of the Euphrates, where he met an astrologer who advised him to travel only during a specific hour of the day and not at any other time, for fear that harm would befall him if he did so. ʿAlī, however, ignored the man’s counsel, deliberately marched at the very time the astrologer had forbidden, and declared, “We march trusting in Allah, relying upon Him, and denying the word of the astrologer.” Allah—exalted is He—granted him victory, and ʿAlī said, “I acted thus only to show the people his error, for I feared that some ignorant person⦗1⦘ might say: ‘He prevailed because he followed the astrologer’s advice.’ ”
ʿAlī then took the route toward al-Anbār and sent Qays ibn Saʿd ahead of him, instructing him to go on to al-Madāʾin and meet him there with its deputy governor, Saʿd ibn Masʿūd—the brother of ʿAbd Allah ibn Masʿūd al-Thaqafī—together with the garrison of al-Madāʾin. The people there gathered around ʿAlī.
He dispatched a message to the Khārijites, saying, “Hand over to us those among you who murdered our brothers so that I may exact retribution; after that I shall leave you and go on to the Arabs—that is, the people of Syria⦗3⦘. Perhaps Allah will then turn your hearts and bring you to something better than your present state.”
They replied to ʿAlī, “We all killed your brothers, and we hold their blood—and yours—lawful⦗4⦘.”
Qays ibn Saʿd ibn ʿUbādah advanced to them and exhorted them about the grievous sin⦗5⦘ they had committed, but to no effect. Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī likewise reproached and rebuked them, yet that, too, proved futile.
Then the Commander of the Believers, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, stepped forward. He admonished, warned, cautioned, and threatened them, saying, “You condemned in me a matter to which you yourselves had summoned me, and you would accept nothing else. I forbade you from it, yet you refused. Here we stand, you and I together; return to what you left and do not violate Allah’s prohibitions. Your souls have incited you to shed Muslim blood over this affair. By Allah, had you slain even a single chicken for it, it would have been grave in Allah’s sight—how much more so the blood of Muslims!⦗7⦘”
They had no reply except to call out among themselves, “Do not speak to them or answer them! Prepare to meet the Lord—exalted is He. Onward, onward to Paradise!” They came forward, formed their battle lines, and made ready to engage. Over their right wing they appointed Zayd ibn Ḥuṣayn al-Ṭāʾī al-Sanbasī; over the left, Shurayḥ ibn ʿAwfā; over the cavalry, Ḥamzah ibn Sinān; and over the infantry, Ḥurqūṣ ibn Zuhayr al-Saʿdī. Thus they stood arrayed against ʿAlī and his men.
ʿAlī placed over his own right wing Ḥujr ibn ʿAdī; over the left, Shabath ibn Ribʿī and Maʿqil ibn Qays al-Riyāḥī; over the cavalry⦗8⦘ Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī; over the infantry, Abū Qatādah al-Anṣārī; and over the people of Medina—who numbered seven hundred—Qays ibn Saʿd ibn ʿUbādah. ʿAlī ordered Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī to raise a banner of amnesty⦗9⦘ for the Khārijites and announce: “Whoever comes to this standard is safe, and whoever returns to Kūfah or al-Madāʾin is safe; we have no need of…"