their dogs barked at them. A’isha (may God be pleased with her) said: What is the name of this place whose people’s dogs have barked at us? The driver of her camel said to her: This is al-Haw’ab — al-Haw’ab is one of the stations of the Banu Abs — and these are their dogs. Then she remembered what the Messenger of God (PBUH) had said to her, and she said: Take me back to the sanctuary of the Messenger of God (PBUH); I have no need of this journey. Talha and al-Zubayr were in the rear guard, and they caught up with her and swore to her that this was not al-Haw’ab, and that the camel-driver had merely erred in what he said to you!! And fifty men of those with them bore witness for her!! And that was the first false testimony that occurred in Islam. (Waq‘at al-Jamal, vol. 1, p. 108)
A’isha’s army came to thirty thousand men, while the army of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) was twenty thousand. When their route brought them to the place known as al-Haw’ab, which was one of the watering-stations of the Banu Abs, they saw the Banu Abs encamped beside the water of al-Haw’ab, and at that moment the dogs of the Banu Abs barked at them. A’isha asked: What is the name of this place, whose dogs bark at us? The driver of her camel said: This place is al-Haw’ab, and al-Haw’ab is one of the stations of the Banu Abs, and these are their dogs. A’isha suddenly recalled the saying of the Messenger of God (PBUH) and said: Take me back to the sanctuary of the Messenger of God, for I have no need of this journey! Talha and al-Zubayr, who were at the rear of the caravan, hurried to her and swore that the place was not al-Haw’ab and that the camel-driver had told her wrongly. Then fifty men of their companions also bore witness to this, and this was the first false testimony that occurred in Islam.
Then he (AS) went out on the mule of the Messenger of God (PBUH) and called out to al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, who came to him fully armed. A’isha (may God be pleased with her) said: What grief for you, O Asma’! Then it was said to her: Ali (AS) has come out bare of weapons; so she set her mind at rest. The two drew near to each other until the necks of their mounts crossed. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to him: O Abu Abd Allah, I have called you only to remind you of a saying that the Messenger of God (PBUH) said to me and to you. Do you remember the day when he — that is, the Messenger of God (PBUH) — saw you while you had your arm about my neck among the Banu Awf, and he said to you: Do you love Ali, O Zubayr? And you said: Yes, by God, I love him indeed; and what should keep me, O Messenger of God, from loving him, when he is my brother and the son of my maternal uncle? And he (PBUH) said to you: You will surely rise against him, and you will be a wrongdoer toward him! He said: Yes indeed, so it was! Then he (AS) said: I adjure you by God a second time: the day when the Messenger of God (PBUH) came from the Banu Awf, and you were with him holding my hand, and I came toward him and greeted him, and he smiled in your face and you smiled at him, and you said to him: O Messenger of God, the son of Abu Talib will not give up his pride. And he (PBUH) said to you: O Zubayr, there is no pride in Ali; and you will surely rise against him and fight him, and you will be a wrongdoer toward him. He said: O God, yes, so it was; but I had forgotten it, and time had made me forget what you have now reminded me of!! Had I remembered it, I would not have risen against you. But how am I to turn back now that the two rings of the saddle-girth have met? By God, this is a disgrace that has no like. He (AS) said: O Zubayr, turn back, before you gather to yourself both the disgrace and the Fire. He said: Then I shall go on, while seeking the forgiveness of God Most High. [The compiler] said, in another narration: When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) went out to summon al-Zubayr, he went out bare of weapons, while al-Zubayr was armoured and fully accoutred. He (AS) said to him: O Abu Abd Allah, by my life, you have made ready weapons and troops; but have you made ready any excuse for God, Mighty and Majestic? He said: Our return is to God, Mighty and Majestic; He does what He wills. He (AS) said: “On that Day God will pay them in full their just due, and they will know that God is the Manifest Truth” [Qur’an 24:25]. So he turned away from him, going back in regret, and the Commander of the Faithful (AS) returned to his companions glad and rejoicing. They said to him: O Commander of the Faithful, do you go out to face al-Zubayr bare of weapons while he is fully prepared with arms? Do you not know his courage? He said: Indeed I do; but he is not my killer. The one who will kill me is a man of obscure name, and by treachery. (Waq‘at al-Jamal, vol. 1, p. 130)
On the day of the battle the Commander of the Faithful (AS) came out from the army riding the mule of the Messenger of God (PBUH) and called out to al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam. Al-Zubayr came to him fully armed. At that moment A’isha cried out: Alas for your grief, O Asma’! But when she was told that Ali had come out without weapons, she was calmed. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to al-Zubayr: O Abu Abd Allah! I have called you only to remind you of a saying which the Messenger of God spoke to me and to you. Do you remember the day when the Messenger of God saw you with your arm about my neck among the Banu Awf, and asked you: Do you love Ali, O Zubayr? And you said: Yes, by God, I love him; what should keep me from loving him, when he is my brother and the son of my maternal uncle? The Messenger of God said: But you will soon rise against him wrongfully. Al-Zubayr said: Yes, so it was. But I had forgotten it, and now you have reminded me of what the passage of time had driven from my memory. Had you reminded me of it earlier, I would not have risen up. But now that the rings of the girth have met [an allusion to the gathering of the two armies and the beginning of battle], how can I turn back? By God, this is a disgrace that has no like. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Turn back, Zubayr, before disgrace and the fire of Hell are gathered together for you. Al-Zubayr said: Then I shall go, and I ask forgiveness of God Most High. In another narration it is reported that when the Commander of the Faithful (AS) came out from the army to summon al-Zubayr, he came without weapons, while al-Zubayr advanced slowly wearing a coat of mail. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to him: O Abu Abd Allah! You have made ready weapons and an army; have you also made ready any pretext or excuse before God? He said: Our return is to God, and He does whatever He wills. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: “On that Day God will pay them in full their just due, and they will know that God is the Manifest Truth” [Qur’an 24:25]. Al-Zubayr turned back in regret, and the Commander of the Faithful (AS) came to his companions glad and rejoicing. They asked: Did you go out to face al-Zubayr without weapons while he was covered in arms? Do you not know his courage? He said: Indeed I know it, but he is not my killer; the one who will kill me is an obscure man, and by surprise.
And when al-Zubayr turned aside toward Wadi al-Siba‘, where al-Ahnaf ibn Qays was with a company of the Banu Tamim, he was informed of him, and he raised his voice and said: O company of Banu Tamim, this is al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam; what am I to do with him? Truly he is the most deserving of being killed. They said: Yes indeed, by God. So he mounted his horse with a thousand horsemen, and Amr ibn Jurmuz followed him — and he was famed for horsemanship and courage. Al-Zubayr halted for him and said: What is your business? He said: I have come to ask you about the affair of the people. He said: I left them mounted in their saddles, striking one another’s faces with the sword! So the two travelled on together, conversing, each of them wary of his companion, until the time of prayer came in. Al-Zubayr said: O you, we wish to pray. He said: You have spoken well in what you say; “truly the prayer is prescribed for the believers at fixed times” [Qur’an 4:103], and I too had wished to say that to you. He said: Will you then grant me security and I grant you security? He said: Yes. So the two dismounted from their horses and performed the ablution fully, and al-Zubayr rose to pray; then Amr ibn Jurmuz fell upon him and killed him, severed his head, stripped off his ring and his sword, threw earth over him, and brought them to al-Ahnaf ibn Qays. He said to him: By God, I do not know about you, whether you have done ill or well. But take these to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and inform him of your news. So he went to him and informed him. He (AS) said to him: “Was it you who killed him?” He said: Yes. [The compiler, may God have mercy on him,] said: And in many of the narrations it is stated that he did not bring him the head. He (AS) said: “By God, the son of Safiyya was neither a coward nor a base man; but it was doom and an evil place of falling.” Then he (AS) said: “Hand me his sword.” So he handed it to him, and he took it and brandished it, and then he (AS) said: “Truly I heard the Messenger of God (PBUH) say: Give the killer of the son of Safiyya tidings of the Fire.” And he said in another hadith: “Al-Zubayr and his killer are in the Fire.” So Ibn Jurmuz went out disappointed. (Waq‘at al-Jamal, vol. 1, p. 135)
After that al-Zubayr turned back toward Wadi al-Siba‘, where al-Ahnaf ibn Qays was with a group of the Banu Tamim. Al-Ahnaf gave the Banu Tamim the news of al-Zubayr’s coming and said in a loud voice: O Banu Tamim, this is al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam; what am I to do with him? He is the most deserving of being killed. And the people said: Yes, by God. Al-Ahnaf mounted his horse and set out with a thousand horsemen, and Amr ibn Jurmuz, who was famed for courage and valour, went after him. Al-Zubayr noticed that Amr ibn Jurmuz was coming toward him, and asked him: What is your business? Amr said: I have come to ask about the affair of these people. Al-Zubayr said: I left them mounted upon their horses, striking one another’s faces with their swords. Al-Zubayr and Amr travelled together for a while and conversed, but each kept on his guard against the other and held back from him, until the time of prayer came. Al-Zubayr said: O man, I wish to pray. He answered: How well you have spoken. Prayer has been made obligatory upon all believers at appointed times; I too intended to say the same. Al-Zubayr said: Will you grant me security, so that I may grant you security? Ibn Jurmuz said: Yes. Then they dismounted from their horses and performed the ablution, and al-Zubayr stood to pray; but Amr ibn Jurmuz attacked him and killed him, severed his head, took his ring and his sword, threw earth over his body, and carried them to al-Ahnaf ibn Qays. Al-Ahnaf said to him: By God, I do not know whether you have done a good deed or a bad one. But take these to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and inform him of what you have done. Ibn Jurmuz went to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and told him, and in many narrations it is related that he did not bring al-Zubayr’s severed head. The Imam said: Was it you who killed him? He said: Yes. He said: By God, the son of Safiyya was neither a coward nor a base man; but this was a hard affliction and an evil death for him. Then he said: Give me his sword. Ibn Jurmuz handed the sword to him. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) took it and brandished it and said: I heard the Messenger of God (PBUH) say: Give the killer of the son of Safiyya tidings of the fire of Hell. And in another narration he said: Al-Zubayr and his killer are in the fire of Hell. Ibn Jurmuz left the presence of His Eminence in despair.
Al-Mas‘udi said — and Ibn Abi al-Hadid also mentioned it: The Companions of the Camel charged upon the right wing of the army of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) until they drove it back upon the left wing. Then one of the sons of Aqil came to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and found him [patching a sandal], and said to him: O Commander of the Faithful! He (AS) said: “Be silent, O son of my brother; truly your uncle has a day which he will not outrun. By God, your uncle does not care [whether he falls upon death or death falls upon him].” He said: May I be made your ransom — the enemy has attained its aim against your right wing, driving it back upon the left wing so that it can no longer be seen, [while you sit patching a sandal]. He (AS) said: Be silent, O son of my brother; truly your uncle has a day which he will not pass beyond. By God, your uncle does not care whether he falls upon death or death falls upon him. Then he (AS) sent to the bearer of the standard, who was his son Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya, ordering him to charge upon the people. (Waq‘at al-Jamal, vol. 1, p. 140)
Al-Mas‘udi says: The Companions of the Camel charged upon the right wing of the army of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and drove them back in defeat as far as the left wing of the army. At that moment one of the sons of Aqil hurried to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and found him patching his sandal! He said: O Commander of the Faithful! May I be made your ransom! The attackers have attained their aim against the right wing of your army, to the point that they have driven them back to the left wing, so that nothing can be seen of the right wing — and you sit here patching a sandal?! The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: O son of my brother, be silent! The death of your uncle has its appointed day, which it does not overstep. By God, your uncle does not care whether death falls upon him or he falls into the jaws of death. Then he sent for the standard-bearer of the army, who was his son Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya, and ordered him to charge upon the Companions of the Camel.
Al-Mas‘udi said: Then the Commander of the Faithful (AS) sent Abd Allah ibn al-Abbas to A’isha, ordering her to go to Medina the Illuminated. He entered upon her without her permission, drew up a cushion and sat upon it. She said to him: O Ibn Abbas, you have gone against the sunna you were commanded to follow, in that you entered upon us without permission from us and sat upon our furnishing without our leave! He said: Yes; had you been in the house in which the Messenger of God (PBUH) left you, I would not have entered upon you save with your permission, nor sat upon your furnishing save at your command. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) has sent me to you, ordering you to return with haste and to prepare to go to Medina. She said: I refuse what you have said, and I oppose the command of the one you have described. So he went to him and informed him of her refusal, [and he (AS) sent him to her a second time], and he said: The Commander of the Faithful is resolved that you shall return. So she assented in compliance with the command. Then he (AS) equipped her for the journey, and on the second day he came to her, and with him were his sons al-Hasan and al-Husayn and all his children and his brothers and the Banu Hashim, and they entered upon her. When [she saw him, she cried out, together with the women who were with her,] in his (AS) face: O killer of the loved ones! He (AS) said: “Had I been the killer of the loved ones, I would have killed those who are in this house” — pointing to one of those rooms in which Marwan ibn al-Hakam, Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, Abd Allah ibn Amir [and a group of the Banu Umayya] had secluded themselves. Then everyone who was with him laid his hand upon the hilt of his sword, knowing him as they did, out of fear that they might come out against them and assassinate them. Then A’isha said, [after words that passed between them]: What has happened has happened; but now I would like to remain with you, that perhaps I may march out to fight your enemy. He said: “No, rather return to the house in which the Messenger of God (PBUH) left you.” Then she asked him to grant security to her sister’s son Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, and he granted him security. And al-Hasan and al-Husayn (AS) spoke on behalf of Marwan, and he granted him security. She said: By God, I have only increased in grief, O son of Abu Talib, and I wish that I had never gone out on this expedition; and I know well what has befallen me in it. And Marwan ibn al-Hakam said to him: O Commander of the Faithful, I would like to give you allegiance and to be in your service! He (AS) said: “Did you not give me allegiance after Uthman was killed, and then break it? I have no need of your allegiance; it is a Jewish hand. Were he to give me allegiance with his hand, he would betray with his backside. Truly he shall have a rule as brief as a dog’s licking of its nose; and he is the son of the four rams, and the community shall meet from him and from his sons a bloody day.”
Al-Mas‘udi said: And when A’isha (may God be pleased with her) set out for Medina, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) sent with her her brother Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr, and thirty men and twenty women of religious standing from the family of Abd Qays and Hamdan, and he made it binding upon them to serve her. When she reached Medina, it was said to her: How did you find your journey, and what did Ali (AS) do with you? She said: By God, I was well, and the son of Abu Talib acted excellently and gave abundantly; [but he sent with me men whom I disapproved of]. Then the women made known to her their true station, and she prostrated and said: By God, O son of Abu Talib, you have only increased in nobility; and I wish that I had not gone out, even though such and such of the matters you have mentioned befell me. (Waq‘at al-Jamal, vol. 1, p. 146)
Al-Mas‘udi says: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) sent Abd Allah ibn Abbas to A’isha to command her to go to Medina the Illuminated. Abd Allah ibn Abbas entered upon A’isha without asking permission, drew up a cushion and sat upon it. A’isha said to him: Ibn Abbas, you have erred in the sunna you were commanded to follow, in that you entered upon us without permission and sat upon our furnishing without leave. Ibn Abbas replied: Certainly, had you been in the house in which the Messenger of God (PBUH) left you, I would never have entered upon you without permission, nor sat upon your furnishing without your command. But the Commander of the Faithful (AS) has sent me and ordered me to tell you to hasten your return to Medina and to make ready to depart. A’isha said: I refuse your words and I oppose the order of the one you have described. Ibn Abbas went to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and informed him that A’isha refused his command; the Commander of the Faithful (AS) sent him to A’isha once again, and this time he said: The Commander of the Faithful’s decision concerning you is that you return. This time A’isha submitted to the Imam’s command. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) prepared her caravan, and on the second day he came to her together with his sons al-Hasan and al-Husayn and all his children and brothers and the Banu Hashim, and entered upon her. When A’isha’s eye fell upon him, she cried out together with the other women who were with her and said: O killer of the loved ones! The Commander of the Faithful (AS) replied: Had I been the killer of the loved ones, I would have killed whoever is in this house. And he pointed to one of the rooms in which Marwan ibn al-Hakam, Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, Abd Allah ibn Amir and a group of the Banu Umayya had hidden themselves! Those who were with the Imam (AS), on hearing these words of his, laid their hands upon the hilts of their swords. After words had passed between them, A’isha said: What has happened has passed; but now I would like to be with you, that perhaps I may be present in the war against your enemies. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: No, rather return to the very house in which the Messenger of God left you. Then A’isha asked him to grant security to her sister’s son Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, and the Commander of the Faithful (AS) agreed. Al-Hasan and al-Husayn (AS) also spoke on behalf of Marwan, and the Imam granted him security too. After that A’isha said: By God, O son of Abu Talib, my sorrow and grief have grown great, and I wish I had not gone out in this manner, and you know what afflictions have come upon me in this affair. Then Marwan ibn al-Hakam said: O Commander of the Faithful, I would like to give you allegiance and to be in your service. The Imam answered him: Did you not give me allegiance after Uthman was killed, and then break it?! I have no need of your allegiance, for this hand is a Jewish hand. If he gives me allegiance with his hand, he breaks the pact with his foot. He will have a short-lived kingship, like a dog licking its nose, and he is the father of four rulers, from whom and from whose sons the Muslims will see a bloody age. According to al-Mas‘udi, when A’isha set out for Medina the Commander of the Faithful (AS) sent with her her brother Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr, together with thirty men and twenty believing women of the Banu Abd Qays and Hamdan, and appointed them to her service. When A’isha reached Medina, she was asked: How did you find the journey, and what did Ali (AS) do with you? She answered: By God, it passed well, and the son of Abu Talib showed generosity and gave abundant gifts; but he sent men with me, and this I did not like. The women who had come with her, on hearing this word of A’isha, made themselves known; and when she became aware of this she fell down in prostration and said: By God, O son of Abu Talib, you have only added to your nobility and magnanimity.
This is Quraysh: I have cut off my own nose and healed my own soul. I came to you beforehand, warning you of the bite of the swords, but you were young men with no knowledge of what you now see. [Then I adjured you by the covenant and the compact, but you persisted in error and rebellion and refused anything but battle, so I rose up against you in jihad.] But it was doom and an evil place of falling; and I seek refuge in God from an evil place of falling. Then he (AS) passed by [Ma‘bad ibn al-Miqdad] and said: “May God have mercy on this man’s father; truly, had he been alive, his judgement would have been better than the judgement of this one.” Then Ammar ibn Yasir said: Praise be to God, who [has raised you high], O Commander of the Faithful, and has set his cheek the lowest. By God, O Commander of the Faithful, [we do not care who turns aside from the truth, be he son or father. And the Commander of the Faithful said]: “May God have mercy on you and reward you well on behalf of the truth.” Then he (AS) passed by Abd Allah ibn Rabi‘a ibn Darraj and said: “This wretched man — what brought him out? Was it religion that brought him out, or support for Uthman?! By God, Uthman’s opinion of him and of [his father] was not good.” Then he (AS) passed by Ma‘bad ibn Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayya and said: “Had sedition been at the summit of the Pleiades, this youth would have reached out for it. By God, he was no man of firm nature in it; and one who witnessed him told me that he wailed aloud in terror of the sword.” Then he (AS) passed by Maslama ibn Qaraza and said: “It was kindness that brought this one out! By God, he spoke to me to speak on his behalf to Uthman concerning something he claimed against him at Mecca, [and he gave it to him]. Then he said [to me]: Had it not been for you, I would not have given it to him. This man, [as far as I knew], was an evil brother of his clan; and then the ill-omened one came to his doom, [as a helper demanding the blood of Uthman].” Then he (AS) passed by Abd Allah ibn Humayd ibn Zuhayr and said: “This one too is among those who hastened to fight us, [and then he claims that by this he seeks the good pleasure of God]. He once wrote me a letter in which he maligned Uthman; then [Uthman] gave him something, and he was pleased with him.” Then he (AS) passed by Abd Allah ibn Hakim ibn Hizam and said: “This one opposed his father in going out. His father, though he did not help us, acted well in his allegiance to us, even if he held back and sat at home because he doubted about the fighting. Today I do not blame anyone who held back from us and from others; the blame rather lies upon the one who fought us.” Then he (AS) passed by Abd Allah ibn al-Mughira ibn al-Akhnas ibn [Shariq] and said: “As for this one, [his father was killed] on the day Uthman was killed [in the house]; he came out in anger at his father’s killing, and he was a young lad [when he was killed].” Then he (AS) passed by [Abd Allah ibn Uthman] ibn al-Akhnas ibn Shariq and said: “As for this one, it is as though I am looking at him: the swords had seized the people, and he was fleeing, running out from the line. [I called him back], but he did not hear whom [I was calling back], until he was killed. This was among the things hidden from the young men of Quraysh — raw youths with no knowledge of war, who were deceived [and made to slip]; and when they stood their ground [and fell], they were killed.” Then he (AS) passed by [Ka‘b ibn Sur] and said: “And as for this one who came out against us with the Qur’an around his neck, claiming that he was the helper of [his mother], calling the people to what is in it while he himself did not know what is in it — then he sought victory, [and disappointed was every] obstinate tyrant [Qur’an 14:15]. Truly he prayed to God that He kill me, and God Most High killed him.” Sit [Ka‘b ibn Sur] up. So he was sat up, and he (AS) said to him: “O Ka‘b, I have found what my Lord promised me to be true; have you found what your Lord promised you to be true?” Then he (AS) said: “Lay him down.” Then he (AS) passed by Talha ibn Ubayd Allah and said: “And as for this one, he is the breaker of my allegiance, the kindler of sedition in the community, the one who stirred up men against me, and the one who called for my killing and the killing of my kin.” Sit [Talha ibn Ubayd Allah] up. So he was sat up, and then he (AS) said to him: “O Talha, I have found what my Lord promised me to be true; have you found what your Lord promised you to be true?!” Then he (AS) said: “Lay him down,” and he was laid down. And he (AS) went on, and one of his companions said to him: O Commander of the Faithful, I saw you speaking to Ka‘b and Talha after they had been killed; do they understand what you said to them?! He (AS) said: “By God, they heard my words just as the people of the well heard the words of the Messenger of God (PBUH) on the day of Badr.” (Waq‘at al-Jamal, vol. 1, p. 153)
After the Battle of the Camel, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) walked among the slain. He passed by the body of Sa‘d ibn al-Miqdad and said: May God have mercy on this man’s father; had he been alive, his judgement would have been better than this man’s judgement. Ammar ibn Yasir said: Praise be to God who raised your station high, O Commander of the Faithful — and he lowered his face and said — by God, we care nothing for one who denies the truth, be he son or father. And the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to him: May God have mercy on you and give you a goodly reward on behalf of the truth. Then he passed by the body of Abd Allah ibn Rabi‘a ibn Darraj and said: What drove this wretched man to come out? Was it his religion that stirred him, or support for Uthman? By God, Uthman’s opinion of him and of his father was not good. After that he came to the body of Ma‘bad ibn Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayya and said: Had this sedition been at the summit of the galaxies, this youth would have reached out to it. By God, in this sedition he was no man of pure nature. One who had seen him told me that out of fear of the sword he wailed like a woman. After him he passed by Maslama ibn Qaraza and said: It was my kindness and goodness that drove this man to come out! By God, he spoke to me so that I might speak with Uthman about a piece of land in Mecca which he had long claimed. And after I spoke, Uthman gave him the land. Afterwards he would say: Had it not been for you, Uthman would not have given it to me. As far as I know, he was an evil man of his household; and now this ill-omened man has come into the jaws of death on the pretext of demanding the blood of Uthman. Then he passed by the body of Abd Allah ibn Humayd ibn Zuhayr and said: This man too hastened in fighting against us, and imagined that by this deed he was seeking the good pleasure of God. He had earlier written me a letter in which Uthman was blamed and spoken ill of; but when Uthman gave him something, he became content with him. After him he passed by the body of Abd Allah ibn Hakim ibn Hizam and said: He too opposed his father in rising against me. His father, though he did not help us, behaved well in his allegiance to us, even though, because he had doubt and hesitation about the war [with the Companions of the Camel], he withheld his help from us and sat at home. But today I do not reproach those who withheld their help from us and from others; rather the reproach belongs to those who fought against us. Then he came to the body of Abd Allah ibn al-Mughira ibn al-Akhnas ibn Shariq and said: As for this one, his father was killed on the day when Uthman was killed in his house, and he came out in anger at his father’s killing, and when he was killed he was a young lad of few years. Then he passed by the body of Abd Allah ibn Uthman ibn al-Akhnas ibn Shariq and said: As for this one, it is as though I see the people taking up their swords and fleeing and running away from among the ranks. I called out to him and held him back, but he did not hear whom I was calling, until he was killed. And this was a thing that remained hidden from the two young men of Quraysh — untried youths who had no knowledge of war; they were deceived, and when they found themselves in the thick of battle they were caught and killed. After that he passed by Ka‘b ibn Sur and said: As for this one who rose up against us with a Qur’an hung about his neck, imagining that he was the helper of his mother, he called the people to what is in the Qur’an while he himself did not know what is in it. He prayed to God that God might kill me, but God destroyed him instead. Then he said: Set Ka‘b ibn Sur upright. And when they had set him up he said: Ka‘b! I have found true what God promised me; have you also found your Lord’s promises to be true?! Then he said: Lay him down. After that he passed by the body of Talha and said: This man is the very one who broke my allegiance and stirred up this sedition in the community and incited men against me and called for my killing and the killing of my family. Then he said: Set Talha upright. They set him up. He said: Talha! I have found the promises of my Lord to be true; have you also found your Lord’s promises to be true? Then he said: Lay him down. And they laid him down. After that the Commander of the Faithful (AS) went away from that place. One of the companions said to him: O Commander of the Faithful, I saw you speaking with Talha and Ka‘b, who had been killed; do they understand your words? The Imam (AS) said: Yes; by God, they understood my words, just as the people of the well understood the words of the Messenger of God (PBUH) on the day of Badr.
Al-Mas‘udi said: And when God Most High favoured him with what he was worthy of — victory over the Companions of the Camel — he entered, with a group of his companions, into the treasury of the Muslims at Basra, and looked upon the gold and silver coin that was in it. He kept his gaze upon it and began to say: “O yellow one, O white one, deceive someone other than me!” Then he (AS) said: “Divide it among my companions, five hundred each.” So they divided it, and each man of them received five hundred; it did not exceed by a single dirham nor fall short by a single dirham! The number of his companions was twelve thousand. And he (AS) took possession of what he had gained in their camp, and sold it and likewise divided it among them, and never took for himself or for his children or for the people of his house anything more than his companions received. Then a man of his companions who had not been present at the division came to him and said: O Commander of the Faithful, I took nothing, since I was not present at the division; the reason that compelled my absence from it was such and such. So he gave him what would have fallen to him from the division. (Waq‘at al-Jamal, vol. 1, p. 158)
Al-Mas‘udi says: When God Most High favoured Ali (AS) and granted him the victory over the Companions of the Camel of which he was worthy, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) entered the treasury of the Muslims in Basra with a group of his companions and looked at the gold and silver coins that were in it. For a while he gazed at them and said: O yellow ones and O white ones, deceive someone other than me!
Then he said: Divide these funds among my companions, five hundred by five hundred. They divided the funds, and each man received five hundred dirhams, and not one dirham came out short or in excess; and the number of the Imam’s (AS) companions was twelve thousand. Then the Commander of the Faithful (AS) sold what he had gained in their camp and divided it among the companions, and never took for himself or his children or the people of his house anything more than his companions. After the division of the spoils, one of the Imam’s companions who had not been present at the division came and said: O Commander of the Faithful! I was not present at the division of the spoils and have taken nothing, and the reason for my absence was such and such. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) gave him the same amount as would have fallen to his share.
“Al-Fusul al-Muhimma fi Usul al-A’imma” is among the compositions of Shaykh Hurr al-Amili (d. 1104 AH), the author of Wasa’il al-Shi‘a, and was composed in Arabic in the eleventh century AH. The author gathered together the general principles derived from the narrations which every Muslim must know, believe in, and act upon. This book is arranged in five chapters comprising the subjects of the principles of religion, the principles of jurisprudence, the branches of jurisprudence, medicine, and miscellaneous general matters. Most of the narrations of the book are taken from the Four Books or from other works of the authors of the Four Books. Hurr al-Amili was an Akhbari scholar who believed in the soundness of all the hadiths of the Four Books.
When Shaykh Hurr was forty years old, in the year 1073 AH, he travelled from Jabal Amil to Iraq to visit the exalted holy shrines, and from there set out for Mashhad to visit Imam al-Rida (AS). Since he found Mashhad a suitable place to live, he settled there. Shaykh Hurr al-Amili held a flourishing teaching circle in Mashhad and trained many students, and at last died there and was buried in the Razavi shrine precinct.
Shaykh Hurr al-Amili left behind numerous compositions. His most important work is the book “Wasa’il al-Shi‘a”, which from the time of its writing until now has constantly enjoyed the attention and regard of Shi‘i jurists and mujtahids. This book contains the hadiths of the Shi‘i narrative sources, such as the Four Books and other hadith sources, on juridical subjects. In this work the author of the Wasa’il has gathered 36,000 narrations together with their chains of transmission on numerous juridical topics under the heading of a single chapter. Because of its importance and standing, this work has commentaries, indexes, abridgements and translations.