According to other authorities, al-Ḥuṭam came to the Rabîʿah as they were in Juwâtha, whose inhabitants had all forsaken Islam, and had chosen for leader al-Mundhir ibn-an-Nuʿmân. Al-Ḥuṭam took up his abode with them. Al-ʿAlâʾ pressed the siege until he reduced Juwâtha and dispersed the crowd, killing al-Ḥuṭam. Of the two reports, however, the former is more authentic. Describing the death of al-Ḥuṭam, Mâlik ibn-Thaʿlabah-l-ʿAbdi says:
"We left Shuraiḥ with the blood covering him
like the fringe of a spotted Yamanite garment.
It was we that deprived unum-Ghaḍbân of her son,
and broke our lance in Ḥabtar's eye.
It was we that left Mismaʿ prostrate on the ground,
at the mercy of hyenas and eagles that will attack him."
Al-Mundhir ibn-an-Nuʿmân. It is reported that al-Mundhir ibn-an-Nuʿmân was nicknamed al-Gharûr, but when the Moslems won the victory he said, "I am not al-Gharûr[1] [the deceitful] but al-Maghrûr [the deceited]." This al-Mundhir went with the remnant of Rabîʿah as far as al-Khaṭṭ, which al-ʿAlâʾ moved against and conquered, killing al-Mundhir and those in his company. According to others, al-Mundhir escaped, entered al-Mushaḳḳar and let in the water around him, making it impossible to be reached. Finally he made terms, agreeing to leave the city, which he did. He then joined Musailimah with whom he was killed. Some claim that al-Mundhir was killed in the battle of Juwâtha; others that he surrendered and then fled away but was pursued and put to death. Al-ʿAlâʾ having written to abu-Bakr for reinforcement, the latter wrote to Khâlid ibn-al-Walîd ordering him to hasten from al-Yamâmah to the reinforcement of al-ʿAlâʾ. Al-Ḥuṭam,
- ↑ Hishâm, p. 945; Ṭabari, vol. i, p. 1970; Ḥajar, vol. iii, p. 385; Athîr, vol. ii. p. 281.
