7 nov 656 ano - Battle of the Camel

Descrição:

### Background

- Banu Ummayads who were in power in Syria raised a cry for revenge for Uthman’s blood.
- Exhibited the blood-stained clothes of Usman and the chopped fingers of his wife to instigate the people.
- Many people in Makkah and Medina also joined them and demanded punishment for the assassins.
- Ali agreed but argued that he would do so only after re-establishing peace in the country. He realized that the assassination of Uthman was not the work of a few individuals who could be easily punished.
- Due to the chaotic conditions during the last days of Uthman it was very difficult to establish the identity of the murderers, and Ali refused to punish anyone whose guilt was not lawfully proved.

## **Cause:**

- When Talha and Zubair, who were the first to acknowledge Ali as a Caliph, saw that he was taking no positive steps to avenge Uthman’s death, they became furious.
- They approached Aisha, who was herself deeply grieved at Usman’s murder, and prevailed (influenced) upon her to join them in demanding revenge for Usman’s murder.
- They raised an army of 15,000 men and persuaded Aisha to accompany them.
- In the meantime, Ali was preparing a 20,000 army to cope with the situation in Syria whose governor Muaviya had refused to take oath of allegiance.
- He diverted his attention towards Basra and met Aisha’s forces in October 656 (35 AH).

## **Truce**

- Ali did not wish to fight Aisha and sent one of the Prophet’s companions to assure her that the delay in punishing the murderers of Uthman was due to non-availability of evidence.
- Aisha also wanted to prevent bloodshed and agreed to negotiate. The negotiations began between the two parties and ended in mutual agreement.
- This was not in favour of the rebels who had gone to such great lengths to cause fighting amongst the Muslims.

## **The Battle Begins**

- A band of them masterminded an attack on Aisha’s army during the night, provoking them to retaliate against Ali’s army.
- In the fighting that followed, Talha and Zubair were killed. Aisha’s own camel was finally over powered and its legs were cut, thus giving the name Battle of the Camel to this event.
- She was treated with respect and honour and was sent to Medina escorted by her brother where she led a retired life and never took part in politics again.
- 10,000 combatants lay dead from both sides in this very first civil war of Islam.
- As a result of the victory at Basra, Ali’s Khilafat came to be acknowledged by the entire Muslim world except Syria.
- After this battle, Ali shifted the capital to Kufa.

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