Ali's March to Basra

Welcome to the men from Kufa

When Ali came to know that his mission in Kufa had succeeded, and a force of ten thousand men from Kufa was coming to swell his ranks, he felt very happy. He proceeded one stage from ar-Rabd to welcome the men from Kufa. When he met the men from Kufa, he welcomed them enthusiastically. Addressing them he said: "Brave warriors of Kufa! You were always distinguished for your prowess and bravery. It was you who overran Persia. Your highly developed sense of love for religion and justice has always led you to help the weaker against the stronger and the right against the wrong. Unfortunately some of our brethren have chosen to follow the wrong way and sown discord among the community. I have sought your help in restoring unity among the Muslims. Those who have separated from us have no cause. They are misguided and I want them to see the light of reason. I have no intention of leading you to any sanguinary battle. You are to be the volunteers of peace, and we have to proceed to Basra on a mission of peace. I am sure your presence in such a large number will tilt the scale in favor of the right. The services of the people in the cause of peace would not be forgotten, and after the problem of Basra has been tackled, I will shift the capital from Madina to Kufa. That would greatly add to the importance of Kufa, and to the prosperity of its people." In reply to the address of Ali, some leaders of the people of Kufa paid tribute to the greatness of Ali. They said that in view of his relationship with the Holy Prophet, his learning, his piety, and his meritorious record of service in the cause of Islam, he was the most suitable person among the Muslims to be their Caliph. They accordingly offered him their support without any reservation. They assured him that they would stand by him in thick and thin, and in peace and war.

The army of Ali

The ten thousand strong army from Kufa added materially to the strength of Ali. The force from Kufa included some veteran warriors who had distinguished themselves in the wars against Persia during the caliphate of Abu Bakr and Umar.

When the Bedouin tribes who had heretofore followed the policy of sitting on the fence saw that the people of Kufa had joined Ali in large numbers, they also decided to cast in their lot with Ali, and offered to serve in the ranks under him. When Ali had left Madina he had hardly nine hundred men at his disposal. The strength of the army with him had now risen to twenty thousand. This considerably strengthened his position, and he could confidently undertake the campaign to Basra in the raising of the army, there was, however, one point which could be a cause of embarrassment. Most of the Bedouins and the people of Kufa who had volunteered to join him were the men who had taken part in the rebellion against Othman. Indeed they were the people who were the most ardent supporters of Ali. At this juncture when Ali stood in great need of allies he could not afford to alienate the men who had volunteered to support his cause. As Ali pondered over this aspect of the matter he felt that the people who had rebelled against him after taking the oath of allegiance to him were responsible for this awkward state of affairs. If such men had cooperated with him after consolidating his rule he could have taken some punitive action against the persons who had participated in the rebellion against Othman. If the rebels were sincere in their demand for the vengeance of the blood of Othman, it was incumbent on them to have strengthened his hands. By rebelling against him they had frustrated the object which they intended to achieve. The truth of the matter was that the cry of vengeance for the blood of Othman was a mere pretext, their real purpose was to capture power. Ali was never keen to be elected as the Caliph, but now that he had been elected as the Caliph, he had to see that the sacred Office of the Caliph should not become a plaything for adventurers.

Another point that worried Ali was that as the caliph it was incumbent on him that he should avoid any blood-shedding among the Muslims. He accordingly resolved that though he would take a large army to Basra, he would avoid war, end the sheer strength of his army would act as a brake against any rash action on the part of his opponents. After weighing such pros and cons of the case, Ali broke the camp at ar-Rabda, and took the road to Basra at the head of a large army twenty thousand strong.

Camp at Dhulkan

When Ali and his troops halted at Dhulkan midway between ar-Rabda and Basra, they were joined by Othman b Hanif, the Alid Governor of Basra. The Governor had been taken captive by the rebels and lodged in the prison. Later he was released under the orders of Ayesha. Othman b Hanif was in a sorry state when he confronted Ali, half dead from the treatment that he had received at the hands of the rebels. He said, O Commander of the Faithful, you sent me to Basra with a beard, but now I return to you disgraced having none. Ali consoled him and said that his services in the cause of Islam would be recognized, and he would be compensated for the privations that he had suffered. Ali humorously remarked that he was old when he had sent him to Basra, but he had returned to him looking younger. Othman b Hanif joined the retinue, and accompanied Ali to Basra.

On the way to Basra

On the way to Basra at one of the halts, a "Kahin" met Ali. The "Kahin" said that he saw blood flowing profusely on all sides. Ali cursed him for his evil pronogstigation.

The tribes of Rabiah and Abdul Qais had originally joined the troops of Ayesha but later they withdrew their support from her and marched out of Basra to join the forces of Ali. Ali welcomed them and praised them for their ability to discern the truth.

As the troops of Ali moved forward, news were received that Basra had been occupied by the confederates, and that all the people of Basra who were suspected of having participated in the murder of Othman had been executed. Thereupon Ali is reported to have said: "Now that they have taken the Qasas, and killed the people whom they considered guilty of the murder of Othman, what more do they want in Basra? O God, rid me of Talha and Zubair."

Camp at Basra

On reaching Basra, the troops of Ali camped outside the city. It was a large army, and the camp was spread over several miles. The pro-Alid people of Basra who had evacuated the city on its cooperation by the confederates also joined the camp. Some other tribes in the neighborhood of Basra also joined the camp. Ali instructed his men to remain at peace. According to his instructions war was not to be resorted to, until all possibilities of peace had been exhausted.