THE STRATAGEM OF A’MRU A´ASS.

On this subject there is a tradition that, when in the morning after the night of horror the adherents of truth and of falsehood had not yet [entirely] ceased fighting with each other, Moa’wiah, perceiving the effects of weakness, defeat, helplessness and despondency that were manifesting themselves in the army of Syria, asked A’mru A´ass: ‘O father of A’bdullah, where is the stratagem thou hast kept in reserve? If thou canst not devise some plan, our affairs will perish disastrously!’—According to another statement, Moa’wiah despatched, after the night of horror, an humble letter to A’li the Commander of the Faithful, imploring him to make peace, but that he received an answer full of reproaches, as the reed of explanation has recorded above; then Moa’wiah consulted A’mru A´ass about quelling the dissensions, and acted according to his advice.—In the history of Abu Hanifah Dinwari it is recorded that, when both parties had ceased fighting after the night of horror, and were engaged in burying their dead, A’li the Amir of the Faithful said the same morning to the officers of his army: ‘You see what the fight between you and the enemies has come to, nothing but the last breath of life remaining in them. Attack them, therefore, to-morrow “until Allah judge between us; for He is the best judge.”’* When these words had been reported to Moa’wiah, he asked A’mru: ‘What is thy opinion in this great calamity?’ A’mru replied: ‘I have, for a day like this, prepared a stratagem and devised a plan, that we must ask something from the people of the Hejâz and E’râq, which, if they agree to it, dissension will arise between them, and if they reject it they will disperse.’ Moa’wiah asked: ‘What is it?’ He continued: ‘Invite them to the book of God— whose name be exalted and hallowed—that thou mayest attain thy object.’—On the same day, also, the notables of Syria were informed that Asha’th B. Qays had said: ‘If you continue to fight as you have done yesterday and before, the Arab nation will be endangered, and their families with their children in danger of perishing.’ The Amirs having reported these words to Moa’wiah, he said: ‘Asha’th has spoken the truth, because it is certain that if we engage to-morrow in hostilities, the Byzantines will turn towards Syria, and the Persians will devastate and ravage the country of E’râq.’ Accordingly the next morning, with the approbation of A’mru, he ordered Qurâns to be suspended from the tops of lances before sunrise. It is said that there were five hundred Qurâns in the army of Moa’wiah, and when the Syrians with the volumes hanging from their lances were standing drawn out in lines, and the day had not yet become bright, the people of E’râq mistook them for banners and standards; after, however, looking for awhile, they discerned the true state of affairs. On this occasion, Fadzl B. Adham stepped out to the front of the centre, and Sheryh Hamdâny to that of the right, and Warqâ B. Ghâreb to that of the left wing of the army of Syria, and shouted: ‘O Arabs, for God’s sake have mercy on your children and women, because if you do not cease to fight, you will be slain, and your wives with your children will fall into the power of your foes, namely, the Byzantines and the Persians, who will take them away to their countries. Behold the volume of God which is between us and you!’ After that, Abu-l-a´ur, mounting a piebald horse, placed a Qurân on his head, stood up between the two [opposing] lines, and shouted: ‘O ye people of E’râq, I draw your attention to the contents of the book of God, who is the judge between us and you, that you may act according to it.’ When the people of E’râq had understood the allocution of their opponents, Kardûs B. Hâny Bakry said: ‘O ye inhabitants of E’râq, be not deceived by the elevation of the Qurâns which the rebels have displayed, because this exhibition is nothing but fraud and hypocrisy.’ Sofiân B. Thûry then continued: ‘We have been the first to adjure the men of Syria by the book of God, and as they would not listen to us, it became licit to us to shed their blood, and if we now fail to comply with their desire, they will likewise consider themselves entitled to spill our blood.’ Hereon Khâled B. O’mar and Hussyn B. Nadhar said: ‘The decision of A’li the Com­mander of the Faithful will be acceptable; whatever he advises will be most suitable.’ His lordship replied: ‘I am more willing than anyone to comply with the appeal to the book of God the Most High, and herein you likewise agree with me; but this is a stratagem which they have devised, and a fraud they have put forth. By elevating the Qurân, they do not mean to act according to its contents, but being distressed by the war, and despairing of victory or help, they wish by this deception to quell hostilities, and to save their lives from this peril; I, how­ever, shall contend with them, until they agree to what God —whose name be praised—has commanded.’ As, however, most of the notables and Amirs of the Commander of the Faithful had taken bribes from Moa’wiah, had become tired of fighting, and were desirous of enjoying rest after many fatigues, they said: ‘O Amir of the Faithful, respond to the invitation of Moa’wiah, because he is calling thee to the Divine volume; and we have revolted against O’thmân, as he rejected such proposals. If thou wilt not comply with the request of Moa’wiah, we shall capture thee and surrender thee to the foe!’ When the words of his friends had reached this extremity, A’li the Commander of the Faithful exclaimed: ‘We belong to Allah, and unto Him we shall return;* to Allah we complain, and Allah’s aid is to be implored [to enable me to support the misfortune] which you relate.* O Allah, Thou art the judge between us, because Thou art just and not partial.’ Meanwhile, envoys from Moa’wiah arrived, bringing Qurâns, and said: ‘O father of Hasan, the Syrians say: “Deal with us according to the book of God, because besides it there will be no other decision between us.”’ Asha’th B. Qays, to whom most of the tribes were subject, and to whom Moa’wiah had sent an enormous sum by way of a bribe, then said: ‘O Amir of the Faithful, as we obeyed thee yesterday, so we obey thee also to-day; but Moa’wiah is speaking very just words, obeys the truth, and calls thee to the book of God.’ A’li the Amir of the Faithful replied: ‘By Allah! I am more acquainted with the book of God than Moa’wiah, A’mru A´ass, and the like of them! This is a stratagem which A’mru has devised.’ This information having spread among the troops, most of them commenced to retreat from the opponents, excepting only Mâlek Ashtar, who continued to act and to fight on the right flank as before. When his lordship the recipient of the Vicariate perceived that the troops were returning by detachments, he clapped his hands, saying: ‘The son of Hind has become victor!’ On this occasion Ebn Lakwâ, with a number of Zendyqs* in the army of the Commander of the Faithful, who were afterwards surnamed Khowârej,* became turbulent, and said to his lordship: ‘It is indis­pensably necessary to respond to the invitation of Moa’wiah, and in the contrary case it will be necessary to excuse us from becoming opponents.’ Thereon his sacred lordship A’li the Commander of the Faithful was obliged, willingly or unwillingly, to comply. The people then said: ‘Send a man to recall Mâlek Ashtar, who is engaged in fighting on the right flank.’ The Amir of the Faithful then despatched Yazid B. Hâny to call Mâlek Ashtar. When Yazid had conveyed the message to Mâlek, the latter said: ‘What time is this to return? Victory and conquest are at hand!’ Yazid then hastened to wait on his lordship, and brought him the answer. Meanwhile the shouts of Ashtar and his followers became more loud, and much dust rose, so that the Khowârej said to Murtadza A’li: ‘We imagine Mâlek is striving and fighting by thy orders.’ His lordship replied: ‘I have plainly told Yazid that Ashtar should cease from fighting.’ Then he again sent Yazid B. Hâny to Ashtar, commanding him to return quickly, because a great dis­turbance had arisen. When the envoy had delivered his message, Ashtar asked: ‘Has this event perhaps resulted from the lifting up of the Qurâns?’ Yazid gave an affirma­tive reply, and Mâlek continued: ‘By Allah! at the moment I saw the opponents carrying the volumes on the tops of lances, I knew that dissensions would ensue in our army.’ Then Mâlek ceased to fight, and joining A’li the Commander of the Faithful with the notables of Kûfah and Bossrah, addressed them reproachfully, saying: ‘O ye people of E’râq, O ye base and hypocritical crowd! By Allah! you have brought an injury upon yourselves which you will never be able to make good. Had you hindered the lifting of these Qurâns, you would have conquered the enemies! Let me, however, now settle the affair with them.’ They replied: ‘We shall not be partners in sin with thee.’ Mâlek then spoke harshly, whereon they used insulting language to him, whipped his horse, and he likewise opened the flood-gates of objurgation, retorting in the same manner. When A’li the Amir of the Faithful per­ceived the eagerness of the Khowârej to comply with the demand of Moa’wiah, he told Asha’th B. Qays to go to the possessors of standards, and order them to remove the tokens of hostility. Asha’th obeyed orders, and when he came near the Rebya’h people, O’mayr B. Adoubah said to him: ‘O Asha’th, lovest thou the people of Syria, in whose blood we have been bathing?’ Then he struck the neck of the horse of Asha’th with his blade, saying: ‘There is no command except from Allah.’ Asha’th replied: ‘Put back thy sword into its scabbard. The Syrians have invited us to a thing, to which, if they had delayed it, we would ourselves have called them.’ On that occasion Moa’wiah said to the prominent men and nobles of Syria: ‘The time of hostilities between us and the Hejâz and the E’râq people has become protracted. Each of these two factions believes that the right is on its side. We have invited them to the command of the Divine volume; if they accept it, that is just what we desire, and in the contrary case, we shall be excused before God.’ Then he wrote a letter, the contents of which are as follows, to A’li the Commander of the Faithful: ‘The first who will be called to account for these hostilities will be ourselves and thyself. Now I request thee, for the sake of our [old] associations, and for the removal of grief from our breasts, that a wise man may be appointed on thy part, and another on mine, to judge between me and thee according to what is written in the glorious Qurân and lauded Furqân.* Thou must abide by the decision of the Qurân if thou believest therein.’ The Amir of the Faithful wrote in reply: ‘Thou invitest me to the decision of the Qurân, but I know that thou wilt not act in conformity therewith. We have responded to the command of God the Most High, contrary to thyself, and whoever agrees not with the Qurân has verily gone far astray.’

It is narrated in several traditions that Moa’wiah sent Habyb B. Muslim as an envoy to A’li the Commander of the Faithful with the following message: ‘As the book of God the Most High cannot speak, thou art to select a man, and I another, to decide between us. If thou art elected, I shall assent to thy becoming the Khalifah, but if they appoint me, thou must not demur to their decision. Should they elect another man, and not one of us, we must submit to him.’ When Habyb B. Muslim had delivered the message, Asha’th B. Qays said: ‘O Amir of the Faithful, Moa’wiah is making a very just proposal.’ Hasan B. Mundhar having expressed the same opinion, Shaqyq B. Thûr said: ‘O Amir of the Faithful, most of our brave men and cavaliers having been slain, thou must take pity upon those whom the sword has spared.’ Moa’wiah knew that in the victory-allied army of the Amir of the Faithful the Yemânis were preponderant; he therefore indicted a conciliatory letter to Asha’th B. Qays, who was one of their chiefs, and promised to pay him one hundred thousand dirhems in case peace should be established. Asha’th perused the epistle of Moa’wiah, and was beguiled by the promise of mundane wealth; he therefore assembled the tribes Azd, Rebya’h, and Asha’r, whom he advised to cease hostilities, whereon they became so biased against Ashtar that they said: ‘If Mâlek offers opposition to us, we shall tear the limbs of his body to pieces.’ In that assembly the Yemânis also said: ‘If we continue to fight, not one of us will remain alive.’ The Bani Bakr B. Wâyl, being of the same opinion, said: ‘The men have become so distressed by fighting that they unanimously acknowledge their inability to continue hostilities.’ On this occasion A’bdullah B. Alhâreth Alttây—who was so religious that he had during twenty years performed his matutinal devotions with the religious ablution of his evening prayers,* and who had received sixteen heavy wounds in the night of horror—went to the tent of his lordship the Amir, who, having received him honourably and respectfully, asked: ‘O A’bdullah, how feelest thou at present?’ He replied: ‘O Amir of the Faithful, I am of opinion that not more than one day, or nearly one day, of my life remains.’ Tears started in the eyes of the Shâh and recipient of the Vicariate, and he said: ‘Be of good cheer and keep thy heart bright, because thou wilt receive the mercy, pardon, and reward of the Cherisher, because thy resurrection will take place in the company of Mohâjer, Anssâr, and great martyrs.’ After that A’bdullah continued: ‘O Amir of the Faithful, it is rumoured that dissension has arisen among thy com­panions, and that they are attempting to induce thee to conclude peace with Moa’wiah. Do not by any means act according to their words and cease hostilities.’ The Amir of the Faithful asked: ‘With what army and with what helper am I to wage war against Moa’wiah? Knowest thou not that although the apostle possessed the strength of forty prophets, he forbore during three years from openly inviting anyone to accept Islâm, and that he abstained ten years from fighting after he had received his mission as a prophet? When, however, he had gained numerous partisans and helpers he was commanded to fight. If I can likewise obtain friends and assistants I shall wage war, but in the contrary case I shall strike my hand upon the jugular vein of patience, as prophets and saints have done. O A’bdullah, his lordship the apostle—u. w. bl.—has informed me of the events happening and about to happen, and I shall refer my complaints against the people to the Court of monotheism, nor shall I ever undertake anything which may make me unworthy of the Emâmate.’ A’bdullah continued: ‘I bear witness that there is no other legitimate Emâm with knowledge appointed between God and His worshippers except thyself. Blessed is he who follows and obeys thee, and miserable is the wretch who refuses to be subject to thee.’

Historians narrate that when the stratagem of A’mru A´ass had been promulged, Qurân-memorizers of the people of E’râq and Syria assembled, taking up a position between the two antagonistic armies, and engaged in reciting verses of the Qurân. They arrived at the decision that the election to the important office of the Khalifate be delegated to two wise men. The people of Syria then said: ‘Let A’mru A´ass be the judge on our part.’ Asha’th B. Qays with his adherents said: ‘In this matter our choice has fallen upon Abu Mûsa Asha’ry.’ His lordship the Amir then said: ‘I place no trust in the foresight and opinion of Abu Mûsa; on my part A’bdullah B. A’bbâs must be the judge.’ The Khowârej said: ‘We swear by God that we make no distinction between thee and A’bdullah, and from thy words it appears that thou desirest thyself to be the judge in this matter, whereas our intention is to appoint a man who is equally unbiased towards thee and towards Moa’wiah.’ The Amir of the Faithful asked: ‘How is it that the Syrians have appointed A’mru A´ass, although they know him to be closely connected with Moa’wiah?’ The Khowârej replied: ‘Everyone knows his own advan­tage best; it is convenient for us that Abu Mûsa should be judge on our part.’ A’li the Commander of the Faithful continued: ‘Mâlek Ashtar being likewise worthy of this duty, I appoint him to be a judge.’ Asha’th B. Qays, who was the head and front of the Khowârej, then asked: ‘How can he be made judge, he having kindled the flames of war and contention?’ The Amir of the Faithful replied: ‘There can be no fault in appointing him; and what decision contrary to the Divine book will he give?’ Asha’th said ‘His decision will be to allow him to strike with the sword, and to incite the people to fight against each other, so that he may attain his object.’ The upshot of this discussion was that the Amir of the Faithful and all intelligent men, such as Ahnaf B. Qays and others, said: ‘Abu Mûsa Asha’ry is not capable of performing such a duty, and another discerning, shrewd man should be appointed who will be able to cope with A’mru A´ass in this matter, and shall not by his wiles be induced to swerve from the straight road.’ The Khowârej would, however, by no means agree to this proposal, and selected no other man than Abu Mûsa. They then despatched a man in search of him, because he was at that time sitting in a corner, and not taking part in any affairs. When he heard that both parties had concluded peace, he exclaimed: ‘Praise be to Allah, the lord of both worlds!’ Having been told that he was appointed judge, he replied: ‘“We belong to Allah, and unto Him we shall return.”’* Afterwards Abu Mûsa made his appearance in the camp of A’li the Commander of the Faithful, and attained the honour of kissing his hand. Being displeased with the turn affairs had taken, every one of the great companions who arrived in that assembly tried to advise him to be on his guard, shrewd and impartial in his position as a judge, so that Abu Mûsa at last became angry, and said: ‘If you entertain suspicions about me, you must select another man for this business.’ Mâlek said: ‘Thou art the man who hast, on the occasion when Hasan the son of A’li arrived in Kûfah, invited the people to follow thee and to pay thee allegiance whilst preaching, and hast said: “To agree with A’li Murtadza will become an occasion of turbulence.”’ Abu Mûsa replied: ‘The case was such, but this day the fire of that day is burning me, because in this affair I am your friend, and in this sea I have been immersed with you.’

When the conclusion had been arrived at to delegate the election of the Khalifah to the negotiations of two judges, A’li the Amir of the Faithful, with the notables of E’râq, and Moa’wiah, with the prominent men of Syria, met in an assembly between the two armies to get a document written out to that effect. A’bdullah B. Abu Râfi’, who was the writer of A’li the Commander of the Faithful, was thereon ordered to draw up a few lines on that subject. Then A’bdullah wrote: ‘This is the arrangement which A’li the Amir of the Faithful—p. o. h.—has made.’ Moa’wiah interrupted, saying: ‘What a bad fellow I must be, that although I know A’li to be the Amir of the Faithful, I nevertheless fight with him!’ A’mru A´ass then said: ‘The expression “Amir of the Faithful” must be blotted out, and his name with that of his father is to be written.’ Ahnaf B. Qays said: ‘O Amir of the Faithful, do not allow this expression which implies the Emâmship over the Musalmâns to be expunged, because I apprehend that if it be blotted out thou wilt never recover it.’ A’li the Amir of the Faithful said: ‘Allah is great! The apostle of Allah was right concerning this event which has taken place, because on the day of Hodaybiah, when I indicted the treaty of peace, I wrote: “This is the peace which Muhammad the apostle of Allah is concluding with Sohayl B. A’mru”’— or, according to nobler tradition, ‘with the people of Mekkah’—‘whereon Ebn A’mru said: “Blot out the words ‘the apostle of Allah,’ and write ‘Muhammad B. A’bdul­lah,’ because if we considered him to be the prophet of Allah we would not have impeded him from entering Mekkah and visiting the sacred localities.” The lord of apostleship then said: “Ali, blot it out, for thou wilt fare one day as I fare this day.” At present that day has come, therefore, O A’bdullah, write as Moa’wiah desires.’ Then A’bdullah wrote on the page: ‘This is what A’li B. Abu Ttâleb and Moa’wiah B. Abu Sofiân have agreed to.’ Then he completed the treaty of peace, which was to the follow­ing purport: ‘A’li B. Abu Ttâleb, with the people of the Hejâz and of E’râq who are his friends, and Moa’wiah B. Abu Sofiân, with the people of Syria who are standing up for his rights, have agreed to act according to the decision of the Qurân from the beginning to the end of it; not to swerve from its contents, but to strive to keep alive what­ever the Qurân keeps alive, and to deaden what it has deadened. A’li, with his partisans, has agreed that in this matter A’bdullah B. Qays, namely, Abu Mûsa Asha’ry, shall be the judge and superintendent in this matter; and Moa’wiah has with his followers agreed that on the part of their tribes A’mru A´ass should be the judge and superin­tendent. A’li and Moa’wiah have made a covenant with, and exacted a promise from, Abu Mûsa and from A’mru A´ass, that they will make the Qurân their guide, and will not swerve from the contents of the book of the Lord, so that they will judge according to what is written in the Qurân, but that in any difficulty which cannot be solved by the word of God they will have recourse to the Sonna of the prophet, and will act according to the injunction of the best of created beings—u. w. bl.’ A’bdullah B. Qays and A’mru B. A´ass [on their part likewise] exacted a promise from the Amir of the Faithful and from Moa’wiah that they would not swerve from their decision, which would be according to the Qurân, in conformity with the truth and with the Sonna. After both these judges had fulfilled their duties according to the dictates of honesty and probity, their property, families and children were to be safe from any injuries; but in case one of the two judges should die before their judgment had been delivered, the followers of A’li and the adherents of Moa’wiah were to elect another pious and righteous man in his room. In case the judges should fail to come to an understanding in the month Ramadzân, when the time allotted for the deci­sion terminates, and should not have arranged the affair of the Khalifate, both parties would be at liberty to renew hostilities; and whoever offers any opposition to this arrangement acts unjustly and dishonestly; his wickedness is to be put a stop to with the unanimous consent of the whole nation.—When the treaty had been completed the following signatures were appended to it: ‘A’li testifies to what is written in this document, with his sons Alhasan and Alhusain, and A’bdullah B. Abbâs, and A’bdullah B. Ja’fer B. Abu Ttâleb.’ Also Asha’th B. Qays, with many others of the chief adherents of A’li the Amir of the Faithful, affixed their glorious names. Certain notables of Syria likewise wrote their names. At the bottom of the page it was recorded that it had been written on the twenty-third of Safar in the year thirty.*

It is recorded in the history of Abu Hanifah Dinwari that when Asha’th B. Qays requested Mâlek Ashtar to affix also his testimony to the treaty, Mâlek replied: ‘May the right hand of Ashtar [i.e., my hand] be cut off and his left be paralyzed if he appends his name to this document!’ Asha’th continued: ‘Unless thou writest it, I shall not be pleased with thee.’ Mâlek, however, replied: ‘Who art thou, and what boots thy pleasure? Be pleased if thou likest, or be not.’ There being a number of Amirs, such as A’dy B. Hâtim Ttây, and others, present in that assembly, Asha’th said: ‘If I had no regard for the respect due to great Arabs, I would have replied as it befits thee.’ Mâlek Ashtar continued: ‘The sword of my tongue is sharper than thine, and my teeth more efficient than thine, my clan is bigger than thine, and I am the friend of the Amir of the Faithful, but thou art his enemy; after all, thou art not one of his foes, but a tanner of hides and a scraper of skins, or the leader of one man.’ These reproachful words were addressed to Asha’th, because he was a native of Yemen, most of whom are engaged in these occupations, and, being uttered in a high tone, they gave such offence to Asha’th that he grasped the hilt of his sword, and Mâlek did so likewise, whereon Ebrâhim B. Mâlek also drew his sword from the scabbard, but his father pacified him, then addressed Asha’th, and said: ‘If thou hadst been a man of any account thou wouldst not have apostatized! Thou hast first unwillingly accepted Islâm, and hast after that willingly returned to the tenets of infidels and idolaters, afterwards again becoming a Musalmân for fear of thy life.’ When this was reported to the Amir of the Faithful, he said: ‘O Mâlek, reconcile these people as I have done, for his lordship the apostle has informed me of what will take place with Asha’th, and what his sons will do to my progeny.’ By these words the Amir of the Faithful alluded to the fact that Muhammad B. Asha’th waged war against Husain the Amir of the Faithful at Ker­belâ, and that in the same locality Esahâq B. Asha’th also withheld water from his lordship.

It is related in the ‘Futûh’ of Abu Mukhnaf that when it was brought to the notice of A’li the Commander of the Faithful that Ashtar was displeased with the contents of the document of peace, he replied: ‘I swear by God that I also was not pleased, and desired that you also should not give your assent; but seeing that you were unanimous and agreed, I likewise assented, and I do not consider it worthy of myself to recant after having complied. Would that there had been among us one more like Ashtar, to persist in finishing the conquest of the enemies, and to liberate me from all this trouble.’ It is said that when the document of the agreement had been completed Asha’th B. Qays took it, and circulated it among all the Arabs who were in that camp; when the U’zza tribe had been made acquainted with the contents of it, two brothers belonging thereto raised the shout, ‘No one but Allah is to be obeyed!’ and attacked the army of Syria till both of them were slain. When Asha’th read out the document to the Murâr tribe, Ssâleh B. Shaqyq, who was one of their celebrated men, exclaimed: ‘Allah alone judges, although the idolaters be averse [thereto].’* Most of the tribes agreed to this sentiment, and lengthened the tongue of reproach towards Asha’th B. Qays.

It is related in some histories that A’bdullah B. Abu Râfi’, the amanuensis of the Amir of the Faithful, had written the covenant of peace for the Syrians, and O’mayr B. A’bâd Alkalby, the writer of Moa’wiah, for the people of E’râq, the contents being the same. Then the people of E’râq appended their signatures, and the opponents theirs to their respective copies, the people of Syria affixing theirs after the adherents of the cousin of the apostle—u. w. bl. When both documents had thus been completed, a man of the army of A’li the Commander of the Faithful, and belonging to the Rebya’h tribe, mounted his steed in the greatest haste and asked for some water. When it had been given him he rushed among the troops of Moa’wiah, and wounding several men, returned again. Then he asked again for water, and having drunk some, recited some verses in the rajaz measure, and attacking the army of the Commander of the Faithful, likewise wounded some men of it. Thus he capered from one army to the other several times, and shouted: ‘O ye men, be aware that I am inde­pendent of A’li and of Moa’wiah, and of the decision of the two judges! There is no decision except that of God—whose glory be magnified—although the idolaters may be averse [thereto].’* He was, however, killed in the act of assail­ing the army of the Amir of the Faithful, and the first Khâreji slain was he.

After the negotiations had been completed, A’li the Commander of the Faithful marched back to Kûfah, and Moa’wiah in the direction of Syria. Arrangements were also made that Abu Mûsa Asha’ry should, with a number of prominent men of the Hejâz and of E’râq, as well as A’mru A´ass, with the great Arabs and men of Syria, march to Daumatu-j-jandal, which is a locality between E’râq and Syria, in order there to arrive at a decision concerning the office of the Khalifate [by means of the two judges who had been appointed for the purpose]. A’li the Commander of the Faithful despatched Sharyh B. Hâny with five thousand of his intimate friends to start to the appointed locality, and A’bdullah B. A’bbâs to accompany them for the purpose of watching the proceedings. Moa’wiah sent Abu-l-a´ur Alsalmy and Shorahbyl B. Samatt Alkindy with those who accompanied A’mru A´ass. According to some traditions, eight hundred men accompanied the two judges to Daumatu-j-jandal, each party sending four hun­dred. It is said that during the march A’bdullah B. A’bbâs and Ahnaf B. Qays repeatedly advised Abu Mûsa, saying: ‘Be not deceived by the words of A’mru A´ass, and do not forestall him in any manner by giving thy decision.’ He assented, and their minds were set at rest; but as he was a very artless man, A’mru A´ass beguiled him, as will soon appear from the following narrative, if Allah the Most High willeth.