THE RIGHTLY GUIDED CALIPHS

Hazrat Umar:
Wars with Persia
Battle of Namarraq (October, 634 AD):
• Because the Muslims had captured Hira under the caliphate of Abu Bakr, the
infuriated Persian Emperor sent a large force under a famous general.
• The two armies met 10 miles from Hira.
• Persians were defeated and put to flight.
Battle of Jar/Battle of the Bridge (October, 634 AD):
• Alarmed by the Muslim victory, the Persian Emperor dispatched a large army,
commanded by Bahman.
• The Muslim army was led by Hazrat Abu Ubaydah.
• Before this mighty force, the Arabs fell back and re-crossed the Euphrates.
• The Persian commander challenged Hazrat Abu Ubaydah to cross the river
again or allow him to come to the Arab side.
• Acting rashly and against his advisors’ warnings, Hazrat Abu Ubaydah ordered
the Muslim army to build a bridge of boats and cross the river.
• Once on the opposite side, the Muslims found themselves in an alarming
situation. They were hemmed in between the Persian war-elephants in their
front and the swift river Euphrates on their backs.
• The Arabs and their animals had never seen elephants before and were
terrified by these fierce and gigantic beasts. These elephants routed the Muslim
cavalry.
• Hazrat Abu Ubaida ordered the cavalry to dismount and fight on foot.
• Although the Muslims fought bravely and brought down many elephants,
they were trampled in large numbers under the beasts’ feet.
• Hazrat Abu Ubaida himself was martyred by one of the elephants. His brother
succeeded him, but one by one, the Muslim commanders were martyred.
• A Muslim had cut the boat-bridge so that the Muslim army would not lose
heart and retreat easily.
• However, the routed soldiers jumped into the river and many lost their lives.
• The new Muslim commander, Hazrat Musanna, ordered the bridge to be
rebuilt. He and a small detachment held back the Persians while the survivors
crossed over to the Arab side.
• Out of the original Muslim force of 9,000 men, approximately: I) 3000
survived. II) 2,000 fell fighting. III) 2,000 drowned in the river. IV) 2,000
fled to Madina and elsewhere.
Battle of Buwayb (November, 634 AD):
• Acting wisely and calmly after the disastrous Battle of Jasr, Umar rallied his
allies to fight against the Persian Empire.
• When the Persians came to know of this, they sent a large force under the
command of Mehran, an expert in Arabian warfare techniques.
• The Muslim army was commanded by Hazrat Musanna.
• Like the Battle of Jasr, the Persian army camped on the eastern side of the
Euphrates.
• This time, however, the Muslims allowed the Persians to cross over to the
Arabian side.
• The next day, the two armies engaged in a fierce battle at Buwayb.
• Even though the Persian force was many times larger than the Muslim army,
they were put to rout when Mehran was killed.
• The Muslim force destroyed the bridge over the Euphrates when the Persians
tried to fall back. Persians were killed in large numbers and their army was
almost completely destroyed.
Hazrat Umar resolves to conquer Iraq:
• Hazrat Umar realized that if Hira was to be held by the Muslims, Madain, the
Persian capital of the Iraqi province, must be captured.
• Hazrat Umar called for Holy War on Persia and wrote letters to his allies and
rallied them under his banner.
• Finally, an army of 20,000 men was mustered and was placed under Hazrat
Saad bin Abi Waqqas.
Battle of Qadisiya:
• Hazrat Saad was ordered to march to Qadisiya, a little fortress on the western
bank of the Ateeq (a branch of the Euphrates).
• From here, Hazrat Saad sent an envoy to the court of Yazdgard, the Persian
Emperor, with the message of Islam.
• The Persian Emperor insulted the envoy and turned him out of his court.
• To teach the Muslims a lesson, he dispatched a large army of 120,000 men,
including 300 war-elephants. This army was commanded by Rustum.
• The Muslim army now numbered 30,000, including 1400 of Muhammad
(PBUH)’s Companions and 99 veterans of Badr. The soldiers had also brought
their families along, as they intended to settle on the conquered land.
• Rustum encamped with his army on the opposite bank of the river. He
intended to tire out the Muslims or make them short of supplies before
attacking.
• Arab raiding parties, which attacked the fertile Persian fields, forced the
Emperor to order Rustum to commence fighting.
• Rustum and his army crossed the river in the secrecy of the night by building a
dam to check the flow of the water.
• The battle that ensued was very fierce and lasted for 3 days and 4 nights.
• Hazrat Saad directed his forces from his sick bed.
• Eventually, the Persians lost and were killed in large numbers.
• Rustum was killed as he tried to flee the battlefield.
• Losses: I) Muslims --- 8500 men. II) Persians --- 30,000 to 40,000
men.
• Booty: I) 6,000 pieces to every soldier. II) 70,000 pieces from the jewels
stripped from the body of Rustum. III) 100,000 pieces from the Persian
banner made from panther’s skin.
• Consequences: I) Put an end to the military might of the Persian Empire.
II) Arab tribes no longer hesitated to fight against Persia and the enemies of
Islam. III) Way to Madain opened.
Siege and capture of Madain:
• After resting his troops , Hazrat Saad marched on Madain with the intention
of capturing it.
• The army defending the city fell back before the Muslim assault, fled into the
city and closed the gates.
• The Muslims captured the city after a siege and a brave assault by the troops.
• Booty: I) Vessels and statues of gold and silver. II) Stores of precious
stones. III) Luxurious wardrobes. IV) Thousands of prisoners of war. V) Each
soldier received 12,000 dirhams.
Battle of Jalula:
• The Persian king, fleeing from Madain, took refuge in Hulwan.
• As a result, his remaining army occupied Jalula, a place in the neighborhood
of Madain.
• This army made great preparations for battle; the entire town was converted
into a fortress and a deep ditch was dug around the town.
• Hazrat Saad, with Hazrat Umar’s permission, sent a strong army to Jalula
under the command of Qaka.
• The siege of Jalula stretched over 7 months.
• Eventually, the Persians decided to counterattack and drive out the Muslims.
• The Muslim commander pulled back his army so that the whole of the Persian
army could come into the field.
• Fierce fighting ensued.
• Eventually, a fierce storm started blowing into the Persians’ faces and they
fell back and were killed in large numbers.
• The residents of Jalula surrendered on the usual terms of Jizya.
Battle of Nahawand:
• After the Battle of Jalula, Hazrat Umar stopped further conquest and sought
to consolidate Muslim rule in the lands already occupied.
• Towards this end, a peace treaty was signed with the Persians.
• However, the Persians soon broke the treaty and marched with 60,000 men
against the 30,000 Muslims.
• The two armies fought at Nahawand for 2 days. On the 3rd day, the Persians
took refuge in their forts.
• By a clever strategy, the enemy was coaxed out of hiding and hand-to-hand
fighting took place.
• The Persian might was shattered forever and their emperor fled to Isfahan.
• This battle was a decisive one for the whole world, as it signaled the end of
Persian power and the rise of Muslims.