Zubayr reported,

Zubayr said, "By Allah, on that day I could see the anklets of the women as they ran with their garments tucked up after the enemy was routed, and I saw nothing standing between us and capturing them. We had counted them as good as dead, with not one of them returning. The standard-bearers had been struck down. They had stood firm by it until it passed to a black slave of theirs called Sawab. Then Sawab was killed and the banner fell to the ground, and not a single one of Allah's creatures would go near it, until Amra bint Alqama al-Harithiyya leapt forward and raised it for them, and the people rallied back to it."Zubayr continued, "By Allah, while we were in this state, having gained the upper hand and overcome them, the archers disobeyed the order of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. They headed toward the enemy camp when they saw it in disarray after we had driven them from it. They were eager for the spoils and abandoned the instructions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and began seizing the goods. Then the cavalry came at us from behind and crushed us, and the people turned back in defeat. A crier called out, and they thought it was Satan, 'Muhammad has been killed!' This struck terror into the people, and they trampled over one another. They became three groups, a third wounded, a third killed, and a third routed. The battle had taken its toll."The archers had disagreed among themselves. One group, seeing that the people had fallen upon the spoils after Allah had routed the polytheists and the Muslims were taking the booty, said, "What are you waiting for?"Another group said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave you a clear command and forbade you from leaving your position, whether the battle went against him or in his favor."They quarreled over this, but the first group of archers insisted on joining the camp. So the men dispersed and left their post, and at that moment the cavalry of the polytheists charged.

عن الزبير قال

والله إني لأنظر يومئذ إلى خدم النساء، مشمرات يسعين حين انهزم القوم، وما أرى دون أخذهن شيئا، وإنا لنحسبهم قتلى ما يرجع إلينا منهم أحد، ولقد أصيب أصحاب اللواء، [ وصبروا عنده حتى صار إلى عبد له حبشي، يقال له صواب ثم قتل صواب فطرح اللواء] فما يقربه أحد من خلق الله تعالى، حتى وثبت إليه عمرة بنت علقمة الحارثية، فرفعته لهم، وثاب إليه الناس. قال الزبير: فو الله إنا لكذلك قد علوناهم وظهرنا عليهم، إذ خالفت الرماة عن أمر رسول الله ﷺ فأقبلوا إلى العسكر حين رأوه مختلا قد أجهضناهم عنه، فرغبوا إلى الغنائم، وتركوا عهد رسول الله ﷺ، فجعلوا يأخذون الأمتعة، فأتتنا الخيل من خلفنا فحطمتنا، وكر الناس منهرمين، فصرخ صارخ يرون أنه الشيطان: ألا إن محمدا قد قتل، فأعظم الناس، وركب بعضهم بعضا، فصاروا أثلاثا: ثلثا جريحا، وثلثا مقتولا، وثلثا منهزما، قد بلغت الحرب، وقد كانت الرماة اختلفوا فيما بينهم، فقالت طائفة رأوا الناس وقعوا في الغنائم، وقد هزم الله تعالى المشركين وأخذ المسلمون الغنائم: فماذا تنتظرون؟ وقالت طائفة: قد تقدم إليكم رسول الله ﷺ ونهاكم أن تفارقوا مكانكم إن كانت عليه أو له فتنازعوا فى ذلك، ثم إن الطائفة الأولى من الرماة أبت إلا أن تلحق بالعسكر، فتفرق القوم، وتركوا مكانهم، فعند ذلك حملت خيل المشركين.