Had their blood no worth in the eye of God and Islam?

Had their blood no worth in the eye of God and Islam?" Another anecdote mentioned in history about 'A'ishah's life is a story narrated by Ibn 'Abd Rabbih in al-'Iqd al-farid. He says: After the battle of al- Jamal, one day Umm Ufa al-'Abdiyah of the 'Abd al-Qays tribe many hundred famous men of which such as Hakim ibn Jabalah had been killed by 'A'ishah's army, visited 'A'ishah and said to her: "O mother of the faithful!

What do you say about a mother who kills her small offspring?" 'A'ishah said: "She must receive the fire of hell." Umm Ufa asked: "What do say about a mother who kills twenty thousand grown-up sons of hers?" 'A'ishah shouted: "Throw out this enemy of God!"321 How hard was this reproach for 'A'ishah to hear! The event of the battle of al-Jamal and its greatness and fearfulness weighed like a heavy mountain on her mind, and during the rest of her life it had not lost its effect.

We have already mentioned her deep regret and penitence about participating in that war, and our subsequent reference to this matter may depict the same kind of repentance. Ibn 'Abd Rabbih quotes a remark of 'A'ishah about this matter in his book of al-'Iqd al-farid.

She has said: "A spindle in the hand of women is better and nobler than a spear in the hand of fighters in the way of God."322 The effect of the battle of al-Jamal on the mind and spirit of 'A'ishah was as painful as it was exhilarating for the Umayyad party, so that they spoke of it every day and gloried in mentioning its details. Ibn 'Abd Rabbih writes: "Yazid ibn Munyah went to Mu'awiyah from Basra to ash-Sham.

He was a brother of Ya'la ibn Munayh, a chief of Basra and a commander in the battle of al-Jamal, and the original owner of 'A'ishah's camel. She rode it and directed the combat from there. Ya'la also had some kinship with Mu'awiyah, for his daughter was the wife of 'Utbah ibn Abi Sufyan, brother of Mu'awiyah. When Yazid ibn Munayh set by Mu'awiyah, he began complaining of his debts, and requested Mu'awiyah to help him out of his difficulties.

Mu'awiyah said to Ka'b: "Give him thirty thousand dinars!" When he rose to go out, Mu'awiyah said again: "Add to it another thirty 321. al-'Iqd al-farid on the termination of the battle of al-Jamal, and 'Uyun…