The state, for the Tanabala, was not a matter of falsehood but of duty. They had their leaders, Oman, and their people, who possessed great strength. Hezb'a followed him in this, and his followers sought unity with one hand. They said that the Prophet, peace be upon him, foretold the Mahdi, who would fill the earth with justice, and that his place of emergence would be the farthest west. When God sent ten men, one of them, 'Amr al-Mu'minin, said: "This is the Mahdi." So they pledged allegiance to him. His news reached the Commander of the Faithful, who prepared an army to fight him and sent them to him. When they approached the mountain where he was, the warriors said: "These people want him, and I fear for you from them. But if you go out to another land, you will be safe." Ibn Tuwairan said: "Hezb'a, do you fear the sky?" He replied: "Rather, from the sky you will be victorious." Ibn Tuwairan said: "The Mahdi is in the land and will fight them all." When they met, the Mahdi said: "Rejoice in the victory and triumph over this small group. Soon they will establish their state and inherit their land and homes." They descended from the mountain and encountered the army of the Commander of the Faithful, looted them, and took their possessions. Thus, the Mahdi proved to be true. Their leader, and their supporter, came to him. Then the people of the mountains, the Arabs and the Berbers, came to him, surrounded him as an honor, and pledged allegiance to him. The tribe of Haftana, a Berber tribe, was the first to pledge allegiance. They were pleased with him and felt secure. He sent them messengers, informing them of their allegiance and inviting them to the mountain of Binmalet. He built a mosque for him outside the city and settled there. He taught them the Book of God, Tawhid, and the Book of Water, Aqidah. He taught them the way of politeness towards each other and ordered them to overcome the few enemies, and incited them to fight their enemy and expel the wicked from among them. When he saw the multitude of the mountain people and the impregnability of the city, he feared they would turn against him. He ordered them to come without weapons. They stayed for a few days, then he ordered the warriors to attack them while they were unaware and kill them in that mountain. You will find Khalid there, who killed most of them, plundered their wealth, and took captives. The number of those killed was fifteen thousand. He divided the land and homes among the warriors. When the people of Binmalet realized their fate, they turned to God for justice. He intended to sow discord between them and the Murabitin. So their children came to him, and he said: "Why do I see your children as dark or fair?" They said: "The Commander of the Faithful had several slaves from the Franks and the Romans, and they used to ascend the mountain every year and take the tribute for the Commander of the Faithful. They used to live in the houses of the harem and come out of them." When he was informed of this, he was greatly moved and impressed. They said to him: "How can we escape them, for we have no strength?" He said: "When they come to you at the appointed time, you will know. Each man will kill his guest." And they took their places.