We mentioned last week some of the reports that speak of the Battle of the Camel between the supporters of Ali and those supporting Aishah. We will try to get today a full picture of what happened then. Justice Ibn Al-Arabi states: When they (i.e. Aishah and her party) arrived at Basra, a very large group of people met them at Al-Mirbad where the crowd was so thick that if a stone were thrown it could not have failed to hit somebody. Talhah, Al-Zubayr and Aishah all addressed them. But there was a lot of hustling. Talhah kept shouting to them to listen, but they did not. He said: "Ugh! Ugh! It is like butterflies around a fire, or flies around a dump heap!" The meeting was over without reaching a settlement.
They went further to Bani Nahd, where people began to throw stones at them, until they moved toward the mount. But Talhah and Al-Zubayr met Uthman ibn Haneef, Ali's governor of Basra, and made a written agreement to end all fighting. Uthman would continue to occupy the governor's offices, and be in charge and have full control over the city's finances. Talhah and Al-Zubayr were free to encamp wherever they wished in Basra. Neither group would cause any trouble until Ali's arrival. It has been reported that Hakeem ibn Jablah opposed the agreement and he was killed after the peace agreement had been made. When we try to draw a picture of these events, we can see a huge crowd gathering to listen to the three main figures in the approaching party that had just arrived at the outskirts of the city. The Mirbad was an open space where the camel market used to be held.
It also served as the venue for literary events and competitions. Now it was the position where Aishah, the believers' mother, Talhah and Al-Zubayr, the two prominent companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and their supporters encamped. Also there was Uthman ibn Haneef, the governor of Basra, and his men.
The situation was overcharged, and people were not attentive to what was being said. Apparently, some in the governor's group were determined opponents of Aishah's party. They hustled, heckled and voiced their opposition as the speakers were addressing the people. However, those of them who listened were convinced of the honorable purpose these virtuous companions of the Prophet were seeking.
Al-Khateeb comments that when Aishah felt the situation to be too charged, she and her group moved some distance. A section of those who were with the governor joined her group, because their primary purpose was to ensure that justice should be done and the late caliph's assassins should not be allowed to go free without being brought to justice. Moreover, they tried hard to avoid bloodshed. Al-Tabari, the famous historian of the third century, describes how Aishah, Talhah and Al-Zubayr kept trying to prevent fighting. They moved out from the place and were happy that nightfall gave a chance for tempers to cool down. In the morning, however, some of those who were with Uthman ibn Haneef began to fight. Hakeem ibn Jablah, one of the main leaders of the rebels who participated in killing the third caliph, started to abuse Aishah. When some people blamed him for that, he killed them. At the same time, Aishah instructed a number of her supporters to speak out loud, advising people to stop fighting, because she and her group did not come to fight anyone. Yet those who were with the original rebels continued to fight. But when they realized that they would be defeated, they called for a cessation of hostilities. It was then that agreement was made between the two parties, on the terms mentioned by Ibn Al-Arabi.
All this shows that there was ample chance for peace making, particularly if matters were left to the Prophet's companions, such as Ali, Talhah and Al-Zubayr as well as Aishah. But things were not allowed to be settled by such virtuous and God-fearing people. Ibn Al-Arabi reports:
Ali then arrived in Basra, and the two groups were in contact so that they could meet and agree satisfactory arrangements. But those with ulterior motives were keen to prevent them from doing so. They rushed to shedding blood, which led to the outbreak of hostilities once more. There was much deliberate chaos so that no party could make their case and matters would remain unclear. This was the only way for Uthman's killers to escape. One person with vested interests could undermine the purpose of an entire army. How much trouble could be wreaked by one thousand people with such vested interests?
Al-Tabari reports that Al-Qa'qa' ibn Amr, a prominent companion of the Prophet, mediated between the two parties so that he could bring the conflict to a peaceful settlement that was satisfactory to both. Aishah's party accepted as did Ali. Then Ali sent a message to Talhah and Al-Zubayr saying: "If you are committed to the terms you agreed with Al-Qa'qa', then hold all action until we could deliberate the matter together." They sent him an answer saying: "We are committed to what we agreed with him so that we could ensure peace."
Ibn Katheer mentions that this exchange of messages reassured people in both camps. The leaders consulted with their own groups. In the evening, Ali sent his cousin Abdullah ibn Abbas over to the other party for discussions, and they sent him Muhammad ibn Talhah for the same purpose. All were determined to achieve peace. This meant the spread of calm in both camps, with people looking forward to an end to the conflict.
However, those who were involved in the assassination of Uthman ibn Affan, the third caliph, felt their position to have become very precarious. They met during the night to try to find a way that would enable them to escape punishment. They realized that their only chance was to prevent peace and that could only be done by starting the war. Thus, shortly before the break of dawn they stealthily went out of their camps and started a war between the two parties. What this meant was that the leaders of both camps felt that the other party broke their promises and violated the agreement reached in principle.
This could never have been the case. Neither Ali, nor Talhah, Al-Zubayr and Aishah were ever known to break a promise. Their noble characters would have prevented such treachery even before they embraced Islam. The truth is that they were too God-fearing for that. It was contrary to their very nature. None of them could have ever been guilty of a pre-meditated violation of an agreement, particularly when such a violation meant shedding the blood of other Muslims. But the criminals who were behind the rebellion against Uthman were the real culprits.