and for integrity, whereas Ibn al-Zubayr has set himself apart from the community.’

al-Ḍaḥḥāk therefore summoned the people to pledge allegiance to him for three days, but no one stood firm with him. He then reverted to calling them to Ibn al-Zubayr, yet his standing among the people had already declined.

Ibn Ziyād next said, ‘A man who seeks what you seek does not remain in towns and fortresses; rather he pitches camp in the open country and rallies men to him with his troops.’ So al-Ḍaḥḥāk marched out to Marj Rāhiṭ and encamped there, while Ibn Ziyād stayed in Damascus, the Umayyads in Tadmur, and Khālid and ʿAbd Allāh with their maternal uncle Ḥassān at al-Jābiya.

Ibn Ziyād then wrote to Marwān, instructing him to make his claim public. Marwān accordingly called the people to his own allegiance and married Umm Khālid ibn Yazīd—Umm Hāshim bint Abī Hāshim ibn ʿUtba ibn Rabīʿa. His prestige swelled; the people pledged to him and gathered around him. He marched toward Marj Rāhiṭ against al-Ḍaḥḥāk ibn Qays, and ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Ziyād and his brother ʿAbbād ibn Ziyād rode to join him until thirteen thousand men were with Marwān. In Damascus, on his behalf, was Yazīd ibn Abī al-Nims (1), who had expelled al-Ḍaḥḥāk’s governor from the city and was supplying Marwān with arms, men, and other provisions.

It is also said that his deputy in Damascus that day was ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Umm al-Ḥakam. Marwān placed ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Ziyād over his right wing and ʿAmr ibn Saʿīd ibn al-ʿĀṣ over his left.

al-Ḍaḥḥāk sent to al-Nuʿmān ibn Bashīr, who reinforced him with the men of Ḥimṣ under Sharḥabīl ibn Dhiʾl-Kilāʿ. Zufar ibn al-Ḥārith al-Kilābī likewise joined him with the forces of Qinnasrīn. Thus al-Ḍaḥḥāk commanded thirty thousand men; over his right wing he set Ziyād ibn ʿAmr al-ʿAqīlī, and over his left Zakariyyā ibn Shammar al-Hilālī.

The two armies drew up and fought on the plain for twenty days, meeting each day at Marj and engaging in fierce combat.

Thereafter ʿUbayd Allāh advised Marwān to invite them to a truce as a ruse, saying, ‘War is but deception (2); you and your men are upon the truth, while they are upon falsehood.’ A proclamation for a truce was therefore made among the troops.

Marwān’s men then betrayed the pact and fell upon them, killing them savagely, while al-Ḍaḥḥāk’s followers displayed remarkable steadfastness. During the clash al-Ḍaḥḥāk ibn Qays was slain—killed by a man named Zaḥmah ibn ʿAbd Allāh of the Banū Kalb, who drove a spear clean through him without recognizing him.

Marwān and his companions likewise held their ground until the others broke and fled. Marwān shouted, ‘Let no one pursue a fugitive!’

al-Ḍaḥḥāk’s head was then brought, and it is said that the first to bring him news of the killing was Rawḥ ibn Zinbāʿ al-Judhāmī.

Thus the sovereignty of Syria came firmly into the hands of Marwān ibn al-Ḥakam.

It is related that on the day of Marj Rāhiṭ he wept for himself, saying, ‘After I have grown old and weak, have I come to be cut down by swords for the sake of kingship?!’

I add: His tenure in power lasted no more than nine months, as we shall set forth.

al-Ḍaḥḥāk was al-Ḍaḥḥāk ibn Qays ibn Khālid al-Akbar ibn Wahb ibn Thaʿlaba ibn Wāʾila ibn ʿAmr ibn Shaybān ibn Muḥārib