CHAPTER VII
The Battle of Marj aṣ-Ṣuffar
The "unbelievers" put to flight. The Greeks met in great numbers and were reinforced by Heraclius. The Moslems encountered them at Marj aṣ-Ṣuffar on their way to Damascus on the first of Muḥarram, year 14.[1] The battle that ensued was so violent that blood flowed along with water and turned the wheels of the mill. Of the Moslems about 4,000 were wounded. At last the "unbelievers" took to flight and were dispersed, disregarding everything until they came to Damascus and Jerusalem. On that day, Khâlid ibn-Saʿîd ibn-al-ʿÂṣi ibn-Umaiyah (surnamed abu-Saʿîd) fell a martyr. In the evening previous to the day in the morning of which the battle was fought, he was married to umm-Ḥakîm, the daughter of al-Ḥârith ibn-Hishâm al-Makhzûmi, and the wife of ʿIkrimah ibn-abi-Jahl.[2] Hearing the news of his death, umm-Ḥakîm pulled out the post of the tent and fought with it. On that day, according to some report, she killed seven and had her face still covered with the ointment perfumed with saffron[3] [with which women anointed themselves on the first night of matrimony].
According to the report of abu-Mikhnaf, this battle of Marj took place twenty days after the battle of Ajnâdîn;
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