The Bai’at of Hazrat Talha (ra) & Hazrat Zubair (ra)
This was the conclusion reached by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra). Then he further states, “It should be remembered that it is wrong to say that after pledging allegiance to Hazrat Ali (ra), Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) broke their oaths.”
Some say that they pledged allegiance to Hazrat Ali (ra) with ease; however, it was not so simple. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) writes in detail and addresses this notion that they went to Hazrat Aisha (ra) after breaking their oath and fought against [Hazrat Ali (ra)]; he writes:
“[Such a notion] is wrong and is proof of being unacquainted with history. This was not the case. History unanimously bears testament to the fact that Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) did not willingly pledge allegiance to Hazrat Ali (ra); rather, they were compelled to pledge allegiance.
“Thus, it is related by two narrators in al-Tabari – Muhammad and Talha – that when Hazrat Uthman (ra) was martyred, the people consulted amongst themselves and decided that the next Khalifa should be appointed swiftly so that peace may be established and disorder may be done away with. Eventually, people went to Hazrat Ali (ra) and requested him to accept their pledge of allegiance. Hazrat Ali (ra) said to them, ‘If you wish to pledge allegiance to me, then you must remain obedient to me at all times. If you are willing to accept this, then I am prepared to accept your pledge of allegiance to me. If not, then you should appoint someone else as the Khalifa and I will remain obedient to whoever it is; in fact, I will be more obedient to the Khalifa than any one of you.’
“They replied by saying that they were willing to remain obedient to him. Hazrat Ali (ra) said, ‘Think about it once more and consult amongst yourselves.’ Thus they consulted one another and decided that if Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) were to pledge allegiance to Hazrat Ali (ra), so too would everyone else. If they [Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra)] did not pledge allegiance to Hazrat Ali (ra), then peace could not be fully established. Thus, Hakim bin Jabalah, along with a few other men, were sent to Hazrat Zubair (ra), while Malik Ashtar along with a few men were sent to Hazrat Talha (ra). Both wielded their swords and called on them to pledge allegiance (meaning they drew their swords and stood before them saying that they must pledge allegiance to Hazrat Ali (ra), otherwise they would attack them). And so they [Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra)] were compelled to accept after which the two parties returned. The next day, Hazrat Ali (ra) stood at the pulpit and said, ‘O people, yesterday you sent me a message, to which I replied that you should ponder over it. Have you pondered over it? Are you still willing to accept what I said yesterday? If so, then remember that you must always remain obedient to me.’ Upon this, they went back to Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) and forcefully brought them. It is clearly mentioned in the narration that when they went to Hazrat Talha (ra) and told him that he must pledge allegiance, he replied:
اِنِّىْ اِنَّمَا اُبَايِعُ كَرْهًا “‘I am being forced to pledge allegiance, I am not doing so willingly.’ Similarly when a party went to Hazrat Zubair (ra) and told him to pledge allegiance, he replied in the same manner, saying:
اِنِّىْ اِنَِّمَا اُبَايِعُ كَرْهًا “‘You are forcing me to pledge allegiance; I am not pledging allegiance wholeheartedly.’
Similarly, Abdur Rahman bin Jundub narrates on account of his father that after the martyrdom of Hazrat Uthman (ra), Ashtar went to Talha (ra) and told him to pledge allegiance. He replied, ‘Give me some time as I wish to see what others decide.’ However, Ashtar did not accept this and:
جَاءَ بِهٖ يَتُلُّهٗ تَلًّا عَنِيْفًا ‘Harshly dragged him along the ground just as one drags a goat and brought him back with him.’”
(Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 18, pp. 300-302)