▁government ▁by ▁the ▁traditional ▁el ite ▁of ▁the ▁Q ur ay sh , ▁particularly ▁his ▁Um ay y ad ▁cl an , ▁which ▁he ▁believed ▁possessed ▁the ▁" ex per ience ▁and ▁ability " ▁to ▁govern , ▁at ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁the ▁interests , ▁rights ▁and ▁privileges ▁of ▁many ▁early ▁Muslim s . ▁ ▁First ▁F it na ▁After ▁U th man ' s ▁assass ination , ▁Ali ▁was ▁recognized ▁as ▁cal i ph ▁in ▁Med ina , ▁though ▁his ▁support ▁stem med ▁from ▁the ▁Ans ar ▁and ▁the ▁Ira q is , ▁while ▁the ▁bulk ▁of ▁the ▁Q ur ay sh ▁were ▁w ary ▁of ▁his ▁rule . ▁The ▁first ▁challenge ▁to ▁his ▁authority ▁came ▁from ▁the ▁Q ur ay sh ite ▁leaders ▁al - Z ub ay r ▁and ▁Tal ha , ▁who ▁had ▁opposed ▁U th man ' s ▁emp ower ment ▁of ▁the ▁Um ay y ad ▁cl an ▁but ▁fe ared ▁that ▁their ▁own ▁influence ▁and ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁the ▁Q ur ay sh ▁in ▁general ▁would ▁diss ip ate ▁under ▁Ali . ▁Back ed ▁by ▁one ▁of ▁Muhammad ' s ▁w ives , ▁A ' ish a , ▁they ▁attempted ▁to ▁r ally ▁support ▁against ▁Ali ▁among ▁the ▁troops ▁of ▁Bas ra , ▁prompt ing ▁the ▁cal i ph ▁to ▁leave ▁for ▁Ira q ' s ▁other ▁g arrison ▁town , ▁K uf a , ▁where ▁he ▁could ▁better ▁confront ▁his ▁challeng ers . ▁Ali ▁defeated ▁them ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁the ▁Cam el , ▁in