akmf.. it is a very long complicated story..  in short, it was a fitnah which was foretold by the prophet pbuh. In short, after Othman R.A was assasinated, the Muslims needed a caliph, right? Well the people were divided on who to chose. Some said al zubair some said Ali R.A. After all the sahabas agreed on Ali, they had one condition for him so that they would make him the caliph, they said that he had to avenge Othmans death. He said ok make me caliph, wait so that the Muslim country would settle down (because it was a huge fitnah when Othman was killed) and after a while we will go and avenge Othmans death. The sahaba said no, we go and avenge his death NOW he said no. And the fitnah began and the conflict became bigger. Later the ppl who made the fitnah, most of who were new Muslims and munafiqeen i.e disguised  as muslims, entered into both muslim armies, the sahabas and ali's and started taking control and started the fighting with the other army and so each army thought that the other army was attacking them where as the munafiqeen were acting as if they were fighting and no one was killing no one, and the battle started and went on and on ..

Aisha R.A was with the sahaba because she wante dto avenge othmans death R.A. The sahabas were impatient because they said that this is the law, the shariah, the killer is killed and how can we pospone the sharia, so both sides were right.

Here is the story of the first civil war in Islam.

In the year 35 AH , a group of insurgents stormed Uthman RA 'a house and murdered him whie he was reading Qur'an.It was one of the shocking events in the early history of Islam. Ali RA persuaded to accept the responsibiliy of Calipahte and all muslims swore allegiance to him including Zubayr and Talhah RA.Talhah and  Zubayr RA were deeply shocked by the murder of Uthman RA. They were horrified and felt strongly felt that the murderers shud be punished and that justice shud be done. But the punishment of the murderers was not an easy task in as much as the crime was not just the work of few individuals but involved large number of persons.

                              Talhah and Zubayr RA sought Ali ra'S permission to go to Makkah to perform Umrah. They met Ayesha RA the wife of Prophet SAWS. She was shocked to know when she heard of assasination of of Uthman RA. From Makkah Talhah, Zubayr and Ayesha RA set out for Basrah where large numbers were gathering to seek revenge of death of Uthman RA.

                                The forces gathered at Basrah seemed to present an open challenge to Ali RA. As the caliph of the Muslims and the head of the entire Muslim state, he cud not tolerate any insurrection or armed revolt against the state. But what a difficult and awesome task he faced! To deal with the revolt , he ahd to confront his brothers, his companions and his friend-followers of the Prophet SAWS and his religion, those who often fought side by side with him against the forces of shirk, those whom he rspected an loved.

                             The forces clamoring for vengeance for Uthman and those supporting Ali RA met at a place called Kuraybah, near Basrah. Ali RA desired to avoid war and settle matters by peaceful means. He clung to every hope of avoiding confrontation. But the dark forces at work against Islam and how numerous were these , were determined that matters shud come to terrible and bloody end.

                          Ali RA wept. He wept bitterly when he saw AyeshaRA- the mother of all believers. in her Palanquin astride a camel at the head of the army which now emerged  to fight him. And when he saw Talhah and Zubayr RA, two close companions of the Prophet SAWS, in the midst of the army, he shouted to them to come out of him. They did and Ali RA said to Talhah.

                         "O Talhah, have you come with the wife of Messenger of Allah to fight along with her .....?" And to Zubayr RA he said ," O Zubayr, I implore you , by God, do you remember when Prophet saws, passed by u and we were in such and such place and he asked u " Do u love Ali ?" an du said "Why shud n't i love my cousin and one who follows my religion ----?"

                          Ali RA continued talking to them reminding them of the bonds of brotherhood and faith.In the end both Talhah and Zubayr  with drew from particiaption in the civil war. They with drew immediately when they saw the siyuation in a different light. But they paid for that withdrawal with their lives.

                            As they withdrew, a man named Amr ibn Jarmouz followed Zubayr RA and murdered him cowardly while he performed SALAT. Talhah RA was killed by an arrow by Marwan - a cousin of Uthman who was too blinded by rage and the desire to seek revenge for the kinsmen to respond to the possibility of avoiding war and blood shed among Muslims.

                             The murder of Uthman RA has become Talaha's tryst with destiny. He  did not praticipate in the fighting and killing that followed that came to be known as the first civil war in the history of Islam as the "Battle of Camels'. Indeed , if he has known taht the fitnah would be degenerated into such insane hatred and bitterness and resulted in such bloody outcome, he wud have resisted it.He wasn't keen to fight with Ali. . He was simply appalled by the murder of Uthman RA and wanted to see justice done. Before the beginning of the battle , he had said in a voice choked with emotion

                      "O Lord, for the sake of Uthman, take from me this day until pleased" Then when Ali faced him and Zubayr, they saw correctness of his position  and withdrew from the battlefield. Yet, in these difficult circumstances , martyrdom was reserved for them

               The Battle of Camel came to an end. Ayesha RA realised that she had presipitated matters and left Basrah for the Sacred mosque and then to Madinah distancing herself from the conflict. Ali RA provided well for her journey  giving her all the comfort and honor due to her.