Hadith 459

Kitab Sulem Bin Qays – from Aban Bin Ayyash, from him, said, ‘I asked Abdullah Bin Abbas, ‘Did you witness Siffeen? ’ He said, ‘Yes’. I asked, ‘You witnessed the night of Al-Hareer? ’ He replied, ‘Yes’. I asked, ‘How old were you then? ’ He said, ‘Forty years’. I said, ‘So narrate to me, may Allah-azwj have Mercy on you’. He said, ‘Whatever thing I have forgotten from the things, I cannot forget this event’. Then he wept and said, ‘We were aligned in our rows when Maalik Al-Ashtar came out on his horse which was very tall, and his weapons were attached to his horse, and in his hand was the spear and he was knocking our heads with it and saying, ‘Establish your rows’. When the writer had written and our rows had been established, he came over on his horse until he stood between the two rows, in such a way that his back was towards the people of Syria, and he had turned towards us by his face. He Praised Allah-azwj and Extolled Him-azwj, and sent greetings upon the Prophet-saww, then said, ‘After that, it is from the Judgements of Allah-azwj and His-azwj Power that He-azwj has Gathered us in this spot from the earth for the appointed term which has come nearer and the Commands which have been Issued. We are led in it by the Chief of the Muslims and Amir-ul-Momineen-asws and the best of the successors-as, and the son-asws of the uncle-as of our Prophet-saww, and his-saww brother-asws, and his-saww inheritor, and our swords are the swords of Allah-azwj, and their leader is the son of the liver-eater (Muawiya son of Hinda) and a shelter for hypocrisy and the rest of the parties, leading them to the misery and the Fire. And we are hopeful that by killing them we will be Rewarded by Allah-azwj whilst they are awaiting the Punishment. When the contest heats up, and the fighting erupts and horses wander by our dead and their dead, we will be hopeful of Help from Allah-azwj. Do not listen to anything except for the sounds of the swords and the horses. O you people, lower your gaze and clench your teeth for it is intense for striking the head, and face the people by their faces, and take the swords in your right hand and strike the heads, and stab the spear into their hearts, with a fury of a people taking revenge for the blood of their fathers and their brothers against their enemies, having resigned themselves to death, so that you will not be humiliated nor will shame be necessitated for you in the world’. Then the people met (in battle) and between them was a great matter. So when they had dispersed seventy thousand from the well-known Arabs had been killed. And the event started on the day of Thursday from when the sun came out until a third of the night had gone by. No one from the army prostrated to Allah-azwj with even one prostration until the time for four Prayers had passed by – Midday (Al-Zohr), and the Mid-afternoon (Al-Asr), and the Evening (Al-Maghrib) and the Night (Al-Isha) Prayers. Sulay