The Battle of Jamal marked the first great uprising and sedition against Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) following his assumption of the caliphate. This confrontation was incited by Talha and al-Zubayr, who, in alliance with Aishah, the wife of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), rose against the rightful Imam (peace be upon him) under the pretext of avenging the blood of Uthman. Thus, history would remember them as al-Nakithin—the Oath-Breakers.
This tragic battle took place on the tenth day of Jumada al-Awwal, in the year 36 AH, near the city of Basra, and ended in the decisive victory of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him).
The Prophet’s Foretelling of the Sedition of Jamal
Sayed Ibn Tawus (may Allah sanctify his soul) narrates that Nafi, the servant of Aishah, recounted:
“I was serving Aishah when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) was with her. One day, someone knocked on the door. I went out and found a servant carrying a covered dish. Aishah allowed him to enter, and he placed it before her, and she in turn set it before the Prophet.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) began to eat and said, ‘Would that the Commander of the Faithful, the Leader of the Righteous, were here to share this meal with me.’
Aishah asked, ‘And who is the Commander of the Faithful and Leader of the Righteous?’ The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) remained silent and repeated his words once more. She repeated her question, and again, he gave no answer—until a knock was heard at the door. It was Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him). The Prophet said joyfully, ‘Welcome, O Ali! I had wished twice for your coming. Had you delayed, I would have asked my Lord to bring you to me. Sit and eat with me.’
Then the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said to him, ‘May Allah destroy whoever fights you, and be the enemy of whoever bears enmity toward you.’
Aishah asked, ‘Who would fight against him or oppose him?’
The Prophet replied twice, ‘You, and those who will be with you. You will approve of it and will not forbid it.’”
Imam Ali’s (peace be upon him) Words Concerning the People of Jamal
In Nahj al-Balaghah, Sermon 10, the Imam (peace be upon him) described them, saying:
“Verily, Satan has gathered his followers and mustered his hosts. My insight remains steadfast and clear; I see the truth and nothing of it is concealed from me. By Allah, I shall so confine them that if they are trapped in hardship, no escape will remain for them—and if they escape, they shall never again find the path they have abandoned.”
He also declared:
“May the curse of Allah be upon the people of Jamal.”
A man asked, “O Commander of the Faithful, surely that curse excludes their believers.”
The Imam (peace be upon him) replied, “Woe unto you! There was not among them a single true believer.”
The Description by Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him)
Jamal al-Din al-Razi relates:
A man from Basra said to Imam Zayn al-Abidin “Sajjad” (peace be upon him):
“Your grandfather, Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), killed believers (referring to the people of Jamal).”
The Imam (peace be upon him) was deeply moved, and tears filled his blessed face until his hands were wet with them. Then he wiped his hands upon the pebbles before him and said,
“By Allah, by Allah, Ali neither killed believers nor Muslims. Those people were not believers; they only bore the name of Islam while concealing disbelief in their hearts. When they found opportunity, they revealed what lay hidden.
Allah distanced the litter (referring to Aishah’s camel pavilion) and those who followed it from the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). The Companions of the Messenger of Allah know well that the people of Jamal, of Siffin, and of Nahrawan are among those whom Allah has cursed.”
A Quranic Allusion to the Sedition of Jamal
Allah—exalted be He—says:
“Indeed, those who deny Our signs and are arrogant toward them — the gates of heaven will not be opened for them, nor will they enter Paradise until the camel passes through the eye of a needle. Thus do We recompense the guilty.” (Surah al-Araf)
According to the exegesis of al-Qummi and al-Ayyashi, Imam al-Baqir and Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon them) stated that this verse was revealed concerning the instigators of Jamal—Talha and al-Zubayr—and that the word “Jamal” refers to Aishah’s army, identified by the camel upon which she rode.
Sharaf al-Din al-Najafi wrote:
“The people of Jamal are those who denied the divine signs—the greatest of which was the existence of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him). They rebelled against him and rejected his authority. Because of the impurity of their souls, the gates of heaven were forever closed to them.”
The Shia View on Those Who Fought Against Imam Ali (peace be upon him)
Allamah al-Majlisi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
“According to Sayed al-Murtada and Shaikh al-Tusi, the adherents of the School of the Twelve Imams (peace be upon them) hold that whoever fought against the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) is deemed a disbeliever (kafir), for such a person has denied his Imamate—and denial of the Imamate is akin to denial of Prophethood, for both hold equal weight in the divine order.”
The Sermon of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) After the Battle of Jamal
According to al-Manaqib by al-Sayed al-Sharif Muhammad ibn Ali al-Alawi, Asbagh ibn Nubatah narrates:
When the Commander of the Faithful returned from Basra to Kufa, he ascended the pulpit and said:
“O people! If I wished, I could expose all that lies hidden in your hearts — the doubts, rancor, and hypocrisy that dwell therein — but the Word of your Lord has decreed, ‘I shall fill Hell with the elves and men together.’ (Surah al-Sajdah)
By Allah, were I to will it, I could annihilate you in an instant, and a chastisement from where you perceive not would descend upon you.
By Him Who cleaved the seed and created man, I am the one through whom Adam was brought from the abode of peace to the abode of trial, through whom Joseph was delivered from the well, through whom Jacob’s sight was restored, through whom Job’s affliction was relieved, through whom Solomon’s kingdom was granted, through whom the sea was parted for Moses, and through whom the storm overtook the people of Noah.
Beware! For every appointed time there is a decree, and for every concealment a return. How many words of guidance I have uttered, and how many calls you have ignored! Destruction and curse be upon you! Repent to your Lord before a punishment befalls you while you remain heedless.”
