When this army tried to enter the city the Governor of Basrah `Uthman ibn Hunayf came
forward to stop them and when the two parties came face to face they drew their swords out
of the sheaths and pounced upon each other. When a good number had been killed from
either side `A'ishah intervened on the basis of her influence and the two groups agreed that till
the arrival of Amir al-mu'minin the existing administration should continue and `Uthman ibn
Hunayf should continue on his post. But only two days had elapsed when they made a nightly
attack on `Uthman ibn Hunayf, killed forty innocent persons, beat `Uthman ibn Hunayf,
plucked every hair of his beard, took him in their custody and shut him up.
