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Abdullah Ibn Saba (Part IV)

Who Started The Battle of Camel?

The battle of Camel (Jamal) was the first war declared
against Imam Ali (AS) in Basra in year 36/656 after people
appointed Ali as their leader of the Muslim community.

It
was called so, because Aisha, one of the leaders of the
opposition group was riding a camel.

The other
leaders among the opposition were Talha and Zubair who
were two well-known companions of the messenger of Allah.
This
war is also known in the history as the battle of Basra.

The
result was shedding the blood of more than ten thousand
Muslims.
The circulators of false accusation against the Followers
of the Members of the House of the Prophet quote from Sayf
that the followers of Ibn Saba started the battle of Basra
at night just before the negotiations between Imam Ali and
his three opponents (Aisha, Talha, and Zubair) were about
to succeed.

They started the battle at night by
attacking the two armies simultaneously in order to make
them plunge into battle.
Ibn Saba wanted to make each of the two armies accuse the other of starting
the battle.
This would abort the peaceful
efforts whose stipulations were supposed to include the punishment of Uthman's killers.

This allegation is in contradiction with many clear
historical facts, of which the following events were
recorded by the Sunni historians and traditionists:

1.
al-Sha'bi (Amir Ibn Sharahil al-shi-abi)
reported the following:

The right side of the army of the
Commander of Believers (Ali) attacked the left side of Basra's
army.

They fought each other and people resorted to Aisha and
most of them were from Dhubbah and al-Azd tribes.
The
Battle started after sunrise and continued until afternoon.

The
Basrites were defeated and a man from the tribe of al-Azd said: 'Come back and
attack.
' Muhammad (Ibn al-Hanafiya), son of Ali, hit him with his
sword and severed his hand.

The man shouted: 'Azdites, run away.

'
When the Azdites were overwhelmed by the army of the Ali, the Azdites
shouted: 'We belong to the religion of Ali Ibn Abi Talib.

' Sunni reference:

History of al-Tabari, Arabic version,
Events of year 36 AH v4, p312.

(The English version of this part is
not yet published at the time of writing of this article) The above report gives evidence to the fact that the fight
did NOT start during the night as the inventor of Ibn Saba claimed.

Rather
it started AFTER the sunrise.

This collapses the whole
alleged conspiracy of simultaneous attack to both armies during the night.

2.
Qatadah reported the following:

When the two armies faced each
other, Zubair appeared on his horse while he was well armed.
People
said to Ali, 'This is Zubair.

' Upon that Ali said: 'Zubair is the
more expected of the two to remember God, if he is reminded.

'
Talha also came to face Ali.

When Ali faced them, he said: 'Certainly you
have prepared arms, horses, and men.

Did you prepare an excuse for the Day
of Judgment when you meet your Lord?
Fear God and do not be like the
lady who unravels her weaving after she had woven it strongly.

Was
I not your brother and you used to believe in the sanctity of my
blood? Did anything happen to make it legal for you to shed my blood?'
Talha said: 'You have instigated people against Uthman.

' Imam Ali replied, quoting from
the Quran: 'On that day (the day of judgment), Allah will pay them
their just due, and they will know that, indeed, Allah is the
Manifest Truth.
(Quran 24:25).

' Then Ali continued: 'Talha, you are
fighting for the blood of Uthman?
May God curse those who killed
Uthman.

Zubair, do you remember the day when you passed by with
the Messenger of God at Banu Ghunam and he looked at me and smiled? I
smiled back at him and you said to him: 'Ibn Abu Talib is always
conceited.
'The Messenger of God said to you: 'He is not
conceited, and you shall fight him unjustly.

' Zubair said: 'By God, this is
true.
Had I remembered that, I would not have made this journey.

By
God, I shall never fight you.
' Then Zubair left and informed Aisha
and his son Abdullah that he took an oath to never fight Ali.

His
son counseled him to fight against Ali and pay atonement (Kaffaarah) for
breaking his oath.

Zubair agreed and made his atonement by freeing
his slave Mak'hul.

Sunni references:

- History of al-Tabari, Arabic version, Events of year 36
AH, v4, pp501-502

- History of Ibn al-Athir, v3, p240

- al-Isti'ab, Ibn Abd al-Barr, v2, p515

- Usdul Ghabah, v2, p252

- al-Isabah, by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, v2, p557

This event clearly tells us that Talha and Zubair
confronted Imam Ali (AS) BEFORE the start of the battle, and the confrontation was
in the day time rather than at night.

Otherwise, people could
not have seen the confrontation or heard the conversation between the Imam
and his opponents and recognize each other in the Helmet (metal head-cover).

We
are sure that there was no electricity for light, nor was there any
voice amplifier to make conversations heard.

Since the conversation and the confrontation took place
before the start of the battle, it is clear that the report of Sayf about the
battle starting during the dark night and unpredictably, is a sheer lie.

3.
al-Dhabbi narrated:

We were in the camp of Ali on the
day of Battle of Camel, where Ali sent for Talha to talk to him
(before the beginning of war).

Talha came forward, and Ali told him: I
adjure you by Allah! Didn't you hear the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF)
when he said: Whoever I am his MAWLA, this Ali is his MAWLA.

O
God, love whoever loves him, and be hostile to whoever is hostile to
him'? Talha replied: Yes.
Ali said: Then why do you want
to fight me?

Sunni references:

- al-Mustadrak, by al-Hakim, v3, pp 169,371

- Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, on the authority of Ilyas al-Dhabbi

- Muruj al-Dhahab, by al-Mas'udi, v4, p321

- Majma' al-Zawa'id, by al-Haythami, v9, p107

4.
Yahya Ibn Sa'id narrated:

Marwan Ibn al-Hakam who was in
the ranks of Talha, saw Talha is retreating (when his army was
being defeated in the battlefield).

Since he and all Umayad
recognized him and al-Zubair as the murderers of Uthman, he shot an arrow at
him and severely wounded him.

He then said to Aban, the son of Uthman,
that: I have spared you from one of your father's murderers.

Talha was taken to a ruined house in Basra where he died.

Sunni references:

- Tabaqat, by Ibn Sa'ad, v3, part 1, p159

- al-Isabah, by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, v3, pp 532-533

- History of Ibn al-Athir, v3, p244

- Usdul Ghabah, v3, pp 87-88

- al-Isti'ab, Ibn Abd al-Barr, v2, p766

- History of Ibn al-Kathir, v7, p248

- A similar report is given in al-Mustadrak, by al-Hakim,
v3, pp 169,371

5.
al-Zuhri, another important Sunni narrator
who is famous for his dislike of Ahlul-Bayt, reported the following dialogue of Imam Ali
with Zubair and Talha before the battle:

Ali said: 'Zubair, do you
fight me for the blood of Uthman after you killed him? May God give
the most hostile to Uthman among us the consequence which that very
person dislikes.

' He said to Talha:

'Talha, you have brought the wife
of the Messenger of God (Aisha) to use her for war and hid your wife
at your house (in Medina)! Did you not give me your allegiance?'
Talha said: 'I gave you the allegiance while the sword was on my neck.

' (At this point, Ali tried to
invite them to peace, leaving them no excuse.
)

Ali addressed his
own army saying: 'Who among you will display this Quran and what is in
it to the opposing army with the understanding that if he loses
one of his hand he will hold the Quran with his other hand.

?'
A youth from Kufa said: 'I will take the mission.

' Ali went through
his army offering them the mission.

Only that youth accepted it.

Then
Ali said to him: 'Exhibit this Quran and say to them: It is between you
and us from its beginning to its end.

Remember God, and spare your
blood and our blood.

' As the youth called upon them to
resort to the Quran and surrender to its judgment, the Basrites army
attacked and killed him.

At this time, Ali said to his army: 'Now the
fight has become legal.

' The battle then started.

Sunni reference:

History of al-Tabari, Arabic version,
Events of year 36 AH v4, p905

All these reports and the similar ones clearly indicate
that the battle started in the day time rather than at night as Sayf Ibn
Umar alleged.

The breaking war was not abrupt since the two armies met and
talked to each other just before the start of battle.

Had the
confrontation between Imam Ali and Talha and Zubair taken place at night, the final
call of Imam Ali would have had no benefit because the two armies would not
have been able to witness it or hear their conversation.

Also,
the confrontation between the carrier of the Holy Quran and the Basrites would have
been useless.

None of the opposing soldiers could have seen the Quran in
the hands of the young man at night.

Furthermore, the alleged agreement between the Imam and
the three rebellious leaders, to punish the individuals who murdered
Uthman, would be logical only if the three leaders were serious in seeking
punishment for the killers.

But the three leaders (Aisha, Talha,
and Zubair) were the main agitators who provoked people to kill the Third Caliph.

As
we see in the above tradition, Imam Ali clearly stated that Zubair was
among those who killed Uthman.

Had the revolters elected Talha or Zubair instead of Imam
Ali (AS) as Caliph, they would have given the killers of Uthman the
biggest prize.

Certainly the leaders did not seek revenge for the blood
of Uthman, for they themselves were behind the plot.

They only
pretended to do that as a means of destroying the Imam's caliphate.

Imam Ali said in the battle of Camel:

Truth and falsehood can not
be identified by the virtue of people.
First understand the truth, you
will then realize who is adhering to it.

(Nahjul Balaghah,
by Imam Ali) ==
Short Summary of Comparing reports on the Character of
Abdullah Ibn Saba ==
Story of Abdullah Ibn Saba
based Story of
Abdullah Ibn Saba based on the reports provided by Sayf
on the reports whose chain of Ibn Umar and those who quoted
him authorities do not
include Sayf

1) Sayf provided a mass
of
1) The number of these reports information and a huge number
of which have
the chain of narrators lengthy and verbose reports
for do not
exceed 14.

And they are very which there exists no
similar
short.

report by the sober traditionists.

2) These and all other
reports
2) These few traditions were NOT of Sayf were rejected since
he
rated authentic by Shia or Sunni was accused of forgery,
heresy,
scholars, and thus, the existence inquisition and manichaeism
by
of a person in the name of Abdullah the leading Sunni scholars.

Ibn Saba remains under question.

3) Abdullah Ibn Saba appeared
when 3) Abdullah Ibn Saba
appeared when Uthman came to power.

Imam Ali (AS) came to power.

4) Ibn Saba claimed that
Prophet 4)
Nothing was reported about Ibn Muhammad will return like
Jesus Saba
in this regard.

Other Sunni before the day of judgment.

He
reports claim that Umar was the claimed that Prophet Muhammad
has first who claimed
the return of not died.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HF) and that he did not die.

5) Abdullah Ibn Saba claimed
that 5) Abdullah Ibn
Saba claimed that Ali is the successor of Prophet.

he is a prophet and Ali is God.

6) Ibn Saba claimed that Uthman
6) Nothing was reported about Ibn should be overthrown because he
has Saba in this regard.

Other Sunni occupied the seat of Ali.

Ibn Saba
reports claim that Talha, Zubair, was the main agitator in
revolt
Aisha, and Amr Ibn al-Aas were the against Uthman.

The agitation
did main agitators
against Uthman.

They not start from Medina, and Talha
started the campaign in Medina and and Zubair did not oppose Uthman.

then invited others to join them.

7) Ibn Saba instigated the
battle 7) Nothing was
reported about Ibn of Camel at night in order
to
Saba in this regard.

Yet other plunge the two armies into battle.

Sunni reports say that the battle started after sunrise and after the final speech of Imam Ali to the rebellions when the two armies faced and met each other.

8) Some of the pioneers of
Islam 8) No
report about the relation of among the companions of
Prophet
any companions of Prophet with such as Abu Dar and Ammar Ibn Yasir
Abdullah Ibn Saba.

Other authentic were the students of this Jew.

Sunni traditions indicate that Abu Dar and Ammar were among the best companions and the most beloved ones to the Prophet (PBUH&HF).