Battle of the Camel
The Shi'a frown upon her role in the Battle of the Camel. The Battle of the Camel took place in Basra on December 4, 656 CE. This battle is regarded as the first time Muslims, particularly Muslims who ranked among Muhammad's sahaba, clashed and fought against one another in open warfare. The Battle of the Camel has been considered to be the first fitna and is also referred to as a “rebellion that leads to schism”, “violent factional strife”, or even “the temptation to turn upon one’s fellow Muslims”. The name of the battle reflects the centrality of Aisha's role in the conflict, as she was seated on her camel in the middle of the battlefield. Aisha led a force of 13,000 soldiers against Ali after he failed to punish the murder of ‘Uthman. During the Battle of the Camel, Aisha mobilized military opposition with two male allies, Zubayr ibn al-Awam and Talhah, in order to challenge the legitimacy of ‘Ali. ‘Alis forces defeated their opponents; Talhah and Zubayr ibn al-Awam were killed, and Aisha was sent home.