[hallowed_ground]

Now there was no other way than entering the battlefield. He tried his best to prevent the internecine battle taking place. All the possibilities for truce had been exhausted and, in fact, the enemy has commenced attacking. He asked for the Prophet’s armor, Dhat al-Fudūl, and wore it. On his head, he wore a black turban. He had the sword, Dhul-Faqar, in his hand. He entrusted the command of the right flank to Malik al-Ashtar and the left flank to `Ammar ibn Yasir. He gave the Prophet’s black standard, `Uqab, to Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah and asked him to go ahead. When Muhammad moved forward, a barrage of arrows stopped him. Seeing this, the Imam (a.s) took the standard from Muhammad. He now had the sword in one hand and the standard in the other. He attacked the enemy ranks with full force. He fought with such valor that everywhere there were enemy dead lying on the ground. When he returned and gave back the standard to Muhammad, he too demonstrated the same valor and killed innumerable enemy troops.