Imam `Ali (a.s) made his
utmost effort not to enter battle so that no one would be killed. When he was
informed in Medina that the leaders of the Camel Army have left Mecca for
Basrah, he quickly left Medina to hold talks with them. He sent them a letter through
Sa`sa`ah, a great man of Basrah. In that letter, he gave them advice with the
utmost degree of kindness and magnanimity. Once again, he sent Ibn `Abbas to
al-Zubayr to talk to him saying, “Do not go or speak to Talhah, for it will be
useless. Speak to al-Zubayr who is softer. Tell him, your cousin says: In Hijaz
you were my friend. How come you have become my enemy in Iraq?” Then, he sent a
letter to Talhah and al-Zubayr through `Imran al-Khuza`i which reads, “Though
people may deny, but I did not go to people rather they came to me to pledge
allegiance with me. Their allegiance with me was not out of fear, force or
allurement. If your allegiance has not been out of fear, repent quickly and
turn to Allah. You claim that I have killed `Uthman! I leave the judgment to
unbiased people. Anyone who is condemned should be punished. You two elderly
men of Quraish! Stop behaving like this before this disgrace will be
accompanied with Hellfire.” When Imam `Ali arrived in the land of Zaviah on his
way to Basrah, he performed a four-Rak`ah prayer saying, “O Lord of heavens and
what cast shadow on them! O Lord of the earths and what they have on shoulders!
O Lord of the Great Throne! This is Basrah! I ask You to put the good of this
people in my hand and I seek refuge in You from their evil. O Lord! These
people have disobeyed me, rebelled against me and broken allegiance with me. O
Lord! Preserve the blood of Muslims and let not any blood be shed!”
When `Ali was placed against
the army of Basrah, he called, “O people! Do not make haste!” Then the Imam
called Ibn `Abbas ordering him to go to Talhah, al-Zubayr and `A’ishah
and call them to Allah. Then `Ammar ibn Yasir, the great companion and elderly
man of truth, stood between the two armies, addressing the army of Basrah as
such, “O people! It is not fair that you have kept your wives behind curtains
while you have brought the Holy Prophet’s wife to be faced with arrows and
swords.” Then he went to `A’ishah, asking, “What do you want?” `A’ishah said,
“I am here to seek the revenge of `Uthman!” `Ammar said, “May Allah on this day
kill the oppressor, perish the rebel and destroy falsehood.”
Then, addressing the army of
Basrah he cried out, “O people! Do you know which of the two parties has had a
hand in killing `Uthman?” The arrows were coming towards `Ammar. The answer was
arrows! `Ammar came to `Ali saying, “O Amir al-Mu’minin: What are you waiting
for? They have no goal but killing arrows showered on the army of `Ali. There
was no permission for battle yet!” Imam `Ali (a.s) addressed his army as such,
“Who is here to take this Qur’an to the people and call them to it? Whoever
does this will be killed but I will guarantee his going to Paradise.” A young
man by the name of Muslim rose up, saying, “O Amir al-Mu’minin: I will take the
Qur’an to them and do what you said.” He took the Qur’an, went to the enemy and
called them to the Qur’an. They pierced his body with spear. He fell on the
ground and was martyred. Was killing with spear an answer to logic?
`Ali told his army to be
prepared for battle but not start it. Ibn Badil, a brave soldier, brought the
dead body of his brother saying: O Amir al-Mu’minin! Until when should we wait?
Should they kill us and we look on?” The dead body of another soldier was
brought to `Ali but he still did not give the permission to fight. He just
said, “O Lord! You are the Witness.” Then, he turned to his army saying, “Have
mercy on the people!” Then, he took off his armor, rode on the mule of the Holy
Prophet, went to the battlefield and cried out, “O Zubayr! Come to me.”
Al-Zubayr came to the field with full arms. Seeing that `Ali called al-Zubayr
to the field, `A’ishah said to herself, “Woe to me, my sister Asma’—al-Zubayr’s
wife—will became a widow!” When `A’ishah was told that `Ali has come to the
battlefield without arms, she calmed down.
In the battle field, `Ali
hugged al-Zubayr, saying, “Why have you rebelled against me?” Al-Zubayr said,
“I have come to take the revenge of `Uthman!” `Ali said, “May God kill either
of us who has had a hand in the killing of `Uthman.” Then he spoke softly to
him reminding him of Allah’s Messenger, who had said, “You will fight `Ali and
you will be the wrong party.” Al-Zubayr said, “I seek Allah’s forgiveness. If I
had not forgotten this word, I would not have rebelled.” The Imam said,
“Zubayr! Now, go back.” Al-Zubayr said, “How can I go back? My going back would
be considered as fear, a disgrace which cannot be washed away.” The Imam said,
“Go back before disgrace is accompanied with Hellfire.” Al-Zubayr went back and
as soon as he intended to go out of the Army of the Camel, his son `Abdullah
cried out, “Where are you going?” Al-Zubayr said, “My Son! `Ali reminded me of
something I had forgotten.” The son said, “This is no the case, you are afraid
of the swords of the Hashimites!” The father said, “No, I remembered what the
time had made me forget. Are you blaming me for fear?” He took the spear and
attacked the right wing of `Ali’s army. Addressing his soldiers, `Ali said,
“Let no one fight him. Open the way for him. They have provoked him!” Al-Zubayr
so attacked both sides of the army. No one fought him or resisted against him.
Returning to his army he said to his son, “Does a timid man act like that?”
Then he took his way and left.
`Ali’s kindness towards the
enemy made a hero of him in the battlefield. Did the Army of the Camel realize
that what the Holy Prophet had foreseen was not particular to al-Zubayr alone
but everyone who fought `Ali would be a wrongdoer?
Again `Ali came to the
battlefield and called Talhah saying, “Why did you rebel against me?” Talhah
claimed that he wanted to take the revenge of `Uthman. `Ali said, “May Allah
kill either of us who has had a hand in killing `Uthman. Haven’t you heard the
words of the Holy Prophet saying: (O God) Befriend one who befriends `Ali and
bear enmity to one who bears enmity to `Ali. Were you not the first man who
swore allegiance with me and breached your allegiance? Allah says:
فَمَن
نَّكَثَ فَإِنَّمَا يَنكُثُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ
Whoever breaks his faith, he
breaks it only to the injury of his own soul (48:10)”
Expressing his regret,
Talhah said, “I seek Allah’s forgiveness.” He went back. Sensing that Talhah
intends to leave the battlefield, Marwan ibn Hakam threw an arrow towards him.
Talhah died immediately without having a chance to inform the people of Basrah
of their treacherous and unjust act which he and al-Zubayr had planned.
Addressing his army, `Ali
said, “When you defeat the Army of the Camel, do not kill the wounded and the
captives, nor follow the deserters, nor expose people’s private parts, nor cut
anyone’s ears or noses, nor loot anyone’s property except what they leave in
the battlefield.”
The enemy’s defeat was
certain. Yet, no order of attack was issued. The Army of the Camel attacked the
right wing of `Ali’s army, pushing them back. It was at this moment that the
order of attack was issued and the Army of the Camel suffered a disgraceful
defeat, this is `Ali’s kindness towards the enemy and his mercy on people in
the battlefield. Does history remember a ruler to have behaved like this
towards the rebels?