Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 32657 — Reports on talk about rulers

Al-Ahnaf bin Qays (may Allah have mercy on him) said: We came to Madinah intending to go for Hajj. He said: I went to Sayyiduna Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "With whom do you order me to stay, and whom do you approve for me? For in my view this man, meaning Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), is going to be killed." They said: "We order you to stay with Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)." I said: "Do you order me to stay with him, and do you approve of him for me?" They said: "Yes." He said: Then I set out for Hajj until I reached Makkah. While we were there, the news of the killing of Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) reached us. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was also there. I met her and asked: "To whom do you order me to give the pledge?" She said: "To Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)." I said: "Do you order me to pledge to him, and do you approve of him for me?" She said: "Yes." After that I passed by Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) in Madinah and gave him my pledge. Then I went to Basrah, thinking that the matter had been settled. In the meantime someone came to me and said: "Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), Sayyiduna Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) have camped at the edge of al-Khuraybah." I said: "Why have they come?" People said: "They have come to you to seek your help concerning the blood of Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), for he was killed unjustly." He said: On hearing this I was more alarmed than I had ever been before. I thought: "For me to forsake these people, with whom are the Mother of the Believers and the devoted disciple (hawari) of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), is a very grave matter; and likewise for me to fight the cousin of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), after these people have ordered me to pledge to him, is a very hard thing." He said: When I reached them they said: "We have come to you, and we want your help concerning the blood of Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him)." I said: "O Mother of the Believers! I adjure you by Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: tell me, did I not ask you to whom you ordered me to give the pledge? You said: 'To Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).' And did I not also ask you: 'Do you truly order me to pledge to him, and do you approve of him for me?' You said: 'Yes.'" She said: "That is what happened, but Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) has changed." Then I said: "O al-Zubayr! O devoted disciple of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! O Talhah! I adjure you by Allah: did I not say to you: 'To whom do you order me to give the pledge?' You said: 'To Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).' I asked: 'Do you truly order me to pledge to him, and do you approve of him for me?' You said: 'Yes.'" They said: "Certainly, it is so, but he has changed." He said: I said: "I will not fight you, for with you are the Mother of the Believers and the devoted disciple of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him); nor will I fight the cousin of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), to whom you ordered me to pledge. Accept one of three things from me: either open the way of the bridge for me and I will go to the land of the non-Arabs until Allah Almighty decides what He wills; or I will go to Makkah and stay there until Allah Almighty decides according to His will; or I will withdraw and live somewhere nearby." They said: "We will consult, then we will send you a message." So they consulted and said: "If we open the way of the bridge for him, whoever wants to leave the army, or whoever fails and retreats, will go over to him. And if he is sent to Makkah, he will keep gathering your news from the Quraysh of Makkah and passing your news on to them. This is not a sound decision. Keep him here nearby, where you will keep him well disposed towards you and can also keep watch over him." So he withdrew from Basrah to a place called al-Jalha', and close to six thousand men joined him. Then the two sides clashed. The first to be killed were Sayyiduna Talhah and Ka'b bin Sur, who had a copy of the Qur'an with him and was admonishing both groups until he was martyred between them. Sayyiduna al-Zubayr reached Safawan in the Basrah territory, as far away as al-Qadisiyyah is from you. There a man named al-Na'r, of the tribe of Mujashi', met him and asked: "O devoted disciple of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! Where are you going? Come with me; you are under my protection, and no one will reach you." So he went with him. Then a man came to al-Ahnaf and said: "This is al-Zubayr, who has reached Safawan." He said: "Why should he be safe? He brought the Muslims together until they struck one another on the brows with swords, and then he went off to his home and family." He said: Umayr bin Jurmuz, some reckless men of Banu Tamim, Fadalah bin Habis and Nufay' heard him, so they rode out in search of him and came upon him with al-Na'r. Umayr bin Jurmuz came at him from behind, riding a weak horse of his, and struck him a light thrust. Sayyiduna al-Zubayr, riding a horse of his called Dhu al-Khimar, charged at him, until when he thought that he was about to reach him, he called out to his two companions: "O Nufay'! O Fadalah!" So they charged at him until they killed him.