When al-Ḥajjāj learned of what ʿAbd al-Malik had written to the people of Iraq—that he would dismiss him if they consented—it caused him intense anguish, and the very notion assumed great seriousness in his eyes. He therefore wrote to ʿAbd al-Malik:

“Commander of the Faithful, by Allah, if you grant the Iraqis my dismissal, it will be only a short while before they defy you and march against you; it will merely make them bolder in their opposition to you. Have you not seen and heard of the uprising of the Iraqis, together with al-Ashʿtar al-Nakhaʿī, against Ibn ʿAffān? When he asked them, ‘What do you want?’ they replied, ‘The removal of Saʿīd ibn al-ʿĀṣ.’ Yet when he removed him, not even a year had passed before they went to him and killed him. Iron is forged only with iron (1). May Allah choose what is best for you in what you have resolved (2). Peace be upon you.”

Nevertheless, ʿAbd al-Malik insisted on presenting these concessions to the people of Iraq, wishing thereby to avert the scourge of war. He wrote to his troops, and they put the proposal before the Iraqis just as he had ordered.

ʿAbd Allāh and Muḥammad then advanced, and ʿAbd Allāh proclaimed: “People of Iraq, I am ʿAbd Allāh, son of the Commander of the Faithful ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān, and he offers you such-and-such,” whereupon he enumerated [what his father had written with him to them of] these terms. Muḥammad ibn Marwān added, “And I am the envoy of [my brother] the Commander of the Faithful bringing you the same.”

They replied, “We shall consider the matter tomorrow and give you our answer at sunset.” They then withdrew, and all the commanders gathered around Ibn al-Ashʿath. He addressed them, urging them to accept what had been offered: the dismissal of al-Ḥajjāj, renewed allegiance to ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān, continuance of their stipends, and the appointment of Muḥammad ibn Marwān over Iraq [in place of al-Ḥajjāj].

From every side the people cried out: “No, by Allah, we will not accept that! We are superior in men and materiel, while they are in straitened circumstances. We have already subdued them and they are humbled before us. By Allah, we shall never agree to that.” They then reaffirmed their deposition of ʿAbd al-Malik and his deputy a second time, and all of them concurred.

ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Malik and his uncle Muḥammad ibn Marwān returned and said to al-Ḥajjāj, “Deal with them, then; we are under your command, as the Commander of the Faithful has instructed us.” Whenever they met him they greeted him with the salutation of command, and he in turn greeted them in the same manner. Al-Ḥajjāj now resumed full control of the war and its management, just as before.

At that point both armies came out for pitched battle. Al-Ḥajjāj placed on his right wing ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Sulaym al-Kalbī (3), on his left ʿImārah ibn Tamīm al-Lakhmī; over the cavalry he set Sufyān ibn al-Abarad, and over the infantry ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Ḥabīb al-Ḥakamī (4).

Ibn al-Ashʿath, for his part, stationed on his right wing al-Ḥajjāj ibn Jāriyah al-Khathʿamī (5), on his left al-Abarad ibn Qurrah al-Tamīmī; over the cavalry he set ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAbbās ibn Rabīʿah, and over the infantry Muḥammad ibn Saʿd ibn