Overview

The first Day of al-Kullab was a battle in which the sons of al-Harith al-Kindi fought one another after his death, at the water of al-Kullab between Basra and Kufa. Ibn al-Athir relates it. ¹

The cause of the fighting

When al-Harith ibn Amr died, the affair of his sons, the kings, was dispersed among the tribes of Mudar. Each of them gathered those with him and they marched against one another. ¹

The encounter

Shurahbil came down with those with him of Bakr ibn Wa'il and their allies. Salama came with those with him of Taghlib and the dependants, led by al-Saffah ibn Khalid. They fought a fierce battle, and each of them called out a hundred camels for whoever brought the head of the other. ¹

The end

Victory at the end of the day went to Taghlib and Salama. Dhu al-Sanina of Taghlib followed Shurahbil, who struck him on the knee and cut off his leg, so he died; then his brother Abu Hanash charged upon him, struck him and threw him from his horse, took his head and sent it to Salama. Ibn al-Athir says that remorse and grief were recognised in Salama's face. ¹

The date is approximate.

The War of al-Basus

The Basus war, the longest and most storied of the Arabs' days: when the mare-camel Sarab strayed into Kulayb's forbidden spring pasture he shot her udder as threatened, and al-Basus's cry of shame — 'wa-dhalah!' — told her nephew Jasas ibn Murra that honour demanded blood; he speared Kulayb ibn Rabi'a, the Taghlibi lord under whom all Ma'add had united, and Kulayb's brother al-Muhalhil spent forty years exacting the feud between Bakr and Taghlib.

The First Day of al-Kullab

At a glance

In time

Overview

The cause of the fighting

The encounter

The end

Connections

People and things also explored

Sources

Time

The War of al-Basus