22 These two had a kinship with 'A'ishah Talhah as a cousin...

22 These two had a kinship with 'A'ishah Talhah as a cousin and az-Zubayr as her sister's husband.. 'Uthman's cousin on the mother's side. Ya'la ibn Umayyah, surnamed Abu Safwan and Abu Khalid, embraced Islam in the capture of Mecca and took part with the Muslims in the battles of Hunayn, at-Ta'if and Tabuk. 'Umar had appointed him as governor of a city of Yemen.

Ya'la had seized a pasture there for himself, and 'Umar had summoned him to Medina for that offense, but before Ya'la reached Medina, 'Umar had died. Then 'Uthman appointed him as governor of Sanaa and a higher post. So he felt a particular attachment to 'Uthman. On the day the Muslims rose up against 'Uthman, Ya'la left Sanaa to aid 'Uthman, but on the way he fell down from his mount and broke his knee.

After 'Uthman's death he reached Mecca and declared that he would provide the fund and equipment necessary for avenging 'Uthman 5 blood. It was according to the same promise that he offered four hundred thousand drachmas to az-Zubayr and equipped seventy warriors of the Quraysh with mounts and weapons, and offered a valuable camel to 'A'ishah which she mounted in the battle of al-Jamal.

In addition to all that wealth, Ya'la himself took part in that battle against 'Ali and in the name of avenging 'Uthman's blood, but he repented after the battle and joined the rank of 'Ali's friend s, and fought in the battle of Siffin under 'Ali, thus showing himself an opportunist! History of at-Tabari 5/167. 'A'ishah's army proceeds toward Iraq 'A'ishah! God has forbidden you from wandering in the desert!

Umm Salamah At-Tabari says: In Mecca, 'A'ishah gathered a round her all the parties that were opposed to 'Ali and thus, she prepared a large and well-equipped army, and then assembled the commanders for a council of war. Some of them said: We should go directly to Medina and fight 'Ali with this army. Others said: We cannot stand up against 'Ali's forces with this weak and small army, or attack the capital of the Islamic realm.

We should first proceed to ash-Sham and ask the aid of Mu'awiyah in military forces and equipment and then engage in a war with 'Ali. Another group suggested moving to Iraq first and obtaining reinforcements from the people of the two large cities of Kufah and Basra where Talhah and az-Zubayr had many supporters, and then being better prepared and equipped, proceed to Medina and fight 'Ali there.