Maʿmar ibn Abī Sarḥ (1) ibn Rabīʿah ibn Hilāl al-Qurashī, Abū Saʿd (2) al-Fihri (3)—some say his given name was ʿAmr—was a veteran Companion who fought at Badr.

Abū Usayd (4) Mālik ibn Rabīʿah. Al-Fallās said that he died in this same year, though the sounder opinion is that his death occurred in the year 40 AH, and it has also been said in 60 AH; Allah knows best.

Then the year 31 AH began.

In that year took place the Battle of al-Ṣawārī and, at sea, the Battle of al-Asāwidah, as related by al-Wāqidī (while Abū Maʿshar maintained that the Battle of al-Ṣawārī happened in 34 AH; the gist of the matter, according to al-Wāqidī, is as follows).

Sīf and others (5) report that Greater Syria had been fully consolidated for Muʿāwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān two years into the caliphate of ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān (may Allah be pleased with him). Muʿāwiyah guarded the region with the utmost vigilance, and every year he mounted a summer expedition into Byzantine territory—hence they called such a campaign the ṣāʾifah—killing many, taking others captive, capturing fortresses, securing booty, and striking terror into the enemy.

When ʿAbd Allah ibn Saʿd ibn Abī Sarḥ had inflicted heavy losses on the Franks and Berbers in the lands of Ifriqiyyah and al-Andalus, the Byzantines became incensed. They rallied behind Constantine, son of Heraclius, and advanced against the Muslims with a force the like of which had never been seen since the rise of Islam: five hundred ships set sail, heading straight for ʿAbd Allah ibn Abī Sarḥ and the Muslims stationed in the Maghrib.

When the two forces came into view of one another, the Byzantines spent the night chanting their liturgy and making the sign of the cross (6), while the Muslims passed the night reciting the Quran and praying. At dawn, ʿAbd Allah ibn Saʿd arrayed his men in ranks aboard the ships and ordered them to remember Allah and to recite the Quran.

One of those present related:

“They advanced upon us with more ships than anyone had ever seen. They reefed (7) their masts, and the wind favoured them while it was against us. We cast anchor, whereupon the wind died down on our side. We called out to them, ‘If you wish, we and you can disembark onto land so that the quicker of the two hosts (8) meets his death.’ They roared in unison and replied, ‘Water! Water!’ So we drew near to them.”