During the battle of at-Taff and the few days preceding it, Ubaidullah ibn Ziyad, the governor of Kufa, imposed a blockade on the sources of water so as to prevent Imam al-Husayn (a), his household and army from having water. Al-Abbas, undertook the mission of fetching water to the camp and harem of his brother. He pushed himself among the large gatherings of that army and reached the River Euphrates several times. On that account, he had the epithet as - Saqqaa - the provider of water.