Consultations
for Mischief-Making
After the beginning of the peace
mission, Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
concentrated his army and delivered an eloquent and impressive speech. He then
ordered a march to Basrah the next day. He made it clear that the movement was
not meant for fighting but for bringing peace. Besides this, he asked those to
keep away who had surrounded the house of Uthmân bin Affân. Learning this,
Abdullah bin Saba and the Egyptians grew anxious.
This group that was isolated from
the rest of Ali's army, numbered about two to two-and-a-half thousand men, some
being very clever and influential among them. Abdullah bin Saba held
consultations with various groups in a special assembly, which included
Abdullah bin Saba, Ibn Muljam, Ashtar and his gang including Ilba bin
Al-Haitham Sadusi, Sâlim bin Tha'labah and Shuraih bin Aufa etc. Giving vent to
their feelings they said, "Talhah and Zubair have been demanding Qisâs and
now Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) seems to be backing their
cause. He asked today to keep us separate from the army, tomorrow, after
joining hands with them, he will take Qisâs and punish us all." Ashtar
said, "Talhah, Zubair and Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) are all one in their opinion concerning us. Now the pillar of
peace will be erected on our blood. So, in my opinion, Talhah, Zubair and Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) should also be sent
to Uthmân. This will be the end of all our troubles." Abdullah bin Saba
who was presiding over the assembly, further said, "You are small in
number while Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
has an army of twenty thousand behind him. Talhah and Zubair have another
thirty thousand troops with them. Thus our job" is very difficult."
Sâlim bin Tha'labah suggested, "We should leave for some where else until
peace is restored." Shuraih seconded the proposal. But Abdullah bin Saba
rejected it as useless. Everyone then rose to give his own suggestion. At last
they turned to Abdullah bin Saba to put forward his suggestion. He then said,
"Brethren. It is better for all of us to keep within the army of Ali. In
case he expels us, we should remain at a close distance from his army base on
the reason that we want to help his army in case a battle breaks out. Moreover,
we should leave no stone unturned to arouse both sides to fight one another.
Once the battle begins, our troubles are gone."
The
Battle of Jamal
The next morning Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) gave marching orders
to his army. A section of the rioters accompanied the army while the other part
kept itself at a little distance. Bakr bin Wâ'il and Abdul-Qais clans joined
the army on the way. In Basrah, Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) pitched his tents at the grounds of Ubaidullah Palace. From
the opposite side, the army of Âishah, Talhah and Zubair came to the same
ground. Both sides kept silent for three days awaiting the result of the
ongoing peace talks.
In the meantime someone said to Ali,
"Why have you come here?" Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) said, "I am here to curb the disturbances and bring about
peace for the Muslims." The man said, "What will you do if the people
of Basrah reject your peace efforts?" Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) said, "We shall leave them to their state of
affairs." He than said, "You may leave them but what will you do if
they are not ready to leave you." Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) said, "In such a situation we shall defend
ourselves."
Meanwhile another person spoke out,
"Talhah and Zubair maintain that they have revolted to seek the Pleasure
of Allâh. Do they, in your opinion, have any right in support of avenging the
blood of Uthmân?" Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
replied, "Yes, they also have a right." He then said, "Do you
also have a reason for delaying Qisâs?" Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) replied, "Yes, when something becomes doubtful, one
should take cautious steps before going into action." The same person said
again, "What will follow for them and for us in case a battle breaks
out?" Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
said, "The person killed on both sides will go to heaven."
After this, Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) sent Hakim bin Salâmah and Mâlik bin
Habib to Talhah and Zubair to know if they were still firm on the peace talks
held between them and Qa'qâ' bin Amr; if so, they should keep from starting a
battle until the matter is finalized. Talhah and Zubair told Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) that they maintained
their promise. Following this Talhah and Zubair came out from their ranks
responding while Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
too emerged from his side and they all came very near to one another. Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) then said addressing
Talhah, "You have collected this army against me. Could you give an excuse
for your action and prove it valid? Am I not your brother in Faith? Is not our
blood unlawful for each other?" Talhah replied, "Have you not hatched
a conspiracy to kill Uthmân?" Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) replied, "Allâh the Almighty knows everything and He will
send His curse on the killers of Uthmân. And Talhah, have you not taken Bai'ah
at my hands?" Talhah replied, "Of course, I have taken Bai'ah but
with a sword hanging over my head, and on the condition of your taking Qisâs
from the killers of Uthmân."
Following this, Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) turned to Zubair and
said, "Do you remember that the Prophet had once told you that you will
fight someone and you will then be a wrongdoer?" Having heard this Zubair
said, "Yes, now I remember. But why did you not remind me before my
departure from Al-Madinah? Had it been in my mind, I would not have left the
city, I will not fight with you any more." [This talk and the like of it
is not approved by the research scholars to be true.]
In the wake of this talk, Zubair
came back to his army and called on Âishah and said, "Ali has today
reminded me something following which I will not fight with him at any cost. I
have now decided to go off leaving all others." Âishah was also nourishing
such an idea for the prophecy of the Prophet on her mind. But before her reply
to Zubair, Abdullah bin Zubair came in and said to his father, "You decide
to leave when you have already brought both sides to the battlefield and
incited one against another. It seems the huge army of Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) has sent terror into your heart and made
you a coward." Hearing this, Zubair got up and moved with his weapons into
the army of Ali, walked around and came back. When Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) noticed him drawing near, he asked his
men not to obstruct his movement. Thus nobody showed disrespect to him.
Zubair then said to his son,
"Had I been afraid of Ali's army, I would not have gone there all alone.
The fact is this that I have vowed not to fight with him." Abdullah then
asked his father to set his slave free as an atonement for his vow. Zubair
said, "I have seen Ammâr in the army of Ali, and I remember the Prophet
had once said: 'A rebel will kill Ammâr.' In short, the thought of fighting has
gone out of my mind." Encouraged by such a peaceful atmosphere, Abdullah
bin Abbâs went to Zubair and Talhah from Ali's side and Muhammad bin Talhah
came to Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
on behalf of Zubair and Talhah and the peace terms were finalized by the
evening of the third day. The peace document was decided to be written and
signed the next morning.
Within these three days, Abdullah
bin Saba and his party could not avail themselves of any opportunity to create
mischief. They grew vehemently anxious when they came to know that the peace
document between the two sides was about to be signed the next morning. They
went into emergency consultations, which continued the whole night. At last
they fell upon the army of Zubair and Talhah. They made a column their target,
which answered back and a full-fledged battle resulted.
Loud cries of war made Talhah and
Zubair come out of their tents. On inquiry they were told that Ali's troops had
attacked their army. Thereupon Talhah remarked, "Ali will not rest without
bloodshed." The hue and cry of fighting drew Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) out of his tent and the followers of
Abdullah bin Saba told him that Talhah and Zubair had attacked his army all of
a sudden and forced his men to fight back. Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) passed almost the same remark saying, "Alas, Talhah and
Zubair will not rest without bloodshed." Following this, he started
issuing orders to various sections of his troops. Fierce fighting enveloped the
battlefield. Military commanders on both sides were unaware of what led to the
all-out battle. However, both sides appeared not to chase the fleeing soldiers
nor attack the wounded nor seize the property of their opponents. These calls
from both sides established beyond doubt that despite the fighting, neither of
the sides had any feeling of hatred. Both camps were expressing disgust over
what was going on.
Ka'b bin Sur went to Âishah and
said, "The battle has begun. It is better for you to mount on a camel and
go to the battlefield. Maybe your presence hold them back from fighting and
pave the way for peace efforts to begin." Hearing this she mounted on the
camel. As a precautionary measure armor was put on her litter and the camel was
made to stand at a place from where the sight of battle was perfectly clear.
But things went contrary to this plan and the flames of war leapt higher and
higher.
Fighters from her camp were filled
with great fervor when they saw her on the battlefield as if she had come to
increase the enthusiasm of her troops. Soon after the beginning of the battle,
an arrow hit the leg of Talhah and his sock was filled with blood, which was
flowing profusely without stop. When Qa'qâ' who was fighting on behalf of Ali,
noticed the plight of Talhah, he came near to him and said, "O Abu
Muhammad! Your wound is very serious; it is advisable that you go back to
Basrah at once." He did accordingly. But as soon as he entered Basrah, he
fell unconscious, died and was buried there. Marwân bin Al-Hakam was fighting
on behalf of Talhah and Zubair.
Talhah was not in favor of fighting
with Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and stood alone away
from his army. He wanted to keep neutral, for he was pondering over the
utterances of Ali, in the talks between Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and Zubair and the prophecy about Ammâr bin Yâsir. The more he
thought over the issue of war, the more he became disheartened and discouraged.
When Marwân bin Hakam witnessed his indifference to the ongoing battle, he felt
tremendously annoyed. He then gave his slave a sign who covered his face with a
sheet. Thus being his identity concealed, Marwân took an arrow dipped in poison
and targeted Talhah. The poisoned arrow hit the leg of Talhah and pierced the
stomach of his horse, which fell down along with its rider. Talhah then called
the slave of Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
who had appeared on the scene and renewed his Bai'ah to Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) either on his hand or at the hand of
Qa'qâ' who also was there. After the renewal of the Bai'ah, he returned to
Basrah and passed away. When Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) came to know of this, he invoked the blessing of Allâh for him
and kept admiring and expressing sorrow for him.
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