To fight a bloody battle against the Prophet's cousin...

To fight a bloody battle against the Prophet's cousin, pitting Muslims against Muslims, under such circumstances must have seemed both foolish and immoral to him. His son 'Abd Allah, in contrast, stood much closer to his aunt 'A’isha and was determined to fight 'Ali in revenge for the blood of 'Uthman. There was obviously no room for negotiation and compromise. While 'A’isha and her partisans accused 'Ali of being morally…