Page:Baladhuri-Hitti1916.djvu/170

 al-Ḳarid (Ḳarid in their dialect means horse) ibn-al-Ḥârith al-Wallâdah ibn-ʿAmr ibn-Muʿâwiyah ibn-al-Ḥârith. These four brothers were in possession of so many valleys that they were called the "four kings." Previous to this, they had presented themselves before the Prophet, but later on they apostatized. Their sister, al-ʿAmarradah, was killed by one who mistook her for a man.

. As Ziyâd returned with captives and booty, he passed by al-Ashʿath ibn-Ḳais and his people. Seeing him, the women and children began to cry which made al-Ashʿath burn with indignation, and set out with a band of his men. He fell upon Ziyâd and his companions, and many Moslems were lost. The Moslems were then defeated, and all the great men of Kindah rallied to the support of al-Ashʿath ibn-Ḳais. Seeing this, Ziyâd wrote to abu-Bakr asking for reinforcement. Abu-Bakr wrote to al-Muhâjir ibn-abi-Umaiyah, ordering him to reinforce Ziyâd. Ziyâd and al-Muhâjir, at the head of the Moslems, met al-Ashʿath and dispelled his men, and attacking his companions, made a fearful slaughter among them. Thence al-Ashʿath's men took refuge in a fortification of theirs, an-Nujair, where the Moslems besieged them. The siege was pressed until they were exhausted and al-Ashʿath sought safety for a certain number of his men. He did not include himself in that number because al-Jifshîsh al-Kindi, whose name was Maʿdân ibn-al-Aswad ibn-Maʿdikarib, holding him by the waist, said, "Include me in that number." Thus al-Ashʿath excluded himself in favor of al-Jifshîsh. Al-Ashʿath presented himself before Ziyâd ibn