One of the main battles that the Muslims fought against the armies of the Persian Empire was the Battle of Al-Qadisiyyah. It was a confrontation for which both sides prepared well, as they felt that future events depended on its outcome. To the Persians victory meant that they could stem the tide and drive the Arabs back, while to the Muslims, victory meant breaking the back of the great superpower. It was with a view to this fact that Umar ibn Al-Khattab chose Saad ibn Abi Waqqas, one of the earliest companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and a shrewd tactician, to lead the Muslim army.
In any other situation, the side that held the initiative would dictate the timing of the battle and determine its duration. However, the Muslims, who firmly held the initiative, were bound to observe their own war ethics. They were not after looting their enemies’ wealth; rather they dearly hoped that their enemies were half as keen as they to avoid bloodshed by giving a positive response to their call.
As the forces of the two combatants were gathering at Al-Qadisiyyah, a plane in today’s Iraq, Rustum, the Persian commander sent a message to Saad asking him to send over to him a wise, responsible and knowledgeable person to answer his questions. Saad sent him Al-Mugheerah ibn Shubah who was well known for his sharp intelligence and resourcefulness. The following conversation took place between Al-Mugheerah and Rustum:
Rustum: You, the Arabs, have always been our neighbors. We have always been kind to you and have protected you from being harmed by others. If you go back to your country we will not stop you from coming into our land for trade.
Al-Mugheerah: We have not come here seeking any worldly gain. All that we are interested in is success in the life to come. God has sent us a Messenger and told him: ‘I am giving this group power over those who refuse to accept My faith. I will punish them through these believers, and give the latter victory over them as long as they continue to believe in Me.’ This is the only true faith. Anyone who rejects it will be humiliated, and everyone who holds tight to it will prosper and be successful.
Rustum: What is this faith you are talking about?
Al-Mugheerah: Its central principle is the belief that there is no deity other than God, and that Muhammad is God’s Messenger, and the acceptance of the revelations God gave him.
Rustum: This is certainly good. What else?
Al-Mugheerah: To bring mankind from worshipping creatures to the worship of the Creator alone.
Rustum: This is also good. Anything else?
Al-Mugheerah: Yes. All people are as equal as brothers, for they all descend from the same father and mother.
Rustum: This is fine. Suppose that we accept your religion, will you go back home and not attack our land?
Al-Mugheerah: Yes, by God we will. Thereafter, we will not come to your land except for trade or other business.
Rustum made clear that he appreciated all that Al-Mugheerah said about Islam. When Al-Mugheerah left, Rustum talked to the chiefs of his forces about accepting Islam, but they were unwilling to do so. They expressed their contempt of the Arabs and were absolutely certain of victory, unwilling to give in to a peaceful call to accept divine faith.
Other reports of Al-Mugheerah’s mission mention that when he arrived in Rustum’s tent, he went up to him and sat next to him on his couch. Rustum’s attendants shouted their disapproval. Al-Mugheerah said: “My sitting here has neither enhanced my position nor slighted your commander.”
Rustum agreed and asked him why the Arabs were attacking the Persian areas. Al-Mugheerah said: “We were living in complete ignorance, leading awful lives. God sent us a Prophet who provided us with guidance. He also gave us plentiful provisions that included a seed that grows in your land. When we ate this seed and gave it to our children to eat, they said they must have it all the time, and insisted that we come to your land to make it part of our food.”
Rustum said: “Then we will kill you.”
Al-Mugheerah replied: “If you do, we go to heaven, but if we kill you, you will go to hell, or else, you will be paying tribute to us.”
Again Rustum’s attendants shouted their censure and said that there will be no peace between the two sides. Al-Mugheerah showed them that the Muslims were ready to fight them if they insisted on war, and that the disparity between their forces, with the Muslims being heavily outnumbered, will not affect their determination to achieve victory.
But this was not the only exchange between the two sides. Other delegates from the Muslim army were sent to Rustum, but at one point Saad sent him a delegation that included a number of the leading Muslim figures, some of them distinguished personalities from among the Prophet’s companions such as Al-Numan ibn Muqarrin, Furat ibn Hayyan, Al-Ashath ibn Qays as well as Al-Mugheerah ibn Shubah. Rustum asked them about the reasons for their coming with armed forces to the areas ruled by the Persian Empire. Their spokesman said to him: “We have come to take what God has promised us. His promise means that we will take over your land, take your women and children prisoner, and we will have all your wealth. We are absolutely certain that this will happen.”
Rustum was surprised when he heard this as it confirmed a dream he had seen. It is reported that in his dream he saw an angel coming down from heaven. The angel then took all the armament of the Persian forces and sealed them before giving them to the Prophet. The Prophet then gave it all to Umar ibn Al-Khattab, the caliph at the time of this battle.
The reports concerning the exchanges between Rustum and Saad, the Muslim commander, do not specify whether this delegation that included such distinguished figures was the first or the last of these contacts. It was probably the first as Saad wanted to give a good impression that would make Rustum think of the message of Islam and avert war. It may be that after Rustum had spoken to the delegation, he wanted to speak to individual figures and he might have expressed this desire to Saad who then sent him several of his generals on consecutive days.
On the other hand, the delegation might have been the last of the exchanges, because those single delegates had said all that needed to be said, and it was necessary to give an impression of strength. We do not have a report of the full exchange between Rustum and the delegation that would have helped in piecing up the sequence. However, we will need to look at one other delegate who made a very strong impression on Rustum. We will do so next week, God willing.
