130 No god but God
for Ali had not waned over the years. This faction consisted of mem-
bers of the Ansar, the Banu Hashim, some prominent clans of the
Quraysh, a few leading Companions, and several large bodies of non-
Arab Muslims (especially in Basra and Kufa) who together were
loosely labeled Shi‘atu Ali, the “Party of Ali”: the Shi‘ah.
Despite this support, it was not until his political rivals in Mecca,
including Talha and Zubayr, promised to pledge him their allegiance
that Ali finally succumbed and accepted the mantle of leadership.
Insisting that the oath of allegiance be given publicly in the mosque
and in the presence of the entire Medinan community, Ali ibn Abi
Talib, cousin and son-in-law to the Prophet, finally took his place at
the head of the Ummah. Significantly, Ali refused the title of Caliph,
which he believed had been permanently tainted by Uthman. Instead,
he opted for Umar’s epithet, Amir al-Mu’manin, “Commander of the
Faithful.”
With the backing of his party, Ali restored order to Medina by
announcing a general amnesty to all who had, in one way or another,
played a role in Uthman’s death. This was to be a time of forgiveness
and reconciliation, not of retribution. The old tribal ways, Ali
claimed, were over. He further appeased the rebellious territories by
removing nearly all of Uthman’s kin from their posts as amirs and fill-
ing the vacancies with qualified local leaders. Yet Ali’s actions, espe-
cially his amnesty of the rebels, not only enraged the Umayya, they
paved the way for Aisha to rally support in Mecca against the new
Caliph by pinning him with the responsibility for Uthman’s murder.
Aisha did not really believe Ali was responsible for Uthman’s
death; even if she had, it is unlikely she would have cared. Aisha
loathed Uthman and played a significant role in the rebellion against
him. In fact, her brother, Muhammad, was instrumental in the
Caliph’s assassination. But having learned from her father, Abu Bakr,
never to entrust the ahl al-bayt with the Caliphate, lest the distinction
between religious and political authority in the Ummah become con-
founded, Aisha saw Uthman’s murder as a means to replace Ali with
someone she considered more suitable for the position, most likely
her close allies Talha or Zubayr. It was with the help of these two men
that she organized a massive contingent of Meccans and, riding atop a
camel, personally led them into battle against Ali’s forces in Medina.