Following the collapse of Umayyad authority in the caliphate's eastern provinces in the aftermath of Caliph Yazid's death, Abbad relocated with 2,000 of his mawālī (non-Arab, Muslim freedmen or clients) to Syria where they fought alongside the army of the Umayyad caliph Marwan I at the Battle of Marj Rahit in 684.[9] In contrast, Zetterstéen claims Abbad's contingent at Marj Rahit consisted of his own kinsmen.[4] Following the decisive Umayyad victory in the battle, Abbad sought to retire to the north Arabian oasis town of Dumat al-Jandal, but was dispatched by Caliph Abd al-Malik to confront a commander of the Kufa-based, pro-Alid rebel leader al-Mukhtar al-Thaqafi at some point prior to 687.[4] Abbad later advised Caliph al-Walid I (r. 705–715) when the latter unsuccessfully attempted to replace the caliph's brother Sulayman in the line of succession with al-Walid's son Abd al-Aziz.[10] Though Zetterstéen claims Abbad's date of death is not known,[4] the historians I. K. A. Howard and Khurshid Ahmad Fariq state Abbad died in 718/19.[1][5]