and others.

ʿAmr ibn Murrah narrated from ʿAbdullāh ibn Salamah: “I saw ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir at Ṣiffīn. When he caught sight of Muʿāwiyah’s banner he said, ‘This is the standard I fought against with the Messenger of Allah four times already.’ He then fought on until he was killed.

Another narrator said: Al-Ashʿath ibn Qays advanced with two thousand men, and Abū al-Aʿwar met them with five thousand. They clashed, and al-Ashʿath seized control of the water, driving the Syrians from it.

The armies met again on Wednesday, the 7th of Ṣafar, then on Thursday, Friday, and the eve of Saturday. When the Syrians saw the tide turning against them, they—at the prompting of ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ—raised copies of the Quran and called for a truce and arbitration. ʿAlī accepted the arbitration of two judges, whereupon a faction of his army objected, declaring, “Judgment belongs to Allah alone.” They broke away from him; these became the Khārijites.

Thuwair ibn Abī Fākhtah reported from his father that twenty-five veterans of Badr were killed on ʿAlī’s side at Ṣiffīn. (Thuwair is deemed unreliable.)

Al-Shaʿbī said: On the day of Ṣiffīn, ʿAbdullāh ibn Budayl wore two coats of mail and carried two swords. He struck the Syrians while chanting:

“Nothing remains but patience and trust,
Then to stride out with the foremost thrust;
Like sturdy camels heading for their pool—
Allah decrees whatever He wills and does.”

He kept cutting his way forward until he reached Muʿāwiyah and forced him from his place. Muʿāwiyah’s men then pelted him with stones until he was mortally wounded and killed. Muʿāwiyah came up to the body, and ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿĀmir threw his turban over him, covering him and praying for mercy upon him,