Abu-Miḥjan in prison. Abu-Miḥjan ath-Thaḳafi[1] was alienated to Bâḍiʿ[2] by ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb in punishment for his being addicted to wine. He somehow managed to run away and followed Saʿd; he, according to al-Wâḳidi, not being one of those who had started with Saʿd. In the army of Saʿd, abu-Miḥjan again drank wine on account of which Saʿd flogged and imprisoned him in al-ʿUdhaib tower. Here he asked Zabrâʾ, a concubine of Saʿd, to release him that he might take part in the fight, promising to return to his fetters.[3] She made him swear by Allah that he would do so if released. Riding on Saʿd's mare, he rushed on the Persians, pierced through their line and thrust his sword into the nose of the white elephant. Saʿd who was watching him, said, "The mare is mine; but the charge is that of abu-Miḥjan." Abu-Miḥjan then returned to his fetters. Others say that it was Salma, daughter of Ḥafṣah, who gave him the mare; but the former report is more authentic. When the question of Rustam was settled, Saʿd said to abu-Miḥjan, "By Allah, I shall never punish thee for wine after seeing what I saw of thee." "As for me," answered abu-Miḥjan, "by Allah, I shall never drink it again."[4]
The slayer of Rustam. On that day, Ṭulaiḥah ibn-Khuwailid al-Asadi distinguished himself in fighting, and with a blow, cut the under-helmet of al-Jâlînûs, but did not injure his head. On the same occasion, Ḳais ibn-Makshûḥ turned to the people and said, "To be killed is the fate of the noble. Let not those 'uncircumcised' have more pa-
