The affair of al-Qadisiyyah and Jalula

Qays said: I took part in the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah on the side of the Muslims. Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) was the commander of the Muslims in this battle. When Rustam came with his army, Sayyiduna Amr bin Ma'di Karib al-Zubaydi (may Allah be pleased with him) passed along the ranks of the Muslims and said to them: "O company of Muhajirun, become brave lions! The true lion is the one who does not care for his own life. It is the nature of the Persians that once they throw down their spears they are like billy goats." With them was a Persian horseman and archer whose arrow never missed. We said to him: "O Abu Thawr, beware of him!" We were still saying this when he shot at us and hit his horse. Then Sayyiduna Amr charged at him, grappled with him, then slaughtered him and took his spoils, which included two golden bracelets, a belt and a silk brocade tunic. A man of Thaqif fled, went to the polytheists and informed them, and pointing toward Bajilah he said: "The people are on this side." So they sent sixteen elephants carrying fighters toward us, and two elephants toward all the other people. Sayyiduna Sa'd was saying that day: "Move back from Bajilah." Qays said: We were one quarter of the people at the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) gave us one quarter of al-Sawad (the fertile land of Iraq), and we took it for three years. After that, Sayyiduna Jarir (may Allah be pleased with him) came in a delegation to Sayyiduna Umar, accompanied by Sayyiduna Ammar bin Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Umar said to them: "Will the two of you not tell me about these two dwelling places of yours? Even so, I do travel those routes and can recognise from their aspects which of the two dwelling places is better." Sayyiduna Jarir said: "O Commander of the Faithful, I will tell you. One dwelling place is the nearest of the date palms of al-Sawad to the land of the Arabs, and the other dwelling place is the land of Persia, with its fever, its heat and its gnats, meaning al-Mada'in." He said: Sayyiduna Ammar contradicted me and said: "You have lied." Sayyiduna Umar said: "You are the greater liar." Then he said: "Will you not tell me about this governor of yours: is he sufficient for you?" The people said: "He is neither sufficient, nor does he know the secrets of governance." Then Sayyiduna Umar dismissed him and sent Sayyiduna al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him) as governor.

Qays said: During the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, an ulcer appeared on the foot of Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him), and he could not go out to fight. A retreat broke out among the people. The wife of Sayyiduna Sa'd, who had previously been married to Sayyiduna al-Muthanna bin Harithah al-Shaybani (may Allah be pleased with him), said: "There is no Muthanna for the horsemen!" At this Sayyiduna Sa'd slapped her. She said: "Out of cowardice and jealousy!" The narrator said: Then we defeated the enemy.

Qays said: A wife of Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him), whose name was Salma bint Khasafah, had previously been married to a man of Banu Shayban named al-Muthanna bin Harithah. She once mentioned al-Muthanna in front of Sayyiduna Sa'd, and he slapped her. She said: "You strike me out of cowardice and jealousy!"

Muhammad bin Sa'd said: During the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, one day Abu Mihjan the poet (may Allah be pleased with him) was brought to Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) for the offence of drinking wine. Sayyiduna Sa'd ordered him to be bound in shackles. At that time Sayyiduna Sa'd was wounded and could not go out to the people, so he chose the area of the spring called al-Udhayb to oversee his fighters, and began to observe them. He had appointed Sayyiduna Khalid bin Urfutah (may Allah be pleased with him) commander of the cavalry. When the battle began, Abu Mihjan composed a verse whose meaning is: "It is grief enough that the horsemen charge with their lances, while I am left bound in shackles." Then he said to Sayyiduna Sa'd's wife, bint Khasafah: "Set me free. I swear that if I remain alive, I will come back and bind myself in this shackle myself, and if I am killed, you will be rid of me." So bint Khasafah untied him, while the battle on the field was raging. He leapt and mounted Sayyiduna Sa'd's horse named al-Balqa', took a spear and attacked the enemy. Wherever he went he routed the enemy, until the people began saying: "This is an angel!" And Sayyiduna Sa'd was saying: "The leap is that of my horse al-Balqa' and the spear-thrust is that of Abu Mihjan, yet Abu Mihjan is in captivity!" When the enemy was defeated, Abu Mihjan returned and bound himself in the shackle. Bint Khasafah told Sayyiduna Sa'd the whole story, and he said: "By Allah, I cannot apply the prescribed punishment to a man through whom Allah Almighty granted the Muslims victory." Then Sayyiduna Sa'd set Abu Mihjan free. At this Abu Mihjan said: "When the prescribed punishment used to be applied to me, I would drink wine and be purified by the punishment. Now that you have exempted me from the punishment, by Allah I will never drink it."

Abu Wa'il said: Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) reached al-Qadisiyyah with his army. I think we were no more than seven or eight thousand, while the polytheist enemy were sixty thousand or thereabouts. They also had elephants with them. When they came down onto the field, they said to us: "Go back! You have neither numbers, nor strength, nor weapons. Go back!" We said: "We will not go back." They would even laugh at the sight of our arrows and compare them to spindles. When we refused to accept what they said and to go back, they said: "Send us a sensible man who can make clear to us the purpose of your coming, for we see neither numbers nor strength in you!" At this Sayyiduna al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I will go to them." Sayyiduna al-Mughirah went to them, and on arriving he sat with Rustam on his throne. Rustam and his companions found this extremely offensive. Sayyiduna al-Mughirah said: "My sitting here has neither added to my honour nor diminished the standing of your king." Rustam said: "Tell me why you have come here from your land, for I see neither numbers nor strength in you?" At this Sayyiduna al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "We were a people in wretchedness and misguidance. Allah Almighty sent among us a Prophet through whom Allah Almighty granted us guidance. Allah Almighty also granted us provision through him. Among the provision that came to us through him was a grain which people believe grows in this land. When we ate it and fed our families with it, the people said: 'There is no good for us until we go to this land and eat this grain.'" Rustam said: "Then we will kill you." Sayyiduna al-Mughirah said: "If you kill us we will enter Paradise, and if we kill you, you will go to Hell. If there is no fighting, you will have to pay the jizyah." When Sayyiduna al-Mughirah said that they would have to pay the jizyah, they began to shout and show intense anger, and they said: "There will be no peace between you and us." Then Sayyiduna al-Mughirah said: "Will you advance toward us, or shall we advance toward you?" Rustam said: "We will come toward you." So the Muslims drew back, and those of them who were to advance came forward, and the Muslims attacked them, killed them and defeated them.

Husayn said: Their king, Rustam, was from the people of Adharbayjan.

Husayn said: And I heard an elder of ours named Ubayd bin Jahsh say: I remember us walking on the backs of men, crossing the trench on the backs of men. No weapon had touched them; they had killed one another. We found a bag containing camphor, and we took it for salt, not doubting that it was salt. So we cooked meat and threw some of it in, but we found no taste in it. An Ibadi (a Christian Arab of al-Hirah) passed by us with a shirt, and he said: "O Arabs, do not spoil your food, for there is no good in the salt of this land. Would you like me to give you this shirt in exchange for it?" So he gave us a shirt for it, and we gave it to a companion of ours who put it on, and we began walking around him and marvelling. Then, when we came to know about clothes, it turned out that the price of the shirt was two dirhams. He said: And I remember pointing to a man who was wearing two bracelets of gold, while his weapons were down in one of those graves. I pointed to him and he came out to us, and he did not speak to us nor we to him until we struck his neck. Then we routed them until they reached the Euphrates. We mounted and pursued them, and they fled until they reached Sura'. We pursued them and they fled until they came to al-Sarah. We pursued them until they reached al-Mada'in. Then we camped at Kutha. A garrison of the polytheists was stationed at Dayri, among the garrison posts. The cavalry of the Muslims came to them and fought them, and the garrison of the polytheists fled until they joined al-Mada'in. The Muslims marched until they camped on the bank of the Tigris. A party of the Muslims crossed from Kalwadha, below al-Mada'in, and besieged them until they found nothing to eat but their dogs and cats. Then they departed one night until they came to Jalula'. Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) marched against them with the people, with Sayyiduna Hashim bin Utbah (may Allah be pleased with him) over his vanguard. That is the battle that took place. Allah destroyed them, and their remnants went off to Nahawand.

He said: And Abu Wa'il said: When the polytheists fled from Jalula', they came to Nahawand. Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed Sayyiduna Hudhayfah bin al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) over the people of Kufah and Sayyiduna Mujashi' bin Mas'ud al-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) over the people of Basrah. Then Sayyiduna Amr bin Ma'di Karib (may Allah be pleased with him) came to him and said to him: "Give me a horse fit for one like me and weapons fit for one like me." He said: "Yes, I will give you from my own wealth." Sayyiduna Amr bin Ma'di Karib said to him: "By Allah, we exchanged satire with you and did not silence you, we fought you and did not find you cowardly, and we asked of you and did not find you miserly."

Husayn said: Sayyiduna al-Nu'man bin Muqarrin (may Allah be pleased with him) was over Kaskar. He wrote to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): "O Commander of the Faithful, my example and that of Kaskar is like a young man in the company of a prostitute who adorns herself with colours and perfume for him. I implore you by Allah to remove me from Kaskar and send me with one of the armies of the Muslims." He wrote to him: "Go to the people at Nahawand, for you are over them." So he went to them and they met in battle, and he was the first one killed. Sayyiduna Suwayd bin Muqarrin (may Allah be pleased with him) took the banner, and Allah gave them victory and destroyed the polytheists, and no assembly of theirs stood after that day. He said: And the people of every city began to march against their enemies and their lands. Husayn said: When the polytheists were routed from al-Mada'in, he overtook them at Jalula', then returned and sent Sayyiduna Ammar bin Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him). He marched until he camped at al-Mada'in and wanted to settle the people there, but the people found its climate unhealthy and disliked it. Sayyiduna Umar learned that the people disliked it and asked: "Do camels thrive there?" They said: "No, because it has mosquitoes." Sayyiduna Umar said: "The Arabs do not thrive in a land where camels do not thrive." So they went back. Then Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) met an Ibadi, who said: "I will guide you to a land raised above the gnats, lower than the salt marsh, in the midst of the farmland and reaching into the prime of the soil." He said: "It is a land between al-Hirah and the Euphrates."

Al-Sha'bi said: On the occasion of the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote a letter to Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) in which he wrote: "I am sending you the people of Hijaz and the people of Yemen. Whoever of them reaches the fighting before the slain burst open, give him a share of the spoils."

Nu'aym bin Abi Hind said: At the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah a man prayed: "O Allah, my wife Hadiyyah is black and foul-tongued. Marry me today to a wide-eyed houri." Then he advanced onto the battlefield and was martyred. When the people passed by his body, he was locked in an embrace with a huge champion.

Sa'd bin Ibrahim said that they passed by a man at the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah whose hands and feet had been cut off. He was writhing and reciting this verse of the Qur'an: "with those upon whom Allah has bestowed favour, among the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous; and how excellent are those as companions!" [Al-Nisa: 69]. One of those passing by him asked: "O servant of Allah, who are you?" He said: "I am a man of the Ansar."

Sayyiduna al-Bara' (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered me to announce at al-Qadisiyyah that nabidh is not to be made in vessels made of gourd, green jars or vessels coated with pitch.

Shaqiq said: A letter from Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came to us at al-Qadisiyyah, and it had been written by Sayyiduna Abdullah bin al-Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him).

Shibr bin Alqamah said: At the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah a man of the Persians stood up and called for single combat. He spoke of his prowess. Then a short man named Shibr bin Alqamah stood and went forward to him. The Persian champion lifted Shibr and slammed him to the ground. Shibr seized the Persian champion's dagger and thrust it into his belly, then killed him. Then he brought his spoils to Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) set their value at twelve thousand dirhams and gave them to him as spoils of war.

Shibr bin Alqamah said: At the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah I fought a non-Arab and killed him. Then I brought his belongings to Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Sa'd announced to his companions: "These are the belongings brought by Shibr, and they are worth more than twelve thousand dirhams. And we have given them to him as spoils of war."

Husayn reports from one of the fighters who took part in the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah that a man was bathing when he found a brick of gold in the water. He brought it and gave it to Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Sa'd said: "Put it among the spoils of war."

Husayn reports from one of the fighters who took part in the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah that a man bought a slave girl from the spoils of war. When the slave girl saw that she had become his, she took out a great deal of jewellery and gave it to him. The man said: "I do not know what the ruling on this jewellery is." Then he took it to Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him about it, and Sayyiduna Sa'd said: "Put it among the spoils of war of the Muslims."

Al-Aswad bin Makhramah said: Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) sold a basin to a man from the people of al-Hirah for one thousand dirhams. He was told: "Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) has been informed of this and is very angry with you." After that Sayyiduna Sa'd kept entreating that Christian until he returned the basin to him and took back his thousand dirhams.

Sayyiduna Jarir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: One day during the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, blood flowed in place of water in the river of al-Qadisiyyah for three hours, and it was the blood of the polytheists whom we had killed.

Al-Harith said: When we came from Yemen and stayed in Madinah, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came to us. He walked around among the Nakha' tribe and said to them: "O people of Nakha', I see nobility settling among you. Go to Iraq and the hosts of Persia." They said: "O Commander of the Faithful, we want to emigrate to Syria." Sayyiduna Umar said: "No, Iraq is right. I am pleased with Iraq for you." Some of us said: "O Commander of the Faithful, there is no compulsion in religion." Sayyiduna Umar said: "There is no compulsion in religion; Iraq is right for you." It contains the hosts of the non-Arabs, and we were only two thousand five hundred. Then we came to al-Qadisiyyah. Of the Nakha', one and so many men were martyred, while of all the other people eighty were killed. When Sayyiduna Umar learned of this, he said: "What is the matter with the Nakha', that they alone were struck down beyond the other people? Did the people flee and leave them?" The people told him: "No, rather they took on the greatest burden of the matter by themselves."

Al-Harith said: Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by the people of Nakha' and counted them, and they were two thousand five hundred. Their leader was named Artah. Sayyiduna Umar said: "I see nobility settling among you. Go to your brothers in Iraq." They said: "No, we will go to Syria." Sayyiduna Umar said: "Go to Iraq." They said: "There is no compulsion in religion." Sayyiduna Umar said: "Go to Iraq." So they went to Iraq, and there they began seizing foals and slaughtering them. Sayyiduna Umar wrote to them: "Put things right, for in this matter there remains a refuge or breathing room."

Abu Bakr bin Ayyash said: At the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, Banu Asad were four hundred, Bajilah three thousand, Nakha' two thousand three hundred, and Kindah about the same. All of them together were ten thousand, and no one among the people were fewer than the tribe of Mudar.

Abu Bakr (bin Ayyash) said: Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) gave them more, some of them two thousand and some of them six hundred.

Abu Bakr bin Ayyash said concerning the explanation of the Qur'anic verse "Allah will bring a people whom He loves and who love Him" [Al-Ma'idah: 54]: It refers to the people of al-Qadisiyyah.

Abu Bakr bin Amr bin Utbah said: Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote to Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) and the other governors of Kufah: "The territory between al-Udhayb and Hulwan has come to me. This is enough for you if you are mindful of Allah and act rightly. And keep an empty expanse between yourselves and your enemies."

Awn bin Abdullah said: At the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, the belly of a Muslim fighter had burst open and his intestines had come out. He said to someone passing by him: "Gather my intestines back to me, so that I may advance a spear's length or two in the way of Allah." Later he was passed by again, and he had done so.

Abu Ishaq said: I saw the companions of Ubayd drinking the nabidh of al-Qadisiyyah, and Amr bin Maymun was among them.

Mutarrif reports that Sayyiduna Talhah bin Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with him) bought a piece of land in al-Nashastaj, the Nashastaj of Banu Talhah, which is near al-Saylahin. Then he came to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), mentioned it to him and said: "I have bought a fine and beautiful piece of land." Sayyiduna Umar asked: "From whom did you buy it? From the people of Kufah?" Sayyiduna Talhah said: "I bought it from the people of al-Qadisiyyah." Sayyiduna Talhah said: "And how could I buy it from all the people of al-Qadisiyyah?" Sayyiduna Umar said: "You have accomplished nothing. It is only fay'."

Layth said: The fighters of al-Qadisiyyah humbled the non-Arabs until they had fought for three days.

Rabi' bin Umaylah said: Two men, one from Kufah and one from Syria, argued with each other. The Kufan said: "We are the ones who took part in the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah and fought in such and such battles." The Syrian said: "We fought the Battle of Yarmuk and took part in such and such battles." Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Allah Almighty did not make either of you witness the destruction of the people of Ad and Thamud, and when Allah Almighty destroyed them He did not consult either of you about them. And no town is more deserving of having a great calamity repelled from it than this one," meaning Kufah.

Riyah said: The Muslim fighters found a grave in al-Mada'in containing a man who had on him garments with threads of gold and a great deal of wealth. The fighters brought it to Sayyiduna Ammar bin Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Ammar wrote to Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) about this. Sayyiduna Umar ordered him: "Give all this wealth to the fighters, and do not take it back from them."

Muhammad bin Ubaydullah said: Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed Sayyiduna al-Sa'ib bin al-Aqra' (may Allah be pleased with him) governor of al-Mada'in. One day, as he sat in his gathering, a copper statue was brought to him, in the form of a man gesturing with his hands like this, and the narrator spread his hands and closed some of his fingers. Al-Sa'ib bin al-Aqra' said: "This is mine; it is part of what Allah has granted me." Then he wrote to Sayyiduna Umar about this, and Sayyiduna Umar said: "You are only one of the governors of the Muslims. Deposit all of it in the public treasury of the Muslims."

Al-Nu'man bin Humayd said: Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) obtained some spoils of war and distributed part of them. Then he wrote to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) to apologise and to seek his counsel. He said: "Let the people trade with one another until the rider arrives."

Isma'il said: Shibl bin Awf is one of the people of al-Qadisiyyah, and he used to dye his beard yellow.

Sayyiduna Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) was the governor of al-Mada'in. On Friday he would say: "O Yazid, stand up and admonish your people."

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: At the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, Sayyiduna Ibn Umm Maktum (may Allah be pleased with him) was wearing a full coat of mail.

Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: At the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) and I differed about wiping over leather socks.

Ibrahim said: A man fled from the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah or Mihran or one of those other battles and came to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and he said: "I am ruined; I fled from the battlefield." Sayyiduna Umar said to him: "Not at all. I am your rallying party (the group you may fall back on)."

Simak bin Harb said: I met two thousand men of Banu Asad who had taken part in the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, at two thousand each, and their banners were in the hand of Simak, the man of the mosque.