1 0 ▁July ▁ 6 8 6 . ▁Meanwhile , ▁Mus ' ab ▁ibn ▁al - Z ub ay r ▁and ▁the ▁ash raf ▁( A rab ▁trib al ▁nob ility ) ▁of ▁K uf a ▁used ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁M uk ht ar ' s ▁forces ▁as ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁re capt ure ▁K uf a . ▁The ▁attempt ▁failed ▁as ▁M uk ht ar ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁recall ▁his ▁troops ▁and ▁defeat ▁the ▁pro - Z ub ay rid ▁forces ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁July . ▁With ▁K uf a ▁secured , ▁M uk ht ar ▁again ▁dispatch ed ▁I bn ▁al - As ht ar ▁to ▁confront ▁U bay d ▁Al lah ' s ▁army . ▁ ▁Com bat ants ▁ ▁Um ay y ads ▁The ▁ranks ▁of ▁U bay d ▁Al lah ' s ▁ 6 0 , 0 0 0 - strong ▁army ▁consisted ▁of ▁Arab ▁tribes men ▁from ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁as ▁such ▁was ▁referred ▁to ▁in ▁medieval ▁sources ▁as ▁j um ū ' ▁a hl ▁al - Sh ā m ▁( host ▁of ▁the ▁Sy ri ans ). ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁according ▁to ▁one ▁report ▁c ited ▁by ▁ 9 th - century ▁historian ▁al - Tab ari , ▁"[ C ali ph ] ▁Mar wan ' s ▁army ▁was ▁from ▁Kal b ▁and ▁their ▁commander ▁was ▁I bn ▁Bah dal ", ▁while ▁" the ▁whole ▁of ▁Q ays ▁was ▁in ▁al - J az ira ▁and ▁were ▁oppon ents ▁of ▁Mar wan ▁and ▁the