The
Battle of Qâdisiyah
Close on the departure of Mughirah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ),
Rustam ordered preparations for a decisive battle. A canal separated the
armies. Rustam ordered a bridge to be constructed over the canal, and it was
completed within a short period. Rustam then sent word to his counterpart as to
who should cross the bridge. Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) invited him to cross. Thus, the large and strong Persian army
moved across the bridge and battle lines were drawn up. Amr bin Madikarib (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), Asim (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) bin Amr, and Ribi (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)bin Âmir moved
through the Muslim army rousing the soldiers for Jihâd, poets went singing
martial songs and the reciters of the Qur'ân recited Sûrat Al-Anfâl. Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) could not lead his
army into the battlefield for he was then suffering from boils and also
sciatica, so he was unable to move or ride a horse. Khâlid bin Urfutah was,
therefore, asked to command the Muslim soldiers.
Hurmuz, a well-known Persian prince
and wrestler came out first. Ghâlib bin Abdullah Asadi accepted the challenge
for a duel and advanced to meet him. Hurmuz was held in no time and brought to
Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ). Another eminent
horseman from the Persian ranks threw a challenge which was duly accepted by Asim
(رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ). However, a stroke
or two scared him off. But Asim (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) gave him chase and caught his horse by its tail and dragged
Hurmuz back from under the nose of the Persian vanguard. The valor of Asim (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) maddened with anger
another noted Persian wrestler who moved forward with a silver mace in his
hand. Amr bin Madikarib (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
advanced to meet his challenge, apprehended him at once and put him on his
side.
Now protests from the Persian
warriors compelled Rustam to launch an all-out assault on the Muslim troops,
and by way of a war strategy, combat elephants were set off to attack the
Muslim ranks. Bujailah tribe obstructed them at the cost of heavy casualties.
Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) who was watching the
battle scene very minutely, reinforced the Bujailah with Banu Asad who showed
utmost manliness in the assigned duty. But when they also showed signs of
reverses, the warriors of Banu Kindah took the field and made such a heavy
charge that the Persians were forced to show their back. In view of constant
retreat and repulses, Rustam ordered a joint attack. Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) cried Takbir (Allâhu Akbar - Allâh is the
Most Great) at the top of his voice and the entire Muslim army joining the
Takbir of Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ),
charged the Persian troops. It looked as if two oceans or mountains collided
against each other. When the rival forces were mixed up, the Persian elephants
began to cause heavy casualties on the Muslim side. Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) immediately ordered the archers to shoot
arrows at the elephants and their riders. Asim (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
charged at the elephants with his lance followed by others who commenced
inflicting deep wounds on the elephants' trunks with their spears and swords.
With the result that the elephants retreated leaving the Muslim swordsmen to
display their mettle. After an all day long battle, night intervened to stop it
until the next day.
Early the next morning after the
Fajr (dawn) prayer, Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
buried the martyred in the eastern part of Qâdisiyah. The engagement had left a
toll of five hundred men martyred on Muslim side. After sunrise, the armies
arrayed themselves against each other once again. Fighting had not yet started
when Muslim reinforcements from Syria headed by Hâshim bin Utbah were reported
to be approaching. With one thousand fighters, the officer of the vanguard Qaqa
(رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) bin Amr gave the
news to Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
and took the field with his permission. He first challenged for a duel and
Bihman Jâdhwaih came forward but was killed by Qaqa (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ). After a number of Persian strongmen were killed, Rustam
ordered an all-out attack.
Heavy fighting took place. Informed
of the prevailing situation, Hâshim bin Utbah, the reinforcements' commander,
divided his six thousand strong detachment into small segments and each of them
entered into the battlefield with the cry of Allâhu Akbar (Allâh is the Most
Great) at short intervals. This new development sent terror into the hearts of
the Persian troops. However, their combat elephants were a menace to the
Muslims even on this day. At last the Muslim soldiers devised a new plan. They
put on their camels long coverings so that they looked like elephants, with the
result that the Persians' horses were scared off by the fearful sight
inflicting on Persian army even heavier losses. Qaqa (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) killed many renowned Persian officers and well-known horsemen.
The daylong battle left one thousand martyred on the Muslim side and ten
thousand dead on the enemy's side.
The third day, Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) buried the martyrs
just after performing Fajr (dawn) prayer and delivered the wounded to the
accompanying women to be bandaged and nursed. Then the battle line was drawn
between the two forces. The Persians put their elephants at the head. However, Qaqa
(رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and Asim (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) launched together
such a fierce assault on the leading white elephant that it fell dead. When
another elephant was targeted, it fled for its life and all the other elephants
followed suit creating havoc and causing tremendous loses to the Persian side.
The two forces separated in the
evening only for a short while after fighting all day long. And the battle,
which began again after sunset, continued until the next morning. Neither Saad
(رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) nor Rustam could
perceive the battle conditions due to the darkness and loud battle cries. Saad
(رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), the commander of
the Muslim army, kept praying through the whole night. Sometime after midnight
in the din of battle, he heard Qaqa (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) yell: "Gather together to attack the main body and catch
Rustam." This auspicious voice not only brought satisfaction to Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) but infused new
courage and determination in the Muslim troops.
Extremely exhausted after a daylong
battle, all the tribes rose as one man to charge forcefully at the enemy. When
the horsemen of Qaqa (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
reached near Rustam, he got down from his throne and began to fight. However,
on being wounded he took to his heels. But Hilâl bin Ullafah chased him and hit
him so powerfully with his spear that his hip was broken and he fell down in a
nearby canal. Hilâl dismounted from his horse at once, pulled him out by his
legs and put him to death. Following this Hilâl called out at the top of his
voice standing on Rustam’s throne: "By Allâh, I have killed Rustam."
Having heard this announcement, the Muslim troops cried Allâhu Akbar (Allâh is
the Most Great) and the Persian soldiers were left shocked and astonished. They
fled the battlefield. Out of thirty thousand Persian cavaliers only thirty
saved their lives. About six thousand Muslims were honored with martyrdom. Saad
(رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) gave all the
belonging of Rustam to Hilâl bin Ullafah. Qaqa (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and Shurahbil were asked by Saad (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) to chase the Persian fugitives but Zuhrah bin Hawiyah had
already done this job and killed Jâlinus who was collecting the runaway Persian
soldiers, and seized his belongings. Saad (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) had some reservations about handing over the belongings of
Jâlinus to Zuhrah but Umar Faruq (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) ordered to give them all to Zuhrah and appreciated his
services. Immediately after the peace victory prevailed, Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) collected the spoils
of war and wrote a letter to Umar Faruq (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), the Caliph of Islam, giving him glad tidings of the Muslim
victory. A speeding courier was sent to Al-Madinah with the letter.
Ever since the commencement of the
campaign of Qâdisiyah, Umar (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
used to go out of Al-Madinah at daybreak and await the messenger from the war
zone. One day, according to his habit, he went out of the city and saw a camel
rider speeding from the opposite direction. Umar (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) eagerly advanced and asked him where he was coming from? He
said that he was coming from Qâdisiyah with good news. Allâh the Almighty has
crowned the Muslims with a clear victory. The Caliph began to make inquires
from him. He was running by the side of the camel and plied its rider with
questions. The camel rider on entering the precincts of the city found that
every man whom they passed addressed his companion on foot as
'Amir-ul-Mu'minin'. He trembled with fear and said, "My leader, why did
you not tell me your name so that I may not have been unwittingly guilty of
this misunderstanding?" Umar (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) reassured him observing: "Do not be uneasy. There is no
harm done. Go on with your news." So he walked by the side of the camel
rider on the way to his house. Then convening a large conference of the people
of Al-Madinah he told them the joyful tidings and made an eloquent and stirring
speech which ended thus:
"O Muslims, I am not a king
that it should be my desire to make you my slaves. I am myself a slave of
Allâh, though the responsibilities of the caliphate have been made to be heavy
upon my head. I should deem myself fortunate if I served you in a manner that
secured your sound and tranquil sleep in your homes, but I would be a miserable
wretch if it were my desire to make you wait constantly upon me and mount a
guard at my doors. It is my object to instruct you not only by words, but by
deeds also."
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