History

Az-Zubayr ibn Al-Awam was a companion of Muhammad and a commander in the Rashidun army. He was born in Mecca in 594. His father was Al-Awam ibn Khuwaylid of the Asad clan of the Quraysh tribe, making Al-Zubayr a nephew of Khadijah. His mother was Muhammad's aunt, Safiyyah bint ‘Abd al-Muttalib, hence Al-Zubayr was Muhammad's first cousin.

While he was still a boy, Al-Zubayr fought an adult man and beat him up so fiercely that the man’s hand was broken. Safiya, who was pregnant at the time, had to carry the man home. When the passers-by asked what had happened, she told them, "He fought Al-Zubayr. Did you find Al-Zubayr soft like cheese or dates or full of brass?" That's when they knew that he would grow up to be strong during war. Al-Awam died while Al-Zubayr was still young. His mother used to beat him severely. When it was said to her, "You have killed him! You have wrenched his heart. Will you destroy the boy?" she replied, "I beat him so that he will be intelligent and will be bold in the battle." Al-Zubayr is described as of medium height, lean, dark-complexioned and hairy, though with a thin beard. His hair hung down to his shoulders, and he did not dye it after it turned white.

Al-Zubayr was one of the first five men to accept Islam under the influence of Abu Bakr, and is said to have been the fourth or fifth adult male convert. Al-Zubayr was among those who returned to Mecca in 619 because they heard that the Meccans had converted to Islam. "But when they got near to Mecca, they learned that the report was false, so that they entered the town under the protection of a citizen or by stealth." l-Zubayr joined the general emigration to Medina in 622.

It is said that Al-Zubayr joined all of Muhammad's military expeditions, typically dressed in a distinctive yellow turban. In the third week of July 632, the Caliph Abu Bakr scraped together an army mainly from the Banu Hashim (the clan of Muhammad) to defend Medina from an imminent invasion by the apostate forces of Tulayha, a self-proclaimed prophet. The army included stalwarts like Zubayr, and Talha ibn Ubaidullah. Each of them was appointed as commander of one-third of the newly organised force. They had their roles during the Ridda Wars; however, they did not face any combat scenaria.

Al-Zubayr was the most successful field commander during the Muslim conquest of Egypt under Caliph Umar. When Umar was dying in 644, he selected Al-Zubayr and five other men to elect the next Caliph. They duly elected Uthman.

Uthman was assassinated in 656. Al-Zubayr had reason to hope that he would be elected as the next Caliph, although he knew that his old ally Talha was also a strong contender. But Ali was elected, to the outrage of Muhammad’s widow Aisha. Thereupon Al-Zubayr met with Aisha and Talha in Mecca, claiming he had only given allegiance to Ali at swordpoint. Al-Zubayr, Talha and Aisha called for Uthman’s death to be avenged, and while Ali agreed, he said that he was not able to do this at the time. The allies then collected an army and marched to Basra. In Basrah, however, they defeated the Governor and took over the city, putting to death everyone who had been implicated in the assassination of Uthman.

Ali certainly behaved like a man who suspected hostility towards himself, for he soon entered Basra with a professional army of twenty thousand. For several days, there were negotiations, as both sides asserted they wanted only to see justice done. But on 7 December 656 hostilities erupted. Aisha's warriors killed Ali's messenger-boy, and Ali responded, "Battle is now justified, so fight them!"

So

Al-Zubayr, however, had lost the desire to fight. He said that Ali had talked him out of it during the negotiations on the grounds that they were cousins; but his son accused him of fearing Ali’s army. Al-Zubayr left the battle-field while Aisha continued to direct her troops. A man named Amr ibn Jurmuz decided to track his movements and followed him to a nearby field. It was time for prayer so, after each had asked the other what he was doing there, they agreed to pray. While Al-Zubayr was prostrating, Amr ibn Jurmuz stabbed him in the neck and killed him.

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