|
Early Life
"My eyes are sore are my legs are thing, but I'll stand by you,
O Messenger of Allah!"
Thus said a young man of ten, when the Holy Prophet put his
message before his own relatives. The boy was Ali, the cousin of
the Holy Prophet.
Ali was born some thirty years after the birth of the Holy
Prophet. His father, Abu Talib, was the Holy Prophet's real
uncle. Fatima was the name of Ali's mother.
The Holy Prophet had lost his father before he was born. At a
very early age he also lost his mother, Amina, and his
grandfather Abdul Muttalib. Thereafter it was his uncle, Abu
Talib who took care of him and brought him up. Abu Talib had a
very large family. He was rather a poor man. When Ali was bron,
the Holy Prophet was a grown up man. He had wife and children.
So he took Ali to his own home and brought him up like his own
son. He did this to take a little burden off the shoulders of
his loving uncle. But this had another effect too. Ali grew up
in the atmosphere of virtue and piety which no other home could
provide.
This early training left a lasting effect on Ali's mind. It gave
him a keen vision and a passionate love for truth. Above all, it
made him a fearless fighter in the way of Allah. These qualities
were later to prove a rare asset for Islam.
Acceptance of Islam
Ali was over nine years of age when the Holy Prophet was called
to the Divine Mission. One day Ali saw his cousin and his wife
put their foreheads on the ground. They were uttering praises of
Allah, the Almighty. Ali looked on in amazement. Never before
had he seen anybody say prayers in this fashion.
When the prayer was over, Ali asked his cousin what the strange
act meant.
"We were worshipping Allah, the One," the Holy Prophet said, "I
advise you to do the same. Never bend your head before Lat, Uzza
or any other idol."
"But I have never heard of any such thing before," said Ali; "I
will speak to father first and then let you know."
"You should not as yet talk to anyone about this matter. Think
for yourself and make up your mind," the Holy Prophet advised
his little cousin.
This advice made an irresistible appeal to Ali's good sense. He
started thinking over the matter. The more he thought over it,
the more convinced he grew of the truth of his good cousin's
words. Next morning Ali came and accepted Islam. He was the
first youth to join the fold of Islam. A rare act of independent
judgement for a boy of his age, especially in a society given to
idol worship! Proof of his instinctive love for truth.
Closeness to the Prophet
Ali grew up under the loving care of the Prophet. This gave him
a deep insight into the basic realities of life and faith. The
Holy Prophet once said of him, "I am the city of knowledge and
Ali is its gate."
Ali's love for the Holy Prophet was unbounded. The night on
which the Prophet left for Medina, his house was surrounded by
blood-thirsty men. Drawn swords flashed all around. They were
ready to cut to pieces the man who came out of the house. The
Holy Prophet asked Ali to lie in his bed while he himself left
un-noticed. Ali gladly jumped in the bed and slept calmly the
whole night. Death hovered around the house but Ali did not care
for it. He was happy that he had helped save the Prophet's life.
In the morning when the Quraish found themselves out-witted,
they were mad with fury. Some of them suggested that Ali be made
to pay with his life for his part in the game. Ali faced the
threat with such cool courage that the Quraish had to leave him
alone.
The Holy Prophet had deposits of the people with him. With all
their opposition to him, the Meccans knew of no other man whom
they could trust. The Prophet had to return their deposits of
the people before he left for Yathrib. He handed these to Ali,
to be carefully given back to the depositors. Ali stayed at
Mecca for three more days. He returned the people's deposits and
then set off to Medina to join the Prophet.
Ali had a very close blood tie with the Holy Prophet. But the
Prophet wanted to bring him still closer. So he gave away his
daughter, Fatima, to him in marriage. She was his youngest
daughter and the most dearly loved of all. Ali realised the
honor done to him. He married no other wife as long as Fatima
lived. Hasan and Husain were the sons of Ali and Fatima. The
Holy Prophet loved them like his own sons.
In 9A.H., the Holy Prophet prepared to lead an expedition
against Syria. This was the well-known expedition of Tabuk. He
decided to leave Ali in charge of Medina during his absence.
This gave the hypocrites an opportunity to take ill of Ali.
"The Holy Prophet does not want Ali to be with him," they said.
The report reached the Holy Prophet. He at once called Ali and
said, "O Ali, do you not like that you should have the same
relationship with me as Aaron had with Moses?" These words of
the Prophet silenced the hypocrites.
In the year 9A.H., took place the first Haj of Islam. By this
time, Allah had forbidden the idolaters to enter the Kaaba. The
fact had to be made known to the people gathered for the Haj.
According to Arab practice, this could be done only by the Holy
Prophet himself or by some close relative of his. The Holy
Prophet chose Ali for the job. He gave Ali his own she-camel,
Qaswa. Ali road on Qaswa and read out to the crowd the
commandment of Allah.
During the last illness of the Prophet, Ali was constantly by
the sick bed. When the Prophet passed away it was Ali, assisted
by his uncle Abbas, who performed the last rites. Ali was one of
the scribes of the Revelations. Letters sent out by the Holy
Prophet were also written by him.
Ali was one of the ten men who got from the Prophet the good
news of Paradise.
The three Caliphs before Ali depended much on Ali's advice. Omar
used to say, "Ali is the best judge among us." More than once,
when Omar had to leave Medina, he left Ali in the capital as his
deputy. In fact Omar considered Ali the fittest peson to carry
on his work. If he did not nominate him successor, it was
because he felt sure of his election by the people.
In the early years of Othman's caliphate, Ali continued to have
an effective voice in shaping state policy. It was only in the
later years that the Old Caliph allowed himself to be led by his
kinsmen.
Participation in Battles
Ali was the hero of many a battle fought in the lifetime of the
Prophet. When the exception of Tabuk, he joined all battles and
expeditions.
In the battle of Badr, Ali's sword did real wonders. According
to Arab practice, three of the bravest warriors of the Quraish
came out for single combat. Ali killed two of them. This struck
terror in the heart of the enemy.
On the battlefield of Ohud, Ali stood bravely by the side of the
Prophet. This battle was lost due to the mistake of the Muslim
archers who had left the pass undefended. Disorder and panic
spread in Muslim ranks. People took to flight. The rumor spread
that the Messenger of Allah had been killed. In the midst of all
this confusion, Ali was one of those who clung to the Prophet.
The enemy had dug a deep pit and covered it with twigs and
grass. The Prophet fell down in the pit. It was Ali who, with
the help of Abu Bakr and Talha, pulled him out. The wounds
received by the Holy Prophet were washed and dressed by Ali and
Fatima. Ali himself received seventeen wounds in this battle.
In the fifth year of Hijrah, all enemies of Islam joined hands.
They led a huge army against Medina. The Holy Prophet defended
the city by digging a deep and wide trench around it. But one
day Abdwood, a warrior of all-Arabia fame, jumped across the
trench on horseback. No one dared to go near him. At last Ali
came out to give him a fight.
"Remember, Ali," said the Holy Prophet, "it is Abdwood."
"Yes, Oh Messenger of Allah, I know it," replied Ali.
In a few minutes Ali threw down his huge rival and cut off his
head.
The Banu Quraiza Jews of Medina forced the Holy Prophet to take
police action against them. Ali played the leading role in it.
He surrounded the Jewish stronghold and overpowered the Jews and
said this prayer in the courtyard of the fortress.
The Jews had a chain of strong forts at Khaibar. These were a
source of an ever-present threat to the Muslims. The Holy
Prophet led an army to deal with this threat. The Jews put up a
stiff fight. But their several forts fell one after another.
However, 'Qumus' proved to be the strongest Jewish fort. Its
commander, Marhab, beat back all attacks. At last the Holy
Prophet said, "Tomorrow I am going to give the standard to a man
who is loved by Allah and His Prophet and who loves Allah and
His Prophet. Allah will grant him victory."
All were eager to know who the fortunate man would be. The next
morning Ali was granted the standard. Ali slew Marhab and his
brother and took the fort.
It was Ali who wrote the treaty of Hudaibiyya. The Holy Prophet
dictated its terms and Ali wrote them down. The Quraish agents
objected to the words "Prophet of Allah," being written with the
name of the Holy Prophet. They wanted instead the words
"Muhammad bin Abdullah." The Holy Prophet agreed to the change.
But Ali refused to rub out the words "Prophet of Allah." The
Holy Prophet had to rub off these words with his own hand.
When the Prophet marched into Mecca victoriously, Ali was
holding the standard of Islam.
In the battle of Hunain, the Ohud confusion was repeated for a
while. But Ali was among those who stood firm by the side of the
Prophet.
Ali's Election
There was no Caliph of Islam for three days after Othman's
murder. Medina was completely in the grip of the rioters. Ghafqi,
the ring leader of the Egyptian rioters, led prayers in the
Prophet's Mosque. Most of the Companions had left Medina during
the dark days of the holocaust. The few who remained felt
absolutley helpless. They sat in their homes and allowed the
rioters to have their way.
The rioters proposed Ali's name for the Caliphate. They
requested him to become the Caliph. Ali refused at first. But
someone had to bring life back to normal. Things in the capital
were in a bad way. Ali had talks with those of the Companions
who were still in Medina. They said that he should come forward
to serve the people. So Ali agreed to take upon himself the
responsibility of guiding the affairs of the Muslims. He
consented to become the fourth Caliph of Islam.
All came to the Prophet's Mosque to receive the pledge of
loyalty. Malik Ushtar was the first to take the pledge. He was
followed by other people.
Talha and Zubair, the two noted Companions, were in Medina at
the time. They were among the six electors nominated by Omar,
Ali wanted to make sure that they were with him. So he sent for
them.
"If either one of you wants to be the Caliph," said Ali when
they came, "I am ready to pledge loyalty to him."
They both refused to carry this burden.
"Then pledge loyalty to me," said Ali.
Zubair kept quiet but Talha showed unwillingness. At this time
Malik Ushtar drew his sword. "Pledge loyalty," he said, "or I
will strike off your heads."
Both of them took the pledge.
Saad bin Waqaas was called next. He too, was one of the six
electors.
"Have no fears about me," he assured Ali. "When other people
have taken the pledge, I will also do it."
Next came the turn of Abdullah bin Omar. His answer was the same
as Saad's.
"There must be someone to stand surety for you," said Ali.
"I have no surety to offer," was the reply.
Malik Ushtar stood up and shouted, "Hand him over to me. I will
strike off his head."
"No, no," said Ali, "I stand surety for him."
Some of the leading Ansar also did not pledge loyalty to Ali.
Members of the Omayyad family all fled to Syria. They took away
with them the blood-stained shirt of the late Caliph and the
chopped fingers of his wife, Naila.
The First Address
After becoming Caliph, Ali gave his first address. It was
eloquent and forceful. In it Ali said: "Area around the Kaaba is
sacred. Allah commands the Muslims to live as brothers. A
Muslims is he who does not hurt anyone with his word or deed.
Fear Allah in your dealings with other men. On the Day of
Judgement you will have to answer for your dealings, even with
animals. Obey Allah, the Almighty. Do not cast aside His
commandments. Do good and keep away from evil."
Ali knew full well that difficult time lay ahead. The forces of
lawlessness had been unleashed. It would require tireless work,
great patience and much tact to restore law and order. Ali hoped
to accomplish the task with the co-operation of his people.
Ali Faces a Dilemma
As soon as the address was over, a party of Companions met Ali,
Talha and Zubair among them.
"You are now the Caliph," the deputation said. "Your first duty
is to enforce the law of Shari'ah. So punish the murderers of
Othman. It was on this understanding that we pledged loyalty to
you."
"I will not let Othman's death go un-avenged," Ali assured the
deputation, "but you must wait. Conditions are not normal yet.
The rioters are still powerful in Medina. We are in their grip.
My own position is shaky. So please wait. As soon as conditions
allow, I will do my duty."
The answer did not satisfy all. Some thought that Ali was trying
to evade the issue. Others thought he was sincere in what he
said. Some insisted that people must take the matter in their
own hands. If Ali was unable to punish the murderers of Othman,
they themselves must do it.
The rioters got to know of what was going on. They felt sure
that Ali would punish them if things returned to normal. They
saw their only hope in a state of continued unrest. For this
they had only to play off one party against the other.
Immediately they started the game. They began sowing
misunderstanding everywhere. Their aim was to keep the leaders
of public opinion divided. In this alone lay their safety and
their future.
Soon after entering upon his office, Ali began to feel the
terrible weight of the difficulties that beset his path. The
rioters supported his cause. They had marched on Medina to make
him the Caliph. But they had used a method of which he did not
approve. He felt sure that he must punish them. For this he
needed the united support of the Companions and all his
officers. Of that support he was not very sure. He had to wait
and watch. There were people - some of them very honest - who
misunderstood this policy of delay. They wanted quick action.
They had seen quick action being taken in the days of Abu Bakr
and Omar. They did not realize how different the conditions were
now.
This was the dilemma that faced Ali. His keen sense of justice
demanded firm and quick action; his shaky position forbade it.
Ali saw no answer to this dilemma.
Ali Sets About His Task
Ali honestly believed that Othman's troubles were due to the men
who had gathered around him. Wild ambitions of the Banu Omayya
family were the real cause of what had happened. They had taken
undue advantage of the honest old man, Othman. They had used him
as their tool, jumped into power and misused that power. It was
they who had earned a bad name for the late good Caliph. The
tragic death of Othman and the prevailing un-rest could all be
traced to the doings of these men. They had to go or things
would not come back to normal. Ali made up his ind to strike at
the root of all the trouble.
So Ali's first act as Caliph was to dismiss all provincial
Governors. He appointed new men in their place. Ibn Abbas and
Mughira bin Shaaba were among Ali's staunchest friends. They
advised him against hasty action.
"Get from all the Governors the oath of loyatly first," they
pleaded. "When you are firm in the saddle, then do what you
want. If you dismiss them now, they may refuse to accept you as
Caliph. Othman's murder can be made an easy excsue for this.
Under cover of this excuse, they may take up arms against you."
Ali did not listen to this advice. He did not believe that
expediency should be allowed to stay the hand of justice.
Mughira bin Shaaba got displeased. He warned the new Caliph that
his hasty action was likely to land him in difficulties. Then he
left Medina and came to Mecca.
Cold Reception for New Governors
Ali's governors set out to take charge of their duties. But none
of them had a smooth sailing. Egypt seemed to be the foremost
supporter of Ali. But when the new governor reached there, he
found things very different. Some of the people accepted him.
But there was a strong group which demanded quick punishment for
the murderers of Othman. If that was not done, they said, the
would have nothing to do with the new Caliph and his governor.
There was another group of people who made a counter demand.
They demanded that the murderers of the late Caliph should not
be punished at all.
The new governor of Basra faced a similar difficulty. One group
of people stood for the rioters and the other was against them.
The Governor designate of Kufa was still on his way when he met
a strong party of powerful men from that city.
"You better go back," they said. "The people of Kufa will not
accept you in place of Abu Musa Ashari. Do not risk your life."
The threat so cowed down the poor governor-designate that he
tamely came back to Madina.
When the governor-designate of Syria reached Tabuk, he found his
way blocked by Muawia's soldiers. He showed them the letter or
appointment.
"If you have been appointed by Othman," they said, "you are
welcome. But if you have been sent by someone else, you better
go back."
The poor governor-designate had to return to Medina.
The new governor of Yemen took over without any difficulty. But
his predecessor had left the public treasury empty.
Ali Takes Action
Kufa and Syria were the two provinces which had openly flouted
the new Caliph's authority. Ali sent messengers to the Governors
of both the provinces. He asked them to explain things.
Abu Musa Ashari, the Governor of Kufa, sent a satisfactory
reply. He assured the Caliph of his loyalty. He further said
that he had got from the people the pledge of loyalty for the
new Caliph.
In his letter to Muawia, Ali had said, "Pledge loyalty to me or
get ready to fight."
Muawia sent a very clever outspoken man to deliver his letter of
reply. Ali opened the letter. All the letter said was, "In the
name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful." This amazed Ali.
"What does Muawia mean by this?" he asked the messenger.
The man stood up and said, "Gentlemen, when I left Syria, there
were fifty thousand veterans weeping for Othman. Their beards
were wet with tears. They have sworn to punish the murders of
the late Caliph. They will not sheathe their swords until they
have taken the revenge."
One of the men sitting by Ali stood up and said, "O Syrian
messenger, do you mean to overawe us with your Syrian army? By
Allah, Othman's shirt is not the shirt of Propjet Joseph. Nor is
Muawia's sorrow for him the sorrow of Prophet Jacob. If people
mourn Othman in Syria, there are men in Iraq who speak ill of
him."
The words of the messenger hurt Ali and he exclaimed, "O Allah!
You well know that I have nothing to do with Othman's murder. By
Allah, his murders have escaped."
Muawia's reply gave Ali a broad hint about the intentions of the
Syrian Governor. He was not going to give in without a fight. So
Ali started preparations for the coming fight. Hasan, Ali's
eldest son, was against bloodshed. He begged his father to give
up the Caliphate rather than start a civil war. "At long last,"
he went on, "people wiill have to accept your leadership."
However, Ali did not agree with these views of his son.
The impending clash between Ali and Muawia caused un-easiness in
Medina. All knew how powerful and tactful the Syrian Governor
was. Bringing him to his knees was going to be a very tough job.
Before long an army was ready to fight those who did not accept
the authority of the Caliph.
Battle of the Camel
Before Ali could deal with Muawia, he had to face another
danger. Aisha, a widow of the Holy Prophet, turned against him.
Aisha was gone for Haj when Othman was slain. On her way back,
she got the horrible news of his murder. She went back to Mecca.
Here she addressed a public gathering. She told people how cruel
it was on the part of the rioters to have killed the Caliph in
cold blood, in the holy city of the Prophet. She appealed to
them to avenge the death of the late Caliph.
Hundreds of men came out at Aisha's call. The Governor of Mecca
was one of them. In the meantime, Talha and Zubair also reached
Medina. They told Aisha what they had seen at Medina. They urged
upon her the need for quick action against the rioters and
assured her of their support. They also advised her to go to
Basra, to win more support for her couse. Abdullah bin Omar was
also in Mecca at the time. People tried to win him over for
Aisha's cause. But the pious Abdullah refused to be dragged into
the civil war.
Aisha set out to Basra at the head of a big force. More people
joined her on the way. By the time she reached Basra, there were
three thousand men under her flag.
The Governor of Basra sent men to find out the object of her
visit. She told them she had come to tell people of their duty
toward the late Caliph. Then the messengers came to Talha and
Zubair and put them the same question.
"We are out to avenge the death of Othman," they replied.
"But you have pledged loyalty to Ali," the messengers added.
"The pledge was taken at the point of the sword," the two
leaders said. "All the same, we must have kept the pledge if Ali
had avenged Othman's death, or even if he had allowed us to do
that."
The Governor of Basra decided to oppose Aisha, till help came
from Ali. He came out of the city with an army and got ready to
fight. The two armies stood face to face. Before the fighting
began, Aisha made a stirring appeal to the feelings of the
opposing army. She spoke of Othman's cold-blooded murder and
explained the need for revenge. Such was the force of her speech
that half the army of the Governor walked over to Aisha's side.
The fighting began. It went on till evening and restarted the
next day. By midday the two sides made peace. They agreed to
send a man to Medina. The man was to find out if Talha and
Zubair had pledged loyalty to Ali of their own free-will, or
under duress. In the former case, Aisha's army was to go back.
In the latter case, the governor was to give up Basra. The Chief
Judge of Basra was the person chosen to go to Medina and find
out true facts. His report was to be accepted by the parties.
So Kaab bin Thaur, the Chief Judge of Basra, went to Medina. He
reached the city on a Friday. He made straight for the Prophet's
Mosque. Taking his stand before the people he said, "O People, I
have been sent by the people of Basra. I have come all the way
to find out if Talha and Zubair gave their pledge of their own
free-will or whether it was taken by force."
"By Allah!" replied Usama bin Zaid, "it was taken at the point
of the sword."
Usama's statement was supported by a number of other notable
Companions. The Chief Judge of Basra was satisfied that the
statement of Talha and Zubair was correct.
Aisha Occupies Basra
Ali came to know of the happenings in Basra. He wrote to the
Governor not to give in.
"Even if Talha and Zubaid were forced to pledge loyalty," he
said in his letter, "force was used to sow differences among
them."
In the meantime the Chief Judge of Basra had come back. He
confirmed what Talha and Zubair had said. The Governor ws asked
by Talha and Zubair to honour his word and give up the city. But
by now the Governor had received orders to the contrary. He put
his duty to the Caliph above his word and fought to defend the
city. However, he was defeated and taken prisoner.
Basra was occupied on the 4th of Rabi-ul-Akhir, 36 A.H..
Immediately Talha and Zubair began a search for people who had
taken part in the rising against Othman. Hundreds of men were
rounded up and interrogated. Scores of them were arrested and
tried. Many were found guilty and killed. Basra found itself in
the grip of a virtual reign of terror.
After occupying Basra, Aisha, Talha and Zubair addressed a long
letter to different parts of the Muslim world. The letter
described how heavily Allah's hand had fallen on the murderers
of Othman in Basra.
Companions Speak Back to Ali
Happenings at Basra disturbed Ali. For the time being, he had to
leave Muawia alone. He had to set things right in Iraq first. A
clash with Aisha could not be helped. He called upon the people
of Medina to gather under his flag, but the response was poor.
For most of the Companions the very thought was unbearable. How
could they cross swords with the Prophet's widow? Saad bin
Waqqas, the conqueror of Iran, said, "O Commander of the
Faithful, I want a sword that may separate Muslims from
non-Muslims. If you give me that sword, I will fight by your
side. If you do not have that sword, please excuse me."
"I request you in the name of Allah," said Abdullah bin Omar,
"not to force on me a thing which my heart dislikes."
"The Prophet of Allah ordered me," spoke back Muhammad bin
Muslima, "to use my sword as long as the battle was against
non-believers. He bade me break it to pieces when the fight
against Muslims began. I have alreday broken my sword to
pieces."
"Please excuse me from this duty" exclaimed Usama bin Zaid. "I
have taken an oath not to fight against a man who says 'There is
no diety except Allah.'"
When Ushtar came to know of what these Companions had said, he
asked Ali to put them in prison.
"No," replied Ali, "I do not want to force them against their
will."
Help from Kufa
Toward the end of Rabi-ul-Awwal, 36 A.H., Ali set out to Iraq.
He hoped to be in Basra before his rivals reached that city. But
the journey was too long and the time was too short to permit
this. At Dhi Qar, he learnt that Basra has been occupied by
Aisha. So he halted there.
Ali had sent several messages to Abu Musa Ashari, the Governor
of Kufa, asking for help. Abu Musa had a strong dread of civil
war. He hated the sight of Muslims flying at another's throats.
He wanted to stay out of the quarrel. The people of Kufa also
listened to his advice. They decided not to take sides in the
battle between Aisha and Ali.
At last Ali sent his eldest son, Hasan, to Kufa. When he reached
there, Abu Musa was addressing a gathering in the Jami mosque.
He was making a strong plea for keeping out of the civil war.
After he had finished, Hasan jumped onto the stage. He explained
to the people how his father was the rightful Caliph, how Talha
and Zubair had gone back on their word, and how it was the duty
of the people to help their Caliph fight against injustice.
The speech had an immediate effect. A leading man of Kufa stood
up and said, "O people of Kufa, our Governor is right in what he
says. But the integrity of the State is also a necessity.
Without it, there can be no surety of peace and justice. Ali has
been elected Caliph. He calls upon you to help him fight
injustice. You must help him as best as you can."
The appeal was followed by similar appeals by other leading men
of Kufa. There was a stir among the people. Soon about nine
thousand men marched off to join Ali. Ali assured these men that
he would do all in his power to avoid bloodshed. Even if
fighting became unavoidable, he would limit it as much as he
could.
The assurance went a long way toward winning over the people of
Kufa for the Caliph's cause. This greatly added to his power and
prestige. Ali could not look to the coming trial of strength
with confidence.
Peace Talks Fail
Reaching Basra, Ali sent a man to Aisha to clear away the
misunderstanding she and her supporters had.
"What is it that you people really want?" the man asked them.
"We want nothing but the well-being of Muslims," they rplied.
"This is not possible until the death of Othman has been
avenged."
"The demangd for revenge is very just," Ali's envoy went on.
"But how can you lay hands on the mischief-mongers, without
first making the hands of the Caliph strong? You have had
experience of this. You began punishing the rioters of Basra.
But you found yourselfs helpeless in the case of Harqus bin
Zubair. You wanted to slay him, but six thousand men rose to
defend the culprit. You had to let him go. If necessity can
drive you to overlook the crime of one man, how can you blame
anything on Ali? If you really want to end trouble, gather under
the banner of the Caliph. Do not plunge the people into civil
war. It is a question for the whole people. I hope you love
peace and order rather then general suffering and bloodshed."
Aisha, Talha and Zubair were moved by the appeal.
"If Ali is really keen to avenge Othman's death," they declared,
"our differences can be easily settled."
They envoy brought back hopeful news for the Caliph. With the
envoy also came some men of Basra. They wanted to make sure that
Ali was not going to treat them like a fallen enemy. Ali assured
them that they had nothing to fear.
The hope of peace brightened. But in the army of Ali there were
Abdullah bin Saba and his henchmen. Peace was fatal to them.
They were very much disturbed by what Ali had said after the
envoy's return to Basra.
"O people," he had said, "the greatest favour Allah did to you
was unity. Unity made you strong and great. The enemies of Islam
did not like this. They have made a bid to shatter out unity.
Beware of them. Tomorrow we will march to Basra with a peaceful
aim. Those who took any part in Othman's murder should part
company with us."
Abdullah bin Saba and his men were taken aback at this
declaration. They met in secret council.
"Ali is going to avenge Othman's death," they whispered to one
another. "He now says what Talha, Zubair and Aisha say. We must
do something about it."
On the following day, Ali marched off to Basra. Talha and Zubair
came out of the city with their army. The two armies lay facing
each other for three days. Peace talks were going on. On the
third day, the top leaders of both sides had a face-to-face
talk. Ali rode forward on his horce. From the other side came
Talha and Zubair on their horses. They stood face to face, the
necks of their horses touching.
"Am I not your brother?" said Ali, addressing the two. "Is not
the blood of a Muslim sacred to another Muslim?"
"But you took part in the rising against Othman," retorted Talha.
"I curse the murderers of Othman," went on Ali. "O Talha! did
you not pledge loyalty to me?"
"Yes, but at the point of the sword," Talha spoke back.
"Do you remember, O Zubair," said Ali, now addressing the second
man, "that the Prophet of Allah, one day asked you if you loved
me. You said 'Yes'. Thereupon the Prophet of Allah fortold that
one day you would fight me for nothing."
"Certainly!" replied Zubair, "I now recall the words of the
Prophet of Allah."
After this conversation the three men went back to their camps.
The conversation had brought their hearts closer to one another.
Each one had been set thinking seriously about the grim outcome
of the civil war. The general feeling was the peace was not
clearly in sight.
Ali went back to his camp very satisfied. He felt almost sure
that bloodshed had been averted. He gave strict orders that no
one should shoot even a single arrow. At night he prayed to
Allah to save the Muslims the horrors of the civil war.
Battle at Last
The night came on. The two armies lay in sound sleep. But
Abdullah bin Saba and his henchmen set up the whole night. This
was their last chance. They must not let it slip by.
It was still dark when the clang of steel rent the air. There
was a sudden uproar. Saba and his men had made a sudden attack
on Aisha's army! Soon a full-dress batte was in full swing.
Talha and Zubair were startled by the uproar.
"What is this all about?" they asked.
"Ali's army had made a night attack," came the reply.
"Alas!" they exclaimed, "Ali could not be stopped from shedding
the blood of Muslims. We had this fear all the time."
Ali got equally startled by the suddin outburst of din.
"What is the matter?" he asked.
"Talha and Zubair have taken us by surprise," replied the
followers of Saba.
"Alas!" said Ali, "these gentlemen could not be stopped from
killing Muslims, I had this fear all the time."
The fighting soon grew fierce. Muslims flew at the throats of
Muslims. Hundreds fell on each side. Talha fell fighting. Zubair
fled from the battlefield. The main army of Aisha melted away
but stiff fighting still raged round her camel. She sat in a
howdah on the camel and directed the fight. A huge crowd of
devoted Muslims fought desparately for the honour of the
Prophet's widow. One after another seventy men held the
nose-string of the camel and laid down their lives.
Ali's heart bled at the sight. Precious lives of Muslims were
being lost for nothing. At last the Caliph ordered one of his
men to cut the hind legs of the camel. He did it. The beast fell
on the forelegs and down came the howdah. With this ended the
fighting.
Aisha was taken out of the howday, with all the respect due to
her. She was unhurt. Ali went to her and said, "How do you do,
mother!"
"Perfectly all right," replied Aisha. "May Allah forgive your
mistake!"
"And may He forgive your mistake too!" said Ali.
Ali made a round of the battlefield. Scores of well-known
Companions lay in the dust. About ten thousand men from both
sides had lost their lives. Among the killed were some of the
best sons of Islam. Ali felt deeply moved. He did not allow his
men to take possession of the booty. The whole of it was
collected. The people of Basra were told to take back their
belongings from the Caliph.
After fleeing the field of battle Zubair was on his way to
Mecca. He stopped in a valley to say his prayer. When busy in
prayer, he was slain by a man named Amr bin Jarmoz. Jarmoz
brought Zubair's arms to Ali. He hoped to get a reward for
slaying the Caliph's rival. But, in place of reward, he got a
stern rebuke.
"I saw the owner of this sword fight for the Prophet of Allah
several times," said Ali. "I give his murderer the news of
hellfire."
When Aisha had rested in Basra some days, Ali sent her to
Medina. He sent her brother, Muhammad Abu Bakr, with her. As she
was about to leave, a number of men gathered around her camel.
She addressed them and said, "My children, do not blame one
another. By Allah, there is no enmity between me and Ali. It was
a mere family squabble. I consider ali a good man."
To this Ali replied, "She is perfectly right. Our differences
were just a family affair. She occupies a very high place in the
Faith. Both here and in the world to come, she is the honoured
wife of the Prophet of Allah." Ali went many miles to see of
Aisha.
Ali now set about restoring order in Basra. The city had been up
in arms against the Caliph. But Ali declared a genearl amnesty.
He gave a stirring address in the Jami mosque telling people to
be mindful of their duty to Allah. He took the pledge of loyalty
from the people and appointed Abdullah bin Abbas as Governor of
Basra.
Some leading men of Banu Omayya were in Basra when the city
fell. The ill-famed Marwan was also among them. These men went
int hiding. The Caliph came to know about them but he gave them
the benefit of the general amnesty. In time they escaped to
Syria and joined Muawia.
The Battle of Siffin
Ali turned his attention to Muawia. With the exception of Syria,
the whole empire had now accepted Ali as Caliph. But the fourth
Caliph did not go back to Medina. In place of Medina, he made
Kufa his capital. He did this for two reasons. In the first
place, he had here a very large following. Secondly, the public
treasuries of Iraq were over-flowing with revenues. They could
easily supply the means of war against a rich provice like
Syria.
|
