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When the Hawāzin broke and fled, their chieftain Mālik ibn ʿAwf al-Naṣrī stopped on a mountain pass with a party of his men and said, “Hold your ground until your weak ones cross and your rear catches up.”

Ibn Isḥāq relates: I was informed that a troop of horsemen came into view while Mālik and his companions were still on the pass. He asked them, “What do you see?” They replied, “We see riders who have set their lances between the ears of their horses; the points of their spears are long.” He said, “Those are the Banū Sulaym; you have nothing to fear from them.” When the riders approached, they descended into the bottom of the valley.

Another group of cavalry then appeared behind them. He asked, “What do you see?” They said, “We see riders holding their lances crosswise, dangling loosely over their mounts.” He replied, “These are the Aws and the Khazraj; there is no danger to you from them.” When they reached the foot of the pass, they followed the same path the Banū Sulaym had taken.

Presently a single horseman emerged. He asked, “What do you see?” They answered, “We see a lone rider with a long spearhead, resting his lance on his shoulder, his head wrapped in a red cloak.” He said, “That is al-Zubayr ibn al-ʿAwwām. By al-Lāt, he will close with you—so stand firm!” When al-Zubayr reached the base of the pass and spotted them, he charged and continued thrusting at them until he drove them away from it.

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The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—then ordered the spoils to be collected. The camels, sheep, and captives were gathered, and he commanded that they be taken to al-Jiʿrānah and held there.

Ibn Isḥāq says: The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—placed Masʿūd ibn ʿAmr al-Ghifārī in charge of the booty.

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Ibn Isḥāq also reports: One of our companions told me that on that day the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—passed by a woman whom Khālid ibn al-Walīd had killed, while the people were crowding around her. He said to one of his companions,

“Catch up with Khālid and tell him: ‘The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—forbids you to kill a child, a woman, or a hired servant.’”

This is how Ibn Isḥāq narrated the incident, though the chain of transmission is broken.