Battle of the Camel adapted from ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib: His Life and Times by Dr. Ali M. Sallabi WWW.MAHAJJAH.COM Transliteration key ḍ - ض ’ - أ إ ṭ - ط ā - آ ẓ - ظ b - ب ʿ - ع t - ت gh - غ th - ث f - ف j - ج q - ق ḥ - ح k - ك kh - خ l - ل d - د m - م dh - ذ n - ن r - ر w, ū - و z - ز h - ه s - س y, ī - ي sh - ش ṣ - ص Contents Events that preceded the Battle of the Camel 7 Impact of the Saba’iyyah in causing turmoil. 9 The reality of ʿAbd Allāh Ibn Saba’ 9 The role of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Saba’ in stirring up fitnah 17 Different views among the Ṣaḥābah concerning the way to carry out retaliation against the murderers of ʿUthmān 23 Zubayr, Ṭalḥah and ʿĀ’ishah and their supporters set out to Baṣrah to set things straight 25 1. Was ʿĀ’ishah forced to go out? 33 2. Was she in control of those who were with her? 34 3. Attitude of the wives of Rasūl H towards those who sought vengeance for the murder of ʿUthmān 35 4. ʿĀ’ishah passing by the oasis of al-Ḥaw’ab 38 5. Their actions in Baṣrah 43 6. The slaying of Ḥukaym ibn Jablah and the thugs who were with him 44 7. The letters of ʿĀ’ishah to other regions 47 8. Difference of opinion betweenʿ Uthmān ibn Ḥunayf and the army of ʿĀ’ishah, Zubayr and Ṭalḥah 48 Amīr al-Mu’minīn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib sets out for Kūfah 51 Advice of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Salām to Amīr al-Mu’minīn ʿAlī 54 Advice of Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī to his father 55 Request of Amīr al-Mu’minīn ʿAlī from the oasis of Dhū Qār for support from the people of Kūfah. 57 Difference of opinion should not affect the love between people 59 Questions on the road 61 1. The questions asked by Abū Rifāʿah ibn Rāfiʿ ibn Mālik al- ʿAjlān al-Anṣārī when ʿAlī wanted to leave al-Rabḍah 61 2. The people of Kūfah, including al-Aʿwar ibn Banān al-Manqarī, asked questions of ʿAlī 61 3. Abū Salāmah al-Da’lānī, one of those asked questions of Amīr al-Mu’minīn ʿAlī 62 4. Mālik ibn Ḥabīb asked questions of Amīr al-Mu’minīn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib 63 Attempts to reconcile 63 1. ʿImrān ibn Ḥusayn 64 2. Kaʿb ibn Sūr 64 3. Al-Qaʿqāʿ ibn ʿAmr al-Tamīmī 65 The discussion between al-Qaʿqāʿ and Ṭalḥah and Zubayr 65 The solution according to al-Qaʿqāʿ 66 Good signs of a deal between the two parties 67 The outbreak of fighting 69 The role of the Saba’iyyah in the outbreak of fighting 69 The first round of the Battle of the Camel 77 The second round of the Battle of the Camel 81 The number of people killed 86 Is it true that Marwān ibn al-Ḥakam killed Ṭalḥah ibn ʿUbayd Allāh? 89 The call of Amīr al-Mu’minīn ʿAlī after the battle 90 Checking on the slain and praying for mercy for them 91 The allegiance of the people of Baṣrah 93 The ḥadīth of Abū Bakrah from the Rasūl of Allah H: “If two Muslims face one another with swords, then slayer and the slain will be in hell.” 94 The date of the Battle of the Camel 96 Should we not leave them alone when they are Muslim women? 97 Abū Bakrah al-Thaqafī’s request to not be appointed as governor of Baṣrah 98 The attitude of Amīr al-Mu’minīn ʿAlī towards those who reviled ʿĀ’ishah 99 ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir’s defence of the Mother of the Believers ʿĀ’ishah 99 ʿĀ’ishah the Mother of the Believers and Amīr al-Mu’minīn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib 101 1. The angel brought her image to Rasūl H on a cloth of fine silk before her marriage to him 101 2. The most beloved of the wives of Rasūl H 102 3. Rasūl H received revelation when he was under her blanket with her, but never with his other wives 102 4. Jibra’īl sent his greeting of salām to her with Rasūl H 103 5. Rasūl H went to her first when the verse instructing him to give his wives the choice was revealed 104 6. The revelation of verses of the Book of Allah because of her 105 7. When the Rasūl of Allah H was ill, he wanted to be cared for in ʿĀ’ishah’s house 107 8. Rasūl H told her that she was one of the people of paradise 108 9. The superiority of ʿĀ’ishah over other women is like the superiority of tharīd over other kinds of food 109 10. Comparative virtues of ʿĀ’ishah, Khadījah and Fāṭimah 114 Did ʿĀ’ishah, the Mother of the Believers, regard it as permissible to fight the Muslims at the Battle of the Camel? 119 Can this ḥadīth be true: “You will fight ʿAlī and you will be in the wrong”? 120 Amīr al-Mu’minīn ʿAlī wanted to send ʿĀ’ishah back home honoured and respected 120 Their regret for what they had done 123 The life and martyrdom of Zubayr ibn al-ʿAwwām 127 The first one to unsheathe his sword for the sake of Allah 127 His migration to Abyssinia 128 At the Battle of Badr 129 At the battle of Uḥud 130 During the Battle of the Trench: “Each Rasūl has a disciple, and my disciple is Zubayr.” 134 At the Battle of Yarmūk 138 The conquest of Egypt 139 The protective jealousy of Zubayr ibn al-ʿAwwām 140 Zubayr named his sons after martyred Ṣaḥābah 141 Zubayr concealing acts of worship 141 Poetry of Ḥassān ibn Thābit in praise of Zubayr 142 Generosity of Zubayr ibn al-ʿAwwām 142 The time has come to depart ... and the Rasūl’s testimony of entering paradise 143 Zubayr’s eagerness that his debts should be paid off when he died 146 Biography and martyrdom of Ṭalḥah ibn ʿUbayd Allāh 153 His conversion to Islam, persecution and migration 153 At the Battle of Badr 155 At the Battle of Uḥud 155 A martyr walking on the face of the earth 157 Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah 157 Ṭalḥah’s defence of his brothers and his thinking positively of them 158 Spending for the sake of Allah 158 Unique and beautiful sayings of Ṭalḥah 161 Martyrdom of Ṭalḥah ibn ʿUbayd Allāh 161 Allah preserved his body after he died 163 Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqās prayed against those who impugned ʿUthmān ʿAlī, Ṭalḥah and Zubayr 163 Events that preceded the Battle of the Camel The murder of ʿUthmān I was a cause of many other difficulties, and it cast its shadow over the turbulent events that followed. Many factors contributed to the murder of ʿUthmān I, including: prosperity and its impact on society; changes in the nature of society during his reign; the fact that ʿUthmān I came after ʿUmar I; the departure of the senior Ṣaḥābah from Madīnah; tribalism; the cessation of conquest; ignorant displays of piety; personal ambitions on them of some people; the conspiracy of those who were full of hate; careful preparation of a list of accusations against ʿUthmān I; various ways and means that were used to stir up the people; and the role of ʿAbd Allāh Ibn Saba’ in the turmoil. These causes and reasons have been discussed in detail in my book Taysīr al-Karīm al-Mannān fī Sīrat ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān.1 The people loved ʿUthmān I very much because of his good conduct, his closeness to the Rasūl of Allah H,the aḥādith that praised him, and the fact that he married two of the Rasūl ’s H daughters (which is why he was called Dhū al-Nūrayn).2 He was one of the senior Ṣaḥābah who were given the glad tidings of paradise. He was subjected to injustice during his lifetime by some of the thugs; He could have put an end to them, but he refrained for fear of being the first one to shed the blood of the ummah of Rasūl H. His policy in dealing with the turmoil was based on forbearance, deliberation and justice. He prevented the Ṣaḥābah M from fighting the rebels and chose to protect the Muslims by giving his own life. Hence his killing was the cause of a great deal more turmoil, and his murder cast a shadow on the subsequent turbulent events. His killing had a great impact on the Muslims. The Muslim society fractured as a result of this major event, and the people became divided. What may increase 1 Al-Sallabi: ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān, p. 311-340 2 The one with the two lights [Editor]. 7 his status and prove his innocence of everything that was attributed to him is the attitude of the other Ṣaḥābah towards his murder. They were all agreed that he was innocent and that those who shed his blood should be punished, but they differed as to how that was to be achieved. This will be discussed below, but first we want to shed some light on the role of ʿAbd Allāh Ibn Saba’ in the turmoil in general. 8 Impact of the Saba’iyyah in causing turmoil. The Saba’iyyah - fact or fiction? The reality of ʿAbd Allāh Ibn Saba’ The early scholars were unanimous in agreeing that the Saba’iyyah existed; there were no exceptions among them.