The account of al-Yamamah and those who took part in it

Abu Bakr bin Muhammad said: Sayyiduna Habib bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) was killed by Musaylimah. In the Battle of Yamamah, his brother Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) and his mother set out to fight. His mother had vowed that no ritual bath would touch her until Musaylimah was killed. So mother and son set out with the army. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zayd said: I kept Musaylimah in my sights, then charged at him and struck him with the spear. He advanced toward me along the spear, and a man from among the people called out to me: "Thrust the spear into his mouth." He did not understand this. Then he called out to him: "Throw the spear from your hand." He threw the spear from his hand, and Musaylimah was overcome.

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: On the day of the Battle of Yamamah I met Sayyiduna Thabit bin Qays (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was applying hanut (the perfume used on the dead). I said to him: "O uncle! Do you not see what fighting the people have had today?" He said: "Now, O nephew."

Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: In the Battle of Yamamah I came to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Makhramah (may Allah be pleased with him), who was lying severely wounded on the battlefield. I stood over him. He said to me: "O Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both)! Has the fasting person broken his fast (that is, has the time come to break the fast)?" I said: "Yes." He said: "Bring me some water in this shield, so that I too may break my fast." I went to the pool and found it full of blood. I pushed the blood aside with a shield I had, filled it with water and brought it to him, but he had passed away.

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: In the Battle of Yamamah I was between Sayyiduna Khalid bin al-Walid and Sayyiduna al-Bara (may Allah be pleased with them both). Sayyiduna Khalid sent out a force to fight, and it came back defeated. Then a trembling came over Sayyiduna al-Bara, and I pressed him down to the ground to calm him. He was saying: "My fast has been broken." Then Sayyiduna Khalid sent another group to fight, and it too came back defeated. Sayyiduna Khalid raised his gaze to the sky and then kept looking at the ground for a long time. Sayyiduna Khalid used to do this whenever he intended to do something. Then he said: "O Bara! Attack." Sayyiduna al-Bara asked: "Now?" He said: "Yes, now." So Sayyiduna al-Bara mounted his horse and began striking it with the whip. It is as if that scene were before my eyes, with the horse swishing its tail. He praised and glorified Allah Almighty and said: "O people of Madinah! There is no Madinah for you; there is only Allah alone, and Paradise." Then Sayyiduna al-Bara charged, the people charged along with him, and the people of Yamamah were defeated. Then Sayyiduna al-Bara went to the fortress of the people of Yamamah and came face to face with Muhakkam of Yamamah. He struck at Sayyiduna al-Bara with his sword; Sayyiduna al-Bara warded it off with his leather shield, and the blow landed on the shield. Then Sayyiduna al-Bara struck him and brought him down. Then he took up the sword of Muhakkam of Yamamah and struck him with it until it snapped. Then he said: "May Allah bring ruin upon what remains of you." Then he threw away that sword and took up his own sword.

Muhammad (Ibn Sirin) said: On the day of the Battle of Yamamah, Sayyiduna al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) was searching among the slain. Whenever he passed by a man he would examine him, and if any trace of life remained in him, he would finish him off. He came to a man who was lying among the slain. He put his sword to him, and the man jumped up and ran off. Sayyiduna al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) ran after him, saying: "I am the Muhajir son of Safiyyah." The man turned toward him and said: "How do you find the running of your disbelieving brother?" Then he tried to corner him, but the man escaped.

Abdullah bin Shaddad bin al-Had said that Sayyiduna Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him), was martyred in the Battle of Yamamah.

Urwah said: In the battle against Musaylimah, the battle cry of the Muslims was this phrase: "O people of Surah al-Baqarah!"

Urwah said: When people of Banu Sulaym began to apostatize, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) sent Sayyiduna Khalid bin al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) to them with an army. There he gathered the people in one place and set fire to them. When Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) learned of this, he came to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him: "You should remove from command a man who inflicts the punishment that is the right of Allah!" Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "By Allah, I cannot sheathe such a sword of Allah until Allah Almighty Himself sheathes His sword." Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered Sayyiduna Khalid bin al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) to go against Musaylimah.

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: In the Battle of Yamamah, Sayyiduna Khalid bin al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) sent the people toward the enemy. They reached the bank of a river and tucked the lower ends of their gowns into their waistbands. Then they crossed over to the enemy and both sides exchanged arrows, and the Muslims scattered and turned back. Then Sayyiduna Khalid bin al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) lowered his head for a while and then raised it. At that time I was standing between him and Sayyiduna al-Bara. It was the habit of Sayyiduna Khalid that whenever an important matter came upon him, he would look up to the sky for a while, then raise his head to the sky, and then give his opinion. Just then a trembling came over Sayyiduna al-Bara (may Allah be pleased with him), and I pressed him down to the ground. He said: "O my nephew! I am not breaking my fast." Then Sayyiduna Khalid said: "O Bara! Get up." He said: "At this moment?" Sayyiduna Khalid said: "Yes, at this moment." Then Sayyiduna al-Bara mounted his horse and praised and glorified Allah Almighty. Then he said: "O people! There is no way to Madinah; the only way is to Paradise." Then he urged them on for a while. Then he struck his horse a few times, and it is as if I can see it swishing its tail. Then he charged, and the people charged with him.

Hammad bin Salamah said: Ubaydullah bin Abi Bakr informed me that Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: There was a breach in their city, and Muhakkam of Yamamah planted his feet upon it. He was a huge, heavily built man, and he began reciting battle verses: "I am Muhakkam of Yamamah, I am the pivot of the encampment, and I am, and I am." He said: He was their champion. When he had the chance to strike, he struck, and Sayyiduna al-Bara warded it off with his leather shield. Then Sayyiduna al-Bara struck his shin and killed him. Muhakkam of Yamamah had a broad sword with him. Sayyiduna al-Bara threw down his own sword and took Muhakkam's broad sword. Then he charged and kept striking with it until it broke. He said: "May Allah bring disgrace upon what is between you and me," and he took up his own sword.

Abu Awn al-Thaqafi narrates that when Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) received the news of the conquest of Yamamah, he prostrated.