[hallowed_ground]

In this battle, Marwan was looking for Talhah to settle his score with him for the blood of `Uthman. He knew that the responsibility for the killing of


[1] Tārīkh al-Tabarī, Vol 3, Page 522

`Uthman rested on him as well. Besides revenge, he had a political purpose too for eliminating Talhah. Marwan knew that as long as Talhah and al-Zubayr lived, the caliphate would not return towards Banū-Umayyah. The possibility could present itself after these two stumbling blocks were removed. Al-Zubayr had already left the theatre of war. If he had stayed in the battlefield, it was quite possible that Marwan’s arrow would have targeted him as well. He got the opportunity of finishing Talhah. From behind the back of his slave, Marwan shot a poisoned arrow that pierced Talhah’s knee region. Piercing the knee, the arrow entered the flank of Talhah’s horse. The horse ran fast and fell in a ruin. Talhah breathed his last at that place. Ibn Sa`d writes:

“On the day of the Camel, Marwan ibn al-Hakam attacked Talhah, who was stationed beside `A’ishah, with an arrow that hit his knee. Then Marwan said,’ By Allah! After you, I shall not have to look for `Uthman’s assassin!’”[1]

Even after Talhah’s death and al-Zubayr’s withdrawal from the battlefield, the morale of the enemy army did not go down in any way. They remained steadfast in the arena because the main character of the drama was Umm al-Mu’minin `A’ishah. They were attached only to her and were not bothered if anyone else remained or went away. Their dedication was of such magnitude that they were picking up the droppings of her camel, crushing them between their fingers and smelling them saying that they were the droppings of their mother’s camel and they smell of musk and ambergris. They guarded the camel as they would guard the standard of the army. They kept the camel encircled all the time `A’ishah was watching from the canopy of the camel’s back the men holding the reins of the camel falling down dead with the arrows of their adversaries. With one man falling, another would take his place immediately. The rein holders were mostly from Banū-Dubbah, Banū-Najiyah and Banū-Azd and men from Quraysh, who held the rein at their turns and recited martial poetry all the while. Although the number of the rein holders was very large, only from the Quraysh 70 perished doing this duty. But the reference of a few of them is there in the books of history. One of them was the qadi of al-Basrah, Ka`b ibn Siwar. Although he wanted to remain neutral in this battle, but Talhah and al-Zubayr had asked `A’ishah to call him or personally visit him to register his cooperation. They said that if Ka`b did not come, none from the tribe of Banū-Azd would join the


[1] Tabaqāt, Vol 3, Page 223

campaign. Umm al-Mu’minin sent word through someone calling him. But he avoided the visit. In the end, she herself went to his place. She called him, but he kept quiet. `A’ishah asked, “Why are you mum? Am I not your mother?” At this Ka`b opened the door. Umm al-Mu’minin asked him to take part in the battle. In the beginning, he remained quiet. But he did yield in the end and she was successful in bringing him to the arena of the battle. Because of him, Banū-Azd too came to fight. Ka`b brought a copy of the Qur’an hanging in his neck. He held a staff in one hand and the rein of the camel in the other. An arrow came from an unknown direction and he was killed!

When the famous Arab swordsman, `Amr ibn Yasri, held the rein of `A’ishah’s camel, from the troops of `Ali (a.s), Hind ibn `Amr came forward to challenge him. `Amr gave the rein to his son and came to meet the challenge. They tried their skill of swordsmanship on each other. But in the end, Hind was vanquished and killed by `Amr. After Hind, Alba ibn Haitham and Zayd ibn Sawhan came to fight with him and both were martyred by him. When `Ammar ibn Yasir saw this, he could not bear to stay quiet. He tied a belt of the leaves of date palm around his girdle and came to the battlefield with sword in hand. `Ammar was a grand old man of 90 years and very weak when compared to his adversary. When people saw him, they thought that he would meet the same end as the persons who came out to fight with `Amr. When Ibn Yasri saw him coming with the intention of fighting, he gave the rein to `Amr Ibn Bajrah and jumped with speed towards `Ammar and attacked him with his sword. `Ammar fenced the sword with his shield. The shield was made of such material that the sword got stuck in it. `Amr tried to pull the sword out. But in that moment, `Ammar bent down and struck `Amr’s legs with his sword. Both the legs of `Amr were severed. He fell down helpless. People picked him up and brought to the presence of Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s). The Imam (a.s) ordered his execution in qisas for killing the three persons slain by him. When `Amr ibn Bajrah saw that Ibn Yasri was killed, he gave the rein of the camel to someone else and came to the arena to fight. From the other side Rabi`ah al-`Aqili came and both rushed at one other with swords in hands. Both were killed fighting with one another.

When the rein of the camel came to the hand of `Awf ibn Qatan al-Sanbi, he said that the responsibility of the assassination of `Uthman was on `Ali (a.s) and his two sons. He said that he would fight with them to avenge the blood of `Uthman. Therefore, he recited the following martial poem while coming to the arena:

O mother! O mother! I am away from home

Now I do not crave for the grave nor the shroud!
At this place only `Awf ibn Qatan will perish
If `Ali (a.s) escaped from our hands it is a certain loss!
Or if his two sons al-Hasan and al-Husayn escaped from our hands,
I shall die of that sadness and sorrow.

After this recitation, he attacked and kept fighting. At last, Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyahh slew him with his sword. He took his desire of killing `Ali and his sons (a.s) to his grave!

Among the rein holders was `Abdullah ibn Abza too. He first held the rein, then recited the following martial poem before going to the arena:

I shall fence my sword and not even care to look at Abul-Hasan

This battle is a pathetic affliction

Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) went forward and hit him with his spear. And said, “You wished to look at Ab al Hasan (a.s). Tell me, how you have found him?” He left the spear pierced in the person’s chest.

One of the well know warriors who came to the Battle of the Camel, Khabbab ibn `Amr al-Rasibi, recited the following martial poem and threw a challenge for a fight

I shall fight with my sword, and if I see `Ali (a.s), I shall attack him with my sharp, shining sword.

Malik al-Ashtar came forward and killed him with one blow of his sword.

Then came `Attab ibn Usayd who was from the elite of Quraysh. He recited the following martial poem:

I am `Attab’s son and my sword is “Walwal”

And my death is around the camel

Malik al-Ashtar attacked and killed him. He did die at the feet of the camel, but his sword did not serve him well!

One warrior of al-Basrah, `Amr ibn Ashraf al-`Atiki caught the rein of the camel in one hand and his sword in the other. Whoever came near him, he attacked reciting the following couplets:

O our mother! In our knowledge, you are the best mother

The mother feeds her children and is kind on them
Do not you see how many valiant are injured
And heads and wrists are falling severed

Al-Harith ibn Zuhayr al-Azdi came to fight with him. Both attacked each other and fell down injured with each other’s sword and died. Along with Ibn Ashraf, thirteen men from his tribe too perished fighting.

`Abdullah ibn Khalaf al-Khuza`i, an elite of al-Basrah, in whose place Umm al-Mu’minin stayed as guest on arrival there, came to the battlefield. He demanded for a combat with `Ali (a.s) reciting the following triplet:

O Abū-Turab come closer to me

Closer you come I shall be closer than that
My chest is full of anger against you

Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) came forward and with one stroke of his sword made two pieces of him.

`Abdullah ibn Hakim, who was the chief of the contingent of the Quraysh during this battle came out for combat. From the other side came `Adi ibn Hatam. He attacked `Adi and broke one of his eyes with the spear. In that condition it was difficult for `Adi to subdue his opponent. At this moment came Malik al-Ashtar and with his help the opponent was killed.

Umm al-Mu’minin used to ask every person who came to hold the reins of the camel as to who he was. In that order, `Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr came to hold the reins. She also asked him who he was. He said that he was her sister’s son, `Abdullah. Hearing his name she cried, “Pity! The womb of Asma’ is ruined!” `Abdullah was holding the reins when Malik al-Ashtar passed from the front of the camel. Both stared at each other and raised their swords. Malik hit the head of `Abdullah and injured him seriously. He too got a minor injury from him. Both the injured persons caught each other with force. Malik threw `Abdullah on the ground and sat on his chest. When `Abdullah saw that he was about to be killed, he shouted, “Kill both me and Malik”. People did not pay any heed to his words because everyone knew Malik as al-Ashtar only. If `Abdullah had said al-Ashtar instead of Malik, certainly people would have attacked him. `Abdullah was a youth and Malik was an old person. `Abdullah could somehow free himself from the grip of Malik and ran away saving his life. `Abdullah did save his life, but for his entire life he got the black mark of showing his back to the battlefield. This was a topic of gossip for long. Once someone ridiculed `Adi by asking him when he became one eyed, he said:

“When we had hit the spear at your buttocks and you ran away showing your back!”[1]

Umm al-Mu’minin was much worried about `Abdullah. When she was informed that he saved his life by running away from the battle, she took a sigh of relief! She gifted 4,000 dirhams to the person who brought this good tiding!

Al-Aswad ibn al Bukhtari too was killed catching the reins of Umm al-Mu’minin’s camel. Jundub ibn Zuhayr al-Ghamidi and `Abd al-Rahman ibn Usayd were killed by Malik. When, in the end, the reins came to the hands of Zufar ibn al-Harith, the battle became intense and row after row was finished. Everywhere rivers of blood were flowing. When Umm al-Mu’minin saw this gory scene, she threw a few pebbles towards the army of `Ali (a.s) and said, “May these faces blacken!” This was the copy of that miraculous act of the Prophet (a.s) at the Battle of Hunayn. But there the Prophet’s act was against the infidels and here Umm al-Mu’minin was fighting an unnecessary, internecine battle. The Prophet (a.s) did that under the Command of Allah through a Revelation. Here `A’ishah was fighting with Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) and the revered Companions of the Prophet (a.s).