(14)
(1)
عَنْ كَرِبِ بْنِ أَبِي كَرب العُكْلِيّ – وَكَانَ فِي المُقَدَّمَاتِ أَيَّامَ القَادِسِيَّةِ -قَالَ … : وَبَعَثَ سَعْدٌ عُيُونًا إِلَى أَهْلِ الحِيرَةِ ، وَإِلَى صُلُوبَا لِيَعْلَمُوا لَهُ خَبَرَ أَهْلِ فَارِسَ، فَرَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِ بِالْخَبَرِ بِأَنَّ المَلِكَ قَدْ وَلَّى رُسْتَمَ بْنَ الفَرُّخْزَادَ الْأَرْمَنِيَّ حَرْبَهُ وَأَمَرَهُ بِالْعَسْكَرَةِ،فَكَتَبَ بِذَلِكَ إِلَى عُمَرَ، فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ عُمَرُ : لَا يَكْرَبَنَّكَ مَا يَأْتِيكَ عَنْهُمْ وَلَا مَا يَأْتُونَكَ بِهِ، وَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللَّهِ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَيْهِ، وَابْعَثْ إِلَيْهِ رِجَالًا مِنْ أَهْلِ المَنْظَرَةِ وَالرَّأْيِ وَالجَلَدِ يَدْعُونَهُ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ جَاعِلٌ دُعَاءَهُمْ تَوْهِينًا لَهُمْ وَفَلَجًا عَلَيْهِمْ
Karb bin Abi Karb al-Ukli – who was in the vanguard during the days of Qadisiyyah – relates: … Saad bin Abi Waqqas sent scouts to the people of Hirah and to Suluba in order to obtain intelligence about the Persians. They returned with the report that the king (Yazdegerd) had appointed Rustam bin Farrukhzad al-Armani over the war and had ordered him to mobilize the army. Saad wrote this news to Umar, who wrote back to him: ‘Do not let what reaches you about them, nor what they themselves bring to you, distress you. Seek help from God and put your trust in Him. And send to him men who possess dignity of appearance, sound judgement and physical strength, that they may invite him (to Islam), for God will make their invitation a cause of weakening them and a means of victory over them.’ (Tarikh al-Tabari 3/495)
Lexical Explanation
“فَلَجًا” (falajan): that is, dominance and success over one’s opponent. The winner in a gambling game is called falij: “ ُوالفالِج : ُالغالب فِي قِمارِه” (Lisan al-Arab 2/348).
Explanation and clarification
1. In 7 AH, the Prophet wrote a letter to the Sasanian emperor Khusraw Parwēz, inviting him to accept Islam and stating that if he refused, the sin of the Magians would rest upon him. Khusraw, enraged by the contents of the letter, tore it up and expelled the Prophet’s envoy, Abdullah bin Hudhafah, from his court. The Prophet thereupon supplicated against the Persians, praying that their empire be torn to pieces (Bukhari, No. 4424). On several occasions he also foretold that the Muslims would conquer the lands of Persia and that the treasures of Kisra would be spent in the path of God (Bukhari, No. 3400; Muslim, No. 2900).
After receiving the Prophet’s letter, Khusraw instructed his governor in Yemen, Badham (or Badhan), to send men to seize the letter’s author and bring him in chains before Khusraw. When Badham’s envoys arrived in Madinah, the Prophet told them: “Come to me tomorrow.” When they came the next day, he informed them that God had set Khusraw’s son, Shiruyah, over him, and that Shiruyah had killed his father on a certain night in a certain month. The envoys returned to Badham with this news; once the report had been independently confirmed, Badham regarded it as proof of the Prophet’s truthfulness and embraced Islam (Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wal-Nihayah 4/267–269).
2. In light of the Prophet’s letter and his prophecies, the Companions began military expeditions into the territories of the Persian empire in the caliphate of Abu Bakr. Under the leadership of Khalid bin al- Walid and Iyad bin Ghanm, Muslim armies conquered parts of Iraq. Thereafter, Muslim attention shifted primarily to the Syrian front, while internal political turmoil continued to plague Persia. In 13 AH, when Umar assumed the caliphate, he received reports that the Persians were both fomenting unrest in the Muslim-held areas of Iraq and gathering a large military force with the intention of launching a decisive offensive against the Arabs.
In this context, he dispatched a large Muslim army under the command of Saad bin Abi Waqqas to face the Persians. Saad encamped at Qadisiyyah, where, in 14 AH, the first major battle between the Arabs and the Persians took place – the famous Battle of Qadisiyyah. On this occasion, prior to the actual fighting, a number of dialogues occurred between Yazdegerd, the Persian king, and his commander Rustam on the one side, and various Companions on the other. The report under discussion mentions the background of one of these dialogues.
3. Umar (RA) instructed Saad to select from the Muslim army a delegation of dignified and intelligent men to be sent to Yazdegerd in order to present the call of Islam before him. Presenting Islam and laying out the available options before the enemy prior to battle was, in accordance with the practice established by the Prophet, a religious requirement. Umar also expected that, by clarifying the Muslims’ position and resolve in this formal manner, the determination and morale of the Persians would be weakened, and in consequence this would become a means for securing victory. According to al-Tabari’s report, in compliance with Umar’s instruction Saad formed a delegation under the leadership of Numan bin Muqarrin, which included notable and judicious men such as Busar bin Abi Ruhm, Hamlah bin Juwayyah al-Kinani, Hanzalah bin al-Rabi al-Tamimi, Furat bin Hayyan al-Ijli, Adi bin Suhayl, Mughirah bin Zurarah bin al-Nabbash bin Habib, Utarad bin Hajib, al-Ashath bin Qays, Harith bin Hassan, Asim bin ʿAmr, ʿAmr bin Maʿdi Karib, al-Mughirah bin Shuʿbah, and al-Muthanna bin Harithah.
Another historian, al-Madaʾini, gives a list that differs partially from this; in place of some of the above names, he mentions Tulayhah bin Khuwaylid, Zahrah bin Juwayyah, Labid bin Utarad, and Sharhabil bin al-Simt (al-Kalai, al-Iktifa bima Tadammanahu min Maghazi Rasul Allah wal-Thalathah al-Khulafaʾ 2/445). On the face of it, the inclusion of al-Mughirah bin Shubah and al-Muthanna bin Harithah in al- Tabari’s list does not seem accurate, since al-Muthanna had already passed away by this time, while al- Mughirah bin Shubah is mentioned in most reports as one of those who conversed not with Yazdegerd but with Rustam – a dialogue that will be discussed in subsequent reports.
Referencing and Variance in Narration Chains
This incident is also transmitted via the report of Sayf bin Umar in al-Kalai’s al-Iktifa (2/445). Al-Kalai additionally records at length the text of Umar’s letter, though he does not specify its source. The text is as follows:
وكتب إليه عمر: أتاني كتابك تذكر مكان عدوك ونزولك حيث نزلت، ومسافة ما بينك وبين ابن كسرى، وأنه من يرد الله أن يهديه يشرح صدره للإسلام، فأرسل إلى ابن كسرى من يدعوه إلى الإيمان أو إعطاء الجزية أو الحرب، فإن أسلم فله ما لكم وعليه ما عليكم، وإن اختار إعطاء الجزية ولم يسلم فله ما كسب وعليه ما اكتسب وقد حقن دمه وأحرز أرضه، ولا سبيل عليه إلا في حق عليه، فإن أبى الإسلام وإعطاء الجزية فلا يعظم عندك حربه ولا يكربنك ما يأتيك عنهم، ولا ما يأتوك به، فاستعن بالله واستنصره وتوكل عليه ….
Umar wrote to Saad: ‘Your letter has reached me, in which you mention the position of your enemy and the place where you have encamped, and the distance between you and the son of Kisra. Whomever God wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islam. Therefore, send men to the son of Kisra to invite him either to faith, or to the payment of jizyah, or to war. If he accepts Islam, he will enjoy the same rights and bear the same obligations as you. If he prefers to pay jizyah without embracing Islam, then his good and evil deeds are upon himself; his blood and his land will be protected, and no action will be taken against him except in respect of a right due from him. But if he refuses both Islam and jizyah, then do not regard the prospect of war against him as something great, and let not what reaches you about them or what they themselves bring to you distress you. Seek help from God, implore His victory, and place your trust in Him….’”
(2)
عمرو بن محمد، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، وَطَلْحَةَ عَنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ، قَالُوا: فَخَرَجُوا مِنَ الْعَسْكَرِ حَتَّى قَدِمُوا الْمَدَائِنَ احْتِجَاجًا وَدُعَاةً لِيَزْدَجَرْدَ، فَطَوَوْا رُسْتُمَ حَتَّى انْتَهَوْا إِلَى بَابِ يَزْدَجَرْدَ، فَوَقَفُوا عَلَى خُيُولٍ ] عِرَاب [ مَعَهُمْ جَنَائِبُ، وَكُلُّهَا صَهَّالٌ، فَاسْتَأْذَنُوا فَحُبِسُوا، وَبَعَثَ يَزْدَجَرْدُ إِلَى وُزَرَائِهِ وَوُجُوهِ أَرْضِهِ يَسْتَشِيرَهُمْ فِيمَا يَصْنَعُ بِهِمْ وَيَقُولُهُ لَهُمْ، وَسَمِعَ بِهِمُ النَّاسُ فَحَضَرُوهُمْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَعَلَيْهِمُ الْمُقَطَّعَاتُ وَالْبُرُودُ، وَفِي أَيْدِيهِمْ سِيَاطٌ دِقَاقٌ، سِيَاطٌ دِقَاقٌ، وَفِي أَرْجُلِهِمُ النِّعَالُ، فَلَمَّا اجْتَمَعَ رَأْيُهُمْ أَذِنَ لَهُمْ فَأُدْخِلُوا عَلَيْهِ
Amr bin Muhammad, from al-Shabi, and Talhah from al-Mughirah, relate: These men (i.e. the delegation selected by Saad bin Abi Waqqas) departed from the army and made for al-Madaʾin, intending to establish proof against Yazdegerd and to call him to Islam. They passed by Rustam and continued until they reached the gate of Yazdegerd’s palace. They halted there, mounted on fine Arab horses, and with spare mounts (janaib) alongside them; all of the horses were neighing loudly. They requested permission to enter, but were made to wait. Yazdegerd summoned his ministers and the leading figures of his realm to consult them as to how he should deal with these Arabs and what he should say to them. When news of their arrival spread, people gathered to see them. They were wearing patched garments and coarse striped cloaks, holding thin whips in their hands and simple leather sandals on their feet. After the Persians had agreed among themselves, permission was granted, and the delegation was ushered in to Yazdegerd.” (Tarikh al-Tabari 3/497)
Lexical Explanations “ ُجَنَائِب”: plural of janybah, which denotes a horse without a rider led alongside one’s own, kept for baggage or for riding when needed.
Explanation and Clarification The elaborate arrangements made by the Persian grandees for this interview with the Arabs, together with the keen curiosity of the general populace, reveal the anxiety and fear that had taken hold of Persian hearts. As will become clearer from the following reports, one cause of this was the emergence of the Arabs as a unified political power, something wholly unexpected from the Persian perspective. In addition, internal political strife within Persia, the Arabs’ success in conquering part of Iraq, and their determination to continue their campaigns all combined to heighten Persian fear and unease.
Umar (RA) was also fully aware of this situation. It was for this reason that, as a matter of strategy and psychological pressure, he decided that a dignified Arab delegation should appear before the ruling elite and populace of the Persian empire, explain the true nature of the situation, and thus both complete the argument against them and undermine the resolve they were seeking to muster for resistance.
Referencing and Variance in Narration Chains
This incident too is transmitted via Sayf bin Umar (RA) and is quoted by al-Kalai (al-Iktifa 2/446). There are some differences in wording between the texts. For example, al-Tabari’s wording khuyulu arawaatin yields no intelligible sense, whereas the wording cited by al-Kalai, khuyulu irabin, clearly denotes “Arab horses” and has accordingly been adopted in the text.
(3)
عَنْ بِنْتِ كَيْسَانَ الصَّبِيَّةِ، عَنْ بَعْضٍ سَبَايَا الْقَادِسِيَّةٍ مِمَّنْ حَسُنَ إِسْلَامُهُ، وَحَضَرَ هَذَا الْيَوْمَ الَّذِي قَدِمَ فِيهِ وُفُودُ الْعَرَبِ، قَالَ: وَثَبَ إِلَيْهِمُ النَّاسُ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْهِمْ، فَلَمْ أَرَ عَشَرَةً قَطُّ يَعْدِلُونَ فِي الْهَيْئَةِ بِأَلْفِ غَيْرِهِمْ، وَخَيْلُهُمْ تَخْبِطُ وَيُوغِرُ بَعْضُهَا بَعْضًا، وَجَعَلَ أَهْلُ فَارِسَ يَسُوءُهُمْ مَا يَرَوْنَ مِنْ حَالِهِمْ وَحَالِ خَيْلِهِمْ. فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا عَلَى يَزْدَجَرْدَ أَمَرَهُمْ بِالْجُلُوسِ، وَكَانَ سَيِّئَ الْأَدَبِ. فَكَانَ أَوَّلُ شَيْءٍ دَارَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهُمْ أَنَّ أَمَرَ التَّرْجُمَانَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهُمْ، فَقَالَ : سَلْهُمْ مَا يُسَمُّونَ هَذِهِ الْأَرْدِيَةَ؟ فَسَأَلَ النُّعْمَانَ
وَكَانَ عَلَى الْوَفْدِ : مَاذَا : مَاذَا تُسَمِّي رِدَاءَكَ؟ فَقَالَ: الْبُرْدُ ، فَتَطَيَّرَ وَقَالَ: بُرْدْ جَهَانِ. وَتَغَيَّرَتْ أَلْوَانُ فَارِسَ وَشَقَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ: سَلْهُمْ عَنْ أَحْذِيَتِهِمْ ، فَقَالَ: مَاذَا تُسَمُّونَ هَذِهِ الْأَحْذِيَةَ؟ فَقَالَ النُّعْمَانُ، فَعَادَ لِمِثْلِهَا فَقَالَ: نَالَهُ نَالَهُ فِي أَرْضِنَا. ثُمَّ سَأَلَهُ عَمَّا فِي يَدِهِ فَقَالَ: سَوْطٌ ، وَالسَّوْطُ بِالْفَارِسِيَّةِ حَرِيقٌ. فَقَالَ: أَحْرَقُوا فَارِسَ ، أَحْرَقَهُمْ اللهُ وَكَانَ تَطَيُّرُهُ عَلَى أَهْلِ فَارِسَ، وَكَانُوا يَجِدُونَ مِنْ كَلَامِهِ
Bint Kaysan al-Dabiyyah relates from one of the captives of Qadisiyyah – a woman whose Islam later became excellent, and who was present on the day when the Arab delegation came to Yazdegerd’s court. She said: People rushed towards them to see them. I have never seen ten men whose outward bearing equaled that of a thousand others. Their horses were striking the ground with their hooves and some of them were rousing the others (wa yughiru baduha badan) (as if eager for the battlefield). The state of the Arabs and their mounts greatly disturbed the Persians. When the Arabs entered before Yazdegerd, he (despite his generally ill- natured character) ordered them to sit. The first thing that transpired between him and them was that he told the interpreter who stood between them: ‘Ask them what they call these cloaks they are wearing.’ The interpreter asked Nuʿman – who was the leader of the delegation: ‘What do you call your cloak?’ He replied: ‘Al-burd.’ Yazdegerd took an ill-omen from this and said: Burd jahan (the world has been taken away).’ The colour drained from the faces of the Persians and this weighed heavily upon them. Then he said: ‘Ask them about their shoes.’ The interpreter asked: ‘What do you call these shoes?’ Nuʿman answered, and Yazdegerd once again interpreted this as an omen and said: ‘Nalah nalah in our language (weeping and wailing in our land).’ Then he asked him about what was in his hand. Nuʿman said: ‘A sawt (whip).’ In Persian, sawt corresponds to hariq (fire). Yazdegerd therefore exclaimed: ‘They have burned Persia – may God burn them!’ All of his auguries fell against the Persians, and they were distressed by his words.” (Tarikh al-Tabari 3/498)
Explanation and clarification
Among the Persians, omens and augury were widespread practices. Yazdegerd asked for the names of some of the items worn or carried by the Arabs in order to draw omens from the sounds of those words. In Arabic, a striped cloak is called burd. Hearing this, Yazdegerd construed from it the Persian phrase burd jahan (“he has taken away the world”), implying that the Arabs had prevailed over the Persians’ realm and “carried it off”. In Arabic, sandals are called naʿl. Yazdegerd interpreted this through the Persian nalah (“lamentation”), and drew the ill-omen that crying and wailing would now fill Persia. Likewise, he associated the Arabic sawt (“whip”) with the Persian sukht (“burning”), taking from it the omen that these people would burn the Persians in the fire of war. The fact that he construed all three words in such a pessimistic way itself reflects the fear and anxiety that had seized the Persians in those circumstances.
Referencing and Variance in Narration Chains
This incident too is transmitted by al-Kalaʿi from the report of Sayf bin Umar (al-Iktifaʾ 2/446). There are some differences in wording. For example, al-Tabari’s text has wa yu’idu baduha badan, whereas al-Kalai records wa yughiru baduha badan, which has been adopted in the text above as it gives a clearer sense.
(4)
عن الشعبي : … ثُمَّ قَالَ الْمَلِكُ : سَلْهُم مَا جَاءَ بِكُمْ؟ وَمَا دَعَاكُمْ إِلَى غَزُونَا وَالْوُلُوْعِ بِبِلَادِنَا ؟ أَمِنْ أَجْلِ أَنَا أَجْمَمْنَاكُمْ وَتَشَاغَلْنَا عَنْكُمْ اجْتَرَأَتُمْ عَلَيْنَا ؟ فَقَالَ لَهُمُ النُّعْمَانُ بْنُ مُقَرِّنٍ: إِنْ شِئْتُمْ أَجَبْتُ عَنْكُمْ، وَمَنْ شَاءَ أَثَرْتُهُ فَقَالُوا: بَلْ تَكَلَّمْ، وَقَالُوا لِلْمَلِكِ: كَلَامُ هَذَا الرَّجُلِ كَلَامُنَا فَتَكَلَّمَ النُّعْمَانُ فَقَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَحِمَنَا فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولًا يَدُلُّنَا عَلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُنَا بِهِ، وَيُعَرِّفْنَا الشَّرَّ وَيَنْهَانَا عَنْهُ، وَوَعَدَنَا عَلَى إِجَابَتِهِ خَيْرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ، فَلَمْ يَدْعُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ قَبِيلَةً إِلَّا صَارُوا فِرْقَتَيْنِ فِرْقَةً تُقَارِبُهُ، وَفِرْقَةً تُبَاعِدُهُ، وَلَا يَدْخُلُ مَعَهُ فِي دِينِهِ إِلَّا الْخَوَاصِ، فَمَكَثَ بِذَلِكَ مَا شَاءَ اللهُ أَنْ يَمْكُثَ، ثُمَّ أُمِرَ أَنْ يَنْبِذَ إِلَى مَنْ خَالَفَهُ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ، وَبَدَأَ بِهِمْ فَفَعَلَ، فَدَخَلُوا مَعَهُ جَمِيعًا عَلَى وَجْهَيْنِ: مُكْرَهُ عَلَيْهِ فَاغْتَبَطَ وَطَائِعٌ أَتَاهُ فَازْدَادَ، فَعَرَفْنَا جَمِيعًا فَضْلَ مَا جَاءَ بِهِ عَلَى الَّذِي كُنَّا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْعَدَاوَةِ وَالضّيق، ثُمَّ أَمَرَنَا أَنْ نَبْدَأَ بِمَنْ يَلِينَا مِنَ الْأُمَمِ فَنَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى الْإِنْصَافِ، فَنَحْنُ نَدْعُوكُمْ إِلَى دِينِنَا، وَهُوَ دِينٌ حَسَّنَ الْحَسَنَ وَقَبَّحَ الْقَبِيحَ كُلُّهُ، فَإِنْ أَبَيْتُمْ فَأَمْرٌ مِنَ الشَّرِّ هُوَ أَهْوَنُ مِنْ آخَرَ شَرَ مِنهُ: الْجِزَاءُ، فَإِنْ أَبَيْتُمْ فَالْمُنَاجَزَةُ، فَإِنْ أَجَبْتُمْ إِلَى دِينِنَا خَلَّفْنَا فِيكُمْ كِتَابَ اللهِ، وَأَقَمْنَاكُمْ عَلَيْهِ، عَلَى أَنْ تَحْكُمُوا بِأَحْكَامِهِ، وَنَرْجِعَ عَنْكُمْ وَشَأْنَكُمْ وَبِلَادَكُمْ، وَإِنِ اتَّقَيْتُمُونَا بِالْجِزَاءِ قَبِلْنَا وَمَنَعْنَاكُمْ، وَإِلَّا قَاتَلْنَاكُم
قَالَ: فَتَكَلَّمَ يَزْدَجَرْدُ فَقَالَ: إِنِّي لَا أَعْلَمُ فِي الْأَرْضِ أُمَّةً كَانَتْ أَشْقَى وَلَا أَقَلَّ عَدَدًا وَلَا أَسْوَأَ ذَاتَ بَيْنِ مِّنكُمْ، قَدْ كُنَّا نُوَكِّلُ بِكُمْ قُرَى الضَّوَاحِي فَيَكُفُونَنَاكُمْ، لَا تَغْزُونَ فَارِسَ وَلَا تَطْمَعُونَ أَنْ تَقُومُوا لَهُمْ، فَإِنْ كَانَ عَدَدٌ لَحِقَ فَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُمْ مِنَّا، وَإِنْ كَانَ الْجَهْدُ دَعَاكُمْ فَرَضْنَا لَكُمْ قُوتًا إِلَى خَصْبِكُمْ، وَأَكْرَمْنَا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَكَسَوْنَاكُمْ، وَمَلَّكْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ مَّلِكًا يَرْفُقُ بِكُمْ
فَأَسْكَتَ الْقَوْمُ، فَقَامَ الْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ زُرَارَةَ بْنِ النَّبَّاشِ الأَسِيدِيُّ، فَقَالَ: أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ، إِنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ رُؤُوسُ الْعَرَبِ وَوُجُوهُهُمْ، وَهُمْ أَشْرَافُ يَسْتَحْيُونَ مِنَ الْأَشْرَافِ، وَإِنَّمَا يُكْرِمُ الْأَشْرَافَ الْأَشْرَافُ، وَيُعَلِّمُ حُقُوقَ الْأَشْرَافِ الْأَشْرَافُ، وَيُفَجِّمُ الْأَشْرَافُ الْأَشْرَافَ، وَلَيْسَ كُلُّ مَا أُرْسِلُوا لَهُ جَمَعُوهُ لَكَ، وَلَا كُلُّ مَا تَكَلَّمْتَ بِهِ أَجَابُوكَ عَلَيْهِ، وَقَدْ أَحْسَنُوا وَلَا يَحْسُنُ بِمِثْلِهِمْ إِلَّا ذَلِكَ، فَجَاوِبْنِي لِأَكُونَ الَّذِي أُبَلِّغُكَ، وَيَشْهَدُونَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ إِنَّكَ قَدْ وَصَفْتَنَا صِفَةً لَمْ تَكُنْ بِهَا عَالِمًا فَأَمَّا مَا ذَكَرْتَ مِنْ سُوءِ الْحَالِ فَمَا كَانَ أَسْوَأَ حَالًا مِنَّا، وَأَمَّا جُوعُنَا فَلَمْ يَكُنْ يُشْبِهُ الْجُوعَ: كُنَّا نَأْكُلُ الْخَنَافِسَ وَالْجُعْلَانَ وَالْعَقَارِبَ وَالْحِيَّاتِ، فَنَرَى ذَلِكَ طَعَامَنَا. وَأَمَّا الْمَنَازِلُ فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ ظَهْرُ الْأَرْضِ، وَلَا نَلْبَسُ إِلَّا مَا غَزَلْنَاهُ مِنْ أَوْبَارِ الْإِبِلِ وَأَشْعَارِ الْغَنَمِ. دِينُنَا أَنْ يَقْتُلَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا، وَيُغِيرَ بَعْضُنَا عَلَى بَعْضٍ، وَإِنْ كَانَ أَحَدُنَا لَيَدْفِنُ ابْنَتَهُ وَهِيَ حَيَّةٌ كَرَاهِيَةَ أَنْ تَأْكُلَ مِنْ طَعَامِنَا فَكَانَتْ حَالُنَا قَبْلَ الْيَوْمِ عَلَى مَا ذَكَرْتُ لَكَ، فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْنَا رَجُلًا مَعْرُوفًا نَعْرِفُ نَسَبَهُ، وَنَعْرِفُ وَجْهَهُ وَمَوْلِدَهُ، فَأَرْضُهُ خَيْرُ
أَرَاضِينَا، وَحَسَبُهُ خَيْرُ أَحْسَابِنَا، وَبَيْتُهُ أَعَظَمُ بُيُوتِنَا ، وَقَبِيلَتُهُ خَيْرُ قَبَائِلِنَا، وَهُوَ بِنَفْسِهِ كَانَ خَيْرَنَا فِي الْحَالِ الَّتِي كَانَ فِيهَا: أَصْدَقْنَا وَأَحْلَمُنَا، فَدَعَانَا إِلَى أَمْرٍ فَلَمْ يُجِبْهُ أَحَدٌ قَبْلَ تِرْبٍ كَانَ لَهُ وَكَانَ الْخَلِيفَةَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ، فَقَالَ وَقُلْنَا، وَصَدَقَنَا وَكَذَّبْنَا، وَزَادَنَا وَنَقَصْنَا، فَلَمْ يَقُلْ شَيْئًا إِلَّا كَانَ، فَقَذَفَ اللهُ فِي قُلُوبِنَا التَّصْدِيقَ لَهُ وَاتَّبَاعَهُ، فَصَارَ فِيمَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، فَمَا قَالَ لَنَا فَهُوَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ، وَمَا أَمَرَنَا فَهُوَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ
فَقَالَ لَنَا: إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ يَقُولُ: إِنَّنِي أَنَا اللهُ وَحْدِي لَا شَرِيكَ لِي، كُنْتُ إِذْ لَمْ يَكُنْ شَيْءٌ وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهِي، وَأَنَا خَلَقْتُ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ، وَإِلَيْهِ يَصِيرُ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ، وَإِنَّ رَحْمَتِي أَدْرَكَتْكُمْ فَبَعَثْتُ إِلَيْكُمْ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ لِأَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى السَّبِيلِ الَّتِي بِهَا أَنْجِيكُمْ بَعْدَ
الْمَوْتِ مِنْ عَذَابِي، وَلِأُحِلَّكُمْ دَارِي دَارَ السَّلَامِ. فَنَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ جَاءَ بِالْحَقِّ مِنْ عِنْدِ الْحَقِّ، وَقَالَ: مَنْ تَابَعَكُمْ عَلَى هَذَا فَلَهُ مَا لَكُمْ وَعَلَيْهِ مَا عَلَيْكُمْ، وَمَنْ أَبَى فَاعْرِضُوا عَلَيْهِ الْجِزْيَةَ، ثُمَّ امْنَعُوهُ مِمَّا تَمْنَعُونَهُ أَنْفُسُكُمْ، وَمَنْ أَبَى فَقَاتِلُوهُ، فَأَنَا الْحَاكِمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فَمَنْ قُتِلَ مِنْكُمْ أَدْخَلْتُهُ جَنَّتِي، وَمَنْ بَقِيَ مِنْكُمْ أَعْقَبْتُهُ النَّصْرَ عَلَى مَنْ نَاوَأَهُ. فَاخْتَرْ إِنْ شِئْتَ الْجِزْيَةَ عَنْ يَدٍ وَأَنتَ صَاغِرٌ، وَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَالسَّيْفُ، أَوْ تُسْلِمُ فَتُنْجِي نَفْسَكَ
فَقَالَ: أَتَسْتَقْبِلُنِي بِمِثْلِ هَذَا؟ فَقَالَ: مَا اسْتَقْبَلْتُ إِلَّا مَنْ كَلَّمَنِي، وَلَوْ كَلَّمَنِي غَيْرُكَ لَمْ أَسْتَقْبِلْكَ بِهِ. فَقَالَ: لَوْلَا أَنَّ الرُّسُلَ لَا تُقْتَلُ لَقَتَلْتُكُمْ، لَا شَيْءَ لَكُمْ عِنْدِي. وَقَالَ: ائْتُونِي بِوقْرٍ مِنْ تُرَابٍ فَقَالَ: احْمِلُوهُ عَلَى أَشْرَفِ هَؤُلَاءِ ثُمَّ سَوَقُوهُ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ مِنْ بَابِ الْمَدَائِنِ ارْجِعُوا إِلَى صَاحِبِكُمْ فَأَعْلِمُوهُ أَنِّي مُرْسِلٌ إِلَيْكُمْ رُسْتُمَ حَتَّى يَدْفِنَهُ وَجُنْدَهُ فِي خَنْدَقِ الْقَادِسِيَّةِ، وَيُنَكِلَ بِهِ وَبِكُمْ وَب مِنْ بَعْدُ. ثُمَّ أَوْرِدْهُ بِلَادَكُمْ، حَتَّى أَشْعَلَكُمْ فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ بِأَشَدَّ مِمَّا نَالَكُمْ مِنْ سَابُورَ
قَالَ: مَنْ أَشْرَفُكُمْ ؟ فَسَكَتَ الْقَوْمُ، فَقَالَ عَاصِمُ بْنُ عَمْرِو – وَافْتَاتَ لِيَأْخُذَ التَّرَابَ : أَنَا أَشْرَفُهُمْ، أَنَا سَيِّدُ هَؤُلَاءِ ثُمَّ فَحَمَّلْنِيهِ، فَقَالَ: أَكَذَا كَذَا؟ قَالُوا : نَعَمْ، فَحَمَلَهُ عَلَى عُنُقِهِ، فَخَرَجَ بِهِ مِنَ الْإِيوَانِ وَالدَّارِ حَتَّى أَتَى رَاحِلَتَهُ فَحَمَلَهَا عَلَيْهَا، فَقَالَ لَهُ أَصْحَابُهُ: حَمَلْتَ تُرَابًا؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، الفَالُ، قَدْ أَمْكَنَكُمُ اللهُ مِنْ أَرْضِهِمْ [ ثُمَّ انْجَذَبَ فِي السَّيْرِ، فَأَتَوْا بِهِ سَعْدًا، وَسَبَقَهُم عَاصِمٌ فَمَرَّ بِبَابِ قُدَيسٍ فَطَوَاهُ ، فَقَالَ: بَشِرُوا الْأَمِيرَ بِالظَّفَرِ ، ظَفَرْنَا إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ. ثُمَّ مَضَى حَتَّى جَعَلَ التَّرَابَ فِي الْحَجَرِ، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ فَدَخَلَ عَلَى سَعْدٍ ، فَأَخْبَرَهُ الْخَبَرَ ، فَقَالَ: أَبْشِرُوا فَقَدْ وَاللَّهِ أَعْطَانَا اللَّهُ أَقَالِيدَ مُلْكِهِمْ
وَجَاءَ أَصْحَابُهُ وَجَعَلُوا يَزْدَادُونَ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ قُوَّةً، وَيَزْدَادُ عَدُوٌّهُمْ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَهُنَا، وَاشْتَدَّ مَا صَنَعَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ وَصَنَعَ الْمَلِكُ مِنْ قُبُولِ التَّرَابِ عَلَى جُلَسَاءِ الْمَلِكِ، وَرَاحَ رُسْتُمُ مِنْ سَابَاطٍ إِلَى الْمَلِكِ يَسْأَلُهُ عَمَّا كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ وَأَمْرِهِمْ، وَكَيْفَ رَآهُمْ، فَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ : مَا كُنْتُ أَرَى أَنَّ فِي الْعَرَبِ مِثْلَ رِجَالٍ رَأَيْتُهُمْ، دَخَلُوا عَلَيَّ وَمَا أَنْتُمْ بِأَعْقَلَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَا أَحْسَنَ جَوَابًا مِنْهُمْ. وَأَخْبَرَهُ بِكَلامِ مُتَكَلِّمِهِمْ، وَقَالَ: لَقَدْ صَدَقَنِي الْقَوْمُ، لَقَدْ وُعِدَ الْقَوْمُ أَمْرًا لَيُدْرِكَنَّهُ أَوْ لَيَمُوتَنَّ عَلَيْهِ ، عَلَى أَنِّي قَدْ وَجَدْتُ أَفْضَلَهُمْ أَحْمَقَهُمْ، لَمَّا ذَكَرُوا الْجِزْيَةَ أَعْطَيْتُهُ تُرَابًا فَحَمَلَهُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ، فَخَرَجَ بِهِ، وَلَوْ شَاءَ اتَّقَى بِغَيْرِهِ، وَأَنَا لَا أَعْلَمُ. قَالَ: أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ، إِنَّهُ لَأَعْقَلُهُمْ، وَتَطَيَّرَ إِلَى ذَلِكَ وَأَبْصَرَهَا دُونَ أَصْحَابِهِ
وَخَرَجَ رُسْتُمُ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ كَثِيبًا غَصْبَانَ، وَكَانَ مُنَجِّمًا كَهَانًا، فَبَعَثَ فِي أَثَرِ الْوَفْدِ، وَقَالَ لِثِقَتِهِ: إِنْ أَدْرَكَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ ثَلَافَيْنَا أَرْضَنَا، وَإِنْ أَعْجَزُوهُ سَلَبَكُمْ اللهُ أَرْضَكُمْ وَأَبْنَاءَكُمْ فَرَجَعَ الرَّسُولُ مِنَ الْحِيرَةِ بِفَوَاتِهِمْ، فَقَالَ: ذَهَبَ الْقَوْمُ بِأَرْضِكُمْ غَيْرَ ذِي شَكٍ، مَا كَانَ مِنْ شَأْنِ ابْنِ الْحَجَّامَةِ الْمُلْكُ ذَهَبَ الْقَوْمُ بِمَفَاتِيحٍ أَرْضِنَا فَكَانَ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا زَادَ اللَّهُ بِهِ فَارِسَ غَيْظًا
Al-Shaʿbi relates: Thereupon the king (Yazdegerd) said (to the interpreter): ‘Ask them: What has brought you here? What has driven you to attack us and to al-wuluʿ bi-biladina (intrude and plunge into our lands)? Is it because we left you in peace and were occupied with other enemies that you have now dared to proceed against us?’ Nuʿman bin Muqarrin said to his companions: ‘If you wish, I will answer him on your behalf, and if anyone else prefers to speak, I will give him precedence.’ They replied: ‘Rather, you speak.’ They then said to the king: ‘Whatever this man says will be our statement.’ So Nuʿman began: ‘God showed mercy to us and sent to us a Messenger who guided us to what is good and commanded us to do it, and who made us recognise what is evil and forbade us from it. He promised us that if we responded to him, we would receive the good of this world and the next. No tribe did he call to this message but that it became divided into two groups: one who drew near to him, and one who turned away. Only select individuals (al-khawass) entered his religion with him. Matters continued thus for as long as God willed. Then he was commanded to openly confront those Arabs who opposed him; he began with them, did so, and in the end all of them entered his religion in one of two ways: some under compulsion, then they found themselves rejoicing in it; and some willingly, and they found their joy increased. We all came to recognise the superiority of what he brought over the enmity and constriction we had previously lived in. Then he commanded us to begin with those nations near to us and invite them to justice. Thus we now invite you to our religion, a religion that declares all good to be good and all evil to be evil. If you refuse, then there remain before you two evil options, one of which is less bad than the other: al-jizaʾ (the payment of tribute). If you refuse this as well, then it is to be open fighting between us and you. But if you respond to our religion, we will leave among you the Book of God, establish you upon it so that you judge by its rulings, and then we will withdraw from you, leaving you to your own affairs and your own land. And if you seek to shield yourselves from us by paying jizyah, we will accept this, and in return we will protect you. Otherwise, we will fight you.’
Yazdegerd then spoke and said: ‘I do not know of any nation on earth that was more wretched, fewer in number, or more internally divided than you. We used to entrust your affairs to the villages on the fringes of our realm, and they sufficed to keep you in check. You neither raided Persia, nor did you ever aspire to stand up to her. If your numbers have now increased, let not this deceive you about us. And if hardship has driven you (to attack us), we will assign you provisions until abundance returns to your lands; we will honor your leaders, clothe you, and appoint over you a king who will deal gently with you.’
The delegation remained silent. Then al-Mughirah bin Zurarah bin al-Nabbash al-Asidi stood up and said: ‘O King, these men are the chiefs and notables of the Arabs. They are nobles who refrain, out of a sense of honor, from rough speech with other nobles. Nobles are honored only by nobles; the rights of nobles are magnified only by nobles; nobles are aggrandized only by nobles. They have not conveyed to you every point for which they were sent, nor have they answered you concerning everything you said. They have conducted themselves well, and nothing but such conduct befits men of their rank. So respond to me, that I may be the one to convey your reply to them, and they may testify to its accuracy. You have described us in a manner of which you are not fully aware. As for the wretched condition you mentioned – indeed, there was no people worse off than we were. And as for our hunger – it was a hunger that hardly resembled the hunger of other nations: we used to eat beetles (al-khanafis), dung-beetles (al-juʿlan), scorpions, and snakes, and we regarded that as our food. As for our dwellings, they were nothing but the surface of the earth, and we wore nothing except what we spun from the hair of camels and sheep. Our “religion” was that some of us killed others and some raided others; a man might even bury his own daughter alive out of dislike for her sharing in our food. Such indeed was our condition before this day, exactly as I have described it to you. Then God sent to us a man whom we knew well: we knew his lineage, we knew his face and his birthplace. He was from the best of our lands, of the noblest of our lineages, from our greatest household, and our finest tribe. And he himself was the best of us in the state in which we then lived – the most truthful among us and the most forbearing. He called us to a matter; no one responded to him before a close companion of his, who later became his successor. He spoke, and we spoke in return; he told us the truth, and we denied him; he gave to us generously, and we tried to diminish his share. Yet he did not utter a single word but that it came to pass exactly as he said. God then cast into our hearts the readiness to believe in him and follow him, and he became, as it were, an intermediary between us and the Lord of all worlds: whatever he says to us is God’s word, and whatever he commands us is God’s command.
He told us that your Lord says: “I indeed am God alone; I have no partner. I was when nothing else existed, and everything will perish save My Face. I created all things, and to Me all things will return. My mercy has encompassed you, so I have sent to you this man to show you the path by which I will save you, after death, from My punishment and settle you in My abode – the Abode of Peace.” We testify that he has brought the truth from the One who is the Truth. He has said: “Whoever joins you in this (religion) will have whatever you have and bear whatever is upon you; whoever refuses, then offer him jizyah, and thereafter protect him from whatever you protect yourselves from; and whoever refuses that, then fight him. I shall be the Judge between you: whoever among you is killed, I shall admit him to My Garden; and whoever remains alive, I shall grant him victory over his opponents.” So choose, if you wish, jizyah paid by your hand while you are humbled; or, if you wish, the sword; or else, accept Islam and thereby save your own soul.’ Yazdegerd exclaimed: ‘Do you address me, a sovereign such as I am, with words like these?’ Al-Mughirah replied: ‘I have addressed only the one who addressed me. Had someone other than you been speaking to me, I would not have spoken such words to you.’ Yazdegerd said: ‘Were it not that envoys are not to be killed, I would have had you all put to death. You have nothing from me.’ Then he ordered: ‘Bring me a load of earth.’ When it was brought, he said: ‘Place it upon the one among them who is most noble, then drive him forward until he exits through the gate of al-Madaʾin. Return to your commander and inform him that I am sending Rustam against you so that he may [ُيَدْفِنَه ُوَجُنْدَه] bury him and his army in the trench of Qadisiyyah, and make of him and of you, thereafter, an example for others. Then I shall send him into your lands until I occupy you with your own misery more than you were ever afflicted by Sabur.’ Then he asked: ‘Which of you is the most noble?’ The delegation remained silent. ʿAsim bin ʿAmr – stepping forward to seize the earth – said: ‘I am the most noble among them; I am the leader of these men, so place it
upon me.’ Yazdegerd asked: ‘Is it indeed so?’ The members of the delegation replied: ‘Yes.’ So ʿAsim took the load of earth upon his neck and departed with it from the iwan and the palace until he reached his mount and loaded it upon her. [His companions said to him: ‘You have gone and carried soil?’ He replied: ‘Yes, it is a good omen (al-faʾl): God has already granted you power over their land.’] He then set off at speed. The rest of the delegation followed, bringing the news to Saad, while ʿAsim outpaced them. Passing by Bab Qudays, he called out: ‘Give the commander glad tidings of victory; we have, God willing, prevailed!’ He then went on until he placed the soil in a stone container (so that it would not be scattered and lost). Then he returned to Saad and related the entire incident. Saad said: ‘Receive glad tidings, for by God, He has already given us the keys of their kingdom!’
His companions (from the delegation) also arrived, and from that day the Muslims grew stronger with each passing day, while their enemy grew weaker day by day. What had taken place – that the Muslims accepted the soil and that the king had given it to them – weighed heavily upon the king’s courtiers. Rustam left Sabat for the king to ask him what had transpired between him and the Arabs and how he had found them. The king said: ‘I did not think there were men among the Arabs like those whom I saw. They entered before me, and you are neither more intelligent than they nor better in reply than they are.’ He informed Rustam of what the spokesman of the Arabs had said and added: ‘These men spoke nothing but the truth. They have been promised something that they will either attain or else die upon. Indeed, I found the best among them to be the one I thought the most foolish: when they mentioned jizyah, I gave him a load of earth, and he carried it upon his head and left. Had he wished, he could have had it placed on someone else and saved himself, for I did not know (who among them was their chief).’ Rustam replied: ‘O King, he was the wisest of them all; he perceived in that act an omen and grasped its significance in a way his companions did not.’ Rustam left the king distressed and angry. He himself was an astrologer and soothsayer. He sent a messenger after the delegation and said to his trusted confidant: ‘If the messenger catches up with them (and brings back the earth), we will have saved our land; but if they elude him, then know that God has taken from you your land and your sons.’ The messenger returned from al-Hirah, having failed to overtake them. Rustam said: ‘These men have without doubt gone away with your land! Kingship was never the affair of “the cupping- woman’s son” (ibn al-hajjamah)! The men have gone off with the keys to our lands!’ This was among the things by which God increased the rage of the Persians. (Tarikh al-Tabari 3/498-502)
Lexical Explanation
Al-Wulugh: literally, an animal’s dipping its mouth into a vessel. The expression “al-wulugh bi-biladina” means that the Arabs “want to push their mouths into our fertile lands” – i.e. to intrude and feed off them. Ajmamnakum: derived from jimam, meaning to rest and recuperate after toil or exhaustion. Here it conveys: “We did not annex your territory into our empire and left you to live in peace and security.” Al-khanafis wa al-julan: khanafis (from khanfasa) and julan (from jual) denote different types of dung-beetles. Kaeeban: from kaʾabah, meaning sorrow and dejection whose effects are visible upon the face. Ibn al-Hajjamah: hajjamah is the procedure of cupping, by which blood is drawn from the body as a form of treatment. Rustam uses this expression for Yazdegerd in a disparaging tone, implying that he has behaved in a manner unbefitting a royal prince – such conduct might be expected only from the son of a cupping-woman.
Explanation and Clarification
1. In his concise speech, Numan bin Muqarrin alluded to the Prophet’s mission among the Arabs, the subsequent submission of all the tribes of Arabia to Islam, and the responsibility of shahadat ʿala al-nas (bearing witness over humankind) placed upon the Arabs to present Islam to surrounding nations. Yazdegerd dismissed all this and, by rehearsing the Arabs’ earlier conditions, sought to suggest that, as in the past, they had now come to Persian territory driven by famine and economic distress. From this he argued that, if they would agree to withdraw, the Persians could provide them with provisions and means for a suitable period. In response, al-Mughirah bin Zurarah explained even more clearly that the condition of the Arabs in the past had indeed been worse than Yazdegerd had described, but that after the Prophet’s mission the nature of the situation had fundamentally changed. The Arab armies had not come in order to secure sustenance from Persian resources, but to fulfil the responsibility laid upon them by God’s Messenger. Al-Mughirah made it clear that they desired nothing of the Persians’ material resources: if the Persians accepted the Prophet’s call and agreed to judge their affairs according to the Book of God, the Muslims would not interfere in their political sovereignty and would depart, leaving their kingdom to them. If they did not accept this, then they would have to relinquish sovereignty and enter under Muslim suzerainty, paying jizyah in return for Muslim protection.
2. Al-Mughirah’s speech also shows that, had the Persians accepted Islam, they would not thereby have been required to merge their kingdom into an “Arab empire” or to recognise Arab political rule as such. Their political independence would have remained intact as before; the only obligation would have been to govern in accordance with the Book of God. In that case, the Companions would have done no more than send some teachers to instruct them in religion. The letters the Prophet wrote to rulers beyond the Arabian Peninsula likewise indicate that, if they embraced Islam, they could retain their independent political status. The situation was different, however, for tribes and groups living within the bounds of the Arabian Peninsula: they were required to accept the political authority of the Islamic state in Madinah and to pay zakah. They were not permitted to maintain or establish independent political entities, as will become clear in subsequent discussions of the Companions’ actions against those who withheld zakah.
3. The detailed presentation of Islam made before Yazdegerd by Numan bin Muqarrin and al-Mughirah bin Zurarah was not a first introduction to which the Persians were entirely strangers. Khusru Parwez had already received the Prophet’s letter during his lifetime, and, under Abu Bakr, the Companions had launched campaigns into Iraq on precisely the terms laid out in this speech. On this occasion, the Prophet’s mission and message were restated both as a matter of completing the proof against them and, in line with Umar’s stated strategy, to ensure that the Persian rulers and populace properly understood the situation and to expose, in their presence, the misrepresentation of the Arabs’ motives by the Persian ruling class, whose aim was to inflame the Persian public for war.
4. Yazdegerd’s reference to Sabur (Sabur) is an allusion to Sabur bin Hurmuz, who became ruler of the Sasanian empire in the fourth century CE while still very young. Taking advantage of his minority, various Arab tribes launched raids and plundered parts of Iraq and other regions within the empire, and the tribe of Iyad even took up residence in parts of Iraq. When Sabur came of age, he sent out his armies and inflicted large-scale massacres on these tribes, especially on Banu Iyad, whose survivors were forced to flee into Roman territories. His particular method of punishment was to have people’s shoulders dislocated, and for this reason he became known as Sabur Dhu al-Aktaf (“the one with the shoulders”), i.e. the dislocator of shoulders (Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh 1/358–359).
Referencing and Variance in Narration Chains
This incident too is reported by al-Kalaʿi on the authority of Sayf bin Umar (al-Iktifa 2/446–448). In several places the wording differs. For example, al-Tabari’s text has al-wulu bibiladina, which would suggest “being enamoured of our land”, whereas al-Kalai records al-wulughu bibiladina (“dipping their mouths into our lands”), whose meaning is clearer and has therefore been adopted. Likewise, al-Tabari’s text contains hatta yadfikum wa yadfihi, which would literally mean “until he warms you and warms him in the trench” – i.e. “roasts you in the fire of battle” – whereas al-Kalaʿi’s wording hatta yafanahu wa jundahu (“until he buries him and his army”) is more transparent and contextually appropriate, and has therefore been used in the text. Similarly, al-Kalai’s version of Asim bin Amr’s words includes the additional sentence cited above in brackets, which throws clearer light on his intent:
فَقَالَ لَهُ أَصْحَابُهُ: حَمَلْتَ تُرَابًا؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، الفَأْلُ، قَدْ أَمْكَنَكُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ أَرْضِهِمْ
“His companions said to him: ‘You actually went and carried soil?’ He replied: ‘Yes, it is a good omen; God has already given you power over their land.’”
[To be continued…]