Summary of Sira
After Ca gained leadership of the Muslim army, and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sent him reinforcements, the Persians advanced with a huge army to fight the remnants of the Muslim army, which was under the command of al-Muthanna ibn Haarithah. The two armies met at al-Buwayb near the city of Koofah. The Persians gave the Muslims two options, either they cross over to meet them, or that the Persian cross over to meet the Muslims (on common ground). Al-Muthanna chose for the Persians to move over to them; a fierce battle ensued in which the Persians suffered a terrible loss. Many of them were either killed in battlefield or drowned in the river. Amongst the dead from the Persians was their leader Mihraan.
When ‘Utbah ibn Ghazwaan came to al-Khuraybah, which was an armory for the Persians near a village called Ubullah, he wrote to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab informing him of his arrival. He also informed him that the Muslims would be in need of a place to spend the winter should they stay there that long, and in which they can take cover and disappear when they return from their campaigns. ‘Umar then responded to him (saying): “Gather all of your men in one place near water and a place to pasture the animals and write to me describing (the place you have chosen).” ‘Utbah wrote back: “I found a place filled with reeds and canes towards the countryside, and below that are marshes filled with pebbles (gravel). When ‘Umar read the reply, he said: “this land is fresh and abundant, it is close to sources of water, food, fuel and building materials.” He ordered ‘Utbah to settle people there, which he did; and ‘Utbah thus became the first person to settle Basrah.
Aboo Bakr had written to Khaalid that he should join the Muslims in Al-Shaam and give support to the armies of the Muslims there. At that time, Heraclius sent Baahaan to bolster the Byzantines there and their forces, and made the beadles, priests, and monks attend to encourage people to fight in the battle.
When Khaalid arrived at Al-Shaam, he suggested to all the commanders that they unite under one leader; he said to them: “the appointment of some of you over others does not remove anything from your rank with Allah nor with the Caliph. Let us come together! We shall take turns leading the army so that all of us may lead one day and follow another until all of you have been placed in a position of leadership. Now let me be your leader for today!” And they approved his suggestion and request.
The Byzantines came out in a battle formation, the likes of which had never been seen; 240,000 soldiers, among them were 80,000 that were in bound in chains. All the while, Khaalid came in out a battle formation as well, which the Arabs had never seen the likes of before. The Muslims were 36,000, while some of have said 46,000 that Khaalid arranged in platoons of 30 to 40 men each.
One thousand Companions were present at the Battle of Yarmook, amongst them were approximately 100 who were present at the Battle of Badr. On that day, Aboo Sufyaan was riding around and would stop in front of each platoon and say: “Allah! Allah! Verily you are the defenders of the Arabs and the supporters of Islam! And verily they are the defenders of the Byzantines and the supporters of Polytheism! Oh Allah! Verily this day is Your day! Oh Allah! Descend your support upon your slaves!” A man (then) said to Khaalid: “Oh! How the Byzantines and numerous and how little are the Muslims!” To which Khaalid replied: “No! How little are the Byzantines and how numerous are the Muslims! (Our) soldiers are increased in number by the help they receive (from Allah) and theirs are reduced by their abasement [in the sight of Allah] not by the (physical) number of their men! By Allah! I wished that my steed would heal from its wounds, and that their numbers would double!”
As the battle was about to commence, one of the generals of the Byzantines named Jarajah rode out until he was between the two armies and yelled out: “Let Khaalid come out and fight me!” Khaalid responded to the request to fight and went to meet him there between the two lines of soldiers. They were too close to each other until the neck of their horses touched each other. Khaalid had a discussion with him and invited him to Islam; he kept persuading him until he accepted Islam, which impacted the spirit of the Byzantines. Then, Khaalid placed ‘Ikrimah and al-Qa’qaa’ in charge whilst the sides skirmished, and the infantry soldiers ran after each other. Whilst they were engaged in battle, news came from al-Madeenah about the death of Aboo Bakr, and ‘Ubaydah being appointed as the new general of the army. However, Khaalid kept the news secret and did not share It with his army, so they do not feel distressed. The battle raged on, and a fierce battle had erupted.
Amid the heated fighting, ‘Ikrimah ibn Abee Jahl stood up and cried out: “Who shall swear an oath [that they shall fight until death?].” Four hundred men responded to his call and they all fought until [they were all martyred]. Allah then defeated the Byzantines by nightfall and the Muslims climbed the blockade [set up by the Byzantines] and hit the remaining garrison and killed their most valiant of fighters, their leaders, and their cavalry. Allah then slew the brother of Heraclius, and Thedarius was seized. Jarajah fought fiercely with the Muslims until he was killed towards the end of the day. During the battle, the Muslims prayed Dhuhr and Asr making simple gestures.
The Byzantines were (severely) weakened, and Khaalid advanced to the heart of their army until he was between their cavalrymen and infantries. Thereupon, the cavalrymen fled the battlefield and abandoned the foot-soldiers. When the Muslims noticed that the horses of the of the Byzantines were retreating, they rejoiced at the sight of it and allowed them to flee. Their ranks were broken up and their foot-soldiers were slain one after the other. The Byzantines were attacked in their trenches. Then they proceeded to a place called al-Waaqoosah where 80,000 men and women who were in bound in chains died. Then, Khaalid entered the trench and descended into the Thedarius’s quarters. Knowledge of the defeat reached Heraclius, who, at the time, was near Homs and so he set out (immediately).
30,000 Muslims gathered at al-Qaadisiyyah under the leadership of S’ad ibn Abee Waqqas after he was commanded by ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab to replace Khaalid ibn al-Waleed. S’ad stationed in al-Qaadisiyyah for a month, during which he sent out armies in various directions and who would return with spoils of war. At that time, Yazdajard placed Rustom in command of a large army consisting of 120,000 soldiers with another contingency similar in size and strength.
S’ad sent to him a messenger to invite him to Islam, but the Persians tried to deceive the Muslims. They requested that more than one person be sent to them to teach them about Islam; Rib’ee went first, then Hudhayfah ibn Muhsin, then al-Mugheerah, but they did not make any headway [with the Persians who rejected each of their offers.] After, the fighting ensued after midday and continued for three days. On the fourth day, the attacks from (the Persian’s) elephant brigade took its toll on the Muslims. On that day as well, a strong wind came and blew over the tents of the Persians who then fled. Rustom, their leader, was found and killed which sealed the defeat of the Persians.
In this battle, the death toll amongst the Persians was innumerable, S’ad then departed and made his way towards the western end of the Euphrates towards (a village known as) Nahr al-Sheer, opposite the citadel of Khosroe and his well-known administrative district. When the Muslims saw the palace of Khosroe, the Muslims cried out with the words: “Allahu Akbar! And then said: “This is what Allah and His Messenger had promised (us)!”
(During that battle) 1,500 Muslims were martyred and 20,000 Persians were killed. The spoils of war which the Muslims acquired were innumerable. It has been said that this all occurred during the 15th year of the Hijrah.
[His name is] Rustom Fakhrazaad, commander of the Persian army during the reign of the last king of the Sassanian Empire, Yazdajarad III, who was originally Armenian. Rustom served the king of Persia faithfully. Yazdarjad III had sent him forcefully to serve him in his army against the invading Muslim armies, who were setting Iraq ablaze as a precursor to their conquest of the lands governed by the Persians.
Rustom faced the Muslims at al-Qaadisiyyah. On the fourth day of the battle, a strong wind came and overturned the tents of the Persians from their pegs, and Rustom’s raised seat/throne on which he was reclining was overturned. Al-Qa’qaa’ and those with him went into the camp to look for him but could not locate him through the dust and had not seen that he hid behind a mule. The Muslims took Rustom by surprise as they cut the robe of the luggage that was carried over the mule, so it fell on him, causing an injury to his back. He then tried to flee towards the river of al-‘Ateeq trying to save himself. But Hilaal ibn ‘Alqamah al-Tameemee caught him, grabbed him by the leg, and dragged him until he killed him. He then climbed the raised seat of Rustom and called out: “By the Lord of the Ka’baa! I have slain Rustom! Come to me!” The Muslims then surrounded him, crying “Allahu Akbar!” without paying attention to the raised platform.
‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas travelled to Ajnaadayn, which lies between al-Faloojah and the road to Palestine towards the south. It was a place where the Byzantian Tribunes were stationed. The Byzantines had two military stations, one in Ramallah and another in Jerusalem. It took a great deal of time in order to conquer it. The written exchanges between the two sides were so copious that ‘Amr himself finally went over to the tribunes, and they nearly killed him; however, he outsmarted them and was able to return safely. Then fighting broke out which resembled the Battle of Yarmook in intensity and grandeur until the Muslims finally entered Ajnadeen (victorious) from where they made their way onto Jerusalem.
Aboo ‘Ubaydah ‘Aamir ibn al-Jarraah sent Khaalid ibn al-Waleed to Qinnasreen. When he arrived at the place in question, the Byzantines advanced to him, who were then led by Meenaas, who was amongst the greatest of Byzantine leaders, after Heraclius. Both sides fought, and in the heat of the battle, Meenaas and his men were slain in a way like no other before them, and they all died then and there. Khaalid then travelled on until he arrived at Qinnasreen, whose inhabitants then fortified and hunkered themselves down against him. The Muslims said to them: “Were you in the clouds, then Allah would have taken us to you, or we would have descended to you.” They then pondered their affair and considered what had happened to the people of Homs, so they agreed to a peace treaty similar to the one concluded with the people of Homs. However, Khaaled insisted on destroying the city, and he did. When that occurred, Heraclius entered Constantinople, and the reason being was that Khaalid and ‘Iyaad had both made their way to Heraclius from Al-Shaam, and ‘Amr ibn Maalik came from Koofah; thus, Heraclius exited the city of Circesium. ‘Abdullah ibn al-Mi’tamm made his way from Mosul and then they returned. Only then did Heraclius enter Constantinople. This was the first time in the history of Islam that Muslim soldiers from the Muslim army went beyond the road limits to make their way to meet their enemy. All this occurred in the 15th year of the Hijrah – and it was said in the 16th year of the Hijrah.
The city of Homs was conquered by the Muslims under the leadership of ‘Ubaydah ‘Aamir ibn al-Jarraah, after they sieged it [for several days] leaving the inhabitants of the city no other choice but to ask for a peace-treaty. The Muslims therefore penned a letter of safety to the people of Homs warranting the safety of their persons and property.
After Aboo ‘Ubaydah ‘Aamir ibn al-Jarraah conquered al-Jaabiyah, an administrative district of Damascus and Qinnasreen, he blockaded the people of the Masjid of Ilyaa- i.e., Jerusalem, but they refused to open the city gates. However, they asked that he sends for ‘Umar to come instead, and that he should be the one overseeing their peace treaty. Aboo ‘Ubaydah then wrote to ‘Umar, who then left ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib in his stead as governor of al-Madeenah, and he made his way to Al-Shaam. He wrote to the generals of the armies ordering them to meet him at al-Jaabiyyah on a day he named for them in the letter, and to appoint governors in their place to manage the affairs of their platoons while they are away.
The first of those to meet ‘Umar upon his arrival was Aboo ‘Ubaydah. When he entered al-Jaabiyyah, a Jewish man said to him: “O Chief of the Believers! Verily you will not return to your land until Allah has opened in conquest, Ilyaa’.” Later, while ‘Umar was encamped with his army at al-Jaabiyyah, all of sudden his men rushed for their weapons. ‘Umar inquired: “What is wrong with you all?” They responded: “Don’t you see the horses and swords?” He then looked around and saw a group (of men) holding their swords, shimmering. ‘Umar then said: “Do not worry, they have come in peace, do not fear, and guarantee for them safety.” The people were, from Ilyaa’ and they accepted a peace treaty with them on the understanding that they would pay Jizyah, and that the Muslims would not destroy their churches, and that their priests and monks would not be expelled. Upon signing this agreement, they opened the city gates for the Muslims. ‘Umar then proceeded to build a mosque there, and stayed there for several days before he returned back to al-Madeenah.
After the Muslims were granted victory by Allah and conquered Ilyaa (i.e., Jerusalem), its peoples requested that they be given the same terms of peace as the various cities of Al-Shaam, and that ‘Umar be the one to oversee the terms of the treaty. They refused to entrust the keys of Jerusalem to anyone except the Caliph, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, who agreed and travelled to Jerusalem.
The story of how he came is very well known. He came whilst riding a camel and taking turns with his servant riding it. It was ‘Umar’s turn to walk when he finally arrived at Jerusalem; he was not content with his servant walking even though he requested several times to let him do so. He did not like to put on airs, and so he entered the city on foot. This scene led the bishop of [The Church of the Holy Sepulcher] to believe that this was the man to whom he must give the keys of the city, which ‘Umar took. After, ‘Umar prayed in Jerusalem and took (the city) as a place of worship. He did not pray near the sacred rock despite having been advised to do so. Then he proceeded to conclude the peace treaty with the people of Jerusalem and penned the famous terms of this pact himself, which has come to be known as “The Pact of ‘Umar.”
‘Umar ibn al-Khataab dispatched Suraaqah ibn ‘Amr and ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Rabee’ah to bilaad al-Baab, which is the land of the Turks behind Darband. ‘Umar also sent Habeeb ibn Maslamah as reinforcement, however, Shahrayraaz, the king of that land, requested from ‘Abd al-Rahmaan to give him some time to think through about it before making his decision, and he agreed. He, Shahrayraaz informed Abd al-Rahmaan of his hatred for the Armenians and the al-Qabaj lived around his territory, and he then informed him of his good intentions towards the Muslims. He therefore requested that he be spared from paying the Jiziyyah in exchange for his support in the (Muslims) war efforts against the Armenians and those around them. Suraaqah therefore accepted the terms and ‘Umar ratified his decision. Suraaqah then sent out four platoons to attack the areas surrounding Armenian territory and conquered them.
Maariyya the Copt was gifted to the Prophet-ﷺ- by al-Mooqawqis, Patriarch of the Copts in Egypt, whom the Prophet-ﷺ- took as a concubine. She gave birth to his (only) son, Ibraheem. He then said: “Her son set free.” She is not counted as being amongst his wives and therefore not from amongst the Mothers of the Believers. However, Aboo Bakr and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) both supported her financially and took care of her needs until the day she died during the reign of ‘Umar, who prayed over her himself.
The victory of Muslims at al-Qaadisiyyah was an epic accomplishment that encouraged them to continue their military campaign towards Greater Ctesiphon, the capital of the Persians. S’ad and his army marched until they reached Bahruseer, the western cities, which was one of the great metropolises of the Persians. S’ad camped near the limits of the city and sent out a group of his soldiers to survey the area. The soldiers then returned with thousands of peasants who were from that city. When Sheerazaar Dahqaan, the governor of Saabaat, became aware of the incident, he sent to S’ad a request that he releases the peasants, informing him that they were not soldiers but hired hands contracted to plant and farm the land, and that none of them fought his soldiers. S’ad wrote to ‘Umar explaining to him the situation and requested him to give him advice on what to do. In his letter to ‘Umar, he wrote: “We have reached the lands of Bahuraseer after completing our mission at al-Qaadisiyyah. However, no one has come to fight us. I therefore sent out cavalry who brought with them the peasants from the villages and surrounding lands.”
‘Umar then responded to him: “As for the peasants who came peacefully and without a fight then they are to be safeguarded, as for those who fled and whom you caught thereafter, then deal with them as you wish.” When he received the reply from ‘Umar, he relinquished his original course of action and then wrote to the leaders of the cities and territories (Dahaaqeen), calling them to Islam promising them that they would remain in their positions of power, or that they pay the Jiziyyah and that they would be protected.
Many of them accepted Islam after seeing how the Muslims were forgiving and just despite their immense strength and power during those days. However, the city of Bahurseer refused to accept either of the propositions, and its people thought that their fortresses would be able to withstand the attacks of the Muslims. S’ad and his soldiers then surrounded it and sieged it for two months, during which they used catapults; and they built battering rams out of hides and lumber. But the cities fortifications proved strong. S’ad therefore circled the city with 20 catapults in different places in order to distract them from noticing the cavalrymen that were making their way towards the city. However, the Persians got a sense of what was happening and the Muslim’s attempt at mounting a surprise attack against the city. They sent out a large number of soldiers to meet them and fight them off from entering the city, but the Muslims fought with such immense bravery and courage, attacking the enemy with an intense desire for martyrdom, the likes of which had never before been seen.
The commander of the Muslim army, Zuhrah ibn al-Jawwiyyah, was one amongst those brave heroes who displayed great feats of bravery and they were able to unnerve the enemy. He was able to reach Shahrabaraaz, the commander of the Persian army, and dealt him the deathblow from his sword. When the Persians saw that he had been slain, dropping to the ground shedding blood profusely, they were struck with dread and terror. The army fell apart, their cavalry fled in every direction, and the Muslims continued to surround and attack the city whilst the Persian soldiers fled for the mountains and empty plains.
The Muslims then intensified their siege on the city, until the inhabitants were forced to eat its cats and dogs. Its king sent a message to the Muslims offering them a peace treaty in which they would keep everything that they had gained from al-Qaadisiyyah until the Tigris, but the Muslims refused. They continued their siege and their bombardments with their catapults for a long time, until the city became quiet, as if all life in it had stopped. The Muslim army then attacked it during the night, scaling its walls and finally conquered it. Not a single Persian soldier stopped them. The Muslims entered Bahuraseer victorious, after having sieged for an extended period of time.
S’ad ibn Abee Waqqaas was determined to [conquer al-Madaain, which was situated on the Tigris]. Upon his arrival to Tigris, [he found that the Persians had blown up the bridge], and yet he was so determined to cross with his soldiers over the Tigris by horse. After he gathered his army, he stood before them and delivered a motivational speech. He started by glorifying Allah and praising Him, then he said: “Verily your enemy has sought refuge from you by means of this body of water. With this barrier, you shall not reach them through it, but they would reach you in their ships if they so wanted and fight you. All the while, you have nothing left to fear that they should take from you. You have rid yourselves of the people of days past and have broken down their fortresses [which line their borders]. I have come of the opinion that you should fight the enemy before you become preoccupied with this worldly life. I have decided to cross this body of water and (march) towards them.” Upon hearing this, they all responded: “May Allah make us and you firm upon what is right and just; may you proceed!”
He asked his army to take the initiative and cross the river and said: “Who shall begin and protect for us the river until the people go one after another, and so that no one may stop them from crossing?” ‘Aasim ibn ‘Amr dhoo al-Ba’s, along with 600 brave men, who would guard the coastline from the Persians until the (Muslim) army could follow and cross the waters. After S’ad observed the work of ‘Aasim and that he secured the location, he permitted the rest of the army to cross the river and said to them: “Say: we seek help from Allah and rely upon Him; Very Allah is our sufficiency and the Best of Protectors; Verily Allah shall render victorious His close friends and make His religion apparent and tower above all others and He shall defeat His foes. Verily there is no power and no ability except through seeking it from Allah the Great and Most High.”
After the Muslim army went out across the Tigris, showing no fear and talking as if they were still on land, they spread out into the Tigris until the riverbank was completely covered. When the Persians beheld this, they realized that they were facing a matter they had never thought possible, and they fled towards Hulwaan. They abandoned their coffers and treasure chests a great amount of clothing, belongings, vessels, jewelry, and other fine things of immeasurable wealth. They also left behind cattle and livestock, and food provisions which they had planned to take with them during the siege. In the treasury was left approximately 3,000,000,000 (dinars).
The first of the Muslim army to enter the Greater Ctesiphon (al-Madaa’in) was the Battalion of Terror (Kateebat al-Ahwaal), led by ‘Aasim ibn ‘Amr, then entered the Battalion of Al-Kharsaa’, led by al-Qa’qaa’ ibn ‘Amr. They took to the streets of the city, and they found no one there who would stand on their own except the people who were left in the White Palace. The Muslim army surrounded it and called out to them inviting them to accept to pay the Jiziyah and to be counted amongst the Protected Peoples (ahl al-Dhimmah). The people of Ctesiphon came out to them to meet them according to the terms the Muslims laid out. None of which was similar to what the family of Khosroes used to have.
S’ad then entered the White Palace and he took the Iwaan of Khusraw, which is a monumental and arched reception room as a prayer room. When he entered the room, he recited the ayah: ((How much they left behind of gardens and springs)) (al-Dukhaan, 25). He then prayed in it the Prayer of Conquest in 8 units, he then proceeded to gather the spoils of war that were in the palace, the chambers of the vaulted room, and all its annexes and chambers. The people of the city had given itself to much looting during the destruction, and fled in every direction, however none of them were able to escape without being apprehended by soldiers from the Muslim army. In the city were seen Turkish domes filled with baskets that were sealed with metal lead; it was thought that there was food inside (of the domes), but they were instead filled with vessels made of gold and silver.
After the successful conquest of Ctesiphon, S’ad ibn Abee Waqqaas took its central palace as a dwelling and its well-known monumental and arched reception room as a mosque. He was overwhelmed by the moment and humbled by the favours of Allah upon the Muslims; thus, he recited the ayaat: ((How much they left behind of gardens and springs***And crops and noble sites***And comfort wherein they were amused. Thus***And We caused to inherit it another people***And the heaven and earth wept not for them, nor were they reprieved)) (al-Dukhaan, 25-29). He then proceeded to pray Friday Prayer there.
