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The History of al-Tabari
Volume XVI (16)
Translated by Adrian
Brockett
The Community Divided The Caliphate of 'Ali I
ISBN 0-7914-2392-1 20/12/1996
Paperback Pages: 214
This
volume 16 of Tabari's great 39-volume history treats the Caliphate of
'Ali I, 656-651
This volume of al-Tabari's history deals with the traumatic breakup of
the Muslim community following the assassination of the Caliph 'Uthman.
It begins with the first seriously contested succession to the
caliphate, that of 'Ali, and proceeds inexorably through the rebellion
of 'A'ishah, T'alhah, and al-Zubayr, to the Battle of the Camel, the
first time Muslim army faced Muslim army. It thus deals with the very
first violent response to the two central problems of Muslim history:
who is the rightful leader, and which is the true community? It is a
section with the weightiest implications for the Muslim interpretation
of history, wide open to special pleading.
There are the Shi'a who depict 'Ali as a spiritual leader fighting
against false accusations and the worldly ambitious. Conversely, there
are those who would depict him or his followers in a negative light.
There are also the 'Abbasid historians, who, though anti-Umayyad, must
balance a reverence for the Prophet's household (ahl al-bayt)
with a denunciation of 'Ali d antiestablishmentarianism. All these
points of view, and more, are represented in al-Tabari's compilation,
illustrating the difficulty the Muslim community as a whole has faced in
coming to terms with these disastrous events.
A discounted price is available when purchasing the entire 39-volume
History of al-Tabari set. Please Contact Kitaabun Book Services ( mail@kitaabun.com)
for more information.
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Table Of Contents
Preface
Abbreviations
Editors' Foreword
Translator's Foreword
The Caliphate of the Commander of the
Faithful `Ali b. Abi Talib
The Events of the Year 35 (cont'd) (655/656)
An Account of the Allegiance—Who Gave It and
When
The Settlement of the Affair by Giving of
Allegiance to `Ali b. Abi Talib
The Expedition of Qustantin, King of Rum, against
the Muslims
The Events of the Year 36 (656/657)
`Ali Sends Out His Governors to the Garrison
Cities
Talhah and al-Zubayr Ask `Ali If They Can Leave
`Ali Leaves for al-Rabadhah on His Way to al-Basrah
The Buying of the Camel for `A'ishah and the
Report about the Dogs of al-Haw'ab
`A'ishah's Remark "By Allah! I Will Seek
Vengeance for the Blood of `Uthman!" and Her Departure for al-Basrah
with Talhah and al-Zubayr and Their Followers
Their Entry into al-Basrah and the Battle between
Them and `Uthman b. Hunayf
An Account of `Ali b. Abi Talib's Advance toward
al-Basrah
The Commander of the Faithful Dismounts at Dhu
Qar
`Ali b. Abi Talib Sends His Son al-Hasan and `Ammar
b. Yasir from Dhu Qar to Get the Kufans to Mobilize with Him
`Ali Sets Up Camp at al-Zawiyah of al-Basrah
The Battle
Another Account of the Battle of the Camel
The Severity of the Battle on the Day of the
Camel and the Account of A`yan b. Dubay`ah's Looking into the Howdah
The Killing of al-Zubayr b. al-`Awwam
Those Routed on the Day of the Camel Who Hid and
Went off into the Surrounding Towns
`Ali's Grief over Those Killed at the Battle of
the Camel, Their Burial, and His Gathering What Was in the Camp and Its
Despatch to al-Basrah
The Number of Fatalities at the Battle of the
Camel
`Ali's Visit to `A'ishah and the Punishment He
Ordered for Those Who Offended Her
The Basrans' Allegiance to `Ali and His Division
of the Contents of the Treasury among Them
`Ali's Conduct toward Those Who Fought Him on the
Day of the Camel
Al-Ashtar Sends `A'ishah a He-Camel He Had Bought
for Her and Her Exit from al-Basrah to Mecca
What `Ali b. Abi Talib Wrote about the Victory to
His Governor of al-Kufah
`Ali Accepts Allegiance from the People and the
Account of Ziyad b. Abi Sufyan and `Abd al-Rahman b. Abi Bakrah
The Appointment of Ibn `Abbas as Governor of al-Basrah
and Ziyad over the Kharaj Tax
`Ali Equips `A'ishah to Leave al-Basrah
Accounts of the Carnage on the Day of the Camel
What `Ammar b. Yasir Told `A'ishah When the
Battle of the Camel Was Over
The End of the Account of the Battle of the
Camel
`Ali b. Abi Talib Sends Qays b. Sa`d b. `Ubadah
to Be Ruler of Egypt
Muhammad b. Abi Bakr's Governorship of Egypt
`Ali Despatches Khulayd b. Tarif to Khurasan
`Amr b. al-`As Gives Allegiance to Mu`awiyah
`Ali b. Abi Talib Sends Jarir b. `Abdallah al-Bajali
to Call Mu`awiyah to Acknowledge `Ali's Authority over Him
Bibliography of Cited Works
Index |
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