Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 40602 — The journey of Aishah, Ali, Talhah

It is reported from al-Ahnaf bin Qays: We reached Madinah intending to perform Hajj. On reaching our lodging we had set down our saddles when suddenly someone came and said: "The people have gathered in the mosque in distress." So I went to the mosque and saw the people gathered there. Sayyiduna Ali, Sayyiduna al-Zubayr, Sayyiduna Talhah and Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with them) were also present there. I too was standing like this when Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived as well. Someone said: "This is Uthman." On his head was a yellow cloth with which he had covered his head. He said: "Is Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) here?" The people said: "Yes." Then he said: "Is al-Zubayr here?" The people said: "Yes." Then he said: "Is Talhah here?" The people replied: "Yes." Then he said: "Is Sa'd here?" The people said: "Yes." Then he said: "I adjure you by Allah, besides whom there is no god: Do you know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Whoever buys the camel yard of such-and-such a tribe, Allah Almighty will forgive him'? So I bought it for twenty or twenty-five thousand dirhams, came to him and said: 'I have bought it.' The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Add it to our mosque, and the reward is yours.'" The people said: "Yes, it was exactly so." Then Sayyiduna Uthman said: "I adjure you by Allah: Do you know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Whoever buys the well of Rumah, Allah Almighty will forgive him'? So I bought it, came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: 'I have bought the well.' The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Dedicate it to the Muslims; Allah will give you its reward.'" The people said: "Yes, it was exactly so." Then Sayyiduna Uthman said to the people: "I adjure you by Allah: Do you know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), looking at the faces of some people, said: 'Whoever equips these people for war (in the expedition of Tabuk), Allah Almighty will forgive him'? So I equipped them for war, to the point that I even provided the reins and the ropes for tying the camels." The people said: "Yes, it was exactly so." Sayyiduna Uthman said three times: "O Allah, bear witness." Al-Ahnaf said: I went and came to Sayyiduna Talhah and Sayyiduna al-Zubayr and said to them: "What do you now order me to do? And whom do you approve of for me (to pledge allegiance to)? For I see him (Sayyiduna Uthman) being martyred." They both replied: "We order you to pledge allegiance to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)." I said again: "You are ordering me regarding Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and you are pleased with him for me?" They both replied: "Yes." Then I set out for Makkah for Hajj, and during this time the news of the martyrdom of Sayyiduna Uthman arrived. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was also staying in Makkah. I met her and said to her: "Now to whom should I pledge allegiance?" She too named Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). I said: "You are ordering me to pledge allegiance to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and you are pleased with this?" She replied in the affirmative. On my way back I pledged allegiance to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) in Madinah. Then I returned to Basrah, and I saw nothing but that the matter had become firm. In the midst of this, someone came to me and said: "Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), Sayyiduna Talhah and Sayyiduna al-Zubayr are staying at a place called al-Khuraybah." I asked: "Why have they come?" He replied: "They seek your help in avenging the blood of Sayyiduna Uthman, who was martyred wrongfully." Al-Ahnaf said: No matter more distressing than this had ever come upon me. To part from them (Talhah and al-Zubayr) is a very difficult thing, when with them are the Mother of the Believers and the disciple of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). And on the other hand, to fight the cousin of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is no small matter either, when they themselves (Talhah, al-Zubayr and the Mother of the Believers) had already ordered me to pledge allegiance to him. When I came to them, they said: "We have come to seek help in avenging the blood of Sayyiduna Uthman, who was killed wrongfully." Al-Ahnaf said: I said: "O Mother of the Believers, I adjure you by Allah and ask you: Did I not say to you: 'To whom do you order me to pledge allegiance?' You said: 'To Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).' I then said: 'You are ordering me regarding Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and you are pleased with him for me?' And you said: 'Yes.'" Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) replied: "It is exactly so, but now Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) has changed." Then I said the same thing, addressing Sayyiduna Talhah and Sayyiduna al-Zubayr. They said: "Certainly, but he has changed." I said: "No, by Allah, I will not fight you when with you are the Mother of the Believers and the 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 allegiance. Choose for me one of three things: either you open the gate of the bridge so that I may go to the land of the non-Arabs, until Allah decrees in His matter what He decrees; or I go to Makkah and stay there until Allah decrees in His matter what He decrees; or I withdraw and stay nearby." They said: "We will consult together and then send word to you." So they consulted together and said: "If we open the gate of the bridge for him, the hypocrite and the deserter will join him. And if he goes to Makkah, he will hinder you among Quraysh and tell them your news. That is no course to take. Keep him here nearby, where you can tread upon his ear and keep your eye on him." So he withdrew to al-Jalha', two farsakhs from Basrah, and about six thousand men withdrew with him. Then the two sides met, and the first man killed was Sayyiduna Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him). Ibn Sur was sent with the Mushaf, reminding these and those, until those of them who were killed were killed. Sayyiduna al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) reached Safawan near Basrah, which is as far as al-Qadisiyyah is from you. There al-Na'r, a man of Banu Mujashi', met him and said: "Where are you going, O disciple of the Messenger of Allah? Come to me, for you are under my protection and no one will reach you." So he went along with him. Then someone came to al-Ahnaf and said: "This is al-Zubayr, who has been met at Safawan." He said: "How can he be safe? He brought the Muslims together until they struck one another on the eyebrows with swords, and then he went off to his home and family." Umayr bin Jurmuz, some of the misguided men of Banu Tamim, Fadalah bin Habis and Nufay' heard him, and they rode out in search of him and found al-Na'r with him. Umayr bin Jurmuz came at him, riding a weak mare of his, and struck him a light blow with his spear. Sayyiduna al-Zubayr, riding a horse of his called Dhu al-Khimar, charged at him, and when Umayr thought he would kill him, he called out to his two companions: "O Nufay'! O Fadalah!" They charged at him until they killed him.