Ubaydillah. He has said: “The number of the vanguard was twelve thousand men from among the Arab knights and the reciters (of the Qur’an) in the city (of Kufa).”[1] Al-Tabari and others have mentioned that the number of the Army was forty thousand men.[2] From the talks that took place between Imam al-Hasan and some of his companions about peacemaking, we understand that the number of the army was a hundred thousand people. For example, Sulayman bin Surad criticized Imam al-Hasan (a.s) for his accepting peacemaking, saying: “Our astonishment at your paying homage to Mu’awiya does not come to an end. That is because you have a hundred thousand fighters from among the people of Iraq!”[3] Ziyad’s answer to Mu’awiya indicates that the number of the Army was ninety thousand men.[4] It was said that the number of the Army was seventy thousand men.[5] I (the author) think that the number of the Army was more than forty thousand (people). The proof of that is the speech of Nawf al-Bakali[6] , who said: “When Imam (Ali) decided to return to war against Mu’awiya a week before his death, he entrusted al-Hasan with ten thousand (fighters), Abu Ayyub al-Ansari with ten thousand (fighters), Qays bin Sa‘d with ten thousand (fighters). He also entrusted other than them with other numbers. He intended to return to Siffin. When Friday came to him, Abdurrahman bin Muljim struck him with the sword.”[7]
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[1] Ibn Abi al-Hadeed, Sharh Nahj al-Balagha, vol. 4, p. 14.
[2] Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 6, p. 94.
[3] Al-Imama wa al-Siyasa, vol. 1, p. 151.
[4] Al-Ya‘qubi, Tarikh, vol. 2, p. 194. Ziyad has said: “Most surely the son of the woman who ate the liver (of Hamza at the Battle of Uhd), cave of hypocrisy, and remainder of the allies (Mu‘awiya) has written (a letter in which he has) threatened me while there are between me and him two grandsons of the Prophet along with ninety thousand (people).
[5] Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, vol. 8, p. 42. It has been mentioned in it: “A man came in to al-Hasan bin Ali in whose hand there was a letter. The man asked him: ‘What is this?’ ‘Mu‘awiya has threatened me in it,’ replied the Imam. ‘You treated him with justice,’ retorted the man. The Imam answered: ‘Most surely I fear that on the Day of Resurrection seventy or eighty thousand (people) or more or less will come and their jugular veins will exude (blood), and that all of them will ask Allah for help against those who shed their blood.’” A narration similar to this has been mentioned by Ibn Abi al-Hadeed in his book Sharh Nahj al-Balagha, vol. 4, p. 7.
[6] Nawf al-Bakali was among the companions of Imam Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him. It has been reported on the authority of Taghlub that he (Nawf al-Bakali) was ascribed to Bakal, a tribe from Hamadan (a city in Iran). It was said that (the name of the tribe was) Bukayl. Ibn Abi al-Hadeed has said: “(The name is) Bikal, a tribe from Himyar to whom belongs this person, who is Nawf bin Fudala, the companion of Imam Ali, peace be on him.” This has been mentioned in (the book) al-Ta‘leeqat, p. 354.
[7] Muhammed ‘Abda, Sharh Nahj al-Balagha, vol. 2, p. 132.