al-Walīd ibn ʿUqbah. The fighting grew intense, and—according to Abū Mikhnaf—al-Walīd kept taunting Ibn ʿAbbās, saying: “You killed your Caliph yet failed to obtain what you wanted! By Allah, Allah will grant us victory over you.” Ibn ʿAbbās replied, “Then step out and face me!” but he refused. It is also said that Ibn ʿAbbās himself fought with great valor that day—may Allah be pleased with him.
On the sixth day—Monday—the Iraqi forces were commanded by Qays ibn Saʿd ⦗1⦘ [ibn ʿUbādah], while the Syrians were led by Ibn Dhī al-Kilāʿ. They fought fiercely once more, held their ground, and then withdrew.
On the seventh day—Tuesday—al-Ashtar al-Nakhaʿī advanced from ʿAlī’s ranks, and his counterpart from Muʿāwiyah’s camp, Ḥabīb ibn Maslama, rode out to meet him. Another bitter engagement ensued, yet through all these days neither army gained the upper hand.
Abū Mikhnaf relates: Mālik ibn Aʿyan al-Juhayni told me, on the authority of Zayd ibn Wahb, that ʿAlī said, “How long will we refrain from attacking these people with our full strength?” Then, on Wednesday evening ⦗2⦘ after the ʿAṣr prayer, he stood before the troops and proclaimed:
“Praise belongs to Allah, whose decree ⦗3⦘ none can undo. What He unravels cannot be rewoven, and what He weaves none can sever. Had He willed, no two of His creatures would differ; the ummah would never dispute over any part of His command; nor would the one of lesser merit deny the excellence of the one favored. Destiny has driven us and these people together and gathered ⦗4⦘ us in this place. Our Lord sees and hears us; had He wished He would have hastened retribution and wrought the change ⦗5⦘ that would expose oppression as false and show where the truth will settle. Yet He has made this world the arena of deeds, and He has made the Hereafter with Him the abode of permanence: ‘that He may recompense those who do evil according to what they have done and reward those who do good with what is best’ (Q 53:31).
Know that you will meet the enemy tomorrow. Spend the night in long prayer, recite the Quran in abundance, ask Allah for victory and patience, and confront them ⦗6⦘ with earnestness and resolve. Be truthful!”
The men leapt to their swords, spears, and arrows, setting them in order.
While they were thus occupied, Kaʿb ibn Juʿayl ⦗7⦘ of the Taghlib tribe passed by, saw what they were doing ⦗8⦘, and began to recite these rajaz lines:
The ummah awakes to a wondrous affair;
Tomorrow the rule shall belong to the one who prevails.
I have spoken words of truth, not lies:
Tomorrow the banners of the Arabs will fall.
At dawn ʿAlī stood among his soldiers, having arrayed them as he wished, and Muʿāwiyah likewise mounted among his troops, having arrayed them as he wished, and