Malik al-Ashtar vs Sad ibn Abi Waqqas

Malik al-Ashtar fought under Caliph Ali at the Battle of the Camel near Basra. He led a key cavalry charge against Aisha's forces, contributing to Ali's victory and the consolidation of his caliphate against the rebellion of Talha and Zubayr.

Caliph Ali appointed Malik al-Ashtar as governor of Egypt. Before he could assume office, he was poisoned on the orders of Muawiyah I, who feared his military and administrative skills. His death removed a key ally from Ali's side.

Malik al-Ashtar commanded the vanguard of Ali's army at Siffin against Muawiyah's forces. He led a successful assault that nearly defeated the Umayyad army, but the battle ended in arbitration after Muawiyah's troops raised Qurans on spears.

Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas commanded the Muslim Arab army against the Sassanid Persian forces at al-Qadisiyyah in Iraq. The Muslim victory broke the back of the Sassanid army and opened the way for the conquest of the Persian heartland.

Following al-Qadisiyyah, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas led the Muslim army to capture Ctesiphon, the capital of the Sassanid Empire. The city fell after a siege, yielding immense wealth and marking the effective end of Sassanid resistance.

Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas was appointed governor of Kufa, the newly founded garrison city in Iraq. He administered the city and its surrounding territories, overseeing the settlement of Arab tribes and the administration of the conquered lands.