On the one side he saw Ali and stalwarts of Islam wielding...

On the one side he saw Ali and stalwarts of Islam wielding their swords under Ali's Command! On the other side was Aisha a harem (wife) of the Prophet, and about Prophet's wives the Quran laying down: "His wives are mothers of the Ummah", and under her command was Talha, a senior in Islam, of happy antecedents, a sharp shooter and a veteran strategists of Islam who had a rich record of services for the cause of Islam; moreover there was Zubair with nobler antecedents than Talha's, who even on the day of Saqeefa had been among those who took shelter in Ali's house.

He was awfully confused, "What is this all? After all Ali, Talha and Zobair are amongst the veterans of Islam and have been volunteers of Islam in the worst of odds. Now they have arrayed themselves against each other? Which of them is nearer to truth? What to be done in this confusing conflict?" Beware!

He is not to blame much; perhaps even if we would have been in those very circumstances, where he happened to be, the personalities and antecedents of Talha and Zobair might have blurred our vision too. Now when we visualize Ali, Ammar, Awais Qarni and others confronting Aisha, Zubair and Talha, we feel no hesitation to hold that the latter were a group of men of vicious countenance, i.e., impressions of vice and dishonesty were writ large on their faces.

Their eyes, their appearances and their faces betrayed their ambitions. But if we would have been there and would have seen their antecedents from close quarters, haply we too could not have helped falling in doubt. ( 115 ) Today, when we hold the first group to have been on the right and the second in the wrong, it is because of history's verdict, and the facts having become clearer.

We, having identified the nature of Ali and Ammar on one side and the nature of Zubair, Talha and 'Aisha on the other, can make a better judgment between them, or at least even if we were not students of or experts in history we have been taught so from our childhood. However, on that day none of these factors was available. Anyhow, this gentleman appeared before Ali and said: "Is it possible that Talha, Zubair and 'Aisha may concur on untruth.

How could personalities like them, from among the old companions of the Prophet, err and take to wrong course? Is it possible?" Ali replied in such a conclusive and authoritative phrase, which according to Dr.