Page:William Muir, Thomas Hunter Weir - The Caliphate; Its Rise, Decline, and Fall (1915).djvu/116

 634–5] booty taken there. The fugitives also hastened back, seeking to retrieve their honour. But the most remarkable was a Christian tribe of the desert, which, without detriment to their faith, threw in their lot with the Muslims, and brought a contingent to their help. Thus rapidly reinforced, Al-Muthanna was soon stronger than ever, and ready for offensive movement. His troops were massed at first on, the edge of the Arabian desert, near Khaffān. The women and children (for the practice was now common of carrying with the army house and home) were placed in security at a distance behind ; some were even left with friendly citizens in Al-Ḥīra, although, since the last retreat, the city had been reoccupied by a Persian Satrap. Al-Muthanna had also a trusty follower in hiding there, to give him notice of what was passing in the City.

From the spy, Al-Muthanna now learned that, matters having been settled at the Capital, a great army was in motion against him. Sending an urgent message to Jarīr, now close at hand, to hurry on, he marched forward to Al-Buweib on the western branch of the Euphrates and there, close by the future site of Al-Kūfa, and. on ground approached by a bridge, awaited the enemy. ʿOmar had cautioned him not again to risk his men by crossing the river before victory was secure; so he suffered the enemy undisturbed to defile their troops across the bridge. The Persians advanced in three columns, an elephant defended by a company of footmen at the head of each, and all with tumult and barbaric din. It was the fast of Ramaḍān; but under special dispensation the troops had been strengthened by a full repast. Al-Muthanna, on his favourite charger (humorously called the Rebel, from its docility in action), rode along the lines, and exhorted his soldiers to quit them like men: "Your valour this day shall be a proverb. Be still as death, and if ye speak one to the other, speak it in a whisper. None amongst us shall give way this day, I desire not glory for myself, but glory for you all." And they answered him in like words; for he was beloved by his men.

The signal was to be the Tekbīr, or cry of God is most great, repeated thrice; then, at the fourth, the general advance. But Al-Muthanna had barely shouted the first,