Conquest
of Babylon and Kutha
After their flight from Qâdisiyah,
the Persians quartered themselves at Babylon. A number of renowned generals set
themselves to making preparations for giving battle again. Fugitives of the
battle of Qâdisiyah were also collected and encouraged to avenge their defeat.
Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) stayed in Qâdisiyah
for about two months after the Muslim victory. On receiving fresh orders from
the Caliph, he marched to Madâ'in leaving his family in Qâdisiyah. Before his
departure he dispatched Zuhrah bin Hawiyah at the head of the vanguard who
marched on killing, removing and enslaving his enemies until he reached
Babylon. Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
also joined him there with his troops. With the news of the arrival of Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), the Persian
generals left Babylon and moved to Madâ'in, Ahwâz and Nihâwand destroying the
bridges on the way and making the Tigris and its canals impossible to cross.
When Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) heard of the flight
of the Persians, he sent Zuhrah at their back and moved behind him at the head
of a big army.
When Zuhrah arrived at Kutha,
Shahryâr opposed him and came personally onto the battlefield, he challenged
the bravest of the Arabs to meet him in single combat. Zuhrah said, "I had
intended to fight with you, but in view of your bragging and vaunting, a slave
will confront you and he will put down your arrogance." Thus saying he
motioned Nâ'il bin Ju'shum A'raj, a slave of the Tamim clan, who pressed his
charger forward. Shahryâr had the proportions and strength of a giant. Seeing
in Nâ'il a weak and puny adversary, he flung away his lance and grasping him by
the throat, pulled him off his horse, hurled him to the ground and then sat
upon his chest. Now, as chance would have it, Shahryâr's thumb went into
Nâ'il's mouth who bit it so severely that Shahryâr was beside himself with
pain. Nâ'il taking advantage of the opportunity sprang up lightly and sitting
on the breast of his adversary, plunged his dagger deep into the body of
Shahryâr ripping his stomach open. With the sight of the killing of Shahryâr,
the Persian troops took to their heels. Shahryâr was clad in brilliant robes
and armed with excellent weapons. Nâ'il stripped him off all and placed them
before Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ).
In order to teach his followers a lesson, Saad (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) ordered Nâ'il to put on the dress and armor of the slain
warrior. In pursuance of this command, Nâ'il arrayed in the gaudy effects and
splendid accouterment of Shahryâr, came before the public assembly and as the
people saw him, the vivid spectacle of the ironies of the world and the
fickleness of fortunes passed before their eyes.
The
Fall of Bahurasir
Kutha was the historical place where
Nimrod is said to have imprisoned Abraham (Ibrahim AS). The dungeon was still preserved
as a relic. Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
paid a visit to this sanctuary. At some distance from Kutha was Bahurasir, a
city in close proximity to the capital. A very strong squad of the imperial
guard and a huge garrison were kept in Bahurasir to guard the seat of power. The
Tigris alone intervened between Bahurasir and Madâ'in. Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) advanced and laid siege to Bahurasir. At
last, the people of the city came out to face the Muslims but it resulted in
their death and destruction. Yezdgird took to flight along with his treasure
upon the fall of Bahurasir, his flight marked that the Muslims were still not
totally out of danger.
Horses
across the River
Saad (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) was now in a rush to capture Madâ'in. However, the Tigris lay
in the way. The fleeing Persians had demolished and broken all the bridges.
When Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) arrived at the bank
of the Tigris, he found neither bridge nor boats. The next day Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) mounted on his horse
and said after getting his troops ready, "Who among you is brave enough to
promise to share me from an enemy onslaught while I cross the river?" Âsim
bin Amr (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) came forward and
offered his services.
He sat on raised ground at the bank
of Tigris with a squadron of six hundred archers. Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) recited:
"We seek the Help of Allâh,
entrust on Him, Allâh is enough for us and what an Excellent Supporter He is.
There is no might and strength but with Allâh Who is High and Great."
He then charged right into the
surging water of the Tigris. Others also followed suit and rushed their horses
into the river. The river was deep and fast moving but the turbulent conditions
could not affect the resolute and undaunted spirits of the Muslim army. The
waves slammed furiously against the sides of the horses, but the horsemen
steered their course coolly and in perfect order. When the cavalry was half way
cross the river, the Persian archers began to shoot arrows at the Muslim troops
but in vain. The Muslim fighters crossed the river by force and put the
opposing force to death.
The
Conquest of Madâ'in
With the news of the crossing of the
river by the Muslims, Yezdgird took flight from Madâ'in. The Muslim troops
began to enter the city from different directions. Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) stepped in the White Palace (royal
palace) reciting the Verses:
"How many of gardens and
springs do they left. And green crops and goodly places. And comforts of life
wherein they used to take delight! Thus! And we made other people inherit
them." (44:25-28)
He offered eight Rakât (units) of
Salât-ul-Fath (victory prayer). In the palace of Kisra (Chosroes), a pulpit was
set up in place of the royal throne and the Friday prayer was performed there.
This was the first Friday prayer that was performed in the Persian capital.
Nothing of the paintings, portraits and images were destroyed. The commander of
the Muslim army ordered that the treasures and curiosities of the royal palaces
should be brought and accumulated in one place. There were vast riches
including thousands of rare and priceless heirlooms handed down and preserved
from the Kayâni dynasty until the time of Nushirwân. They included the coats of
mail and swords of the monarchs of the Empires of China, the Emperor of Rome, Dâhir
Shah of India, Bahrâm Gour, Nu'mân bin Mundhir, Siyawash. The poniards, swords,
coats of mail and the helmets of Kisra, Hurmuz and Firoz were also preserved in
the royal museum. The Persians were proud of their antique possessions. Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) permitted Qa'qâ' (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) to choose for
himself one of the swords. He was pleased to pick the sword of Heraclius, the
Roman monarch. Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
gave him also the coat of mail of Bahrâm Gour.
Saad (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) dispatched to the seat of the caliphate all the priceless
possessions and curiosities of the conquered palaces of Persia. The most
wonderful and exquisitely magnificent of all was a carpet which the Persians
called Bahâr (Spring). After the season of ethereal mildness was over, this
carpet was used for the feast of wine. The carpet was provided with all the
effects of spring, which art and wealth could allow to be imitated. In the
center was a bucolic landscape bordered on all sides with ornamental avenues
around which trees and plants of various descriptions were laden with buds and
flowers and fruits. Everything was worked in gold, silver and precious stones.
The ground work was of gold, the greenery of emerald, the borders of topaz, the
trees of gold and silver, the leaves of silk and the fruits were gems. Umar
Fâruq (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) distributed the
booty among the troops. With regard to the celebrated carpet, the public
opinion was that it should not be distributed but preserved. Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) persistently held
aloof from this opinion and at his instance this carpet also was distributed
among the people in cut up pieces. The piece Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) shared was not so fine, however, he sold it for thirty
thousand dinars.
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