▁al - W arda ▁in ▁modern - day ▁Ras ▁al - A yn . ▁Mar wan ▁died ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 6 8 5 , ▁while ▁U bay d ▁Al lah ' s ▁army ▁was ▁camp ed ▁at ▁Ra qq a , ▁and ▁Mar wan ' s ▁son ▁Abd ▁al - Mal ik ▁succeeded ▁him ▁as ▁cal i ph . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁eigh teen ▁months ▁following ▁the ▁Um ay y ad ▁victory ▁at ▁A yn ▁al - W arda , ▁U bay d ▁Al lah ' s ▁troops ▁were ▁bog ged ▁down ▁by ▁strugg les ▁with ▁the ▁Q ays i ▁tribes ▁of ▁the ▁J az ira ▁( Upper ▁Mes op ot am ia ) ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁pro - Z ub ay rid ▁Z uf ar ▁ibn ▁al - Har ith ▁al - K il abi . ▁In ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 6 8 6 , ▁U bay d ▁Al lah ' s ▁troops ▁advanced ▁toward ▁Mos ul , ▁long ▁controlled ▁by ▁a ▁K uf an ▁military ▁el ite , ▁with ▁the ▁ult imate ▁aim ▁of ▁conqu ering ▁Ira q . ▁M uk ht ar , ▁who ▁in ▁the ▁weeks ▁prior ▁had ▁seized ▁K uf a ▁from ▁I bn ▁al - Z ub ay r ' s ▁governor , ▁rapidly ▁organized ▁and ▁dispatch ed ▁a ▁force ▁under ▁his ▁commander , ▁I bra him ▁ibn ▁al - As ht ar , ▁to ▁confront ▁the ▁Um ay y ad ▁army . ▁U bay d ▁Al lah ▁defeated ▁this ▁force ▁on ▁ 9 –