when he moved. On the arrival of Khâlid in an-Nibâj,[1] he was met by al-Muthanna ibn-Ḥârithah. Thence Khâlid proceeded to al-Baṣrah in which there was at this time Suwaid ibn-Ḳuṭbah adh-Dhuhli (others than abu-Mikhnaf say that there was in it Ḳuṭbah ibn-Ḳatâdah adh-Dhuhli) of the tribe of Bakr ibn-Wâʾil, accompanied by a band of followers. Suwaid had designs regarding al-Baṣrah similar to those of al-Muthanna regarding al-Ḳûfah, which at that time was not called al-Ḳûfah but al-Ḥîrah. Suwaid said to Khâlid, "The inhabitants of al-Ubullah had assembled against me but failed to make the attack simply because of thy presence, as I believe." "If that is so," answered Khâlid "the advisable thing for me would be to leave al-Baṣrah in the day time and return in the night, at which time my companions would enter thy camp and we will fight together." Accordingly, Khâlid left in the direction of al-Ḥîrah and when darkness fell, he turned back until he got to the camp of Suwaid, which he entered with his men. In the morning, the inhabitants of al-Ubullah, hearing that Khâlid had left al-Baṣrah, advanced towards Suwaid. Seeing the great number of men in his army, they were confounded and turned back. Thereupon, Khâlid shouted, "On them! I see in them the looks of a people whose hearts Allah has filled with terror!" Then the Moslems charged them, put them to flight, and by Allah's help, killed a great number and caused others to drown in Dijlat al-Baṣrah.[2] Thence Khâlid passed through al-Khuraibah,[3] reduced it and carried its inhabitants away into captivity. He left over it in his place—as it is reported by al-Kalbi—Shuraiḥ ibn-
