When Shibth bin Rib‘i heard Mu’awiya’s saying...

When Shibth bin Rib‘i heard Mu’awiya’s saying, he became excited and said to him: “No by Allah Who there is no god but Him, you cannot kill (Ammar) bin Yasir until the heads of men are cut off, and the vast earth becomes too narrow to you!” The men returned while they were unsuccessful in their mediation. Mu’awiya did not respond to them and he went too far in rebellion and mutiny. Accordingly, they summoned the people and urged them to fight against Mu’awiya.

Declaration of War When all the means that Imam Ali had taken for making peace failed, he got ready for the battle. He gave his instructions to the commanders of his troops. He said to them: “Do not fight against them till they fight against you, for, praise be to Allah, you have a proof, and your giving up fighting against them is another proof. If you defeated them, do not kill those who turn back. Do not finish off the wounded. Do not disclose (anyone’s private parts). Do not maim the killed.

If you reach their men, do not violate an honor, do not enter a house without permission from me, and do not take anything of their belongings except what you find in their camps. And do not excite the women even if they curse your honors, and defame your commanders and your righteous ones, because they have weak abilities, souls, and reasons.” This was the plan that Imam Ali had made to his troops.

It represents what he had in his soul of mercy, pity, and love for good even to his enemies and opponents. [^1] Shibth bin Rib‘i al-Tamimi was the caller of Sajah, who claimed that she was a prophet. Then he became Muslim and was among the companions of Imam Ali. Then he joined the Kharijites. Then he repented of that. This sinful person was among those who killed Imam al-Husayn, the master of martyrs. That was in about the year 70 A. H. al-Isaba, vol. 2, p. 163.

The Imam spread the standards and appointed some commanders. He appointed Ammar bin Yasir over the horsemen, and Abdullah bin Badeel over the infantry. He gave the standard to Hashim al-Mirqal. He appointed over the right wing al-Ash‘ath bin Qays, and over the left wing Abdullah bin Abbas. As for the standards of the tribes, he gave them to their prominent personalities. In the meantime, Mu’awiya gave the standards to his companions.

He appointed Ubaydillah bin Umar over the horsemen, and over the infantry Muslim bin Aqaba al-Murri. He appointed over the right wing Ubaydillah bin Amr bin al-Aas, and over the right wing Habeeb bin Muslim al-Fihri.