They therefore began to ready themselves for combat against the Muslims. They rode camels resembling the hujun, animals that were extremely fierce(1) and highly skittish; they could hardly see—or even hear—anything(2) without bolting.

When the day of battle came, the commander gathered every bell in the army and hung them around the horses’ necks. As soon as the fighting started, the Muslims charged as one man(3). The clang of the bells sent the enemy camels into a stampede in every direction, scattering them in utter disarray. The Muslims pursued, killing whomever they wished; none could offer any resistance, and the number of those they slew is known only to Allah—exalted is He.

At dawn the next day the enemy had regrouped on foot, but al-Qummi attacked them unaware, killed most of the survivors, granted the king safe-conduct, collected the levy that was due, and carried him off as a captive to the Caliph.

This engagement occurred on the very first day of that year, while their arrival before the Caliph was toward its end. The Caliph restored the king to his realm as before, yet entrusted oversight of the region and its affairs to Ibn al-Qummi. Praise and thanks belong to Allah alone.

Ibn Jarir (4) said: “In this same year Yaʿqub ibn Ibrahim, known as Qawsarah, died in Jumada al-Akhirah.”

I say: This man had been the Caliph al-Mutawakkil’s deputy governor over Egypt.

He (5) also said: “That year ʿAbd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Dawud led the people in the Hajj, and Jaʿfar ibn Dinar likewise performed the pilgrimage; he was governor of the Meccan route and in charge of the season’s security.”

Ibn Jarir mentioned no deaths among the hadith scholars for this year. [Nonetheless, those of note who did die include:] Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Jubarah ibn al-Mughallis al-Himmani(6), and Abu Tawbah al-Halabi(7).