, ▁but ▁following ▁I bn ▁Z iy ad ' s ▁flight ▁to ▁Sy ria ▁in ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁C ali ph ▁Y az id ' s ▁death ▁and ▁the ▁subsequent ▁collapse ▁of ▁Um ay y ad ▁authority , ▁Muhammad ▁recognized ▁the ▁rival , ▁Me cca - based ▁cal i ph ate ▁of ▁Abd ▁Al lah ▁ibn ▁al - Z ub ay r . ▁I bn ▁al - Z ub ay r ▁appointed ▁him ▁governor ▁of ▁Mos ul . ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁supp ression ▁of ▁the ▁Arab ▁nob ility ▁of ▁K uf a ▁by ▁the ▁pro - Al id ▁leader ▁al - M uk ht ar ▁al - Th a q af i ▁in ▁ 6 8 6 , ▁Muhammad , ▁who ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁was ▁res iding ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁for tr esses ▁near ▁Q ad isi y ya , ▁known ▁as ▁T iz an abad h , ▁r al lied ▁to ▁the ▁Z ub ay rid ▁governor ▁of ▁Bas ra , ▁Mus ' ab ▁ibn ▁al - Z ub ay r . ▁During ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Har ura ▁he ▁was ▁installed ▁as ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁K uf an ▁troops , ▁who ▁had ▁earlier ▁defect ed ▁from ▁the ▁pro - Al id ▁leader ▁al - M uk ht ar . ▁He ▁was ▁ultimately ▁s lain ▁during ▁the ▁battle ▁under ▁unclear ▁circumstances , ▁with ▁up ▁to ▁four ▁different ▁narr atives ▁recorded ▁in ▁the ▁Muslim ▁tradition ▁regarding ▁the ▁identity ▁of ▁his ▁k iller . ▁The ▁Z ub ay rid s ▁won ▁the