Battle·Rashidun
Battle of the Camel
- Date
- 8 December 656 CE15 Jumada al-Ula 36 AH1,370 years ago
- Place
- Outside Basra, Iraq
- People
- Ali ibn Abi Talib, Aisha bint Abi Bakr, Talha ibn Ubayd Allah, Zubayr ibn al-Awwam
Aisha, the widow of the Prophet, joined Talha and Zubayr in a revolt against Ali in Basra. The two armies fought outside the city in December 656 CE. Talha and Zubayr were killed in the fighting or shortly after. Aisha was later escorted back to Medina with honor. The battle takes its name from the camel on which Aisha rode. Sources differ by a few weeks on the exact date.
Why it matters
It was the first battle between Muslim armies. It confirmed Ali's rule in Iraq and deepened the divide over the caliphate.