Zubayr ibn al-Awwam in the context of "Exarchate of Africa"

The First Fitna (Arabic: الفتنة الكبرى) was the first civil war in the Islamic community. It led to the end of the Rashidun Caliphate and the establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate. The civil war involved three main factions; the supporters of the fourth Rashidun caliph Ali, the supporters of Uthman, primarily led by Mu'awiya and Aisha, and the Kharijites.

The roots of the first civil war can be traced back to the assassination of the second caliph, Umar. Before he died from his wounds, Umar formed a six-member council which elected Uthman as the next caliph. During the final years of Uthman's caliphate, he was accused of nepotism and killed by rebels in 656. After Uthman's assassination, Ali was elected the fourth caliph. Aisha, Talha, and Zubayr opposed Ali's accession and revolted against Ali to depose him. The two parties fought the Battle of the Camel in December 656, from which Ali emerged victorious. Afterwards, Mu'awiya, the long-time governor of the Levant, refused to recognise Ali as caliph and declared war. The two parties fought the Battle of Siffin in July 657, which ended in a stalemate and arbitration.

The Battle of Karbala (Arabic: مَعْرَكَة كَرْبَلَاء, romanized: Maʿrakat Karbalāʾ) was fought on 10 October 680 (10 Muharram in the year 61 AH of the Islamic calendar) between the army of the second Umayyad caliph Yazid I (r. 680–683) and a small army led by Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, at Karbala, Sawad (modern-day southern Iraq).

Prior to his death, the Umayyad caliph Mu'awiya I (r. 661–680) had nominated his son Yazid as his successor. Yazid's nomination was contested by the sons of a few prominent companions of Muhammad, including Husayn, son of the fourth caliph Ali, and Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, son of Zubayr ibn al-Awwam. Upon Mu'awiya's death in 680, Yazid demanded allegiance from Husayn and other dissidents. Husayn did not give allegiance and traveled to Mecca. The people of Kufa, an Iraqi garrison town and the center of Ali's caliphate, were averse to the Syria-based Umayyad caliphs and had a long-standing attachment to the house of Ali. They proposed Husayn overthrow the Umayyads. On Husayn's way to Kufa with a retinue of about 70 men, his caravan was intercepted by a 1,000-strong army of the caliph at some distance from Kufa. He was forced to head north and encamp in the plain of Karbala on 2 October, where a larger Umayyad army of 4,000 arrived soon afterwards. Negotiations failed after the Umayyad governor Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad refused Husayn safe passage without submitting to his authority, a condition declined by Husayn. Battle ensued on 10 October during which Husayn was killed along with most of his relatives and companions, while his surviving family members were taken prisoner. The battle was the start of the Second Fitna, during which the Iraqis organized two separate campaigns to avenge the death of Husayn; the first one by the Tawwabin and the other one by Mukhtar al-Thaqafi and his supporters.

The Battle of the Camel, also known as The Battle of Basra (Arabic: مَعْرَكَة اَلْجَمَلِ, romanized: Maʿrakat al-Jamal) took place outside of Basra, Iraq, in 36 AH (656 CE). The battle was fought between the forces of the fourth Rashidun caliph Ali (r. 656–661), on one side, and the Uthmaniyya rebels led by Aisha, Talha and Zubayr, on the other side. Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, while Aisha was a widow of Muhammad, and Talha and Zubayr were both early converts to Islam and prominent companions. Ali emerged victorious from the battle, Talha and Zubayr were both killed, and Aisha was sent back to Hejaz afterward. The triumvirate had revolted against Ali to avenge the assassination of the third Rashidun caliph Uthman (r. 644–656), although Aisha and Talha are both known to have actively opposed him. The three also called for the removal of Ali from office and for a Qurayshite council (shura) with Talha and Zubayr to appoint his successor.

ʿUthmān ibn Ṭalḥa (Arabic: عثمان بن طلحة) was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. His father was Talha ibn Abdullah (Abi Talha) al-‘Abdari who was killed by Zubayr ibn al-Awwam in the Battle of Uhud. Before the conquest of Mecca, he was the keeper of the key to the Kaaba. He was therefore known as the "Sadin of Mecca". Since Prophet Muhammad handed the key to the Kaaba over to him, descendants of Muhammad's companions have been inheriting the key and the title Sadin of the Kaaba to this day.

Hishām ibn ʿUrwah (Arabic: هشام بن عروة, c. 680–763) was a prominent narrator of hadith.

He was born in Medina in the year 61 A.H. (680 C.E.). His father was Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, the son of Zubayr ibn al-Awwam and Asma bint Abu Bakr, and his mother was an unnamed concubine.

The ten to whom Paradise was promised (Arabic: العشرة المبشرون, al-ʿashara al-mubashsharūn or العشرة المبشرة, al-ʿashara al-mubashshara) were ten early Muslims to whom, according to Sunni Islamic tradition, the Islamic prophet Muhammad (c. 570–632) had promised Paradise.

Several different lists of names exist, but most of them contain the four Rashidun caliphs Abu Bakr (c. 573–634), Umar (c. 583–644), Uthman (c. 573/576–656), and Ali (c. 600–661), as well as the members of the committee (shūra) that elected Uthman as caliph, i.e., Talha (c. 593–656), Zubayr (born c. 592–602, died 656), Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf (c. 577–c. 652), and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas (born c. 600, died c. 670–678).