Departure
from Makkah to Basrah
Abdullah bin Âmir and Ya'la bin
Munyah had come to Makkah with a large amount of money and goods from Basrah
and Yemen. Thus they took an active part in organizing the army of Âishah.
Before the departure it was announced in Makkah that Âishah, Talhah and Zubair
were leaving for Basrah and the people sympathetic to Islam and demanding
retaliation for the blood of Uthmân were invited to join their party. Thus an
army of one and a half thousand people marched to Basrah. People began to join on
the way and the army very soon swelled to three thousand. Umm Fadl bint
Al-Hârith the mother of Abdullah bin Abbâs happened to be with the force. She
sent Zafar, a person from Juhainah tribe as a courier to Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) with a letter containing a detailed
account of the mission.
The other Mothers of believers
accompanied Âishah returned to Al-Madinah from Dhat-Irq. Mughirah bin Shu'bah,
Saeed bin Al-Âs (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
and some others also left army on the base of some differences.
The
Governor of Basrah opposes the Plan
When the army came close to Basrah,
Âishah sent Abdullah bin Âmir into the city with letters in the names of the
distinguished personalities of Basrah and awaited their response. When Uthmân
bin Hunaif, the governor of Basrah came to know of the arrival of Âishah he
sent to her some influential persons of Basrah as emissaries. They called on
the Mother of the believers and inquired about the reason behind their arrival.
She said explaining the reason, "The rioters and miscreants from some
tribes have spread rumors in order" to create confusion in the Muslim
ranks and put Islam to harm. I have, therefore come out to put such elements to
right and acquaint them with the real facts." They got up and called on
Talhah and Zubair and put to them the same question. Giving their own reason,
they said, "We have come out to avenge the blood of Uthmân." They
said, "Haven't you two taken Bai'ah at the hands of Ali?" They
replied, "Yes, we pledged out support to Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) provided he avenge the blood of Uthmân. Moreover, swords were
then hanging over our heads." The emissaries went back to Uthmân bin
Hunaif in Basrah and communicated to him the whole account. He heard all this
with an element of shock and asked their opinion. They asked him to be patient.
But he expressed his resolve to keep holding them back until the arrival of
Ali. The emissaries left and closed their doors upon themselves.
Uthmân bin Hunaif gave a call to the
people of Basrah to get ready to fight and to assemble in the mosque. When
people assembled, Uthmân bin Hunaif asked a man named Qais to address the
audience. He said, "People! If Talhah, Zubair and their people have come
to seek safety, there is something wrong for even the birds of Makkah are safe
and nobody can do them any harm. And if they have arrived for avenging the
blood of Uthmân bin Affân, then we are not the murderers. It seems more proper
to send them back with honor." Hearing this, Aswad bin Sari' Saadi got up
and said, "They have not come here taking us to be the slayers of Uthmân
bin Affân, they have rather come to us to seek our help against the slayers of
Uthmân bin Affân." With these words uttered at the moment, the people got
infuriated and began to hurl gravel at Qais and the session ended in confusion
and disorder. It was, however, gathered that Talhah and Zubair had a following
in Basrah.
Battle-Array
When Âishah came up to Mirbad at the
head of her army, Uthmân bin Hunaif came out with his own and a battle line was
drawn. Talhah was on the right wing and Zubair on the left. When the two armies
came face to face, Talhah emerged first of all and described the excellences of
Uthmân after glorifying Allâh the Almighty, and then appealed for avenging the
blood of the martyred. Then came out Zubair and testified to what Talhah had
said. Following this Âishah uttered some words of wise counsel. The impact of
her speech divided the people of Uthmân bin Hunaif into two groups.
While one group was still adamant,
another gave up the idea of fighting for the reason that fighting against
Talhah and Zubair was not justified. When Âishah, Talhah and Zubair witnessed
the rift in their ranks they returned to their camp. However, Uthmân bin Hunaif
remained firm. Moreover, he sent Jâriah bin Qudâmah to Âishah and he said,
"O Mother of the believers! The assassination of Uthmân was far better
than your coming out on the back of this wretched camel. Allâh the Almighty has
made you to observe Hijâb (veil) but you put the Hijâb to disgrace. If you have
come here of your own, it is better for you to go back to Al-Madinah; if by
force, then seek Allah's help." The speech had not ended when Hukaim bin
Jabalah attacked the army of Âishah. But the battle stopped in the evening. The
next day Hukaim bin Jabalah drew the battle line again and the two forces
attacked one another. Hukaim was killed on the battlefield and Uthmân bin
Hunaif had to taste defeat.
Basrah was captured by Talhah and
Zubair. Uthmân bin Hunaif was brought as a captive. But Âishah ordered him to
be set free. He went straight to Ali. Although Basrah came under the sway of
Âishah, Talhah and Zubair, the condition was not different from the rule of
Uthmân bin Hunaif, as Basrah was still a mixture of elements for and against
the winner.
Ali
marches from Al-Madinah
When Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) was informed of the developments in Makkah and Basrah, he
expressed shock and grief and gave the people a call to fight with the
insurgents. Even though fighting against Âishah, Talhah and Zubair was an
unpleasant act for the people of Al-Madinah, most of them responded to the call
when they saw Abul-Haitham Badari, Ziyâd bin Hanzalah, Khuzaimah bin Thâbit and
Abu Qatâdah had approved. He left Al-Madinah at the end of Rabi' Al-Âkhir 36
AH. Some groups of the Kufis and Egyptians joined Ali.
Abdullah
bin Saba—the Jew and Hypocrite
Abdullah bin Saba also joined the
army of Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
along with his followers. Abdullah bin Salâm came across them on the way and
said holding the bridle of Ali's horse, "O Chief of the believers; go not
from Al-Madinah. By Allâh, if you go out, no head of the Muslims will ever come
back to Al-Madinah." The people rushed towards Abdullah calling him bad
names. Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
asked the people to leave him, saying he was a good man from among the
Companions of the Prophet. When he moved further ahead, he was informed to his
shock that Talhah and Zubair had already marched into Basrah.
Ali halted at Rabadhah and sent
orders to various parts of the country from here. Moreover, he sent Muhammad
bin Abu Bakr and Muhammad bin Ja'far to Kufah to collect and bring people.
Since the people disliked to fight with Talhah and Zubair, Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) promised not to
attack them unless they forced him to fight back. A little ahead of Rabadhah, a
party from the Tai tribe joined the army. Amr bin Al-Jarrâh was put on the
vanguard. At Faid, they came across a person coming from Kufah. When he was
asked about Abu Musa Ash’ari (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ),
he remarked, "If you have not come out to make peace with Talhah and
Zubair, Abu Musa will not help you."
Ali observed, "Talhah and
Zubair first pledged their allegiance to me and then committed a breach of
trust. They obeyed Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthmân but have opposed me, if they but
knew that I am not different from them," saying this he cursed Talhah and
Zubair.
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