Rustam’s
Departure from Madâ'in
News began to pour into the Persian
capital that the Arabian army was encamped in Qâdisiyah and they had ravaged
the surrounding areas of the Euphrates. The people of Qâdisiyah and its suburbs
stormed the court with complaints against the raids of the Muslim troops. They
also threatened that if the needful were not done, they would be forced to obey
them.
Rustam was wise enough to advise
evasion instead of an open encounter. But the mounting pressure on Yezdgird,
the Emperor of Persia, forced him to call Rustam, his war minister, to take
action and go to Qâdisiyah personally to bring an end to the longstanding
problem created by the Arabian force. Rustam was in favor of dispatching a
number of detachments one after another to keep the Arabian forces too engaged
to do anything anywhere else. However, Yezdgird disapproved of the plan
outright with the result Rustam came under pressure to leave Madâ'in. He
marched up to Sâbât where he was joined by forces from almost every part of the
country in such great numbers that, in a short time, the total number of the
Persian army rose to one hundred and fifty thousand. It was not only a well-equipped
army but was showing a maddening rage and fervor against the Islamic forces.
Saad (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) bin Abu Waqqâs informed the Caliph of the new developments and
enemy movements. Umar Faruq (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
wrote back not to fear the least from the magnitude of the enemy forces and
keep faith in Allâh the Almighty alone and seek His help and succor in the
present position. The Caliph also asked the Commander of the Muslim army to
dispatch a diplomatic mission to Yezdgird before engaging the Persians in
battle with the object of inviting them to the Islamic faith. If the Emperor
rejected the call, he would bear the brunt of his refusal. In pursuance of the
instructions from the Caliph, Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) bin Abu Waqqâs selected celebrated personages from the army
who were renowned in Arabia for their sagacity, eloquence, imposing appearance,
valor and ambition, and sent them from Qâdisiyah to Madâ'in.
Islamic
Diplomatic Mission
The diplomatic mission included men
of towering stature like Nu'mân bin Muqarrin, Qais bin Zurârah, Asha'th bin
Qais, Furât bin Haiyân, Asim (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
bin Amr, Amr bin Madikarib (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ),
Mughirah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) bin Shubah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), Mu'anna bin
Hârithuth, Utârid bin Hâjib, Busr bin Abu Ruhm, Hanzalah bin Ar-Rabi' and Adi
bin Suhail. The ambassadors rode straight to Madâ'in at full gallop leaving
behind the troops of Rustam. Informed of the arrival of the ambassadors of
Islam, Yezdgird arranged his court in great pomp and splendor. When these
Islamic ambassadors, the sons of the desert, entered the court in simple
soldier-like style, the entire court was filled with wonder at the sight. After
a preliminary question and answer session, Yezdgird asked with an air of
self-conceit, "How did you dare face us? And how did you forget that your
people are considered as foolish and disgraceful? Have you also forgotten that
when you showed a sign of rising up, our governors and junior commissioned
officers were ordered to put you right, and they did it." Having heard
these words dipped in arrogance, Nu'mân bin Muqarrin rose to answer with all
the confidence at his command. He said in plain words, "We are determined
to eradicate idol-worship and polytheism from the face of the earth and present
Islam before one and all, for it is through Islam alone that man can attain
peace and success. If anyone refuses to accept Islam, it is better for him to
entrust himself to the Muslims for peace and safety and pay the Jizyah. In case
he refuses to accept both, Islam or paying of the Jizyah, the matter is decided
by the sword."
Speech
of Qais bin Zurârah
This speech enraged Yezdgird but he
spoke with self-control: "You people are simply brutes and much less in
number. So you will never be able to cover any part of our land. However, I can
do you this much as a favor that I will give you food to eat and clothes to
wear and appoint for you an officer to treat you politely."
Hearing this Qais bin Zurârah
stepped forward and said: "These personages before you are the very
essence of Arabian society in virtue of the various gifts of head and heart
with which they are endowed. Our noble chieftains and notables of Arabia are
overtaken by shame when making a reply to such rubbish. However, I seek to
reply to what you said right now and these companions of mine will verify it.
Listen! The wretched condition of the Arabs and Arabia you have just described
is far better than what we were existing in. But Allâh the Almighty bestowed
His utmost favor on us when He sent His Prophet to guide us and to lead us to
the right path and put the enemies of the truth and righteousness to disgrace
and defeat and promised us victories on earth. Now it is better for you to
either accept Islam or agree to pay us the Jizyah or you will have to cross
swords with us."
Having heard this speech, Yezdgird
lost his temper and said, "Had it been legitimate to kill ambassadors, I
would have put to death all of you." He then ordered his servants to bring
a basketful of earth and place it on the leader's head and he should be turned
out from Madâ'in in the same state. He then added, "Rustam will shortly go
to bury you all in the trenches of Qâdisiyah." Meanwhile the basket of
earth was brought in. Asim (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
moved forward, put the basket on his shoulder saying, "I am chief of the
ambassadors." He then immediately galloped off to Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) bin Abu Waqqâs and said to him:
"Accept my congratulations, for the enemy has voluntarily surrendered the
earth of his territory to us." Saad (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) expressed his happiness over such an interpretation.
Followed by the return of the
ambassadors, fresh orders came to Rustam from the imperial court of Persia at
Sâbât along with reinforcing parties. A greater part of a sixty-thousand-man
army was under the command of Rustam. The vanguard was headed by Jâlinus which
consisted of forty thousand men; rearguard had twenty thousand soldiers, the
right wing commanded by Hurmuzân had thirty thousand men while the left one
under the command of Mehrân bin Bahrãm Râzi also had thirty thousand troops.
Thus, the total number of Persian soldiers went up to one hundred and eighty
thousand. Rustam had in his direct charge one hundred combat elephants while
there were seventy-five elephants on the right flank, seventy-five on the left,
twenty in the vanguard and thirty in the rearguard. Armed with war equipment
and weapons on such a massive scale, Rustam marched from Sâbât and camped at Kutha.
Now the distance between the Persian and the Muslim armies was much closer.
Small raiding squads would come out from both sides to pounce on the other's
provisions and other things of necessity.
Rustam preferred procrastination.
He, therefore, spent about six months in covering the distance between Madâ'in
and Qâdisiyah. At last, he was compelled to advance and face the Muslims.
Pressing injunctions urging him to attack the Muslim forthwith rocked his
command center. Contrary to the demand of the Persian Empire, Rustam wanted to
achieve success without an encounter. Now in order to put off action still
further, Rustam sent words to the Muslim Commander, Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) bin Abu Waqqâs to depute one of his
trusted men with whom the matter might be discussed.
Saad (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) sent Ribi (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
bin Âmir. Rustam adorned his court with unwanted splendor and pomp to prepare for
the audience with the Muslim ambassador. The entire court was carpeted with
cloth of gold, the pillows were of rich silk, while a gem bedecked throne was
placed in the center. Ribi (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
came right up to the richly carpeted floor and dismounting from his horse,
attached the reins to a pillow. He then moved on supported by a spear piercing
into the carpet and cutting it and making holes in it with its point and sat
beside Rustam. The courtiers made an attempt to pull him down from the throne
and disarm him. Thereupon Ribi (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
thundered, "I have come on invitation and not of my own. Our religion
strictly forbids anybody sitting like God and the rest standing before him with
their hands folded." Now Rustam intervened and asked them not to do
anything against the will of the envoy.
However, on second thought Ribi (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) dismounted from the
throne, slit a portion of the carpet with his dagger and sat on the earth and
said addressing Rustam, "We are not at all in need of your carpet. The earth
spread by Allâh the Almighty is enough for us." Rustam then asked Ribi (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) through the
interpreter, "What is your object in waging war against us?" Ribi (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) replied, "We
intend to bring the slaves of Allâh the Almighty to the expanse of the next
world from the narrowness of this world and promote justice and Islam in place
of atrocities and false religions. Anyone who adopts justice and Islam will
find us non-interfering in regard to his wealth, property and country. But we
shall fight with whoever stands in our way until we go either to Paradise or
attain victory. If you seek to pay the Jizyah, we shall accept it and will
cease to go against you and you will find us standing by you if and when you
need us for the safety of your life and property." Having heard this
Rustam inquired, "Are you the chief of the Muslims?" Ribi (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) replied, "No, I
am an ordinary soldier. But each one of us, even the most ordinary can speak on
behalf of the most powerful person, and every person has full power in every
matter."
The utterances of Ribi (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) left Rustam and his
courtiers dumbfounded. Rustam then said, "The scabbard of your sword is
quite rotten." Ribi (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
drew his sword out of the sheathe and said, "But it has been tempered very
recently." Rustam again said, the blade of your spear is very small. How
can it be of any use in battles?" Ribi (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) replied, "This blade pierces deep into the chest of the
enemy and goes across it. Have you not seen that a spark is enough to burn down
an entire city?" After this brief war of words, Rustam said, "Well, I
shall ponder over your utterances and hold consultation with my men of sound
judgment." Ribi (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
got up and rode to Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
bin Abu Waqqâs.
Next day, Rustam sent a fresh
message to Saad (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
requesting him to send an emissary to him. Saad (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) sent Hudhaifah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) bin Mihsan (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ).
He also entered the court riding his horse giving an air of the same
stubbornness, which Ribi (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
had displayed previously. He drew close to the throne on horseback. Rustam
said, "What's the reason that you have been sent today instead of the one
who had come to me last time?" Hudhaifah (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) replied, 'Our Commander does justice to one and all and gives
everyone an opportunity to do everything. It was his turn yesterday and it is
my turn today." Rustam then asked him, "How much respite could you
give me?" Hudhaifah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
said, "For three days only from this day." Rustam kept silent, and Hudhaifah
(رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) rode back
straight to Muslim camp. The stubbornness and presence of mind of Hudhaifah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
left Rustam and his courtiers astonished.
Next day again Rustam requested an
envoy from the Muslim camp and Mughirah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
bin Shubah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) was sent to play
his role. Rustam tried both temptation and terror but Mughirah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
remained unmoved and paid him in the same coin. Helpless and embarrassed,
Rustam said in a fit of anger, "I shall never enter into any peace
agreement with you and I will kill all of you." Mughirah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) got up and left
peacefully for his camp.
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