During this year the Mussttafa—u. w. b.—appointed Ali Murtadza—u. w. b.—to go to Yemen, and ordered him to encamp in the place Qubâ, so that those destined to serve under his command might join him. He tied a standard for the Commander of the Faithful with his own prosperous hands and fixed two streamers on the top thereof; one being in front, about a cubit long, and the other in the rear, one span in length. He attached three hundred brave men to the Commander, saying: ‘O A’li, I send thee away, and am sorry to part with thee!’ and continued: ‘O A’li, invade the country of the enemies, but fight them not, until they attack thee. Invite them to utter the words “There is no God but Allah.” If they accept them, teach them to pray, and to give alms to the poor among them; and if they assent, injure them in no way whatever.’ It is related that when A’li Murtadza—u. w. b.—was about to depart to Yemen, he said: ‘O apostle of God, thou sendest me to the country of people who have received a book [i.e., Jews and Christians]; but I am young, and not very well acquainted with the judicial commandments and ordinances of our religion.’ Then his lordship placed his august hand on the breast of A’li, and said: ‘O God, strengthen his tongue and create a new heart in him!’ Wherefore he became so accomplished in judicial matters that his lordship said: ‘The most skilled among us in religious law is A’li.’ There is a tradition that when the apostle of God— u. w. b.—took leave of A’li, he said: ‘By Allah! if God the Most High bestows guidance on a single individual by means of thee, thou wilt fare better than anyone that the sun ever rose or shone upon.’ In fine, A’li the Commander of the Faithful—u. w. b.—marched with three hundred valiant men to Yemen, and when the glorious army had reached its destination, it obtained much plunder. It is related of Barâ B. Ghâreb that he said: ‘When we arrived in the vicinity of Yemen, we discovered traces of the army of the opponents, and when A’li Murtadza had completed his prayers, he drew up the army in battle-array, entered the plain, and read to the inhabitants the letter of the apostle of God, inviting them to accept the orthodox religion; and among the inhabitants of Yemen the tribe Hamdân at once attained the nobility of Islâm. A’li then wrote a letter to his lordship the refuge of termination— u. w. b.—wherein he explained what had taken place, and that prince was so rejoiced by the news that he performed the prostration of gratitude. In some books we read that when the victorious army of the Commander of the Faithful was roaming about in all directions collecting plunder, A’li —u. w. b.—appointed Borydah B. Alhassyb to guard the spoils, and marched against the opponents, whom he encountered, and invited to accept the religion. They, however, refused to comply, stretching out their hands for arrows and stones. The Commander therefore halted awhile, and afterwards again invited them by wise arguments and counsel to accept the way of truth, but in vain. Perceiving that nought remained but to fight them, he drew up his forces in battle-array and handed the flag to Masu’d B. Sanân Solmy. While both parties were thus engaged in getting ready, a man of the Madhaj tribe, Madân by name, entered the lists from the side of the enemy, but Aswad Khozaa’y rushed upon him like a furious lion and sent him to the fire of hell with one blow of his scimitar. After that A’li the Commander of the Faithful— u. w. b.—entered the battle-field, and when twenty idolaters had been slain, the rest whom the sword had spared took to flight. His lordship the Commander of the Faithful then advanced further, invited those people to accept Islâm, whereon they became Musalmâns, and said: ‘If thou orderest us to attack those who have not adopted Islâm, nor intend to do so, we shall obey thee. Our property is at thy disposal. Take from it the portion due to God, that we may be absolved from further disbursements.’ He complied with their request, distributed the spoils, separated one-fifth thereof, and appointed Abu Râfi’ to guard it. Then he proceeded on the wings of celerity to Mekkah, because his holy and prophetic lordship had departed to the sanctuary, as will be narrated by-and-by.
Biographical works are replete with accounts that before A’li Murtadza—u. w. b.—had started, the apostle of God sent Khâled B. Wolyd to Yemen, and that afterwards he despatched the former to supervise the latter. Some allege that he had despatched A’li merely to receive one-fifth of the spoils which Khâled had collected. There is a tradition of Borydah B. Alhassyb that he said: ‘I was present in that expedition, and was an enemy to A’li. When one-fifth of the booty had been separated, A’li picked out for himself a maiden, distinguished above all the others in beauty and amiability, associated with her, and then washed himself. After that I asked Khâled B. Alwolyd: “Seest thou what that man A’li is doing?” I also said to A’li: “O father of Hasan, what is this?” He replied: “Seest thou not that this girl, which was in the fifth part of the spoils, and fell to the share of the family of Muhammad, became afterwards the portion of the family of A’li, and I had intercourse with her.” ’ Borydah continues: ‘When I attained the happiness of waiting on the prince of existences— u. w. b.—I represented what had taken place, and he replied: “O Borydah, perhaps thou art an enemy of A’li?” I said: “Yes.” He continued: “Be not his enemy; for if thou wilt like him, thy friendship will increase. The portion of A’li in the fifth amounted to more than this girl.” ’ Others, again, have a tradition that Borydah said: ‘When I represented the circumstance to the apostle of God, his blessed countenance became excited, and he said: “Harbour no evil suspicions about A’li, for he belongs to me, and I to him. He is your master; and when I am dead, A’li will be the master of every one whose master I am.” ’ Borydah continues: ‘After that I loved A’li more than anyone else.’
In some books it is related that after the Ghazwah of Tabuk, A’mru B. Ma’dy Karibu-z-zobaydy came to Madinah, and presented himself in the assembly of his lordship the refuge of termination—u. w. b.—who spoke to him something about the day of the resurrection, in consequence whereof he became a Musalmân, and many of his people followed his example. On that occasion A’mru discovered Abu Sha’th Alkhosha’y, the murderer of his father, whom he caught by the neck and brought to his holy and prophetic lordship—u. w. b.—to revenge himself on him by the command of that prince; but the apostle of God said: ‘Islâm abrogates every custom which existed in the time of ignorance.’ This reply so displeased A’mru B. Ma’dy that he apostatized and returned to his own country; on the road, however, he plundered a company of the Bani Alhâreth B. Ka’b and then joined his tribe. When the prince of existences had heard this news, he despatched A’li B. Abu Ttâleb—u. w. b.—with a number of Mohâjer against the Bani Zobayd, who were of the people of A’mru. At the same time he despatched Khâled B. Alwolyd against a certain Arab tribe, with orders that when the cavalry of A’li—u. w. b.—and of Khâled joined each other, the former should be the commander of both. In fine, A’li Murtadza appointed Khâled B. Sa’yd Ala’ass, and Khâled B. Alwolyd appointed Abu Mûsa Asha’ry, to command the vanguard of their respective forces, both of which thereon separated, and marched to their destinations. The troops that were with Khâled likewise separated into two parties, one of them marching to Yemen, and the other joining the Bani Zobayd. When A’li the Amir of the Faithful—u. w. b.—learnt what had taken place, he sent a messenger to Khâled B. Wolyd with the following order: ‘Thou art to stop at the place in which my courier meets thee.’ Khâled, however, paying no attention to this order, A’li the Commander of the Faithful ordered Khâled B. Sa’yd to overtake Khâled B. Alwolyd, and to stop him, wherever he might find him, until the Amir reached him. Khâled B. Sa’yd obeyed, and when the Amir reached the cavalry of Khâled B. Wolyd he sharply reproved him for his disobedience, and then marched against the tribe of A’mru B. Ma’dy Karab, to whom his people said: ‘O father of Thûr, what thinkest thou of the Qoraish youth who is coming to levy duties and taxes from thee?’ A’mru replied: ‘He will learn that in any place he meets me.’ When the two opposing parties encountered each other, A’mru B. Ma’dy stepped into the battle-field and shouted for a champion, whereon the Commander of the Faithful got ready to fight him, but Khâled B. Sa’yd exclaimed: ‘O father of Hasan, may my father and mother be a sacrifice for thee! wilt thou allow me to punish A’mru?’ The Amir, however, replied: ‘If thou considerest it thy duty to obey me, thou wilt remain quiet in thy place, so that I may fight him.’ Khâled accordingly obeyed, and the Commander, arriving opposite to A’mru, uttered a shout so loud as to frighten A’mru that he fled, whereon the victorious army attacked the opponents, killing the brother and nephew of A’mru, as well as capturing his wife, with several other women. After the most noble mind of the Commander of the Faithful had been set at rest with reference to the enemies, he returned, but left Khâled B. Sa’yd in the locality to collect the legal alms, and ordered him to spare the life of every fugitive returning and becoming a Musalmân.
After the departure of A’li B. Abu Ttâleb—u. w. b.— A’mru B. Ma’dy Karab went to Khâled B. Sa’yd and became a Musalmân [again]; he also requested the latter to liberate his family from bondage, which was done. After A’li the Commander of the Faithful had gained the victory in that expedition, he selected a maiden for his own use from the fifth part of the spoils, but as soon as Khâled B. Wolyd had heard of this, he forthwith despatched Borydah to inform the apostle of Allah—u. w. b.—of what A’li had done. Borydah obeyed, and handed Khâled’s letter containing the accusation against A’li to the lord of prophecy, who became excited on learning what had taken place, and his blessed countenance glowed with anger, whereon Borydah said: ‘O apostle of God, if thou allowest people to commit such transgressions, the efforts of the Musalmâns will be rendered nugatory.’ His holy and prophetic lordship —u. w. b.—however, replied: ‘Woe betide thee, Borydah! thou hast committed hypocrisy with reference to A’li. Verily A’li B. Abu Ttâleb is allowed to take from the spoils whatever I am allowed to take. A’li B. Abu Ttâleb is the best of men. For thee and for thy tribe he will be the best man to succeed after me, as well as for the whole nation. O Borydah, take care not to be the enemy of A’li; for God the Most High will be thy enemy.’ Borydah says: ‘On that occasion I wished the earth would open and swallow me, and I exclaimed: “May Allah protect me from the wrath of the apostle of God! O apostle of Allah, implore pardon for me; for after this I shall never harbour enmity against Ali, nor speak evil of him.” Then the apostle of God prayed that I might be forgiven.’ Borydah says: ‘After that I loved A’li more than anyone else.’ The author of the book Aa’lâmu-l-warâ says that Ebn Hanbal has narrated this story in his Masnad.