# The Origins of the Islamic State/Part 10/Chapter 2

CHAPTER II
The Conquest of Nihâwand
An-Numʿân in chief command. In the year 19, when Yazdajird fled away from Ḥulwân, the Persians and the people of ar-Rai, Ḳûmis, Iṣbahân, Hamadhân and al-Mâhain communicated with one another and, in the year 20, joined Yazdajird. The latter put at their head Mardânshâh dhu-l-Ḥajîb and they unfurled their flag ad-Dirafshikâbiyân. These "polytheists" numbered 60,000, and according to other estimates, 100,000. When ʿAmmâr ibn-Yâsir communicated this news to ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb, the latter was on the point of leading an expedition in person against them, but desisted lest the Arabs should then prevail over Najd and other places. The advice to let the Syrians lead the attack from Syria and the Yamanites from al-Yaman was also discarded, lest the Greeks should return to their home, and the Abyssinians should subjugate what was next to them. Consequently, he wrote to the people of al-Kûfah ordering that two-thirds of them should set out and one-third should stay for the defense of their homes and country. From the people of al-Baṣrah, he also sent a group of men. He then said, "I shall use over the army someone who shall be the first to expose himself to the spears." Accordingly, ʿUmar wrote to an-Nuʿmân ibn-ʿAmr ibn-Muḳarrin al-Muzani, who was at that time with as-Sâʾib ibn-al-​Aḳraʾ ath-Thaḳafi, assigning him to the leadership of the army, saying, "In case thou art killed, Ḥudhaifah ibn-al-Yâman shall be the leader; if he should be killed, then Jarîr ibn-ʿAbdallâh al-Bajali; if he should be killed, then al-Mughîrah ibn-Shuʿbah; and if he should be killed, al-Ashʿath ibn-Ḳais." This an-Nuʿmân was at that time the ʿâmil over Kaskar and its territory. Others say he was in al-Madînah, and when he received his appointment over this army from ʿUmar by word of mouth, he started from it.
Shaibân from Maʿḳil ibn-Yasâr:—When ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb sought the advice of al-Hurmuzân, saying, "Shall we begin with Iṣbahân or Adharbaijân [Atrapatakan]?" al-Hurmuzân replied, "Iṣbahân is the head, and Adharbaijân the wings. Cut off the head, and the wings will fall off together with it."
Al-Mughîrah as envoy. When ʿUmar entered the mosque [in al-Madînah], his eyes fell on an-Nuʿmân ibn-Muḳarrin; so he took a seat by his side. When he was through with his prayer, ʿUmar said, "I want thee to be my ʿâmil [lieutenant]". An-Nuʿmân replied, "If a collecting-ʿâmil, no; but if an invading-ʿâmil, yes." "An invading one," said ʿUmar. Thus ʿUmar sent an-Nuʿmân and wrote to the people of al-Kûfah to reinforce him, which they did, sending among others al-Mughîrah ibn-Shuʿbah. An-Nuʿmân sent al-Mughîrah to dhu-l-Ḥâjibain, the Persian chief at Nihâwand. Al-Mughîrah [reaching the Per- sian camp] drew his sword and began cutting the rugs to pieces until he presented himself before the chief, upon which he took his seat on the throne. By dhu-l-Ḥâjib's ​order, al-Mughîrah was dragged out. So he exclaimed: "[Remember that] I am an envoy!"
The battle fought. When the Moslems met the "polytheists", they found them fastened in chains, in tens and fives, so that they might not flee. Before the fight started they shot their arrows and wounded some of the Moslems. Then an-Nuʿmân said, "I noticed that when the Prophet did not carry on the fight in the morning, he would wait until the sun set and the wind blew; then the victory would be assured." An-Nuʿmân added, "I shall now shake the standard I carry three times. After the first shake, let each perform the ablutions and satisfy his natural wants. After the second shake, let each turn to his sword (he may have said sandal-thong) and get ready, putting everything in order. When the third shake is, by Allah's will, made, then rush and let none of you heed the other." Saying this, an-Nuʿmân shook the standard and they did as he had ordered them. His coat of mail was too heavy for him; but he fought and his men fought; and he was the first Moslem to be killed.
The Persian [dhu-l-Ḥâjib] fell from his mule and his belly was cut open.
Maʿḳil ibn-Yasâr [the narrator of this tradition] adds, "Coming to an-Nuʿmân and finding that life had not yet fully departed from him, I washed his face with some water I carried in a vessel; upon which he asked, 'Who art thou?'—'Maʿḳil.'—'How did the Moslems fare?'—'I have glad tidings; Allah has given us conquest and victory!'—'Praise be to Allah! Write and tell ʿUmar about it.'"
The news carried to ʿUmar. Shaibân from abu-ʿUthmân an-Nahdi:—The latter said, "I myself carried the glad news to ʿUmar who asked, 'And what about ​an-Nuʿmân?' 'He was killed,' said I. 'We are Allah's,' remarked ʿUmar, 'and to Allah we return.' Saying this, he began to cry. I then said, 'By Allah, he was killed with others whom I know not.' 'But whom Allah knows,' said he."
Aḥmad ibn-Ibrâhîm from abu-ʿUthmân an-Nahdi:—The latter said, "When ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb received the news of the death of an-Nuʿmân ibn-Muḳarrin, he covered his face with his hands and began to cry."
The version of as-Sâʾib. Al-Ḳâsim ibn-Sallâm from as-Sâʾib ibn-al-Aḳraʾ:—The latter said, "An army, the similar to which was never seen before, marched against the Moslems." He then cited the tradition regarding ʿUmar's intention to lead the expedition in person, his appointment of an-Nuʿmân ibn-Muḳarrin, the forwarding with as-Sâʾib (whom ʿUmar put in charge of the booty) of the appointment in which these words occur: "Bring no false case to my attention, and never hold justice from anyone." The tradition then gives an account of the battle and mentions that an-Nuʿmân was the first to be killed in the battle of Nihâwand, upon which Ḥudhaifah carried the standard and Allah gave them [the Arabs] victory. As-Sâʾib adds, "I gathered the booty and divided it. After that there came to me a spy, saying, The treasure of an-Nakhîrkhân is in the castle.' When I climbed up there, I found two chests containing pearls, the similar to which I never saw before. I then made my way to ʿUmar who, having not yet received the news, was roaming in the streets [of al-Madînah] and making inquiries. Seeing me, ʿUmar exclaimed, 'Oh! what news?' I gave him an account of the battle and the death ​of an-Nuʿmân and mentioned the case of the two chests. ʿUmar said 'Go and sell the chests and divide the price among the Moslems.' Accordingly, I took them to al-Kûfah, where I met a young man of the Ḳuraish, ʿAmr ibn-Ḥuraith, by name, who paid their price from the stipends of [his own] family and the warriors of its members. One chest he took to al-Ḥîrah, where he sold it for the same price he had paid me for both; and the other he kept. This was the first part of the fortune ʿAmr amassed."
Other versions. A certain biographer reports that the battle of Nihâwand was fought on Wednesday and Thursday and, after a short cessation, fighting was continued on Friday. He reports in describing the battle a similar tradition to that reported by Ḥammad ibn-Salamah.
Ibn-al-Kalbi from abu-Mikhnaf:—An-Nuʿmân camped at al-Isbîdhahâr with al-Ashʿath ibn-Ḳais commanding his right wing and al-Mughîrah ibn-Shuʿbah, the left wing. In the fight that ensued, an-Nuʿmân was killed. At last the Moslems won the victory; and that conquest was termed "the victory of victories." The conquest of Nihâwand took place on Wednesday, year 19, and according to others, 20.
Ar-Rifâʿi from al-Ḥasan and Muḥammad:—The battle of Nihâwand took place in the year 21. A similar tradition was communicated to me by ar-Rifâʿi on the authority of Muḥammad ibn-Kaʿb.
Dînâr makes terms for the city. Others report that after the defeat of the Persian army and the victory of the Moslems, Ḥudhaifah, who was at that time the leader, laid siege to Nihâwand, whose inhabitants made sorties but were ​defeated. One day Simâk ibn-ʿUbaid al-ʿAbsi chased a Persian who was accompanied by 8 horsemen. Simâk killed all eight, as each of them in turn turned against him. Seeing that he was left alone, the man chased yielded and laid down his arms. Simâk took him as prisoner; but as he spoke Persian, Simâk called someone who understood him and translated what he said, which was, "I shall go to your leader that I may make terms with him on this land, pay him poll-tax, and give thee for taking me as prisoner whatever thou requestest. To thee I owe a great deal because thou didst spare my life." Simâk asked, "What is thy name?" and he replied, "Dinâr". Simâk led him to Ḥudhaifah who made terms with him, stipulating that the kharâj and poll-tax be paid, and that the safety of the possessions, walls and dwellings of the inhabitants of his city, Nihâwand, be guaranteed. Nihâwand was thereafter called Mâh Dînâr. Dînâr often came after that to. Simâk, offering him presents and showing his loyalty.
Mâh al-Baṣrah and Mâh al-Kûfah. Abu-Masʿûd al-Kûfi from al-Mubârak ibn-Saʿd's father:—Nihâwand was one of the places conquered by the people of al-Kûfah, whereas ad-Dînawar was one of those conquered by the people of al-Baṣrah. The increase of the Moslems at al-Kûfah made it necessary that the lands the kharâj of which was divided among them be increased. Consequently, [the district of] ad-Dînawar was given them, in exchange for which the people of al-Baṣrah were given [the district of] Nihâwand which formed a part of [the province of] Iṣbahân. The excess of the kharâj of ad-Dînawar over that of Nihâwand was therefore a gain for the people of al-Kûfah. Nihâwand was thereafter called Mâh al-Baṣrah; and ad-Dînawar, Mâh al-Kûfah. All this took place during the caliphate of Muʿâwiyah.
​The meaning of "al-Yamân". I have been informed by certain men of learning that Ḥudhaifah ibn-al-Yamân was the son of Ḥusail [Ḥisl] ibn-Jâbir al-ʿAbsi. He was an ally of the banu-ʿAbd-al-Ashhal of al-Anṣâr; and his mother was ar-Rabâb, daughter of Kaʿb ibn-ʿAdi of the ʿAbd-al-Ashhal tribe. His father was killed in the battle of Uḥud by ʿAbdallâh ibn-Masʿûd al-Hudhali, who killed him by mistake, taking him for an "unbeliever ". In accordance with the Prophet's order, the blood money was paid; but Ḥudhaifah distributed it among the Moslems. According to al-Wâḳidi, Ḥusail was nicknamed al-Yamân because he had commercial interests in al-Yaman; and whenever he arrived in al-Madînah, people would say, "Here comes al-Yamâni [of which al-Yamân is a shortened form]." According to al-Kalbi, however, Ḥudhaifah was the son of Ḥusail ibn-Jâbir ibn-Rabîʿah ibn-ʿAmr ibn-Jurwah, Jurwah being the one nicknamed al-Yamâni after whom Ḥudhaifah was so called, although between the two many generations intervened. Jurwah, in pre-Islamic times, killed someone and fled to al-Madînah, where he became an ally of the banu-ʿAbd-al-Ashhal. His people called him al-Yamâni because he made an alliance with the Yamanites.
* ↑ In Ṭabaristân. Yâḳût, vol. iv, p. 203; Meynard, pp. 464–465.
* ↑ The original is obscure. Cf. Dînawari, p. 142; Caetani, vol. iv, p. 215, n. 1.
* ↑ Cf. Ṭabari, vol. i, pp. 2600–2601; Masʿûdi, vol. iv, p. 230.
* ↑ He is also called dhu-l-Ḥâjib Mardânshâh.
* ↑ or Nahâwand. Müller, vol. i, p. 245; Meynard, pp. 573–576; Yâḳût, vol. iv, pp. 406, 827.
* ↑ Cf. Ṭabari, vol. i, p. 2603.
* ↑ Cf. Ṭabari, vol. i, p. 2597.
* ↑ Cf. Ḍînawari, p. 145.
* ↑ Ibid., p. 145: "Nukhârijân".
* ↑ Hamadhâni, pp. 211, 259, and Dînawari, p. 143: "al-Isfîdhahân"; Yâḳût, vol. i, p. 239: "Isbîdhahân".
* ↑ Cf. Weil, vol. i, pp. 88–94; Muir, Annals, pp. 255–258; Muir, Caliphate, pp. 178–180; Wellhausen, Skizzen, vol. vi, p. 97.
* ↑ Cf. Caetani, vol. iv, p. 502.