anyone (1) with fighting until the Syrians attacked first, and that no wounded man was to be finished off, no fleeing enemy pursued, the privacy of no woman violated nor she herself insulted—even should she curse the leaders and the righteous.
Muʿāwiyah advanced at dawn that very night. He placed Ibn Dhī al-Kilāʿ al-Ḥimyarī over the right wing, Ḥabīb ibn Maslama al-Fahrī over the left, Abū al-Aʿwar al-Sulamī over the vanguard, ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ over the cavalry of Damascus, and al-Ḍaḥḥāk ibn Qays over their infantry. Ibn Jarīr records this.
Ibn Dayzil (2) likewise transmitted—through Jābir al-Jaʿfī, from Abū Jaʿfar al-Bāqir, Zayd (3) ibn al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī, and others. They said: “When Muʿāwiyah learned that ʿAlī had begun his march, he moved toward him, appointing Sufyān ibn ʿAmr Abū al-Aʿwar al-Sulamī to the vanguard and Basr ibn Abī Arṭātah to the rearguard, and so the two hosts proceeded until they converged on the plain of Ṣiffīn (4).”
Ibn al-Kalbī added: “He put Abū al-Aʿwar al-Sulamī over the vanguard, Basr over the rear, ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿUmar over the cavalry, entrusted the banner to ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Khālid ibn al-Walīd, made Ḥabīb ibn Maslama commander of the right wing with Yazīd ibn Zaḥr al-ʿAnsī (5) over its infantry; ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ commander of the left wing with Ḥābis ibn Saʿd al-Ṭāʾī over its infantry; al-Ḍaḥḥāk ibn Qays over the Damascene horse with Yazīd ibn Labīd ibn Karz al-Bajalī over their foot. He set Dhū al-Kilāʿ in charge of the men of Ḥimṣ and Maslama ibn Mukhalled over the men of Palestine (6).”
Muʿāwiyah then stood and addressed the people, praising and extolling Allah, after which he said (7):
“O people! By Allah, I secured Syria only through obedience, and I can dominate the war with the people of Iraq only through patience, nor can I cope with the folk of the Hijaz except through gentleness. You have prepared yourselves and marched out to defend Syria and seize Iraq, while they have set out to defend Iraq and take Syria. By my life, Syria has no hope (8) for Iraq’s wealth, nor its possessions; nor does Iraq possess the expertise and insight of Syria. The enemy behind you is great in number, and behind you there is no other force. If you defeat them, it will be only by your forbearance and endurance; but if they defeat you, they will overcome all who remain after you. They will meet you with the craftiness of the Iraqis, the mildness of the Yemenis, the discernment of the people of the Hijaz, and the hardness of the Egyptians. Victory tomorrow will belong to the one who gives his support today. ‘Moses said to his people, “Seek help from Allah and be patient.”’ (10) [Al-Aʿrāf 7:128].”
When ʿAlī was informed of Muʿāwiyah’s address, he rose (11) among his companions, urging them to engage in jihad, praising them for their steadfastness, and emboldening them by reminding them of their superior numbers in comparison with the Syrians.