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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Role of Aishah in the History of Islam (volume 2) An Account of the War Prisoners O commander of the faithful! I went away as an old man and now I return as a youth! Abu Mikhnaf says: Contrary to the peace terms 'A'ishah's army raided the governor's house and the Muslim treasury, they took the governor of Basra and the public fund guards as prisoners. They were taken to 'A'ishah for her to issue a verdict and decide what should be done with them.

'A'ishah declared her decision about them as follows: The fate of the guards 'A'ishah issued the following verdict about the guards: She summoned az- Zubayr and said: "These are the men who have drawn their swords against you and have defended 'Uthman ibn Hunayf and the public funds. I leave it to you to put them to the sword, and thus to their death." Abu Mikhnaf says: Upon this order az-Zubayr, aided by his son 'Abd Allah, beheaded these men like sheep and placed their bodies in a row.

He says: In addition to these seventy men who came to aid 'Uthman, another number had stayed to defend the treasury and refused to surrender it to Talhah and az-Zubayr. But az-Zubayr attacked them at night and after scattering them captured the treasury, and arrested fifty more of the guards and beheaded them cruelly in the people's presence and laid their bodies alongside the other seventy.

Abu Mikhnaf says: According to Saq'ab ibn Zuhayr the number of the guards who were killed on that day reached four hundred. He adds: the first trick which occurred in Islam was the trick played by Talhah and az-Zubayr upon 'Uthman ibn Hunayf and the first group of innocent Muslims who were cruelly killed publicly were the guards of Basra. This was the tragic fate of the guards of the public treasury.

Abu Mikhnaf says again: After dispersing or arresting the guards, the forces of Talhah and az-Zubayr entered the treasury, and on seeing all the gold, silver and riches, az-Zubayr joyfully recited this verse of the Qur'an concerning the spoils of war: "Allah promised you many acquisitions which you will take, then He hastened on this one for you and held back the hands of men from you, that it may be a sign for the believers." 82 Then he added: "We deserve all this wealth more than the people of Basra." At once his soldiers began to pillage and plunder and carry everything away that was in the treasury.