Muʿāwiyah’s power began to assert itself, ʿAlī summoned one of his men and ordered him to ride to Damascus, hobble his mount at the mosque gate, and go in dressed as a traveler. The man obeyed, having been coached on exactly what to say. When the Syrians asked, “Where have you come from?” he replied, “From Iraq.” They said, “What news do you bring?” He answered, “I left ʿAlī after he had gathered an army for you and stirred the Iraqis to march.”

The report reached Muʿāwiyah, who sent Abū al-Aʿwar al-Sulamī to verify it. Abū al-Aʿwar questioned the man, who repeated the story that was now circulating. A herald then called, “Prayer in congregation!” The mosque filled. Muʿāwiyah mounted the pulpit, bore witness to the faith, and declared, “ʿAlī has set out against you with the people of Iraq. What do you advise?” The assembly lowered their chins to their chests; not a single eye met his.

At that, Dhū al-Kalāʿ al-Ḥimyarī rose and said, “The counsel is yours, and the deed is ours”—meaning they would carry it out. Muʿāwiyah stepped down, and a proclamation rang out: “Proceed to your camp; whoever stays behind after three days forfeits his own protection.”

Meanwhile, ʿAlī’s envoy returned and reported what had happened. ʿAlī ordered the cry, “Prayer in congregation!” The people assembled; he ascended the pulpit, praised and glorified Allah, and said, “My messenger whom I dispatched to Syria has come back to me and informed me that Muʿāwiyah is advancing against you with the Syrians. What is your counsel?”

The people in the mosque burst out, “Commander of the Believers, the counsel is this, the counsel is that,” until their voices overlapped and ʿAlī could make nothing of it for the din. He descended, saying, “To Allah we belong and to Him we return! The son of the liver-eater has carried the day”—meaning Muʿāwiyah.

Al-Aʿmash said: A man who witnessed ʿAlī on the Day of Ṣiffīn told me that he was clapping his hands together and biting them, exclaiming, “How astonishing! I am disobeyed while Muʿāwiyah is obeyed!”