Battle of the Camel

In this regard, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) states:

“A group from among those people who murdered Hazrat Uthman (ra) went to Hazrat Aisha (ra) and urged her to declare Jihad against those who killed Hazrat Uthman (ra). Thus, Hazrat Aisha (ra) declared Jihad and asked the Companions (ra) to assist her in this. Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) joined her. Subsequently, a battle ensued between the armies of Hazrat Ali (ra) and Hazrat Aisha (ra), Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra).”

Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) were part of Hazrat Aisha’s (ra) army. A battle took place between the main armies of Hazrat Aisha (ra) and Hazrat Ali (ra).

“This battle is known as Jang-e-Jamal [the Battle of the Camel]. In the beginning of this battle, upon hearing the words of the Holy Prophet’s (sa) prophecy from Hazrat Ali (ra), Hazrat Zubair (ra) separated himself and vowed that he would not fight against Hazrat Ali (ra). Hazrat Zubair (ra) accepted that he had been mistaken in his interpretation of the matter. Similarly, Hazrat Talha (ra) also pledged allegiance to Hazrat Ali (ra) prior to his demise”; I mentioned this in the previous sermon also “because it is mentioned in narrations that when Hazrat Talha (ra) was lying injured and breathing his last, a man walked by him. Hazrat Talha (ra) asked him, ‘Which party do you belong to?’ He replied that he was from Hazrat Ali’s men. Upon this, Hazrat Talha (ra) held his hand and said, ‘Your hand is that of Ali’s and I pledge allegiance to Ali again at your hands.’ Thus, any dispute between the Companions was resolved after Jang-e-Jamal, but the dispute with Hazrat Mu‘awiyah (ra) remained, as a result of which the Battle of Siffin took place.”

(Khilafat-e-Rashidah, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 15, pp. 485-486)

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) further narrates:

“The killers of Hazrat Uthman (ra) spread out to various regions, but in order to save themselves from any culpability, they deflected the blame onto others. When they saw that Hazrat Ali (ra) had taken the bai‘at[pledge of allegiance] of the Muslims, they found an excellent opportunity to level allegations against Hazrat Ali (ra), because those who were involved in the assassination of Hazrat Uthman (ra) had later joined Hazrat Ali (ra). This gave them the perfect opportunity to level allegations against Hazrat Ali (ra). Similarly, one group [from among those who were involved in the killing Hazrat Uthman (ra)] went to Mecca and encouraged Hazrat Aisha (ra) that she should declare Jihad in order to avenge the blood of Hazrat Uthman (ra). Therefore, she made this declaration and asked the companions to help her in this regard.

“Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) had pledged allegiance to Hazrat Ali (ra) on the condition that he would bring the killers of Hazrat Uthman (ra) to justice swiftly. Their interpretation of ‘swift’ was contrary to Hazrat Ali’s (ra) viewpoint because according to Hazrat Ali (ra), taking action ‘swiftly’ was not conducive to the situation at the time. He thought”, i.e. Hazrat Ali (ra) thought, “that firstly, all the Muslim lands should be united and then they should turn their attention to dealing with killers of Hazrat Uthman (ra) because safeguarding Islam took precedence. There would not be any harm in delaying taking action against them.

“Furthermore, there was a dispute in identifying who the killers were. The people who were the first to go to Hazrat Ali (ra) under the guise of despondency and expressing their concern for the threat of division within Islam, it was only natural that Hazrat Ali (ra) would not suspect them of being the architects of this mischief. Other people, however, suspected them.” Hazrat Ali (ra) did not suspect them, but certain other people had their doubts about them. “Owing to this suspicion, Talha (ra) and Zubair (ra) thought that Hazrat Ali (ra) went back on his word because they had pledged allegiance on a particular condition and according to them, Hazrat Ali (ra) did not fulfil this condition. Therefore, in accordance with the Shariah, they deemed themselves to be absolved from their bai‘at.

“When they heard about Hazrat Aisha’s (ra) call [of Jihad] they joined her and they all went to Basra. The governor of Basra tried to prevent the residents from joining them. However, when they discovered that Talha (ra) and Zubair (ra) pledged allegiance under coercion and had stipulated a condition with their bai‘at, the majority of the residents [of Basra] joined them. When Hazrat Ali (ra) received news of this army, he too prepared his army and departed for Basra.

“Upon arrival in Basra, Hazrat Ali (ra) sent a man to Hazrat Aisha (ra), Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra). He first went to Hazrat Aisha (ra) and asked what the reason for her coming there was. She replied that she only wanted reconciliation. He then called Talha (ra) and Zubair (ra) and asked if they too had come for the same purpose (i.e. for reconciliation), to which they replied in the affirmative.

“This individual then said, ‘If you seek reconciliation, then this is not the way to achieve it. This will only cause disorder. The situation prevalent throughout the land is such that if you kill one person, a thousand more will rise up in support of that individual and challenge you; this will in turn incite even more people to rise up. This will set off a chain of events which will continue. Thus, at present, reconciliation entails to first unite everyone and then turn our attention to punishing the evil ones. Given the current unrest, punishing anyone now will only lead to more disorder and chaos. First, the authority [of Hazrat Ali (ra)] should be established and that will then enforce the punishment.’

“They responded by saying, ‘If this is Hazrat Ali’s (ra) view point, then very well; we are prepared to meet him.’ This individual returned to Hazrat Ali (ra) and related the entire account to him. Hence representatives of both parties met with one another. They mutually agreed that fighting was not correct and it would be better to reconcile.

“When this news reached the Sabais”, i.e. the party of Abdullah bin Saba, “who were had perpetrated the killing of Hazrat Uthman (ra), they became extremely anxious and a party among them gathered in secrecy for consultation. After consultation, they concluded that if the Muslims were to reconcile with one another, it would prove extremely unfavourable for them because they knew that they would only evade punishment for the killing of Hazrat Uthman (ra), as long as the Muslims continued to fight against one another. They knew that if there was peace and harmony amongst the Muslims, they would have no escape. Therefore, no matter what, they could not allow this to happen.

“In the meantime, Hazrat Ali (ra) also arrived and on the second day after his arrival, he and Hazrat Zubair (ra) met. During this meeting, Hazrat Ali (ra) stated to Hazrat Zubair (ra), ‘You have indeed prepared an army to fight against me, but have you also prepared a justification for this which you shall present before your Lord? Why are you all adamant to destroy Islam with your very hands which you once served by endangering your own lives? Am I not your brother? Why is it that spilling the blood of one another was deemed unlawful before and yet now it has become permissible? It would be understandable if a new injunction had been revealed, but when that is not the case, why then do you stand in opposition?’

“Hazrat Talha (ra) was also with Hazrat Zubair (ra) at the time and replied, ‘You incited those who killed Hazrat Uthman (ra).’

“‘I curse all those who were involved in the killing of Hazrat Uthman (ra)!’ said Hazrat Ali (ra).

“Addressing Hazrat Zubair (ra), Hazrat Ali (ra) then stated, ‘Do you not recall that the Holy Prophet (sa) once stated, “By God, you will fight against Ali and you will be amongst the transgressors”’” i.e. referring to Hazrat Zubair (ra).

“Upon hearing this, Hazrat Zubair (ra) returned to his army and vowed that he would not fight against Hazrat Ali (ra) and admitted that he had erred in his interpretation of the affairs.

“When this news spread amongst his army, they were content that battle would no longer take place between them and in fact, the two parties would reconcile. However, the rebels who sought to spread mischief became anxious” and it was only natural that the rebels would become worried, “therefore they devised a plan in order to prevent them from reconciling. When night fell, those who had infiltrated in Hazrat Ali’s (ra) army, launched an attack against the army of Hazrat Aisha (ra), Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra), whilst those who had infiltrated in their camp, did vice versa” i.e. they attacked Hazrat Ali’s (ra) army. The hypocrites had joined both sides of the armies – Hazrat Aisha’s (ra) and Hazrat Ali’s (ra). “Subsequently, both sides of the hypocrites launched an attack”; they did not fight amongst themselves.

“Consequently, this led to chaos and both armies assumed that the other had deceived them, but in actuality, this was a ploy of Abdullah bin Saba’s men. Once the battle had commenced, Hazrat Ali (ra) called for someone to inform Hazrat Aisha (ra) as perhaps God Almighty may quell the disorder through her. Subsequently, Hazrat Aisha’s (ra) camel was brought forward, but this led to an even more perilous situation because the rebels, fearing that their ploy was going to fail once again, began to shoot their arrows in the direction of Hazrat Aisha’s (ra) camel. Hazrat Aisha (ra) began to loudly proclaim, ‘O people, cease fighting and recall Allah the Almighty and the Day of Reckoning.’ However, the rebels refused to pay heed and continued to shoot arrows at Hazrat Aisha’s (ra) camel. The people of Basra were with the army of Hazrat Aisha (ra) and upon witnessing these scenes and the dishonour of Umm-ul-Momineen, Hazrat Aisha (ra), they became extremely infuriated and drew out their swords and launched an attack against the opposing army. Subsequently, Hazrat Aisha’s (ra) camel became the focal point of the battle. Many Companions and valiant men stood around the camel and one by one, they began to be slain, but would not let go of the camel’s reins.

“Hazrat Zubair (ra) did not take part in the battle and had distanced himself to one side; however, a wretched individual went from behind whilst he was in a state of prayer and martyred him. Hazrat Talha (ra) was martyred in the battlefield and was killed at the hands of the rebels. When the battle intensified, some of the men realised that the only way to stop the battle was by removing Hazrat Aisha (ra) from the battlefield. Therefore, they cut the legs of the camel and placed the camel-litter in which Hazrat Aisha (ra) was sat, onto the ground. It was only then that the battle stopped.

“Upon witnessing this entire incident, Hazrat Ali’s (ra) face became red with sorrow, but there was nothing else that could be done either. When Hazrat Ali (ra) saw the body of Hazrat Talha (ra) amongst those who were martyred during the battle, he expressed deep sorrow.

“From these events, it is evidently clear that the Companions (ra) were at no fault in this battle and this was all owing to the evil ploy of those rebels who had killed Hazrat Uthman (ra). Moreover, Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) passed away whilst in the bai‘at [oath of allegiance] of Hazrat Ali (ra) because they had turned back from their original intentions and had resolved to support Hazrat Ali (ra); however, they were killed at the hands of the rebels. Hazrat Ali (ra) cursed those who killed them.” (Anwar al-Khilafat, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 3, pp. 198-201)

Upon the conclusion of the Battle of the Camel, Hazrat Ali (ra) prepared all the provisions for Hazrat Aisha’s (ra) journey and went along with Hazrat Aisha (ra) himself. He ensured that all those who wished to go with Hazrat Aisha (ra) also went with her. The day Hazrat Aisha (ra) was to depart, Hazrat Ali (ra) went to see Hazrat Aisha (ra) and stood in her presence. She came out in the presence of everyone and said, “O my sons! By harming one another and committing excesses, we have aggrieved one another. As of now, no one shall commit injustices against one another on account of the differences we had between us. By God, there was never any dispute between me and Hazrat Ali (ra), except for the minor disagreements one can have with their in-laws”; in other words, very minor issues. “My pious deeds are dependent on my obedience to Hazrat Ali (ra).”

Upon this, Hazrat Ali (ra) stated, “O people, this statement of Hazrat Aisha (ra) is indeed excellent and full of truth. These were the only issues we had between us [i.e. very minor]. Hazrat Aisha (ra) is the noble wife of your blessed Prophet (sa) in this world and in the Hereafter.” Hazrat Ali (ra) then walked for several miles with Hazrat Aisha (ra) to see her off and instructed his sons to go with her and return after one day.

(Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 3, Tahjiz Ali (ra) Aisha min al-Basrah [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1987], 60-61)

This reference which I just quoted is from al-Tabari.

When Hazrat Talha (ra) was martyred and Hazrat Ali (ra) saw his body, he began to wipe away dust off Hazrat Talha’s face and said, “O Abu Muhammad! It pains me greatly to see you lying here in the dust, beneath the starlit sky.” He then said, “I entrust my anguish and shortcomings before God Almighty.” He then prayed for Hazrat Talha (ra) and said, “If only I had departed from this world twenty years earlier.” Hazrat Ali (ra) and those with him cried profusely. On one occasion, Hazrat Ali (ra) heard someone recite the following couplet Hazrat Talha (ra):

فَتًی کَانَ یُدْنِیْہِ الْغِنٰی مِنْ صَدِیْقِہِ

اِذَا مَا ھُوَ اسْتَغْنٰی وَ یُبْعِدُہُ الفَقْرُ

“He was a youth that would enjoy spending time with his friends when he was wealthy and affluent. But during straitened times, when he was in need, he would avoid their company.”

Upon hearing this couplet, Hazrat Ali (ra) said, “This couplet can only be regarding Abu Muhammad – Talha (ra) bin Ubaidullah. May Allah have mercy on him.”

(Usdul-Ghaba Fi Marifat al-Sahaba, Vol. 3, p. 87, Talha (ra) bin Ubaidillah, Kutub-ul-al-ilmiyyah, Beirut)

With regard to the Battle of the Camel, it is mentioned in narrations that this battle was fought between Hazrat Ali (ra) and Aisha (ra) in the 36th year after the migration from Mecca to Medina. Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) were also on the side of Hazrat Aisha (ra). Hazrat Aisha (ra) was riding a camel in the battlefield and as such, this battle is known as the “Battle of the Camel”.

Hazrat Aisha (ra) had travelled to Mecca in order to perform Hajj and she was staying there when she received the news of the martyrdom of Hazrat Uthman (ra). After completing the Umrah, she headed towards Medina. On the way, at a place called Sarf, Ubaid bin Abi Salama informed her that Hazrat Uthman (ra) had been martyred and Hazrat Ali (ra) had been elected as the Caliph and disorder was rife in Medina. Hence, Hazrat Aisha (ra) turned back towards Mecca and gathered the people in order to avenge the killing of Hazrat Uthman (ra) and to put an end to the disorder.

Many people had gathered together under the leadership of Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) bin Awwam and Hazrat Aisha (ra); hence their convoy set off towards Basra.

Upon receiving news of this convoy, Hazrat Ali (ra) also set off towards Basra. Upon arrival in Basra, Hazrat Aisha (ra) invited the inhabitants to join forces with her and a large number did so. However, one party pledged to support Uthman bin Hunayf, Hazrat Ali’s (ra) appointed governor of Basra. During this time, both parties clashed. Hazrat Ali’s (ra) army arrived and they set up camp near the army of Hazrat Aisha (ra). Both parties made proposals to reconcile and the negotiations were successful. However, during the night, a party that was involved in the murder of Hazrat Uthman (ra) and had joined Hazrat Ali’s (ra) army, attacked the army of Hazrat Aisha (ra) and this triggered the start of the battle.

Hazrat Aisha (ra) was riding a camel. One after another, loyal followers of Hazrat Aisha (ra) grabbed hold of the reigns of her camel and were martyred. Hazrat Ali (ra) realised that as long as Hazrat Aisha (ra) was riding the camel, the war would not come to an end. Hence, he ordered his soldiers to somehow kill and bring down the camel as the end of the war was linked to that. Upon this, an individual stepped forward and pierced his sword into the foot of the camel. The camel gave out a cry and sat down and the army of Hazrat Ali (ra) surrounded the camel from all sides. Upon the fall of Hazrat Aisha’sra camel, the people of the Camel [i.e. those who fought on Hazrat Aisha’s (ra) side] dispersed. Following this, Hazrat Ali (ra) announced that whoever surrendered or closed the door to their home would remain safe and protected. No one would be chased, nor would anyone’s possessions be seized or considered as spoils of war. The army of Hazrat Ali (ra) followed these orders. Hazrat Zubair (ra) bin Awwam and Hazrat Talha (ra) were martyred during this very battle.

(Ibn al-Athir, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2003], 99-149)

This is a summary of this particular historical incident taken from the work of Ibn Athir.

Narration 1

Expounding on the martyrdom of Hazrat Uthman (ra), the oath of allegiance to Hazrat Ali (ra) and the Battle of the Camel, Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) says:

“Various groups of the assassins dispersed to different areas. To shield themselves from being convicted of Hazrat Uthman’s murder, they began deflecting blame upon others. When they learnt that the Muslims had given the oath of allegiance to Hazrat Ali (ra), it gave them a perfect opportunity to point fingers. It is true that from among those around Hazrat Ali (ra) were some who were involved in assassinating Hazrat Uthman (ra). This gave the hypocrites an ideal chance to lay blame on someone else. The party that was heading towards Mecca convinced Hazrat Aisha (ra) to announce Jihad to avenge the murder of Hazrat Uthman (ra). Therefore, Hazrat Aisha(ra) declared Jihad and searched for Companions to support her. Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) pledged allegiance to Hazrat Ali (ra) on the condition that he would swiftly dispense punishment for the murderers of Hazrat Uthman (ra). Their interpretation of ‘swift’ was contrary to Hazrat Ali’s view given the circumstances at the time. Hazrat Ali (ra) felt the priority was to first consolidate order in the regions and then turn attention towards punishing the assassins. He felt the primary objective had to be safeguarding Islam and that there was no harm in delaying punishment for the murderers.

“There were also differences of opinion about the identity of the murderers. Hazrat Ali (ra) did not suspect those who had first approached him – who showed deep remorse and sorrow and expressed their concern of discord among the Muslims – to be the architects of this mischief. However, there were others who had doubts about these same people. As a result of these contrasting viewpoints, Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) felt that Hazrat Ali (ra) had rescinded his promise to them. They had pledged allegiance to Hazrat Ali (ra) on one condition, and now they deemed that the condition had not been fulfilled. “Therefore, they made their own decisions considering themselves to be free from their oath of allegiance to Hazrat Ali (ra).

“After learning about Hazrat Aisha’s (ra) declaration they too joined forces with her and all of them set out for Basra. The governor of Basra tried to prevent people from joining them. However, when the residents came to know that Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) had pledged allegiance to Hazrat Ali (ra) on a particular condition, therefore the majority joined them. When Hazrat Ali (ra) was notified of this, he also prepared an army and advanced towards Basra. Arriving in Basra, Hazrat Ali (ra) sent a person to Hazrat Aisha (ra), Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra). The individual first spoke to Hazrat Aisha (ra) and asked what her intentions were. Hazrat Aisha (ra) replied that she only sought reconciliation and nothing else. The individual then asked Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) if they had also set out for battle for the same reason, to which they replied in the affirmative. The individual explained, ‘If this is your intention, then your recourse to action is mistaken and this would only lead to discord. The current circumstances in the land would mean should you kill one person, a thousand more would rise up in defence. Thus, reconciliation can be achieved by first uniting the people on one hand. Then after that, mete out punishment to the mischievous party. Dispensing punishment in the current climate would be akin to wreaking further havoc and disorder. Let law and order first establish itself and then carry out retribution. Hearing this, they said they were ready to meet Hazrat Ali (ra) based on this notion.’ This individual informed Hazrat Ali (ra) of the outcome. Both parties finally met and resolved that war was the wrong path to adopt and instead reconciliation should be met.

“When this news reached Abdullah bin Saba’s men, who had perpetrated the killing of Hazrat Uthman (ra), they became extremely anxious and a party among them gathered in secrecy for consultation. After consultation, they concluded that if the Muslims were to reconcile with one another, it would prove extremely unfavourable for them because they knew that they would only evade punishment for the killing of Hazrat Uthman (ra), as long as the Muslims continued to fight against one another. They knew that if there was peace and harmony amongst the Muslims, they would have no escape, therefore, no matter what, they could not allow this to happen. In the meantime, Hazrat Ali (ra) also arrived and on the second day after his arrival, he and Hazrat Zubair (ra) met. Hazrat Ali (ra) stated to Hazrat Zubair (ra), ‘You have indeed prepared an army to fight against me, but have you also prepared a justification for this which you shall present before your Lord? Why are you all adamant to destroy Islam with your very hands which you once served by endangering your own lives? Am I not your brother? Why is it that spilling the blood of one another was deemed unlawful before and yet now it has become permissible? It would be understandable if a new injunction had been revealed, but when that is not the case, why then do you stand in opposition?’

“Hazrat Talha (ra) was also with Hazrat Zubair (ra) at the time and replied, ‘You incited those who killed Hazrat Uthman (ra).’

“‘I curse all those who were involved in the killing of Hazrat Uthman (ra)!’ said Hazrat Ali (ra). Addressing Hazrat Zubair (ra), Hazrat Ali (ra) then stated, ‘Do you not recall that the Holy Prophet (sa) once stated, “By God, you will fight against Ali and you will be amongst the transgressors.”’

“Upon hearing this, Hazrat Zubair (ra) returned to his army and vowed that he would not fight against Hazrat Ali (ra) and admitted that he had erred in his interpretation of the affairs. When this news spread amongst his army, they were content that battle would no longer take place between them and in fact, the two parties would reconcile. However, the rebels who sought to spread mischief became anxious, therefore in order to prevent them from reconciling, when night fell, those who had infiltrated in Hazrat Ali’s (ra) army, launched an attack against the army of Hazrat Aisha(ra), Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra), whilst those who had infiltrated in their camp, did vice versa. Consequently, this led to chaos and both armies assumed that the other had deceived them, but in actuality, this was a ploy of Abdullah bin Saba’s men. Once the battle had commenced, Hazrat Ali (ra) called for someone to inform Hazrat Aisha (ra) as perhaps God Almighty may quell the disorder through her. Subsequently, Hazrat Aisha’s (ra) camel was brought forward but this led to an even more perilous situation because the rebels, fearing that their ploy was going to fail once again, began to shoot their arrows in the direction of Hazrat Aisha’s camel. Hazrat Aisha (ra) began to loudly proclaim, ‘O people, cease fighting and recall Allah the Almighty and the Day of Reckoning.’ However, the rebels failed to pay heed and continued to shoot arrows at Hazrat Aisha’s camel. The people of Basra were with the army of Hazrat Aisha (ra) and upon witnessing these scenes and the dishonour of Ummul Momineen – Hazrat Aisha (ra) – they became extremely infuriated and drew out their swords and launched an attack against the opposing army. Subsequently, Hazrat Aisha’s camel became the focal point of the battle. Many companions (ra) and valiant men stood around the camel, and one by one they began to be slain, but they remained in control of the camel’s reins.

“Hazrat Zubair (ra) did not take part in the battle and had distanced himself to one side, however a wretched individual went from behind whilst he was in a state of prayer and martyred him. Hazrat Talha (ra) was martyred in the battlefield and was killed at the hands of the rebels. When the battle intensified, some of the men realised that the only way to stop the battle was by removing Hazrat Aisha (ra) from the battlefield. Therefore, they cut the legs of the camel and placed the saddle in which Hazrat Aisha (ra) was sat, onto the ground. It was only then that the battle stopped. Upon witnessing this entire incident, Hazrat Ali’s face became red with sorrow but there was nothing else that could be done either. When Hazrat Ali (ra) witnessed the body of Hazrat Talha (ra) amongst those who were martyred during the battle, he expressed deep sorrow.

“From these events, it is evidently clear that the companions (ra) were at no fault in this battle and this was all owing to the evil plot of those rebels who had killed Hazrat Uthman (ra). Moreover, Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) passed away whilst in the Bai‘at [oath of allegiance] of Hazrat Ali(ra) because they had turned back from their original intentions and had resolved to support Hazrat Ali (ra), however they were killed at the hands of the rebels. Hazrat Ali (ra) cursed those who killed them.”

(Anwar-e-Khilafat, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 3, pp. 198-201)

Narration 2

Whilst mentioning the Battle of the Camel [Jang-e-Jamal] and Hazrat Talha’s martyrdom in another place, Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) states:

“When prophets appear in the world, those who accept them in the very early days of their claim are in fact considered amongst the most eminent. Every Muslim knows that after the Holy Prophet (sa), it was Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), Hazrat Umar (ra), Hazrat Uthman (ra), Hazrat Ali (ra), Hazrat Talha (ra), Hazrat Zubair (ra), Hazrat Abdur Rehman (ra) bin Auf, Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) and Hazrat Saeed (ra) who were considered amongst the eminent companions. However, being considered as most eminent did not mean that they enjoyed the most comfort, rather it was owing to the fact that they endured greater hardship than anyone else for the sake of their faith. Hazrat Talha (ra) remained alive after the demise of the Holy Prophet (sa) and witnessed the era when dissension began amongst the Muslims after the martyrdom of Hazrat Uthman (ra). Hazrat Talha (ra), Hazrat Zubair (ra) and Hazrat Aisha (ra) were leaders of the party which was of the opinion that revenge should be sought against those who killed Hazrat Uthman (ra). On other hand, the other party was led by Hazrat Ali (ra) and were of the opinion that man was indeed a mortal being [with reference to Hazrat Uthman (ra) martyrdom], but since Muslims had become divided, therefore the foremost need was to unite the Muslims in order to re-establish the glory and grandeur of Islam and revenge could be taken later. This disagreement escalated to such an extent that Hazrat Talha (ra), Hazrat Zubair (ra) and Hazrat Aisha (ra) alleged that Hazrat Ali (ra) wanted to grant refuge to those who had martyred Hazrat Uthman (ra). Hazrat Ali (ra), on the other hand, alleged that they were giving preference to their personal interests and were not thinking of what was beneficial to Islam. This disagreement went to the most extreme level and resulted in a battle between them. A battle in which Hazrat Aisha (ra) took command of one of the armies.

“Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) were also part of this battle. As mentioned earlier that they initially were amongst those who opposed Hazrat Ali (ra), however Hazrat Zubair (ra) heard what Hazrat Ali (ra) had to say and thus decided to leave, and Hazrat Talha (ra) also wanted to reconcile but the rebels hatched an evil ploy. Nevertheless, there were two groups which took part in the battle. Whilst the battle was taking place, a companion approached Hazrat Talha (ra) and said, ‘O Talha (ra)! Do you remember on such and such occasion, you were sat in the company of the Holy Prophet (sa) and he stated, “Talha, there will come a time when you will be part of an army and Ali will be part of a different army, however Ali (ra) will be on the side of the truth and you will be the one in error.”’ Hazrat Talha (ra) heard this and immediately realised and said, ‘Yes, I recall this.’ He then left the army at once and as he was walking away from the battle so that he could fulfil the words of the Holy Prophet (sa), a wretched individual who was fighting from Hazrat Ali’s army, went from behind and stabbed Hazrat Talha (ra) in the back resulting in his martyrdom.

“Hazrat Ali (ra) was in his camp and thinking that he would receive a great reward, the killer of Hazrat Talha (ra) ran towards Hazrat Ali (ra) and said, ‘O Leader of the Faithful [Amir-ul-Momineen]! I give you tidings that your enemy has been killed.’ Hazrat Ali (ra) asked who was the enemy? He replied, ‘O Leader of the Faithful, I have killed Talha (ra).’ Hazrat Ali (ra) replied to him, ‘I also give you tidings from the Messenger (sa) of Allah that you will be thrown into the Hellfire, because the Holy Prophet (sa) once said in a gathering in which Talha (ra) and I both were present, “O Talha! For the sake of the truth and establishing justice, you will have to endure indignity and you will be killed by an individual who God Almighty will cast into Hell.”’

“During this battle, when the armies of Hazrat Ali (ra) and Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) were facing one another, Hazrat Talha (ra) began to present arguments in his favour of his stance – this is prior to the time when a companion (ra) reminded him about a saying of the Holy Prophet (sa), as a result of which he left the battlefield. Hazrat Talha (ra) began presenting reasons in his favour, when all of a sudden, someone from the army of Hazrat Ali (ra) said, ‘O paralysed one, remain silent!’ One of his hands had become completely withered and did not function at all. When he tauntingly referred to him as disabled and told him to remain silent, Hazrat Talha (ra) said, ‘You may have told me to remain silent and referred to my paralysed hand, but do you even know how this came to be in such a condition? During the Battle of Uhud, when the Muslims became dispersed, there were only 12 companions around the Holy Prophet (sa). An enemy, three thousand strong, had surrounded us from all four corners and fired a burst of arrows in the attempt to kill the Holy Prophet (sa), thinking that if this was achieved it would bring an end to the matter. At the time, each enemy archer had their bow pointing towards the Holy Prophet (sa) and they would fire the arrows towards his face. It was during this time when I placed my hand in front of the face of the Holy Prophet (sa). All the arrows from the enemy struck my hand, to the extent that it became incapacitated and paralysed, but I never moved my hand away from the Holy Prophet’s face.’”

(Ainda wohy qaume izzat payen ge jo maali aur jaani qurabinio main hissa lein gi, Anwar-ul-Ulum Vol. 21, pp. 149-151)

Narration 3

Regarding this incident of Hazrat Talha (ra) during the Battle of the Camel [Jang-e-Jamal], on one occasion, Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) stated:

“Someone cried out that the paralysed one had been killed! One companion (ra) who heard this said: ‘O wretched one, do you even know how his hand came to be paralysed? During the Battle of Uhud, when owing to a misunderstanding, the Companions dispersed from the battlefield, the enemies learnt that the Holy Prophet (sa) was still in the battlefield with only a few companions around him. All of a sudden, an army of 3,000 disbelievers attacked the Holy Prophet (sa). Hundreds of archers took up their positions and targeted their arrows in the direction of the Holy Prophet’s (sa) face in order to attack him. On that occasion, the one who safeguarded the blessed countenance of the Holy Prophet (sa) was Talha (ra). He placed his hand in front, and thus every arrow that would have struck the Holy Prophet’s face landed on Talha’s hand. Arrows would continue to fall and the wound would only deepen, resulting in permanent damage to the tendons and blood vessels of Hazrat Talha’s hand, which became paralysed as a result. Thus, the one whom you look upon with contempt owing to his paralysis, we consider it to be a blessing that each one of us yearns to attain it.’”

(Khutabat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 26, p. 386, Friday Sermon, 28 September 1945)

Rib‘ee bin Hirash narrates:

“I was sat next to Hazrat Ali (ra) when Imran bin Talha came to see him. He greeted Hazrat Ali (ra) with the Islamic greeting, to which Hazrat Ali (ra) replied: ‘Marhaba, Imran bin Talha, Marhaba’. Imran bin Talha said: ‘O Leader of the Faithful! You greet me with the words “Marhaba” [Welcome] however you killed my father and took my wealth.’ Hazrat Ali (ra) replied, ‘Your [share of that] wealth has been allocated for you and is in Bait-ul-Maal [treasury]. Kindly take it in the morning.’”

In another narration, it is stated that Hazrat Ali (ra) said, “I took that wealth under my control lest other people usurp it. As for your statement that I killed your father, then I am certain that your father and I would be counted amongst those people regarding whom God Almighty stated:

وَ نَزَعْنَا مَا فِیْ صُدُوْرِہِمْ مِّنْ غِلٍّ اِخْوَانًا عَلٰى سُرُرٍ مُّتَقٰبِلِیْنَ

‘And We shall remove whatever rancour may be in their hearts so that they will become as brothers seated on thrones, facing one another. (Surah al-Hijr, Ch.15: V.48)’”

(al-Tabqat al-Kubra Li Ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 169, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Illmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Muhammad Ansari narrates on the authority of his father that on the day of the Battle of the Camel [Jang-e-Jamal], an individual came to Hazrat Ali (ra) and asked if the one who had killed Talha had permission to enter [to see him]? The narrator states, “I heard Hazrat Ali (ra) say: ‘Inform him (i.e., the killer) that he shall be cast into hell.’”

(al-Tabqat al-Kubra Li Ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 169, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Illmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) further states:

“When the companion of the Holy Prophet (sa), Hazrat Talha (ra), stood against Hazrat Ali (ra) due to a mutual conflict and when he realised that he himself was at fault, he left the battlefield.”

Now this is the account of when Hazrat Talha (ra) stood against Hazrat Ali (ra) and did not pledge allegiance to him. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) explains that initially, he was forced to pledge allegiance and later on, there was a dispute which ensued in a battle. However, when he realised that Hazrat Ali (ra) was in the right, he left the battlefield. Regarding this, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) writes:

“He was returning home when a wretched person, who considered himself to be from the army of Hazrat Ali (ra), killed him. Then, seeking a reward, he went to Hazrat Ali (ra) and said, ‘I have good news for you; I have killed your enemy Talha.’ Hazrat Ali (ra) replied, ‘On behalf of the Holy Prophet (sa), I give you the glad tiding of Hell. I heard the Holy Prophet (sa) say that Talha would be killed by a person who is Hell-bound.’”

(Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 26, p. 385)

With reference to the same incident, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) states in another instance:

“Hakim has narrated that Thaur bin Majza told him, ‘On the day of [the Battle of] Jamal, I passed by Hazrat Talha (ra) while he was nearing his final breath’”; the injuries inflicted on him left him on the brink of death, “‘and he asked, “Which party do you belong to?” I informed him that I was from the part of Hazrat Ali (ra), the Leader of the Faithful. Then Hazrat Talha (ra) said, “Extend your hand so that I may pledge allegiance [to Hazrat Ali (ra)] at your hand.” Thus he pledged allegiance at my hand after which he passed away.

“‘I then went to Hazrat Ali (ra) and narrated the entire incident to him, upon which he said, “Allah is the Greatest! God has proven the words of the Holy Prophet (sa) to be true. Allah Almighty did not will for Talha to enter Paradise without having pledged allegiance to me. He was one of the Ashra Mubasharah [ten companions given the glad tidings of Paradise].”’”

(Al-Qaul al-Fasl, Anwar al-Ulum, Vol. 2, pp. 318-319)

Though he had initially pledged allegiance out of compulsion, but as I stated earlier, he pledged allegiance wholeheartedly before his demise. He was pious and virtuous and had also been promised by Allah the Almighty that he would enter Paradise; thus Allah Almighty did not will for his end to come at a time when he was outside the fold of allegiance to the Khilafat and so, he was granted an opportunity and he pledged allegiance to the Khilafat [of Hazrat Ali (ra)].

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) states:

“Hazrat Talha (ra) remained alive after the demise of the Holy Prophet (sa). After the martyrdom of Hazrat Uthman (ra), dissension began amongst the Muslims. Hazrat Talha (ra), Hazrat Zubair (ra) and Hazrat Aisha (ra) were leaders of the party which was of the opinion that revenge should be immediately sought against those who killed Hazrat Uthman (ra).

“On the other hand, the other party was led by Hazrat Ali (ra) and were of the opinion that man was indeed a mortal being [with reference to Hazrat Uthman’s (ra) martyrdom], but since Muslims had become divided, the foremost need was to unite the Muslims in order to re-establish the glory and grandeur of Islam and revenge could be taken later.

“This disagreement escalated to such an extent that Hazrat Talha (ra), Hazrat Zubair (ra) and Hazrat Aisha (ra) alleged that Hazrat Ali (ra) wanted to grant refuge to those who had martyred Hazrat Uthman (ra). Hazrat Ali (ra), on the other hand, alleged that they were giving preference to their personal interests and were not thinking of what was beneficial to Islam” by insisting to take revenge immediately. “This disagreement went to the most extreme level and resulted in a battle between them; a battle in which Hazrat Aisha (ra) took command of one of the armies. Hazrat Aisha (ra) mounted her camel and would encourage others to fight and Hazrat Talha (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) were also part of this battle.

“Whilst the battle was taking place, a companion approached Hazrat Talha (ra) and said, ‘O Talha (ra)! Do you remember on such and such occasion, you were sat in the company of the Holy Prophet (sa) and he stated, “Talha (ra), there will come a time when you will be part of an army and Ali will be part of a different army; however, Ali (ra) will be on the side of the truth and you will be the one in error.”’ Hazrat Talha (ra) heard this and immediately realised and said, ‘Yes, I recall this.’

“He then left the army at once and as he was walking away from the battle so that he could fulfil the words of the Holy Prophet (sa), a wretched individual who was fighting from Hazrat Ali’s (ra) army, went from behind and stabbed Hazrat Talha (ra) in the back resulting in his martyrdom.

“At the time, Hazrat Ali (ra) was sat in his camp and the one who had committed the killing of Hazrat Talha (ra), thinking that he would receive a great reward, ran towards Hazrat Ali (ra) and said, ‘O Leader of the Faithful [Amirul Momineen]! I give you tidings that your enemy has been killed.’ Hazrat Ali (ra) asked who the enemy was. He replied, ‘O Leader of the Faithful, I have killed Talha (ra).’

“Hazrat Ali (ra) replied to him, ‘I also give you tidings from the Messenger (sa) of Allah that you will be thrown into the Hellfire because the Holy Prophet (sa) once said in a gathering in which Talha (ra) and I both were present, “O Talha (ra)! For the sake of the truth and establishing justice, you will have to endure indignity and you will be killed by an individual who God Almighty will cast into Hell.”’

(Aindah Wohi Qaumein Izzat Paein gi jo Mali-o-Jani Qurbanion Mein Hissah Lein gi, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 21, pp. 149-150)

“According to some narrations it is even mentioned that they were forcibly dragged and brought along with them. Undoubtedly a Bai‘at performed under coercion is no Bai‘at in its true essence. When it came to pledging allegiance, they said that they would perform the Bai‘at on the condition that Hazrat Ali (ra) would exact retribution against the killers of Hazrat Uthman (ra). Later on, when they saw that Hazrat Ali (ra) did not exact retribution immediately, they relinquished their Bai‘at and left Medina for Mecca. One group from among those who killed Hazrat Uthman (ra) went to Hazrat Aisha (ra) and urged her to seek retribution against the killers of Hazrat Uthman by declaring Jihad. Thus, she acted accordingly and sought help from other Companions (ra). Hazrat Zubair (ra) and Hazrat Talha (ra) joined her and a battle ensued between the two groups: Hazrat Aisha (ra), Hazrat Talha, Hazrat Zubair(ra) and between Hazrat Ali (ra), which is known as Jang-e-Jamal [Battle of the Camel]. In the beginning of this battle, Hazrat Ali (ra) reminded Hazrat Zubair (ra) of a prophecy of the Holy Prophet (sa), as a result of which Hazrat Zubair (ra) left the battlefield.”

Hazrat Zubair (ra) left the battle early on and vowed not to fight against Hazrat Ali (ra). He also affirmed that he was mistaken in his understanding.

“Similarly, Hazrat Talha (ra) also pledged allegiance to Hazrat Ali (ra) before his demise. We find in narrations that when Hazrat Talha (ra) was left fatally wounded and was suffering from his injuries, a man walked past him. Hazrat Talha (ra) asked him which camp he belonged to? He replied that he belonged to the army of Hazrat Ali (ra). Upon this Hazrat Talha (ra) took his hand and placing it on top of his, stated, ‘Your hand is that of Ali’s (ra) and I pledge allegiance to Hazrat Ali (ra) once again.’”

(Khilafat-e-Rashidah, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 15, pp. 44-45)