:salamext:
The two wives are Aa'isha bint Abi Bakr and Hafsa bint Umar ibn Al-Khattaab.
Both of them need to go with a wali, Hafsa's brother Abdullah Ibn Umar is still alive. She asks him to go with her, he says no - because there is a hadith which the Messenger of Allaah said:
There will be a Fitnah [trial/tribulation], and he who sits idle during it is better than he who stands up, and he who stands up in it is better than he who walks, and he who walks is better than he who is walking at a fast pace.)
http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=5&tid=13663
So because Hafsa never had a wali, she couldn't go. Aa'isha had a wali though, i think it was her brother Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr.
So the army of Zubair and Talha went to Basra to kill the murderers of Uthman. And the army of Ali had to divert from going to Greater Syria [to Mu'awiya] and they decided that they would have talks with Talha, Zubair and also get the pledge of allegiance from the people in Iraq, Kufa.
So what happens? On their way there they camp in Kufa, and both parties start discussing after waiting for a while. When their discussing, they come up with an agreement [also with the help of Aa'isha] and they understand each other's positions/opinion in regard to what's going on.
They say that since the martyrdom of Uthman, that was the most peaceful sleep they had after a long time.. because now both parties are at peace with each other. Before camping though, Ali says something. He says that all the rebels who are hiding in my army, don't join me in my camp.
So what do the rebels do? They realise that now that the two parties are okay with each other, they are in danger. So they meet up with each other at night and decide that they will split up - one party will join the camp of Ali and the other half will join Zubair and Talha's camp.
In the dark night, before the fajr prayer [sunrise prayer] - rebels pretending to be from each party come out with unsheated swords and shout 'I am from the party of Ali!' and the rebels from the other party shout 'I am from the party of Zubair & Talha!' and they start killing the muslims from each party.
Ali wakes up, 'they decieved me', and the same happens to Al-Zubair, and Talha. 'They tricked me.' That's what causes the chaos. The war begins.
As their fighting - both parties are confused.. they feel that the other party betrayed them. I think someone decides that they should bring Aa'isha back to have peace talks. So they for the first time get a camel, and place armour on it. They place Aa'isha in a small kind of tent which is placed on top of the camel. [I think its called a Hawdij in arabic.] And it is covered in armor.
Both parties fight each other, and when the camel is near. People start shooting arrows at it [probably the bad ones among the rebels.] I think they say that the camel looked like a
porcupine because it was covered in arrows. She never joined battles after this again.
So Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr and another pious companion run to the camel and quickly take it away elsewhere.
The battle is still going on. Ali looks around for Al-Zubair because he wants to understand what's going on. When he goes to Al-Zubair, they ask each other why this is happening. They explain to each other that they never ordered it. Then Ali says something which shocks Al-Zubair.
Once - The Prophet (peace be upon him) saw 'Ali and Zubair one day laughing together, and he asked Ali if he loved Zubair. Ali replied:
"How could I not love him since he is my nephew and co-religionist." The Prophet asked Zubair the same question, who gave a similar response. The Prophet then told Zubair that he would fight 'Ali, and that he would be the oppressor. So in the Battle of Jamal, when Ali and Zubair, in opposing camps came face to face. 'Ali reminded Zubair of the incident, and Zubair recalled, and said that he had forgotten, and he immediately left the battle field. So the battle took place as the Prophet had predicted, and Zubair was the oppressor, since Ali was the Rightful Caliph, and to oppose him with violence was wrong.
So Al-Zubair realised his mistake and left the battlefield because he realised that he was the one who was the oppressor. Among the rebels was a man who chased after Al-Zubair and said to him that we'll pray the salaah together. Now just when Al-Zubair said Allaahu akbar, the man quickly took his sword out and killed Al-Zubair - so he was martyred.
Talha also realised his mistake, and because his hand was paralysed in the battle of uhud. He wasn't able to fight in the battle.. suddenly an arrow came flying in his direction. It hit him and he was about to die.. a man walked past him and Talha asked him to give his (Talha's) pledge to Ali.. this was prophecised by the Messenger of Allaah himself, who said that Talha would give a pledge before he passed away.
Talha was also martyred.
Now that the main leaders of the Basra camp [Al-Zubair and Talha] had been martyred, the battle would soon be over. And people realised that Ali was in the right. The rebels still weren't killed by Ali, however of these rebels would come the sect of Al-Khawaarij, and later on the shi'a.
This had ended, but the trial was to become greater since the conflict between Ali and Mu'awiya had just begun.
And Allaah Almighty knows best.
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Just click on this link for more insha'Allaah:
http://www.pleasantviewschool.com/me...ulafah+Rashida
Download the episodes of Uthman 2, all the way upto the end of the life of Mu'awiya [the Umayyad dynasty.] Insha'Allaah you'll find it really beneficial.