“O men of Arabia, these crowds of káfirs have come prepared
to fight with us. You must exert yourselves as much
as possible, for they will fight furiously for the sake of their
wealth, families, houses, domestics and property. Ride
against them with the assistance of the Great God.
Under the divine protection and with the divine help we
hope to make them all the food of our sharp and well-
Hearing this, Muhammad Kásim turned his face to them and said:—“O children of Tamím, O dear friends, the enemy has come forth and is facing us. He is ready for the battle. Do you now exert yourselves with your whole might and your utmost energy, and you will not fail.” He thus encouraged them, and they stood ready to fight, and brave warriors and martial heroes in every line shouted to one another, and proceeded to battle.
The authors of history have related on the authority of Farkad that, on that day Muhammad Kásim addressed his men thus:— “O Mussalmans, be constantly asking pardon of God for your sins. The great and glorious God has sent two gifts to the followers of Muhammad, the chosen one, (on whom and on whose descendants and friends be peace and the blessing of God); one is repeating blessings on his holiness Muhammad the chosen one (may God's blessings and peace rest on him, his ehildren and his associates) and the other is asking pardon of God for sins. If you take heart, the great and mighty God will make you victorious over the enemy.” It is related that when Muhammad Kásim came to the battle-field he asked Abú Fiddah Kishairí, the emancipated slave of Kandhal to take 200 picked horsemen and act as advance guard. Accordingly Abú Fiddah marched on till he came face to face with Dáhar and his Thakurs and warriors. Then a column of the infidels which had come out for battle, engaged him, but a large number of them was sent to hell, and the rest fled and joined Dáhar. Dáhar then sent another column to oppose him but Abú Fiddah remembered the name of the great God, and made an assault on the enemy, whom he again defeated. A third time Dáhar nominated some of his Thakurs to fight with the Arab vanguard. Abú Fiddah, once more praying to God for his pardon, attacked the enemy and put them all to flight. He went on slaughtering them till he drove them to Dáhar's camp.
The narraters of historical tales have related, that when
Muhammad Kásim moved his rank
and file, a few men of the infidels
came out all of a sudden and asked
for mercy. On Muhammad Kásim promising it, they said:
“O just governor we have renounced our own faith, and
have come into the fold of Islám. Give us a select
detachment of your cavalry, that we may take it behind
the army of Dáhar unawares, and seeing your men coming
suddenly from that side, they will be frightened and
will disperse. When you find them wavering, order
the forces of Islám to press the attack from all sides;
and our mind suggests that thereby your sword will
overawe these infidels and they will be over-powered.”
Without loss of time, Muhammad Kásim selected a party
of cavaliers and appointed Marwán son of Ashham
Yamaní and Tamím son of Zaid Kaisí their leaders, and
ordered them, with two standards, to the rear of the Sind
forces. The infidels had no knowledge whatever of this
move. As soon as the army of Islám raised their war-