Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

It is narrated from Hazrat Humair bin Malik that on the day of the Battle of Jamal, Hazrat Ammar asked Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), "What is your opinion regarding the prisoners?" Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "We have only fought against those who came to fight us (that is, we will not make the prisoners slaves)." Hazrat Ammar said, "If you had said anything contrary to this, we would have opposed you."

It is narrated from Hazrat Ahnaf bin Qais that we reached Madinah with the intention of performing Hajj. After reaching our destination, we unloaded our luggage when suddenly someone came and said that people are gathered in the mosque in a state of distress. So I went to the mosque and saw people gathered there. Hazrat Ali, Zubair, Talha, and Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas were also present. I stood there as Hazrat Uthman also arrived. Someone said, “This is Uthman,” and he had a yellow cloth covering his head. He asked, “Is this Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)?” The people replied, “Yes.” Then he asked, “Is this Zubair?” The people replied, “Yes.” Then he asked, “Is this Talha?” The people replied, “Yes.” Then he asked, “Is this Sa’d?” The people replied, “Yes.” Then he said, “I ask you by Allah, besides whom there is no deity, do you know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Whoever buys the enclosure of such-and-such tribe, Allah will forgive him?’ So I bought it for twenty or twenty-five thousand dirhams and presented myself before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, ‘I have bought it.’ The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘Make it a mosque and you will have the reward.’ The people said, ‘It is exactly so.’ Then Hazrat Uthman said, ‘I ask 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 will forgive him?’ Then I bought it and presented myself before 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 for the Muslims and Allah will reward you.’ The people said, ‘It is exactly so.’ Then Hazrat Uthman said to the people, ‘I ask you by Allah, do you know when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, while looking at some faces, ‘Whoever provides equipment for these people (in the Battle of Tabuk), Allah will forgive him?’ So I provided them with equipment, even the bridles and ropes for tying camels?’ The people said, ‘It is exactly so.’ Hazrat Uthman said three times, ‘O Allah, bear witness.’ Ahnaf says, ‘I left and went to Hazrat Talha and Hazrat Zubair and asked them, ‘Now what do you command me to do? And whom do you prefer for me (for allegiance)? Because I see Hazrat Uthman being martyred.’ Both replied, ‘We command you to pledge allegiance to Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).’ I asked again, ‘You are commanding me regarding Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and you are pleased with him for me?’ Both replied, ‘Yes.’ Then I set out for Hajj to Makkah, and during this time the news of Hazrat Uthman’s martyrdom reached me. In Makkah, Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was also staying. I met her and asked, ‘Now whom should I pledge allegiance to?’ She also mentioned Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). I asked, ‘Are you commanding me to pledge allegiance to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and are you pleased with him for me?’ She replied in the affirmative. On my return, I pledged allegiance to Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) in Madinah. Then I returned to Basra. Then I saw the matter becoming firm. Meanwhile, someone came to me and said, ‘Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), Hazrat Talha, and Hazrat Zubair are staying at the place of Khuraibah.’ I asked, ‘Why have they come?’ He replied, ‘They seek your help in avenging the blood of Hazrat Uthman, who was unjustly martyred.’ Ahnaf said, ‘Never has a matter more distressing come upon me than this. It is very difficult for me to separate from them (Talha and Zubair) while the Mother of the Believers and the Companions of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) are with them. And on the other hand, fighting against the cousin of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is not a small matter, especially when they themselves (Talha, Zubair, and the Mother of the Believers) have commanded allegiance to him.’ When I presented myself before them, they said, ‘We have come to seek help in avenging the blood of Hazrat Uthman, who was unjustly killed.’ Ahnaf says, ‘I said, O Mother of the Believers! I ask you by Allah, did I not ask you whom you command me to pledge allegiance to? You said, Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). I asked again, do you command me regarding Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and are you pleased with him for me? You said, yes.’ Hazrat Aisha (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 Hazrat Talha and Hazrat Zubair, and they...

It is narrated from Tariq bin Shihab who says: When Hazrat Uthman was killed, I thought to myself, what is keeping me in Iraq when the congregation is in Madinah, with the Muhajirin and Ansar? He says: I set out and received news that the people had pledged allegiance to Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). He says: When I reached the place of Rabdhah, Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was there. A person had arranged a seat for him to sit. So Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was standing. He praised and glorified Allah, then said: Talha and Zubair pledged allegiance willingly, not under compulsion. Now they want to spoil the matter and break the staff (unity) of the Muslims. Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) urged the people to fight against them. Then Hasan bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said: Did I not tell you that the Arabs would unite with them if this person (Hazrat Uthman) was martyred? If you had stayed in your house, that is, in Madinah, I feared that you too would be killed with the same carelessness and you would have no helper. Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Sit down, you hum like a maiden hums, or he said: For you, there is such humming as there is for a maiden. By Allah, I was sitting in Madinah like a wolf who hears the sound of stones falling on the ground. So I observed this matter very deeply; I found nothing except the sword or disbelief.

Saif bin Fulan bin Muawiyah Anzi narrates from his maternal uncle, and he from my grandfather, that when the day of the Battle of Jamal came, the people were anxious. People would stand before Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and make various claims. When the voices increased and Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) could not understand the people’s voices, he said, “Is there not anyone who can sum up his words in five or six phrases?” So I quickly stood up on one leg and said, “If I cannot sum up my words, I will sit down nearby.” Then I said, “O Commander of the Faithful! My speech is not of five or six words, but only two words: Attack or Retribution.” He looked at me and counted up to thirty with his hand. It is said that Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) looked at me and said, “What you have counted is beneath my feet.”

It is narrated from Abu Nadrah that once, in the presence of Hazrat Abu Saeed, mention was made of Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), Hazrat Usman, Hazrat Talha, and Hazrat Zubair. He said: "They were such people whose circumstances were different; refer their matter to Allah."

It is narrated from Habib bin Abu Thabit that Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was saying on the day of the Battle of Jamal: O Allah, I did not intend this.

It is narrated from Qais that Marwan was with Hazrat Talha on the day of the Battle of Jamal. When the battle had begun, Marwan said, "After today, I will not seek revenge," then he shot an arrow at him which struck Hazrat Talha in the knee, and blood continued to flow until he was martyred. Before his martyrdom, Hazrat Talha said, "Leave this wound; this is the arrow that Allah has sent."

It is narrated from Hazrat Sawar that Musa bin Talha called me to him for some need. I presented myself before him. While I was sitting with him, some people from the mosque came to Hazrat Musa bin Talha and said, "O Abu Isa, tell us about our prisoners of the night." Hazrat Sawar said, "They will be killed in the morning." So when I performed the morning prayer, a man came running, calling out, 'The prisoners! The prisoners!' Then another man came following in his footsteps, calling out, 'Musa bin Talha! Musa bin Talha!' Hazrat Sawar says, "So I went and came to the Commander of the Faithful and greeted him. The Commander of the Faithful said, 'Have you pledged allegiance? Did you enter where the people entered?' I said, 'Yes.' Sawar says that in this way (with his hands spread out), the Commander of the Faithful spread out his hands. Then he said, 'You have pledged allegiance.' Then he said, 'Return to your family.' When the people saw me leaving, they began to enter and started pledging allegiance."

It is narrated from Hazrat Suddi that: "Fear the trial which will not befall only the wrongdoers (the Qur'an). Its example is the people of Jamal."

Hazrat Auf says that I have not heard from anyone about the saying of Allah Almighty { وَاتَّقُوا فِتْنَۃً لاَ تُصِیبَنَّ الَّذِینَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْکُمْ خَاصَّۃًْ } except from Hasan; he used to say that such and such persons are its referents.

Hazrat Ja'far narrates from his father that a man mentioned the people of Jamal in the presence of Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) to the extent of declaring them disbelievers, so Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) forbade him.

It is narrated from Harith bin Makhshi that I have not seen a day more severe than the day of Uhud, except the day of the Battle of Jamal (for that was even more severe).

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakr bin Amr bin Utbah that there was a difference of two or three months between the Battle of Siffin and the Battle of Jamal.

It is narrated from Abu Ja'far that on the day of the Battle of Jamal, Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) heard a voice from the side of the Mother of the Believers. Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the people, "See what they are saying." Some people looked and informed that they were blaming the killers of Hazrat Uthman. Then Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Allah, disgrace the killers of Hazrat Uthman."

It is narrated from Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) bin Amr Thaqafi that Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "If I had refrained from this journey, it would have been more beloved to me than having ten sons like Harith bin Hisham from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)."

It is narrated from Sulaiman bin Surad who says: On the day of the Battle of Jamal, I presented myself before Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Hasan and some of his companions were also with him. When Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) saw me, he said, "O Ibn Surad, you have become weak and slackened and stayed behind. What will be your case with Allah? Allah has made you dispensable to Himself." I said, "O Commander of the Faithful, the matter has become very severe. The situation has become such that it is difficult to distinguish between your friends and enemies." He says: When Hasan stood up, I said to him, "You did not support me at all, nor did you present any excuse on my behalf to that person (Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him), even though I wished for your testimony before him." Hasan said, "He (Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him) has reproached you as much as he wished. Indeed, on the day of the Battle of Jamal, he said to me, 'People are going towards each other. O Hasan, may your mother lose you! What is your opinion about this matter of mine? Both armies are facing each other. By Allah, I do not see any good after this.' I said, 'You should remain silent, lest your companions hear.' Then he said, 'You have made the matter doubtful and they will kill you.'"

It is narrated from Hasan that a man came to Zubair and said, "Shall I kill Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, for you?" Zubair replied, "How?" He said, "I will go to him and say that I am with you, then I will kill him deceitfully." Zubair said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: 'Faith prevents deceit, and a believer never deceives.'"

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Zubair that on the day of the Battle of Jamal, Hazrat Zubair was standing and he called me; I stood by his side. Then he said, "I will be killed either as an oppressor or as one oppressed. I see that today I will be killed as one oppressed. I am most concerned about my debt. Do you see any wealth in excess of my debt?" Then he said, "O my son, sell my property and estate to pay off my debt. I bequeath one third for you, and two thirds are for my sons. After paying the debt, if any wealth remains, then one third is for your son." Abdullah bin Zubair says that Hazrat Zubair, while advising me about the debt, said, "My son, if you ever find yourself unable, then seek help from my Master." Abdullah bin Zubair says, "By Allah, I did not understand what he meant by 'Master' until I asked, 'Who is your Master?' He replied, 'Allah!' He says, 'By Allah, whenever I faced difficulty in paying the debt, I prayed, 'O Zubair's Master, pay off his debt,' and Allah helped in paying the debt." He says that when Hazrat Zubair was martyred, he left behind no dirham or dinar except for lands. Among those lands were some gardens, eleven houses in Madinah, two houses in Basra, one house in Kufa, and one house in Egypt. This debt was upon him because whenever someone came to him to deposit a trust, Hazrat Zubair would say, "This is not a trust, but rather your loan with me, because I fear it might be lost." He was never appointed as a governor of any city, nor as a collector of taxes or tribute, nor as a governor of anything else, except that he participated in battles with the Noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Umar, and Hazrat Uthman.

It is narrated from Hazrat Aswad that when Zubair bin Al-Awwam arrived in Basra, he entered the treasury where there were heaps of gold and silver. Then he said, "Allah promised you many spoils of war that you would take, so He hastened this booty for you" (__QUR_N__: Al-Fath 21), "and another victory which you were not able to achieve, but Allah had it within His power." Then he said, "This is for us."

Hazrat Ja'far narrates from his father that on the day of the Battle of Basra, Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered the announcers to proclaim that no one should pursue those who flee, no one should kill the wounded, no one should kill the captives, whoever closes his door is safe, whoever lays down his weapon is also safe, and nothing should be taken from their belongings.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Alaa who says that on the day of the Battle of Jamal, when Zaid bin Suhan was afflicted with calamity, he said: "This is exactly what my friend Salman Farsi had informed me about, that this Ummah will be destroyed due to breaking its covenants and promises."

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Ubaid bin Umair that Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: I wish I were a fresh branch and had not undertaken this journey (the journey for the Battle of Jamal).

It is narrated from Ubaid bin Saad that Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked about her journey (in the Battle of Jamal), so she said: This was the decree of destiny.

Hazrat Ibn Hanfiyyah states that in the Battle of Jamal, Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) distributed all kinds of spoils of war.

It is narrated from Hazrat Rubayyi’ bin Hirash that Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I hope that I, Talha, and Zubair will be among those about whom Allah Almighty has said: (وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِی صُدُورِہِمْ مِنْ غِلٍّ) "We will remove whatever of rancor is in their hearts."

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Salamah that he participated with Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) in the Battle of Jamal and the Battle of Siffin. He says that because of the Battle of Jamal and the Battle of Siffin, nothing on earth can make me happy.

It is narrated from Mujahid that either Muhammad bin Abi Bakrah or Muhammad bin Talhah asked Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), "O Mother of the Believers! What do you command me?" Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) replied, "If you are able, then be like the better of the two sons of Adam (Habil and Qabil), that is, like Habil (do not raise the sword)."

It is narrated from Abu Salih that Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said on the day of the Battle of Jamal: "I wish I had died twenty years before this incident."

Yazid bin Dabi’ah ‘Absi narrates from Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that on the day of the Battle of Jamal, he said: No one should pursue a fleeing person, nor should a wounded person be killed.

Abu Nadrah narrates from a man of Banu Dhabiah that when Talha and Zubair were staying among Banu Tahiyah, I mounted my horse and came to them and entered the mosque where they were. I said to them, "You are the companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him! Is this an opinion that you are seeing?" So Talha lowered his head and did not say anything, and Zubair spoke and said, "We have been informed that there are a lot of dirhams here, and we have come to take them."

It is narrated from Abdussalam that on the day of the Battle of Jamal, Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) met Hazrat Zubair privately and said, "I ask you by Allah, did you not hear the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say, while you were standing under the shade of such-and-such tribe's hut, leaning on my hand: 'You will fight against him and you will be the one doing wrong, then help will be given against you'?" Hazrat Zubair replied, "Indeed, I heard it, and now I will not fight against you."

Aswad bin Qais says that someone who had seen Hazrat Zubair told me that Hazrat Zubair struck his horse forcefully with a spear. Then Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) called out to him, "O servant of Allah, O servant of Allah." So Hazrat Zubair came until the ears of both their animals were close to each other. Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him, "I ask you by Allah, do you remember the day when the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came and I was whispering to you, so the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, 'Are you whispering to him? By Allah, one day he will fight against you and he will be unjust to you.'" So Hazrat Zubair drove his horse and went back.

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Muhammad that Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by the martyrs of Basra and prayed: O Allah, forgive them. Muhammad bin Abu Bakr and Ammar bin Yasir were with him. Then one said to the other: What are we hearing Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) saying? The other replied: Remain silent, lest because of you he says something more.

Ahnaf bin Qais narrates that when Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the people of Basra, he sent a message to Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that you should return to your home in Medina. But Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) refused. Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) then sent his messenger again, saying, "By Allah, you must return, otherwise I will send against you such women from Bakr bin Wa'il who have sharp knives, and they will attack you with them." When Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) saw this, she departed.

It is narrated from Ibn Abzi that Abdullah bin Budeel came to Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) while she was in a howdah on the day of the Battle of Jamal. He said, "O Mother of the Believers, I ask you by Allah, do you remember that I came to you on the day Hazrat Uthman was martyred? I asked you, 'Hazrat Uthman has been martyred, now what do you command me?' You replied, 'Adhere to Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).' By Allah, she did not change her statement." Then Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) remained silent. Abdullah bin Budeel repeated this three times, but she remained silent. Abdullah bin Budeel ordered the legs of the she-camel to be cut, so they were cut. Then I and Hazrat Aisha's brother, Muhammad bin Abu Bakr, dismounted and lifted her howdah and placed it before Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Then, by Hazrat Ali's order, she was taken into Abdullah bin Budeel's house. Ja'far bin Abu Mughira says that his aunt was at Abdullah bin Budeel's house. She narrates that Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said to her, "Let me inside," so I let her in and placed a washbasin (a vessel for washing hands, etc.) and a jug near her and closed the door. She says, "I was looking through the cracks of the door and saw that she was treating her head. I do not know whether there was a wound on her head or an arrow wound."

It is narrated from Amr bin Murrah who says that Sulaiman bin Surad came to Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) after the Battle of Jamal, after the fighting had ended. He was a companion. Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him, "You have disgraced us and you stayed behind from us." Hazrat Sulaiman bin Surad met Hasan and said to him, "Did you not meet the Commander of the Faithful? He said this to me." Hasan replied, "Do not be afraid of what he said, for he is a warrior. I saw him on the day of the Battle of Jamal when I had firmly gripped my sword, and he was saying, 'I wish I had died twenty years before this day.'"

It is narrated from Zaid bin Wahb that Talha and Zubair came to Basra and presented the matter before Sahl bin Hunaif. This news reached Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), although Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) had persuaded them regarding this matter. So Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) came and stayed at the place of Dhi Qar. Then he sent Abdullah bin Abbas to Kufa. The people of Kufa hesitated, then Ammar came to the people of Kufa, and then the people of Kufa set out. Zaid says that I was also among those who set out with Hazrat Ammar. So Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) withheld his hand from Talha and Zubair and their companions and kept calling them to the truth until they themselves initiated the fighting. So fighting took place with them after the Zuhr prayer. The sun had not set when many people were killed defending the camel. Then Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Do not kill the wounded, nor kill those who flee, and whoever closes his door and throws down his weapon is safe. So fighting did not occur except on that evening. The companions of Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) came the next morning and began to demand the spoils of war from Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). So Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "This verse is the saying of Allah, the Exalted: { وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَمَّا غَنِمْتُمْ مِنْ شَیْئٍ فَأَنَّ لِلَّہِ خُمُسَہُ وَلِلرَّسُولِ } Who among you is for Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her)?" They said, "Subhan Allah, she is our mother." Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Is she forbidden (to you)?" The people said, "Yes!" Then Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "What is forbidden from her (the Mother of the Believers) is also forbidden from her daughters." Then he said, "Is the waiting period (iddah) for their slain husbands not four months and ten days?" The people replied, "Why not." Then he said, "Do these widows not have a quarter and an eighth from the wealth of their husbands?" The people said, "Why not." Then he said, "So why do the orphans not have the right to take from their wealth?" Then he said, "O Qanbar, whoever recognizes his property, let him take his property." So whatever belongings of the opposing people were with the army were returned. Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Hazrat Talha and Hazrat Zubair, "Did you not pledge allegiance to me?" They said, "We want to take revenge for the blood of Hazrat Uthman." Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "The blood of Hazrat Uthman is not upon me." Amr bin Qais says that Abu Qais, who was from Hadramaut, told me: When Qanbar called out, 'Whoever recognizes his things, let him take them,' a man passed by us while we were cooking something in a pot. He took that pot. We said, 'Leave it until what is in it is cooked.' Abu Qais says that he kicked the pot and took it away.

It is narrated from Abu Wa'il that Abu Musa and Abu Mas'ud came to Ammar while he was urging people (to help Ali, may Allah be pleased with him). So both of them said to Ammar, "Since you have believed, we have not seen any act more disliked than your hastiness in this matter." Ammar replied, "Since you became Muslims, I have not seen any act more disliked than your negligence in this matter." Then Ammar clothed each of them with a pair (of garments), and then all of them went for prayer.

It is narrated from Abu al-Dhahha that Salman bin Sard requested Hasan to present his excuse to Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that he could not be present at the Battle of Jamal due to such and such reason. Hasan said: I saw Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) when the battle was at its peak, that he was taking cover behind me and saying, "O Hasan! I wish I had died twenty years before this incident."

It is narrated from Ishaq bin Suwaid that on the day of the Battle of Jamal, fifty men among us were martyred around a camel; all of them were reciters of the Qur'an.