Battle of the Camel

Battle of the Camel
Part of the First Fitna
Ali (the fourth caliph) and Aisha at the Battle of the Camel
Date 8 December 656 CE (15 Jumada I 36 AH) Location Basra, Iraq Result Victory for Ali
Belligerents
Forces of Ali Banu Hashim Tribesmen of Kufa Banu Abdul Qays and Banu Bakr of Basra[1] Tayy[2] Jats[3]	Forces of Aisha, Talha, and Zubayr Banu Umayya Quraysh of Mecca[4] Sections of the Banu Tamim and Azd of Basra[5] Banu Amir[6]
Commanders and leaders
Ali ibn Abi Talib Hasan ibn Ali Husayn ibn Ali Malik al-Ashtar Adi ibn hatim Ammar ibn Yasir Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr Abdul-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr Abu Qatadah ibn Rab'i al-Ansari Jabir ibn Abd-Allah Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah Abu Ayyub al-Ansari Qays ibn Sa'd Abd Allah ibn Abbas Khuzaima ibn Thabit Jundab al-Azdi Ali ibn Danūr	Aisha (POW) Zubayr ibn al-Awwam  † Talha ibn Ubayd Allah † Muhammad ibn Talha  † Ka'b ibn Sur † Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr Marwan I (POW) Abd Allah ibn Safwan Yahya ibn al-Hakam (WIA) Utba ibn Abi Sufyan Zufar ibn al-Harith al-Kilabi Abdul-Rahman ibn Attab ibn Asid †
Strength
~10,000	~10,000
Casualties and losses
>400 – 500	>2,500

The Battle of the Camel (Arabic: مَعْرَكَة اَلْجَمَلِ, romanized: Maʿrakat al-Jamal) took place outside of Basra, Iraq, in 36 AH (656 CE). The battle was fought between the army of the fourth caliph Ali (r. 656–661), on one side, and the rebel army led by Aisha, Talha and Zubayr, on the other side. Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, while Aisha was a widow of Muhammad, of whom Talha and Zubayr were both prominent companions. Ali emerged victorious from the battle, Talha and Zubayr were both killed, and Aisha was sent back to Hejaz afterward. The triumvirate had revolted against Ali ostensibly to avenge the assassination of the third caliph Uthman (r. 644–656), although Aisha and Talha are both known to have actively opposed him. The three also called for the removal of Ali from office and for a Qurayshite council (shura) with Talha and Zubayr to appoint his successor.