end to his rule.
quoted it through their authentic
reporters. Consider what Ibn Sa`d
To argue in support of denying the records on page29, Section Two,
will to `Ali using her own stateVol. 2, of his Tabaqat, where he
ment, the most bitter of his enemies cites a chain of narrators including
that she was, is an attempt not exAhmed ibn al-Hajjaj, `Abdullah ibn
pected at all from any fair minded
Mubarak, Younus, Mu`ammar, alperson. And that was not the only
Zuhri, `Ubaydullah
incident that demonstrated her ani- ibn Atbah ibn Mas`ud, whose
mosity towards `Ali (as). Denying sources end with Ibn `Abbas. Rethe will to `Ali is much less signifi- porters of this hadith are considered
cant than the Lesser Camel Battle
trustworthy according to the con[5] and the Greater Camel Battle in sensus of scholars.
which evil intentions surfaced and
the curtain removed. Likewise, her [3] As quoted by al-Bukhari at the
attitude was manifest even before
beginning of his treatise on wills in
going out to fight him, the man who his Sahih, page 83,
was her own wali, and her Prophet's Vol. 2. It is also quoted by Muslim
wasi, till the news of his death
in his section on the record of the
reached her, whereupon she pros[Prophet's] will,
trated to thank God (for his martyr- page 10, Vol. 2, of his Sahih.
dom) and composed these lines. [6] [4] This agrees with Sunni books of
traditions; so, refer to al-Bukhari's
***
Sahih, his chapter
on the households of the Prophet's
[1] As quoted by al-Bukhari about wives, his treatise on holy wars and
her in his section on the Prophet's
traditions, page
(pbuh) sickness and demise, page
125, Vol. 2, and you will find the
62, Vol. 3, of his Sahih.
details.
[2] This statement in particular, i.e.
Ibn `Abbas saying that `Ayesha
does not wish him any good, is left
out by al-Bukhari who stops his
quotation at its preceding statements, following his customary
habit in such situations, but many
authors of books of tradition have
[5] The dissension of the Lesser
Camel Battle took place in Basra
five days before the end of Rabi`ulThani, 36 A.H., before the arrival of
the Commander of the Faithful (as)
there, when the city was attacked by
the mother of believers [`Ayesha]
accompanied by Talhah and al-
Zubayr. `Ali's governor of Basra
then was `Uthman ibn Hanif al-Ansari. Forty supporters of `Ali(as)
were killed at its mosque, and seventy others elsewhere. `Uthman ibn
Hanif, who was one of the most respectful sahabah, was taken captive, and his captors wanted to kill
him but feared revenge from his
brother Suhayl and the rest of the
Ansar; so, they shaved his beard,
moustache, eyebrows, and head;
they beat him, imprisoned him, then
they expelled him from Basra. They
were fought by Hakim ibn Jablah,
with a group of his tribe `Abd Qays,
of whom he was chief. Hakim was
a man of wisdom, discretion,and
prestige, and he was followed by a
group of Banu Rabi`a who refused
to cease fighting till each and every
one of them was martyrded, including Hakim, in addition tohis most
honourable son, his brave brother,
and Basra fell in the hands of the
invading army. When `Ali (as)
came, he had to face `Ayesha's army, and so did the Greater Camel
Battle take place. The details of
both battles are preserved in books
of history written by Ibn Jarir, Ibn
al-Athir, and in many others.
[6] As quoted by trustworthy chroniclers such as Abul-Faraj al-Asfahani at the conclusion of his
discussion of `Ali in his book
Maqatil al-Talibiyyin.
نيملاعلا بر هلل دمحلا و
اريثك املست ملس و نييدهملا و ةمئالا دمحم لآو دمحم ىلع هللا ىلص و
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