It is narrated from Sa'd bin Zayd bin Sa'd al-Ashhali that he presented the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) with a sword from Najran as a gift. When he brought it to him (peace and blessings be upon him), he (peace and blessings be upon him) gave it to Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "Fight with this in the path of Allah, but when the necks of the Muslims start clashing with one another (when they start fighting each other), strike it on a stone and break it, then stay secluded in your house, lying there like a rug that is spread out, until a sinful hand kills you or death comes to you." Imam al-Hakim said: So it was for these reasons, and other proofs like them, that those people kept away from fighting alongside Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), while it was on the basis of the opposite reasons that those who took part in the war fought.