Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr said, “He was one of those who had written to al-Ḥusayn inviting him to come so that they might pledge allegiance to him. When he proved unable to render al-Ḥusayn any help, he repented and went out to fight.”
I add: He was a scrupulous, devout man who joined an army that repented to Allah for having failed al-Ḥusayn the martyr, and they marched out to avenge his blood. They came to be called the Army of the Penitents (tawwabūn).
It was he who, on the day of Ṣiffīn, stepped forward to single combat against Hawshab Dhū Zulaym and killed him.
Sulaymān urged the people to perform jihad and set out with thousands to fight ʿUbayd Allah ibn Ziyād, announcing, “If I am killed, your leader will be al-Musayyab ibn Najaba.”
The two armies met. ʿUbayd Allah’s forces were vast, and the battle raged for three days, with heavy casualties on both sides.
The slaughter struck the Penitents—the supporters of al-Ḥusayn—especially hard. Their four commanders were killed: Sulaymān, al-Musayyab, ʿAbd Allah ibn Saʿd, and ʿAbd Allah ibn Wāli. This took place at ʿAyn al-Warda, also known as Raʾs al-ʿAyn (1), in the year 65 AH. Rifāʿa ibn Shaddād withdrew the remaining fighters to Kūfa.
62 – Anas ibn Mālik ibn al-Naḍr ibn Ḍamḍam al-Anṣārī * (ʿ)
son of Zayd ibn Ḥarām ibn Jundub ibn ʿĀmir ibn Ghanm ibn ʿAdī ibn al-Najjār.