Muhammad thereupon dismounted, and it is said that with his own hand he slew seventy of the champions from ʿĪsā ibn Mūsā’s force. The Iraqis then surrounded them, killing a number of Muhammad ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn al-Ḥasan’s followers, and stormed the trench the defenders had dug, building makeshift gates across its span.
Another report states that they filled the trench with camel litters until they were able to cross it. It may be that they employed this method in one section and the former in another—Allah knows best.
The fighting raged from early morning until the ʿAṣr prayer. When Muhammad had prayed ʿAṣr he and his men went down to the wadi bed at Salʿ, where he broke the scabbard of his sword and hamstrung his horse; his companions did the same. They steeled themselves for combat, the battle blazed with renewed fury, and the Iraqis gained the upper hand. They hoisted a black banner atop Salʿ, advanced upon Madinah, entered it, and raised another black banner over the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
When Muhammad’s supporters saw this they cried out, “The city has been taken!” and fled. Muhammad was left with only a handful, and then entirely alone. In his hand was a naked sword with which he struck down anyone who came at him—nothing could withstand him [save that he felled them, until he had killed a number of the brave men of Iraq].
It is said that the sword he carried that day was Dhu’l-Fiqar. The people then closed in on him, and one man stepped forward and struck him beneath the lobe of his right ear, bringing him to his knees. Still defending himself, he cried, “Woe to you! The grandson of your Prophet is wounded and oppressed!” Ḥumayd ibn Qaḥṭabah kept shouting, “Woe to you! Leave him—do not kill him!” The people drew back, but Ḥumayd advanced, severed his head, and took it to ʿĪsā ibn Mūsā, placing it before him. Ḥumayd had sworn to kill him whenever he should see him, and he found him only in that state—[had he been whole and strong, neither Ḥumayd nor anyone else in the army could have mastered him] (1).
Muhammad ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn al-Ḥasan was killed at the Rocks of al-Zayt on Monday, after ʿAṣr, fourteen nights having passed of Ramadan in the year 145 AH.
When the head was set before him ʿĪsā ibn Mūsā said to his men, “What do you say of him?” Some spoke ill of him, reviling him. One man declared, “By Allah, you lie! He was one who fasted by day and prayed by night, but he opposed the Commander of the Faithful and split the ranks of the Muslims, so we killed him for that.” At this they fell silent.
As for his sword, Dhu’l-Fiqar, it passed to the Banū al-ʿAbbās, who handed it down among themselves until one of them tested it, struck a dog with it, and the blade broke. Ibn Jarīr and others have recorded this (2).
During the interval (3) in which these events were unfolding, word reached al-Manṣūr that Muhammad had fled the battle. He said, “That cannot be, for we are a household that does not flee” (4).