The Day of the Camel

After 'Uthman was killed in 35 AH, the community was shaken. Talhah and al-Zubayr, who had pledged allegiance to 'Ali, left Madinah with 'A'ishah for Basra. By the accounts the Sunni tradition relies on, their aim was not to fight 'Ali but to press for the killers of 'Uthman to be brought to justice, and to restore order.

The armies met at Basra. Efforts at peace were close to success, and many early reports say the fighting broke out at night, started by people who did not want agreement. The battle is called the Battle of the Camel because of the camel on which 'A'ishah sat. Talhah was struck by an arrow and died of the wound; he was about sixty.

Sunni scholars refrain from judging the Companions in this conflict. They hold that both sides were sincere and sought what they believed to be right, and that Talhah, as one promised Paradise, died with that promise intact. 'Ali is reported to have wiped the dust from Talhah's face and spoken of him with grief and respect. Shi'a scholarship generally regards the position of Talhah and al-Zubayr differently; this is a real point of difference.