Mohamed Ashath consults his advisers and is told that the...

Mohamed Ashath consults his advisers and is told that the offer is too good to refuse for two reasons; firstly, Madayn is indeed a greater province, but secondly, and more importantly, if Ubaydallah Ziyad who is on his way to Mosul to consolidate Abdul Malik Marwan's (who is now the new ruler of Damascus) power, then Mukhtar and Ibrahim will come after Ubaydallah Ziyad even in Mosul, with or without the support of Mohamed Ashath, in which case then Mohamed Ashath will be unwillingly dragged into the battle.

So Mohamed Ashath takes an army of four thousand men and leaves Mosul to go to Mukhtar in Kufa; the Mosulians are angry that he now runs away with all their money with him which they paid as taxes; they confront Mohamed Ashath with his army; a battle ensues and the public get all their money back and only then allow Mohamed Ashath to leave Mosul; with no money and power base now, Mohamed Ashath is forced to accept Mukhtar's offer.

On reaching Kufa, Mukhtar receives Mohamed Ashath with honour and gives him a lot of money and a house, telling him that he would soon make arrangements for his Madayn's governorship. Mukhtar appoints a man named Abdu Rahman to become the governor of Mosul (note that this is not Mohamed Ashath's son who is of the same name).

Meanwhile Abdul Malik from Damascus sends Haseen Nameer with an army to Mosul to overthrow Abdu Rahman; Haseen Nameer's unit was to be an advance party, to be followed by reinforcements led by Ubaydallah Ziyad himself; Ubaydallah Ziyad was presently busy enforcing the consolidation of Abdul Malik's rulership in Damascus.

On hearing of Haseen Nameer's coming, Abdu Rahman runs away from Mosul to Tikrit, with a letter sent to Mukhtar saying he cannot face Haseen Nameer and Mukhtar should send another governor. In Kufa, Zaeed, who is old and sick himself, is more than willing to travel to Mosul to confront Haseen Nameer, for Zaeed particularly wanted to personally avenge Haseen Nameer for delivering the fatal lance to Ali Akbar.

Zaeed with his units head for Mosul to confront Haseen Nameer, whilst at the same time, Ubaydallah Ziyad and his units leave from Damascus heading to Mosul to reinforce Haseen Nameer. The two armies meet en-route to Mosul and a battle ensues; here Zaeed dies of his illness, and his side is defeated, with Ubaydallah Ziyad victoriously heading for Mosul.