accompanied ‘Alī on the march against the Khawārij. ‘Alī said:
“O people, I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say:
‘A people will emerge from my nation who recite the Quran. Your recitation will be nothing compared with theirs, your prayer nothing compared with theirs, and your fasting nothing compared with theirs. They recite the Quran, thinking that it supports them, whereas it stands against them. Their prayer does not go beyond their collarbones. They pass out of Islam as an arrow passes through its quarry. If the army that encounters them knew what had been decreed for them through the words of Muhammad, their Prophet, they would cease striving. Their distinguishing sign is that among them is a man with an upper arm but no forearm. On his upper arm is something like a nipple, bearing a few white hairs.’”
He said: “Are they, then, to march against Mu‘āwiyah and the people of Syria, leaving these men behind among your children and possessions? By Allah, I certainly hope that these are the people described, for they have shed blood forbidden to them and raided people’s grazing livestock. So march in the name of Allah.”
He said: “When we met in battle, the Khawārij were led that day by ‘Abd Allah ibn Wahb. He said to them: ‘Cast down your spears and draw your swords from your belts. I adjure you as they adjured you on the day of Harūrā’.’ They turned back, threw away their spears, and drew their swords, while our men thrust at them with their spears.”
He said: “They closed in on one another, and only two of our men were killed that day.”
‘Alī said: “Search among them for the man with the malformed arm.” They searched but did not find him. He rose, leaning on his sword, and came to some men pressed against one another.
He said: “Move them aside.” They found him underneath, next to the ground. ‘Alī proclaimed Allah’s greatness and then said: “Allah has spoken the truth, and His Messenger has delivered the message.”
He said: “‘Ubaydah al-Salmānī rose and approached him, saying: ‘O Commander of the Faithful, by Allah, besides whom there is no god but