at-Tabari and the author of al-Isti'ab say...

at-Tabari and the author of al-Isti'ab say: After the arrest of 'Uthman ibn Hunayf, they sent Aban, son of 'Uthman ibn 'Affan to 'A'ishah to decide his fate, 'A'ishah ordered his death and said: Aban! Behead 'Uthman ibn Hunayf who is of the Ansar in vengeance of your father 'Uthman ibn-Affan who was assassinated by the Ansar." When the order for the execution of 'Uthman ibn Hunayf was announced, a woman went to 'A'ishah and said: "O Umm al- Mu'minin!

I beg you in the name of God not to disregard the respect due to 'Uthman ibn Hunayf who is one of the friends and companions of the Prophet, but connive at his death." 'A'ishah was impressed by the words of that woman, and gave the order to bring back Aban. Aban returned to 'A'ishah who said to him: Abstain from killing 'Uthman and put him in prison. Aban said: " 'A'ishah!

If I had known that you intended to mitigate 'Uthman's punishment and change his death to imprisonment, I would not have come back except after carrying out your first order and beheading him to avenge my father." It was then that according to the counsel of Mujashi' ibn Mas'ud, they dealt 'Uthman forty strokes of the whip, and plucked away the hairs of his head, face and eyelashes in a pitiable way, and then threw him into a dungeon.51 al-Ya'qubi, the well-known historian, narrates that after the raid on the governor's palace and arrest of 'Uthman ibn Hunayf, 'A'ishah's army raided the treasury of public funds and pillaged everything there, Thus the first battle of 'A'ishah's army ended with their victory and they took possession of the governor's palace, the treasury and had complete control of the city of Basra.

The second battle begins O God! Be our witness, for, you are just and the redresser. Hakim at-Tabari says: The matter of the capture of 'Uthman ibn Hunayf was reported to Hakim ibn Jabalah52 who was one of the highly-placed elders of Basra. He went to 'Abd Allah ibn az-Zubayr with some people of Basra who 50. al-Isti'ab in the translation of Hakim ibn Jabalah. History of at-Tabari 5/182.

Hakim ibn Jabalah was an honest and religious man of the 'Abd Qays tribe and its chief, also according to some historians he was also a companion of the Prophet.