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Aisha had expected that the next caliph would be one of her brothers-in-law, Talha ibn Ubaydullah<ref>{{Tabari|15|pp. 238-239}}: “If Talha becomes Caliph (after Uthman), he will follow the path of his kinsman Abu Bakr.” Talha was the husband of her younger sister Umm Kulthum.</ref> or Al-Zubayr ibn Al-Awwam.<ref></ref> But on the road back to Medina after her ''Hajj'', she heard that Ali had been elected,<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti pp. 166, 176.</ref> and exclaimed, “If this is true, I wish the sky would fall down!”<ref></ref> She suddenly remembered that Muhammad had thrice told Uthman, “If Allah ever places you in authority, and the hypocrites want to rid you of the garment, do not take it off,” and when she was asked why she had not told everyone that ''hadith'' earlier, she replied, “I was made to forget it.”<ref>Ibn Majah 1:112.</ref> She turned back to Mecca and called for Uthman’s murder to be avenged, an inconsistency for which she was criticised.<ref>{{Tabari|16|pp. 52-53}}.</ref> Ali denied any involvement with the assassination,<ref>{{Tabari|16|pp. 180-181}}. Despite the convenience of Uthman’s murder to Ali, it has never been seriously suggested that he was actively involved.</ref> but nevertheless he claimed he was powerless to punish the murderers<ref>{{Tabari|16|p. 18}}.</ref> and he refused to comment on whether the killing had been just or unjust.<ref>{{Tabari|17|p. 26}}.</ref> Al-Zubayr and Talha, who claimed they had only sworn allegiance to Ali under duress, now joined Aisha in Mecca.<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti, p. 176.</ref> The anti-Ali faction gathered around them,<ref>Muir (1924), pp. 240-241.</ref> and they vowed to avenge Uthman.<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti, p. 176.</ref> According to the British historian Sir William Muir: “The cry of vengeance on the regicides really covered designs against … 'Ali,”<ref>Muir (1924), p. 243.</ref> whom they intended to depose in favour of one of themselves.

Aisha directed her troops from a red armour-plated ''howdah'' on a red camel<ref>{{Tabari|16|pp. 124, 156}}.</ref> named Al-Askar (“soldier”).<ref></ref> Talha was one of the first to be killed, by an arrow to his knee.<ref>{{Tabari|16|pp. 111, 126, 127, 150}}.</ref> However, since most of the warriors were wearing armour, arrows killed inefficiently, so both sides concentrated on sword-work and cutting off one another’s limbs.<ref>{{Tabari|16|p. 135}}.</ref> Al-Zubayr, who no longer wanted to fight, left the battle, but he was followed and killed while at his prayers.<ref>{{Tabari|16|pp. 112, 159}}.</ref> The battle was long and bloody, and 13,000 were slain.<ref>Jarrett/Suyuti p. 177. {{Tabari|16|pp. 164}} says it was only 10,000.</ref> After losing both Talha and Al-Zubayr, Aisha’s men felt obliged to protect the Mother of the Faithful by keeping close to her camel, and therefore Ali’s forces attacked the animal.<ref>{{Tabari|16|p. 136}}.</ref> Soon both Al-Askar and the ''howdah'' “looked like a giant hedgehog” because they were so stuck with arrows,<ref>{{Tabari|16|p. 156}}.</ref> and seventy men were killed defending it. Finally someone managed to cut down Al-Askar’s legs, and the ''howdah'' fell to the ground. With all their leaders defeated, Aisha’s men retreated.<ref></ref> Aisha, at Ali’s command, was extracted from her ''howdah'' by her own brother Muhammad and brought to Ali.<ref></ref><ref>Muhammad was Ali’s stepson; he had been very young when Abu Bakr died and his mother, Asma bint Umays, remarried to Ali.</ref>