Some U’lamâ of histories have stated, that at the time when A’li the Amir of the Faithful desired to send Abu Mûsa Asha’ry to Daumatu-j-jandal, Harnûs B. Zoheyr and Zara’h B. Mâlek had advised his lordship not to place the reins of the judgment of God into the hands of Abu Mûsa and to send no one to the antagonists, but the Shâh and recipient of Vicarship replied: ‘How can I break my promise, and under what pretence can I allow the covenant to be disregarded? The Lord Most High says: “Perform the covenant with Allah when ye enter into a covenant, and break not your oaths after ye have pledged them.”* How can such a thing be conceived after the document of the covenant has been written, and the signatures of well-known and prominent men have been appended thereto?’ Then Ebn Lakwâ with all the Khowârej raised on every side the shout: ‘There is no judge except Allah!’ and having often repeated this expression, they continued: ‘Thy intention to make Abu Mûsa Asha’ry the judge is a sin; repent of it! As all the troops have now rested themselves, order them to assemble, that we may march and ardently wage war against the foes.’ A’li the Commander of the Faithful replied: ‘It is not a sin to delegate Abu Mûsa, but the origin of the sending of him was the sign of weakmindedness, and when the Syrian forces lifted up the Qurâns on spears I told you that this was a mere trick, and invited you to fight one hour more to gain the victory, but you would not listen to my words, and had no mercy with me.’ Zara’h then said: ‘If thou failest to prohibit Abu Mûsa from going, and to prevent him from being a judge, we shall fight against thee.’ The Amir of the Faithful replied: ‘I apprehend thou wilt soon be pierced by my lance.’ He rejoined: ‘That is also my intention.’ Harnûs said: ‘Say what sin I have committed, and I shall repent.’ His lordship continued: ‘In this matter you have committed a sin, and not I.’ Now a man said to the Amir of the Faithful: ‘These people have become numerous; they call thee an unbeliever for having appointed a judge, and unless thou takest hold of the skirt of repentance and apology they will wage war against thee.’ His lordship replied: ‘I shall do the same to them.’ These discussions continued till Abu Mûsa departed to Daumatu-j-jandal, and when the news of the judgment, as already recorded above, arrived in Kûfah, the Khowârej were glad, saying: ‘It is licit to shed the blood of A’li unless he abdicates the Khalifate.’ One day, when the Amir of the Faithful was addressing the people [in the mosque], one of the Khowârej, rising to his feet, said: ‘There is no judge besides Allah!’ His friends, seconding him, repeated the same expression, and his lordship, hearing them, said: ‘These words are true, but the conclusion you draw from them is false, you being desirous to abolish the Amirate and the government, whereas the people cannot dispense with a meritorious governor, whether they are good or bad, so that he may with the aid of opulent men and by his own efforts annihilate foes, accumulate wealth, establish public security, protect the weak against the strong, and the oppressed against oppressors. You may expect three things from me—one is that I shall not hinder you from entering mosques; the other is that if you co-operate with me I shall not withhold from you a share of the booty; and thirdly, if you wage war against me I shall do so against you.’
It is recorded in the history of Abu Hanifah Dinwari that when the people of Kûfah had heard what decision Abu Mûsa Asha’ry and A’mru A´as had arrived at, the great men of the Khowârej and their ascetics paid a visit to the house of A’bdullah B. Wohob Alrâsy, who, after praising God and saluting the prince of created beings—u. w. bl.— said: ‘Is it proper that people who believe in God and in the last day should hold themselves excused from doing good and from avoiding evil, not applying the word of God [equally] to the low and the high? At present our brothers have agreed to abide by the decision of two men, but their judgment is contrary to the requirements of the glorious Qurân. Now, let everyone who desires to be saved from the calamity of this innovation flee from this town, which is full of darkness.’ Harnûs B. Zoheyr having also spoken to the same purpose, and encouraged the people to emigrate, Hamzah B. Syâr, who was one of the chiefs of the Khowârej, said: ‘What these two men have proposed is the very truth and perfect suitableness, but the reins of selection are to be placed into the grasp of a man who is able and worthy to govern, so that in their troubles and difficulties the people may have recourse to his farsighted discernment.’ The Khowârej, who considered this to be a wise suggestion, offered the post of Amir to Yazid B. Hassyn, who was one of their hermits, but he demurred; then they invited Barâ B. A’wfy to accept it, who having likewise refused, they requested A’bdullah B. Wohob to become encircled with the garland of the Khalifate. A’bdullah complied with the demand of the people, and said: ‘My object in accepting the Amirship is not the acquisition of mundane enjoyments, but my intention is to gain eternal rewards and to attain essential merits.’ Then he drew out his hand from the sleeve of boldness, so that those people paid him homage.* When he had been established he said to his friends: ‘God the Most High and Glorious has made a covenant with and taken a promise from us, that we should command to do what is good and abstain from what is evil, that we should withhold true words from no one, and wage war for the religion; God the Most High says: “And whoso judgeth not according to what Allah hath revealed, they are unbelievers.”* It is well known to everyone that many of the professors of the religion have begun to follow the dictates of their own passions, and have not acted according to the requirements of the Divine book, having appointed two judges who gave a decision contrary to justice. I swear by that God besides whom there is no other, that if I find no one to aid me I shall alone wage war against those erring people until I become a martyr.’ Some other chiefs of the Khowârej people having likewise exhorted A’bdullah B. Wohob to wage war against A’li the Commander of the Faithful, the meeting dispersed. The next day A’bdullah B. Wohob went with a number of Khowârej to Sharyh B. Abu A’wfy, who was one of their great men, and said: ‘Abu Mûsa Asha’ry and A’mru A´ass have given a judgment contrary to the book of God, and have therefore become infidels when they assented to being made judges, and it is now our intention to leave this town, because we can no longer bear to see the displays of the adherents of futility.’ Sharyh replied: ‘Inform thy adherents that we may together start to Madâin, and despatch a courier to Bossrah, so that our friends who are in that country may come out together with us.’ Yazid B. Hassyn said: ‘If we leave this city in crowds the inhabitants will follow us, and attack us, so that we shall either have to be killed or to submit to their commands. We must therefore leave Kûfah one by one or two by two, and let our tryst be the bridge of Naharwân, but not Madâin, because dangers are in that locality, and a letter is to be sent to Bossrah that our partisans may join us there [i.e., at the bridge].’ The people having approved of this advice, a letter was despatched to the Khowârej of Bossrah of the following purport: ‘You must join your friends, so that we may acquire [eternal] merit and distinction. I have sent you one of your own brothers, noted for his honesty and far from deceit, that you may ask from him information on the state of affairs.’ When they had completed this letter they intrusted it to A’bdullah B. Sa’yd, who carried it to Bossrah, and when the inhabitants had perused it, they wrote in reply: ‘We intend to meet you shortly.’ After that the adherents of aberration departed from Kûfah, one by one and in pairs, in the direction of Naharwân, and at the time of starting Yazid B. Hassyn recited the following verse: ‘“Wherefore he departed from it [i.e., from the city] in great fear [lest he should be pursued]; and he said, O Lord, deliver me from the unjust people. And when he was journeying towards Madian he said: Peradventure my Lord will direct me in the right way.”’* On the road many of those people joined him, amongst them being also Zaid B. A’dy B. Hattim Ttây. When A’dy heard of the departure of his son he hastened after the Khowârej, not halting anywhere till he reached Madâin, but as he could not find any trace of him there, he informed Sa’d B. Masu’d Thaqfy, who was the plenipotentiary of the Amir of the Faithful in that district, and having exhorted him to capture the Khowârej, himself returned to Kûfah. On the road, however, he met A’bdullah B. Wohob Alrâsy, who was, according to the promise he had made to his friends, about to join them at Naharwân. A’bdullah desired to take A’dy, but was unable to do so on account of the objections of two Khowârej. After the departure of A’dy in the direction of Kûfah, Sa’d B. Masu’d marched with five hundred cavalry from Madâin in search of the Khowârej, and both parties encountered each other near the time of evening prayers at Baghdâd [sic]. Sa’d engaged in hostilities with A’bdullah B. Wohob, who had at that time not more than thirty men with him. When the fight had lasted awhile, the companions of Sa’d said to him: ‘As no orders have been issued from the abode of the Khalifate to wage war against the Khowârej, thou must abstain from slaying these people, and represent the state of affairs to his lordship A’li the Commander of the Faithful.’ Sa’d, having complied with the request of his companions, returned to Madâin, and A’bdullah B. Wohob [on his part], having performed the distance, arrived at Naharwân, where he found a great multitude of his partisans had assembled. On this occasion five hundred men of the Khowârej had departed from Bossrah and gone to Naharwân. When A’bdullah B. A’bbâs had heard of this event, he despatched Abu-l-aswad Dylemy with a number of valiant men, saying: ‘Hasten after those people and turn them back.’ Abu-l-aswad went in pursuit of the Khowârej and overtook them at the bridge of Tastar, but night intervening, the opponents eluded molestation, and no fight took place between the parties. The Khowârej of Bossrah, desirous to bring over to their sect every man they found on the road, invited everyone to join them. All who were ready to refuse to accept the decision of the two judges escaped with their lives; in the contrary case, however, they were despatched by sabres to the eternal paradise. When the union of the people of Bossrah with those of Kûfah had been brought to the notice of A’li the Commander of the Faithful, he sent them the following letter: ‘In the name of Allah the Merciful, the Clement. From the servant of Allah and Amir of the Faithful, to A’bdullah B. Wohob Alrâsy and to Yazid B. Alhassyn and to those who follow them. Salutation to you! Verily the two men who agreed to that which the Book of Allah has enjoined to us have followed their own inclinations, and not the guidance of Allah by what they have done, and not given their decision according to the Qurân. We reject their decision, and we adhere to our former determination; receive it, therefore—may Allah have mercy on you—for we are marching against our enemies and yours, to wage war against them again, until Allah judges between us; for He is the best of judges.’ When the letter of the Shâh and recipient of the Vicariate had been received by the Khowârej, they sent him the following reply: ‘But after [the usual preliminary we say that] thou hast not injured the Cherisher [i.e., God], but only thy own soul, by assenting to the decision of two judges and becoming an infidel. If thou repentest and behavest honestly we shall meet thy wishes with a glance of acceptance, but if thou persistest in thy sin we invite thee to the straight road, and there is no doubt whatever that the Creator—who be praised and exalted—bears no love towards treacherous people.’ When this writing arrived in Kûfah, A’li the Amir of the Faithful despaired of the Khowârej becoming obedient to him; he therefore determined to let those people alone, and to march to Syria in order to chastise Moa’wiah again. He accordingly departed from Kûfah, encamped in the locality of Nakhlah, and addressed his companions as follows: ‘Engage in preparations for the march, because I have issued Firmâns to the governors of provinces and have summoned them. When the troops are assembled we shall turn our faces towards Syria for the purpose of removing the partisans of darkness, if Allah the Most High willeth.’ The men of Kûfah then prepared, according to these orders, for a march to Syria. A’li the Amir of the Faithful then despatched swift couriers into various provinces of the well-guarded realms, inviting the bold warriors quickly to join the victory-allied camp. He likewise sent a letter to A’bdullah B. Abbâs, inviting him to come with the army of Bossrah, whereon that lord, having tied on the Ehrâm* of attendance, had with seven thousand men arrived in Nakhlah and attained the honour of the hand-kiss, so that [at last] more than eighty thousand were assembled in the camp.
| Distich: | From every side a crowd gathered around him, Which was of good origin and also sword-striking.* |
Meanwhile, the news arrived that the Khowârej had begun to plunder and to kill in the plain of E’râq, forgetting the book of God and the Sonna of his lordship the Mussttafa —u. w. bl. The man who brought the information of the insurrection of the Khowârej stated that when they met A’bdullah B. Hubbâb and another man, they asked them: ‘Have you assented that Abu Mûsa Asha’ry and A’mru B. A´ass should be judges?’ Those unfortunate two men, having given an affirmative reply, were immediately killed only on that account. He also narrated that Senân A’bd Rabbihi had met with the same fate, and the Khowârej were engaged in shedding blood and plundering. After receiving this information the Amir of the Faithful despatched Hâreth B. Murrah to Naharwân to bring authentic news; that innocent man, however, was likewise killed by the sword of the Khowârej when he had reached the vicinity of Naharwân. When the high Amirs heard this account, they made a representation to A’li the Commander of the Faithful, saying: ‘It is not proper that we should leave alone these misguided people and go to Syria, permitting them freely to shed the blood of Musalmâns and to ravage their property. It is, moreover, probable that the wickedness of this faction will spread to Kûfah; it would, therefore, be suitable for us to march with our forces against those people, and to invite them to obedience. If they assent all will be well, but in the contrary case we shall exterminate that base faction with the bright scimitar. When our minds have become relieved of the wickedness of the Khowârej faction, we shall turn the reins of our intention towards Syria.’ This suggestion having been approved of by the august nature of A’li the Commander of the Faithful, he ordered it to be proclaimed that the troops should march to Naharwân; they accordingly proceeded till they were at a distance of one farsakh from the camp of the Khowârej, and then halted. In that stage his lordship the recipient of the Vicariate held a consultation with A’bdullah B. A’bbâs and with Abu Ayûb, the Anssary, both of whom he then despatched to the camp of the Khowârej for the purpose of making efforts to cool the ardour of the Khowârej with the limpid water of advice. Those two respected men then betook themselves to the camp of the Khowârej, but their admonitions having proved of no avail, they returned and reported the state of affairs. Then the Amir of the Faithful proceeded in his own noble person to the camp of the Khowârej, but halted at a short distance, from which his voice would be heard by them, and addressed them as follows: ‘O ye crowd who have come out for a purpose, do not you know that when I proposed that two judges should give a decision according to the requirements of the Divine book, and that at the time when the people exhibited the Qurâns on the tops of lances, I said that this proceeding was nothing but a fraud and deception, and that when you would not agree to any other thing except a decision by two judges, I said that I agreed to this arrangement on the condition that the judges should keep alive what the Qurân keeps alive, and deaden what the Qurân deadens; as, however, those two individuals have acted contrary to the Divine word, and have chosen to follow the dictates of wicked passions, we have considered their decision as non-existent, and have adhered to what we first said. Now, I do not know what the cause of your insurrection and opposition is.’ The Khowârej replied: ‘At the time when we assented to the [proposed] judgment we became infidels, but, having repented, we now regret that step. If thou wilt likewise catch hold of the skirt of repentance and apology, we shall again be obedient and loyal to thee.’ A’li the Commander of the Faithful said: ‘If I were, despite my precedence in Islâm, my exile with the apostle of Allah, my waging of holy wars, and my striving to obtain the approbation of Allah, nevertheless to bear witness against my own soul [by doubting against these prerogatives], I would be of the number of the erring, and not of those who are [Divinely] guided.’ His lordship the recipient of the Vicariate also added: ‘My desire is that you should appoint a man of yourselves in whose words and deeds you place confidence, to discuss the matter with me. If he convinces me, I shall act according to your words, but if I overpower him, then you must fear God the Most High and become obedient and loyal to me.’ The Khowârej then selected A’bdullah B. Alkwâ to confer with his lordship. A’li the Commander of the Faithful then said: ‘O son of Alkwâ, what has happened to you that you have rebelled against me after assenting to my Khalifate, to wage religious wars and to be obedient to me? How is it that on the “day of the camel” you have manifested no sentiments like these?’ Ebn Alkwâ replied: ‘On that day there was no judging.’ The Amir of the Faithful continued: ‘Woe be to thee, O son of Alkwâ! Are my justice, guidance and direction more excellent than the justice of the apostle?’ He replied: ‘The justice of the apostle.’ His lordship continued: ‘Hast thou not heard that in the contention with the people of Najrân, and on account of their silly behaviour, the following verse was revealed: “Say [to them], Let us call together our sons and your sons, and our wives and your wives, and ourselves and yourselves. Then let us make imprecations, and lay the curse of God on those who lie.”* It is certain that God the Most High and Glorious entertained no doubt of the people of Najrân being liars.’ Ebn Alkwâ replied: ‘This is the general opinion about them, but thou hast thyself created a doubt concerning thyself and thy Khalifate when thou hast assented to the judgment [to be given] by two judges; and as thou hast concerning thyself fallen into doubt, our doubt with referrence to thee is more valid.’ A’li the Amir of the Faithful then recited another verse [of the Qurân] to corroborate his statement and as a testimony for it, and A’bdullah having again given an unsuitable answer, his lordship continued his arguments until he subdued him, whereon Ebn Alkwâ said at last: ‘Whatever thou sayest is true, and there is no fault in thee except that thou hast become an infidel at the time when thou hast appointed Abu Mûsa to be a judge.’ The Shâh and recipient of Vicarship rejoined: ‘I have made Abu Mûsa a judge, and Moa’wiah made A’mru B. A´ass one.’ Ebn Alkwâ continued: ‘Abu Mûsa is an infidel.’ His lordship said: ‘Abu Mûsa became an infidel when he went to Daumatu-j-jandal, or at the moment of his departure.’ Ebn Alkwâ replied: ‘At the time of [giving] the judgment.’ The Amir of the Faithful rejoined: ‘Abu Mûsa, having at the time of my sending him been a Musalmân, and become an infidel when the judgment was delivered, what can be my fault in this matter? Supposing the apostle to have sent a man to polytheists to invite them to [believe in] God, and he invited them to something else, what reproach would fall on his lordship? What reproach can now befall me on account of the error of Abu Mûsa, and how will the shedding of the blood of Musalmâns become licit to you?’ When the great men of the Khowârej had heard these words from his lordship the Amir of the Faithful, they said to Ebn Alkwâ: ‘Restrain thy tongue from opposing this man, and return to thy place.’ Ebn Alkwâ then went back in obedience to this command, whereon the Khowârej got ready for hostilities and desired to begin the combat. When the lord and recipient of Vicarship knew that nothing except the scimitar could decide the case of those erring men, he drew out his forces in battle array, gave the command of the right wing to Hajar B. A’dy, appointed Shith B. Rabyi’y to the left, and Abu Ayûb to take charge of the whole cavalry, ordering all the infantry to assemble under the banner of Abu Qotâdah. The Khowârej, on their part, also arranged their lines, polluting the right wing by the presence of Yazid B. Hassyn, and appointing Sharyh B. Abu A’wfy to the left, while Harnûs B. Zoheyr accepted the command of the mounted troops, and Ebn Alkwâ made that of the infantry the aim of his efforts.
On that day both the [opposing] armies remained standing in front of each other. A’li the Commander of the Faithful, having left two thousand men to guard a banner, ordered a proclamation to be shouted that anyone approaching this banner would receive quarter, and anyone departing to Kûfah would be under the protection of [God], the Lord of mercy. On the same occasion Qarwah B. Naufel Ashja’y, who was one of the Khowârej chiefs, said to his followers: ‘I do not know why a purposeless war is to be waged against A’li, who is the Vicar of God and the legatee of the prophet.’ Then he left the camp with five hundred men and marched towards the desert of Kûfah. Thus some of the Khowârej hastened towards Kûfah, and others, betaking themselves to the above-mentioned banner, found quarter for their lives and property. After that A’li the Amir of the Faithful ordered his forces not to begin hostilities, but to wait till they were attacked by the opponents. When the antagonists perceived that the victorious army would not advance, they began to shout: ‘There is no judge except Allah, although the polytheists be averse [thereto].’* Then they unanimously attacked the victorious army with such impetuosity that the hosts of the revolving sphere quaked. Then the Khowârej separated themselves into two divisions, one assailing the right and the other the left flank of the defenders of Islâm. Qays B. Moa’wiah Barhamy of the victory-allied army, having encountered Sharyh B. Abu A’wfy, cut off his foot with one blow. He, however, persevered, despite this condition, in his resistance, till Qays B. Sa’d finally despatched him.
In some chronicles it is recorded that in the battle of Naharwân a man of the Khowârej, Akhnas Ttây by name —who had displayed great valour in the battle of Ssafyn when attending on the Amir of the Faithful, and had prostrated with his bright scimitar many of the antagonists on the ground of destruction—had left his lines, stood between the two armies, recited some verses boasting of his own exploits, attacked the victory-allied army like a furious lion, broke through the lines, and issued on the other side, whereon A’li the Commander of the Faithful pursued him on horseback, but Akhnas halted and encountered his lordship. The lion of attack, however, prostrated him with the Dhu-l-fiqâr from the saddle to the ground. Harnûs B. Zoheyr then watched his opportunity, approached his lordship, intending to strike him, but the Amir of the true believers forestalled him, and [this time] broke the skull of Harnûs, who being unable to control his horse, it galloped away with him till it threw him in the rear of the battlefield on the bank of the Naharwân river in a desolate spot. After that Mâlek B. Alwodzâh, the cousin of Harnûs, entered the lists, recited a strophe in praise of Harnûs and his friends, whereon the conquering lion of Allah approached him and despatched him with one blow, so that he surrendered his life to the owner of hell. When A’bdullah B. Wohob Alrâsy, who was the very leaven of the disturbance and the chief of the Khowârej, beheld what had taken place, he came forward and said in a loud voice: ‘O son of Abu Ttâleb, how long wilt thou glory in this prolongation [of the contest]? Be pleased now to encounter me, that thou mayest behold a man attacking and wounding thee! I have made an oath not to budge from this spot unless I have slain thee or have been slain by thee.’ The Amir of the Faithful smiled, and replied: ‘Ebn Wohob has become extremely shameless, although he knows me very well. The reason for his coming out opposite to me with such boldness is nothing else but weariness of his treachery, getting tired of his life, and therefore challenging me to a duel.’ When Ebn Wohob had advanced several steps nearer and approached A’li the Commander of the Faithful, his lordship sent him with one blow of his bright scimitar to the abode of perdition. After Ebn Wohob had been slain, the victorious army so annihilated the Khowârej that, of four thousand combatants, not more than ten [sic] escaped alive from that battlefield, whereas of the victory-allied only nine were killed.
It is related as authentic that before the commencement of this battle A’li the Amir of the Faithful uttered these words with his august mouth: ‘On this battlefield the number of our slain will from units not reach decades, but of the opponents ten men will scarcely escape alive.’ There is a tradition that two of those ten fugitives went to Khorâsân, and having for some time sojourned in that province, betook themselves to the Nymrûz country,* where they remained till they died, and the Khowârej of Sejestân are considered to be their descendants. Two other men strayed to Yemen, where they begat offspring, and the Khowârej of Yemen are their progeny. Two others established themselves in O’mân, the Khowârej of which country attribute their origin to them. Two other men fled to the Jazyrah A’rab [i.e., Mesopotamia], and Aa’thum Kûfy states that a number of the descendants of these two men were [in his time] living on the banks of the river Euphrates, and one of those unlucky ten men strayed to Tal Mûdhûn.
In some traditions it is recorded that Abu Ayûb, the Anssâry, had said to the Amir of the Faithful: ‘In this combat I pierced Yazid B. Hassyn with my lance, so that it came out at his back, and I said to him: “Receive the glad tidings of the fire of Jahannam,* O enemy of Allah!” He replied: “It will soon appear who of us two is more deserving of it.”’ His lordship the Amir said: ‘There is no doubt that he is more worthy to burn in hell-fire.’—In a similar way the narrators of some traditions have recorded that Hâny B. Khattâb disputed with Zyâd B. Hafss concerning the death of Ebn Wohob, as both of them had struck him with their lances. That rank-breaking lion A’li Murtadza observed: “It is certain that each has acquired grace by killing one who has gone astray [from the religion].’—It is related that A’li the Commander of the Faithful had said before the battle of Naharwân: ‘Some people fly from the religion like an arrow from the bow, although they recite the Qurân; but the Qurân does not pass beyond their throats [into their hearts], and their hearts are not intent upon the commandments of the Furqân! I swear by that God who causes seed to sprout, and has invested man with the garment of existence from the treasury of His bounty, that the apostle of God has established me, and given me information, saying: “Thou wilt wage war against them, and those people will not return from the desert of aberration to the path of [Divine] guidance, just as the discharged arrow does not return to the thumbstall of the archer. The sign is that among those people there was a man one of whose arms near the shoulder consisted of a lump of flesh resembling the breasts of a woman, with hairs on it resembling the snout of a cat.’
O’baydah Solmâny says: ‘I was in attendance on the victory-boding stirrup of A’li, when he arrived in the vicinity of Naharwân. On that occasion a man brought the news that the Khowârej had crossed the river. His lordship was reciting his prayers, and when he had finished them he said: “This news is unfounded; these people have not crossed the water, their passage is on this side of it.” Then some combatants who had gone forward returned, and [also] stated that the antagonists had crossed the river; his lordship, however, rejoined: “By Allah, they will not pass over the river! I have never spoken lies—never been told lies—and the place where they will be killed is on this side of the river. They will kill not more than ten of you, but of them not more than ten will remain alive.”’ It is likewise recorded of O’baydah that he said: ‘When the Amir of the Faithful narrated the story of Dhu-l-thadyah,* I adjured his lordship thrice, swearing that there was no man endued with the above-described qualities among the slain, but he replied: “I swear by God that Dhu-l-thadyah is among them." Then the people again searched, till they dragged him out from beneath forty killed men. After that accursed caitiff had been found, A’li the Commander of the Faithful performed the prostration of gratitude. When the people examined the upper arm of Dhu-l-thadyah, they found that it consisted of a lump of flesh covered with hair, and when they drew it out it became as long as the other hand, but when they let go their hold it again contracted and resembled the breast of a woman.’
There is a tradition that after A’li the Commander of the Faithful had terminated fighting with the Khowârej, he passed among the killed, and said: ‘Great is your doom, since you were killed after being deceived.’ Being asked who had deceived those people, he replied: ‘Satan and their disobedient spirit.’ Then he recited the noble verse: ‘Their safety beguiled them, “And Satan prepared their works for them, and turned them aside from the way [of truth].” ’* He also said: ‘If I were not obnoxious to your reproaches, I would inform you what promises the apostle of Allah had made concerning the slain of these people.’ The narrator of this tradition states that among the slain four hundred men were found in whom a spark of life was still remaining, whereon his lordship ordered them to be delivered to their own people, and the cattle, with the weapons of the Khowârej, to be distributed among the victorious troops, but all their other property to be surrendered to their heirs.
When the august mind of his sacred lordship the Amir of the Faithful had been delivered from [apprehensions concerning] the Khowârej, he opened his mouth with laudations towards the Divine Majesty of God, and offered salutations to his lordship Muhammad Mussttafa—u. w. bl. —incited the troops to march to Syria, and said: ‘The beneficent Sovereign has been gracious to you, vouchsafing to you righteousness, benefits and victory over your foes, humbling and overthrowing them. As the Most High and Glorious has caused you to vanquish the schismatics, you are to strive to eradicate the unrighteous [people of Syria]. Some prominent men of the troops, among whom was also Asha’th B. Qays, unanimously said: ‘O Amir of the Faithful, our affairs have been completed, our swords have become blunt, and our lances are broken; send us [back] to Kûfah, that we may obtain new and mend old weapons, and then engage boldly and readily in extirpating and eradicating the enemies and rebels.’ The lord and recipient of the Vicariate having granted their request, they beat the drum of departure, and marched to Kûfah, which they approached after traversing the necessary distance, and encamped at Nakhlah. His lordship the Shâh of men then gave permission to all who had anything to do in the town to enter it, but to remain there not more than one day, because the march to Syria allowed of no delay. After a few days but a small detachment of honourable men remained stationary at Nakhlah, most of the troops having departed to the city, left the camp empty, and preferred their own comfort to the fatigues of a march. A’li the Amir of the Faithful, taking notice of this state of affairs, entered Kûfah, the inhabitants of which offered their excuses; these, however, were not accepted. After that his lordship the Amir blamed and reproached the inhabitants of Kûfah every time he addressed them [in the mosque] in eloquent language. When his lordship had manifested his displeasure beyond measure, the people of Kûfah made haste to wait on him, and said: ‘In whatever direction thou choosest to march, we shall attend at thy august, heaven-aspiring stirrup.’ These words having met with the approbation of his lordship the recipient of the Vicariate, he ordered Hâreth Hamdâny to proclaim that every man sincerely attached to the Amir of the Faithful should make his appearance in a certain locality, which was a suitable one for assembling the army, but when he visited the said place the next day, he found not more than three hundred men, and said: ‘If the number of these men had amounted to one thousand, I would have communicated a plan to them.’ He, nevertheless, remained there two days much disappointed and grieved, till Hajar B. A’dy and Qays Sa’d B. A’bâdah said: ‘It would be proper for thee to order the people to march to Syria, and if they demur, to order them to be punished.’ Accordingly, an order necessary to be obeyed was issued from the abode of the Khalifate, that none of the soldiers should lag behind in the town, but make their appearance in the camp, and the determination was arrived at that Moa’qal B. Qays should go into the districts to gather troops, whereon A’li the Commander of the Faithful returned to his abode. Moa’qal B. Qays then departed to collect forces, but he had not yet returned when his lordship attained the happiness of martyrdom. It is related in some traditions that in the beginning of the year forty,* when distressing news had arrived in Kûfah from Syria, forty thousand persons immediately paid allegiance to A’li the Commander of the Faithful, who were ready to march against the enemies; as, however, Divine predestination failed to second their intentions, Murtadza A’li—u. w. bl.—departed at that very time to the gardens of paradise.