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→The Caliphate of Ali
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===The Caliphate of Ali=== | ===The Caliphate of Ali=== | ||
Aisha had expected that the next caliph would be one of her brothers-in-law, Talha ibn Ubaydullah<ref>{{Tabari|15|pp. 238-239}}: “If Talha becomes Caliph (after Uthman), he will follow the path of his kinsman Abu Bakr.” Talha was the husband of her younger sister Umm Kulthum.</ref> or Al-Zubayr ibn Al-Awwam.<ref></ref> But on the road back to Medina after her ''Hajj'', she heard that Ali, whom she still hated,<ref></ref> had been elected,<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti pp. 166, 176.</ref> and exclaimed, “I | Aisha had expected that the next caliph would be one of her brothers-in-law, Talha ibn Ubaydullah<ref>{{Tabari|15|pp. 238-239}}: “If Talha becomes Caliph (after Uthman), he will follow the path of his kinsman Abu Bakr.” Talha was the husband of her younger sister Umm Kulthum.</ref> or Al-Zubayr ibn Al-Awwam.<ref></ref> But on the road back to Medina after her ''Hajj'', she heard that Ali, whom she still hated,<ref></ref> had been elected,<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti pp. 166, 176.</ref> and exclaimed, “I would rather see the sky fall down than Ali chosen as leader!”<ref></ref><ref>{{Tabari|16|p. }}.</ref> She suddenly remembered that Muhammad had thrice told Uthman, “If Allah ever places you in authority, and the hypocrites want to rid you of the garment, do not take it off,” and when she was asked why she had not told everyone that ''hadith'' earlier, she replied, “I was made to forget it.”<ref>Ibn Majah 1:112.</ref> She turned back to Mecca and called for Uthman’s murder to be avenged, an inconsistency for which she was criticised.<ref>{{Tabari|16|pp. 52-53}}: “How is that? By Allah, you were the first to incline the blade against Uthman and were saying, ‘Kill the fool!’”</ref> Ali denied any involvement with the assassination,<ref>{{Tabari|16|pp. 180-181}}. Despite the convenience of Uthman’s murder to Ali, it has never been seriously suggested that he was actively involved.</ref> but nevertheless he claimed he was powerless to punish the murderers<ref>{{Tabari|16|p. 18}}.</ref> and he refused to comment on whether the killing had been just or unjust.<ref>{{Tabari|17|p. 26}}.</ref> Al-Zubayr and Talha, who claimed they had only sworn allegiance to Ali under duress, now joined Aisha in Mecca.<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti, p. 176.</ref> The anti-Ali faction gathered around them,<ref>Muir (1924), pp. 240-241.</ref> and they vowed to avenge Uthman.<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti, p. 176.</ref> According to the British historian Sir William Muir: “The cry of vengeance on the regicides really covered designs against … 'Ali,”<ref>Muir (1924), p. 243.</ref> whom they intended to depose in favour of one of themselves. | ||
Aisha raised an army of 30,000,<ref>{{Tabari|16|p. 121}}.</ref> which Talha and Al-Zubayr warned her was still not enough to tackle the rebels in Medina.<ref>{{Tabari|16|pp. 41, 43}}.</ref> Instead they marched out to Syria, where they defeated the Governor of Basra and took over the city.<ref>{{Tabari|16|p. 76}}; Muir (1924), pp. 243-244.</ref> They put to death everyone who was implicated in the assassination of Uthman and shaved off the beard of the deposed Governor.<ref>Muir (1924), p. 244.</ref> But they were not powerful enough to do anything more towards either their ostensible goal of avenging Uthman (since the majority of the rebels were still in Medina) or their real goal of deposing Ali. Meanwhile Ali called up reinforcements<ref>Muir (1924), pp. 246-247.</ref> and he entered Basra with a professional army of 20,000.<ref>{{Tabari|16|p. 121}}.</ref> At first each side held up copies of the Qur’an, urging the other not to fight.<ref>{{Tabari|16|pp. 129, 130, 152}}.</ref> Aisha’s side cursed Uthman’s killers, and Ali’s side started cursing them too.<ref>{{Tabari|16|p. 132}}.</ref> If the conflict really had been about avenging Uthman, negotiations might well have averted the battle. But on 7 December 656 Aisha’s warriors killed a messenger from Ali, and Ali responded, “Now we are justified in fighting!”<ref></ref> So battle commenced. | Aisha raised an army of 30,000,<ref>{{Tabari|16|p. 121}}.</ref> which Talha and Al-Zubayr warned her was still not enough to tackle the rebels in Medina.<ref>{{Tabari|16|pp. 41, 43}}.</ref> Instead they marched out to Syria, where they defeated the Governor of Basra and took over the city.<ref>{{Tabari|16|p. 76}}; Muir (1924), pp. 243-244.</ref> They put to death everyone who was implicated in the assassination of Uthman and shaved off the beard of the deposed Governor.<ref>Muir (1924), p. 244.</ref> But they were not powerful enough to do anything more towards either their ostensible goal of avenging Uthman (since the majority of the rebels were still in Medina) or their real goal of deposing Ali. Meanwhile Ali called up reinforcements<ref>Muir (1924), pp. 246-247.</ref> and he entered Basra with a professional army of 20,000.<ref>{{Tabari|16|p. 121}}.</ref> At first each side held up copies of the Qur’an, urging the other not to fight.<ref>{{Tabari|16|pp. 129, 130, 152}}.</ref> Aisha’s side cursed Uthman’s killers, and Ali’s side started cursing them too.<ref>{{Tabari|16|p. 132}}.</ref> If the conflict really had been about avenging Uthman, negotiations might well have averted the battle. But on 7 December 656 Aisha’s warriors killed a messenger from Ali, and Ali responded, “Now we are justified in fighting!”<ref></ref> So battle commenced. | ||