The man then suggested to the Prophet that he send men to...

The man then suggested to the Prophet that he send men to the people of Najd to call them to Islam. "I hope," the man continued, "that they will answer your call." The Prophet answered: "I fear lest the people of Najd do you harm." But Abu Bard' insisted saying: "I have a pact of protection with them." The Messenger of Allah sent al-Mundhir ibn `Amr with twenty some men. It is also reported that they were forty, or seventy men of the best Muslims.

Among them were al-Harith ibn as-Simmah, Haram ibn Milhan and `Amir ibn Fuhayrah, Abu Bakr's client. They all travelled until they reached the well of Ma'unah, which was located between the land of the Banu `Amir and the plain of the Banu Sulaym. From there, they sent Haram ibn Milhan with a letter from the Messenger of Allah to `Amir ibn at-Tufayl. But `Amir did not take the time to look at the letter before he rushed at Haram and killed him.

He then cried out: "Allah is Most Great; I have achieved victory, by the Lord of the Ka'bah! " He called the men of Banu `Amir to aid him in fighting against the Muslims, but they refused saying: "We shall not betray the covenant of Abu Bard'." He then called upon some of the clans of the tribe of Sulaym: `Asiyyah, Ri'l and Dhakwan, who answered his call. These were the people against whom the Prophet invoked Allah's curse. They surrounded the Muslims as they sat around their goods.

Seeing this, the Muslims took up their swords and fought with them until they all died. `Amr ibn Umayyah ad-Damri had taken out the animals of the Muslims to pasture along with a man of the Ansar. They were so close to the battlefield that they could see birds flying over the fighters. They said to one another: "No doubt these birds mean something." When they went to see, they found the men lying dead in their blood.

The man of the Ansar asked `Amr: "What do you suggest?" He answered: "I suggest that we go immediately to the Messenger of Allah and tell him what happened." But the man of the Ansar replied: "I would not save myself and leave a place where al-Mundhir ibn `Amr is." He thus fought against the enemies of the Muslims until he was killed. `Amr returned to Medina and related to the Messenger of Allah what had happened.

The Prophet said: "This was the deed of Abu Bard'; I did not wish to engage in it." When Abu Bard' heard the news, he was angry with `Amir for betraying his covenant of protection, and for what had happened to the people of the Messenger of Allah.