Ibn Hishām relates:
On that day ʿIkrimah, in his flight from ʿAmr, hurled away his spear, and Ḥassān ibn Thābit composed the following verses about him (in the mutaqārib metre):
He fled and flung aside his spear—
ʿIkrimah, would that you had not!
You turned and ran like the male ostrich,
never swerving from your head-long dash.
You never dared look back in comfort;
your nape was like the nape of a young hyena.
Ibn Hishām comments: “al-farāʿil are young hyenas.”
Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Bayhaqī records in his Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwah, citing Ibn Isḥāq outside the text of al-Sīrah, that ʿAmr ibn ʿAbd Wudd came forth clad in full armour and called out, “Who will duel with me?” ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib rose and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I will.” The Prophet ﷺ replied, “It is ʿAmr; sit down.”
ʿAmr called again, “Is there no man to face me?” and went on reproaching them: “Where is that Garden you claim that whoever among you is killed will enter? Will no one come out to me?” ʿAlī stood once more: “I will, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet said, “Sit down.”
When ʿAmr called a third time he recited (in the majzūʾ al-kāmil metre):
I have grown hoarse from calling out
to all of you—who will meet me?
I stand firm while the dauntless
shrink from the champion’s post.
Thus have I always hurried
head-long into the fray;
For courage in a youth
and generosity are the best of traits.
At this ʿAlī, may Allah be pleased with him, rose and said, “O Messenger of Allah, it is I.” The Prophet replied, “He is ʿAmr.” ʿAlī answered, “Even though he be ʿAmr.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then allowed him to go forth. ʿAlī advanced toward ʿAmr, reciting (also in majzūʾ al-kāmil):
Be not impatient, for the one
who answers your call has come, no weakling—
With purpose clear and insight sure;
truth is the refuge of every victor.
I hope to set over you
the wailing of mourning women,
By one decisive stroke whose fame
will live on in every clash.
“Who are you?” asked ʿAmr.
“I am ʿAlī.”
“Son of ʿAbd Manāf?”
“I am ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib.”
“Choose someone else, my nephew; there are uncles of yours older than you. I dislike shedding your blood.”
ʿAlī replied, “But, by Allah, I do not dislike shedding yours.”
Enraged, ʿAmr dismounted, drew his sword—a blaze of fire—and advanced furiously. ʿAlī met him with his shield; ʿAmr struck it, splitting it and fixing his blade in it, while the blow grazed ʿAlī’s head and cut it. ʿAlī then struck ʿAmr on the base of the neck, and he fell. Dust billowed up, and when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ heard the takbīr he knew that ʿAlī had killed him.
On that occasion ʿAlī recited (in the kāmil metre):