Imām Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/1201) summarized the scholars' opinions in his book "Zād al-Masīr" as follows:

1. It means they were united, *mu'talifūn*. [Ibn Zayd]
2. It refers to their number (i.e. thousands, plural of *alf*). This is the view held by the majority of scholars. They differed on the exact number, providing seven different opinions:
(i, ii) They were 4,000 or 40,000. [both attributed to Ibn ʿAbbās]
(iii) They were 90,000. [ʿAṭāʾ ibn Abī Rabāḥ]
(iv) They were 7,000. [Abū Ṣāliḥ]
(v) They were 30,000. [Abū Mālik]
(vi) They were around 33,000. [Al-Suddī]
(vii) They were 8,000. [Muqātil]

What does the description as *"ulūf"* mean?

Imām Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/1201) summarized the scholars' opinions in his book "Zād al-Masīr" as follows:

1. They fled from the plague that had struck them. [al-Ḥasan, al-Suddī]
2. They were commanded to fight, but they fled. [ʿIkrimah, al-Ḍaḥḥāk]

What is meant by them being afraid of death?