The Muslims were three thousand strong...

The Muslims were three thousand strong, and at length met the army of Rum at a village called Ashraf, in the district of Bulka, and retired to Mutah, where the battle was fought Shaykh Tusi has narrated from Zuhri that when Ja’far returned to Medina from Habasha, the Holy Prophet (S) sent him to the Battle of Mutah and appointed him, Zaid bin Haritha and Abdullah bin Rawaha in turn to bear the standard.

At the beginning of the engagement Ja’far raised the banner, and mounted on a red horse, fought till he received many wounds, when he dismounted, hamstring his horse, and fought on foot till he was slain. He was the first Muslim that hamstrung his horse. Abdullah, who next took the command, was likewise slain, but Khalid bin Walid, who succeeded him, after continuing the action a short time, fled and sent Abdur Rahman bin Samrah to inform the Prophet of what happened.

The messenger found the Prophet in the Masjid, and he ordered Abdur Rahman to be silent, that he might himself announce what had occurred, which he did. The people wept at the mournful relation, but he said to them, “Weep not, for my community is like a garden whose owner cultivates it well, builds houses in it, prunes its trees that they may be more fruitful year after year. Verily, when Isa shall descend among my community, He will find a multitude of apostles like His own.

Qutub Rawandi has narrated that when the Messenger of Allah (S) sent the army to Mutah, he appointed three chiefs saying that after each is killed the other should take the command. At that time, a Rabbi was present there. He said: “If this man is a prophet, all three will be martyred.” “Why?” asked the people. He said: “Whenever a prophet of Bani Israel sent an army with similar instructions to a hundred persons, all of them were sure to be killed.

It is narrated from Jabir that on the day the Battle of Mutah was fought, the Prophet went to the Masjid and announced to the people what was transpiring on the contested field. Among other particular statement, he said that Ja’far, having his right hand cut off, raised the banner in his left hand, which likewise losing, he sustained the standard by pressing it to his bosom with folded arms, till at length he fell a martyr.

Now the standard was bore by Khalid and after sometime he fled the battlefield and the Muslims also fled from the battlefield. On leaving the Masjid, he went to Ja’far’s house, whose little son, Abdullah bin Ja’far, he took upon his lap and stroked his head.