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The tribe of Muzaynah had
their habitations some distance from
Yathrib on the caravan route which
linked the city to Makkah. News of the
Prophet's arrival in Yathrib spread
rapidly and soon reached the Muzaynah
through members of the tribe who had
left and returned.
One evening the
chieftain of the tribe, an-Numan ibn
Maqarrin, sat among the elders and other
members of the tribe and addressed them:
"O my people, by
God, we have learnt only good about
Muhammad, and of His mission we have
heard nothing but mercy, kindness and
justice. What's wrong with us? Why do we
tarry while people are hastening to
him?" "As for myself," he
continued, "I have made up my mind
to leave early in the morning to join
him. Whoever of you wishes to go with
me, let him get ready."
An-Numan must have
been a persuasive chieftain. His words
had a wondrous effect on the ears of his
people. The following morning an-Numan's
ten brothers and four hundred horsemen
of the Muzaynah were all ready and
prepared to go with him to Yathrib to
meet the Prophet, may God bless him and
grant him peace, and enter the religion
of Islam.
An-Numan however felt
embarrassed to go to the Prophet with
such a numerous following without
carrying any presents for him and the
Muslims. There wasn't much he could
carry anyway. That year was a year of
drought and famine for the Muzaynah and
much of their livestock and crops had
perished. Still, an-Numan went around
the dwellings of his fellow tribesmen
and gathered up whatever sheep and goats
were left. These he drove before him and
made his way to Madinah. There in the
presence of the Prophet, he and his
fellow tribesmen announced their
acceptance of Islam.
The whole of Madinah
was agog with excitement with the coming
of an-Numan and his companions. Never
before had there been a single family
with all eleven brothers accepting Islam
at the same time together with four
hundred horsemen. The noble Prophet was
exceedingly glad and rejoiced greatly.
Indeed the sincerity of their effort was
accepted and commended by God Almighty
when He revealed the following words of
the Quran to the Prophet:
"And among the
nomad Arabs are such as believe in God
and the Last Day, and regard all that
they spend in God's cause as a means of
drawing them nearer to God and of (their
being remembered in) the Apostle's
prayers. Oh, verily, it shall (indeed)
be a means of (God's) nearness to them,
(for) God will admit them into His
grace. Verily God is much-Forgiving,
most Merciful." (The Quran, Surah
at-Tawbah, 9:99).
An-Numan lived under
the guidance of the Prophet and
participated in all the campaigns he
waged with valor and dedication. In the
time of Abu Bakr, he and the people of
Muzaynah played a major and commendable
role in putting an end to the fitnah of
apostasy. During the caliphate of Umar
al-Faruq, an-Numan distinguished
himself, in particular, in the
encounters with the Sasananian Empire.
Shortly before the
Battle of Qadisiyyah, the commander of
the Muslim forces Sad ibn Abi Waqqas
sent a delegation to the Sasanian
Emperor, Yazdagird. The delegation was
headed by an-Numan ibn Muqarrin and its
main purpose was to invite the emperor
of Islam. When an-Numan and his
delegation reached Ctesiphon, the
Sasanian capital, the people of the city
looked upon them with curiosity and some
disdain. They remarked on their simple
appearance, their rough clothes and
shoes and their weak-looking horses. The
Muslims were in no way overwhelmed and
sought an audience with Yazdagird. He
granted them permission, summoned an
interpreter and said to him:
"Say to them (the
Muslims): why have you come to our
dominions and why do you want to invade
us? Perhaps, you have designs on us...
and seek to venture against us because
we are preoccupied with you. But we
do not wish to inflict
punishment on you." An-Numan turned
to his men and said:
"If you wish, I
shall reply to him on your behalf. But
if any one of you wants to speak let him
do so first." The Muslims told an-Numan
to speak and turning to the Emperor,
said: "This man speaks with our
tongue so do listen to what he
says." An-Numan began by praising
and glorifying God and invoking peace
and blessings on His Prophet. Then he
said:
"Indeed God has
been Kind and Merciful to us and has
sent to us a Messenger to show us the
good and command us to follow it; to
make us realize what is evil and forbade
us from it.
"The Messenger
promised us if we were to respond to
what he summoned us, God would bestow on
us the good of this world and the good
of the hereafter.
"Not much time
has elapsed but God has given us
abundance in place of hardship, honor in
place of humiliation and mercy and
brotherhood in place of our former
enmity.
"The Messenger
has commanded us to summon mankind to
what is best for them and to begin with
those who are our neighbors.
"We therefore
invite you to enter into our religion.
It is a religion which beautifies and
promotes all good and which detests and
discourages all that is ugly and
reprehensible. It is a religion which
leads its adherents from the darkness of
tyranny and unbelief to the light and
justice of faith."
"Should you
respond positively to us and come to
Islam, it would be our duty to introduce
the Book of God in your midst and help
you to live according to it and rule
according to its laws. We would then
return and leave you to conduct your own
affairs.
"Should you
refuse, however, to enter the religion
of God, we would take the jizyah from
you and give you protection in return.
If you refuse to give the jizyah, we
shall declare war on you."
Yazdagird was angry
and furious at what he had heard and
said in ridicule: "Certainly I do
not know of a nation on earth who is
more wretched than you and whose numbers
are so few, who are more divided and
whose condition is more evil."
"We have been
used to delegate your affairs to our
provincial governors and they exacted
obedience form you on our behalf."
Then softening his tone somewhat, he
continued, but with greater sarcasm:
"If there is any
need which has pushed you to come to us,
we would enlist forces to help you make
your lands fertile. We would clothe your
leaders and the notables of your people
and place a king from among ourselves
over you who would be gentle to
you."
One of an-Numan's
delegation responded sharply to this and
Yazdagird flew into a rage once more and
shouted: "Were it for the fact that
ambassadors are not killed, I would kill
you all. "Get up. You shall have
nothing from me. And tell your commander
that I am sending Rustum against him to
bury him and you together in the ditch
of al Qadisiyyah."
Yazdagird then called
for a basketful of earth and ordered
that it should be borne outside the city
gates by the one whom the Muslims
considered to be the most noble among
them as a sign of humiliation. Asim the
son of Umar accepted the load as a happy
augury and took it to the
commander-in-chief, Sad ibn Abi Waqqas,
and said to him:
"Accept our
congratulations for the victory. The
enemy has voluntarily surrendered his
territory to us." The Battle of
Qadisiyyah ensued and after four days of
bitter fighting, the Muslim forces
emerged victorious. The victory paved
the way for the Muslim advance into the
plains of the Euphrates and the Tigris.
The Persian capital, Ctesiphon, fell and
this was followed by a number of
engagements as the Persians withdrew
northwards.
Despite other defeats
and setbacks, Yazdagird refused to yield
and constantly organized new levies to
attack the Muslims and foment
insurrection in the provinces which had
come under Muslim control.
Umar had counselled
moderation on his generals and ordered
them not to press too far eastwards.
However he received news of a massive
Persian mobilization of about 15O,OOO
warriors against the Muslims. He thought
of leaving Madinah and facing the
massive threat himself. He was advised
against this by prominent Muslims in
Madinah who suggested instead that he
should appoint a military commander to
confront the grave situation.
"Show me a man
whom I can appoint for this task."
said. "You know your army best, O
Amir al-Muminin," they replied and
after some thought Umar exclaimed:
"By God, I shall
appoint as commander-in-chief of the
Muslim army a man who, when the two
armies meet, will be the most active. He
is an-Numan ibn Muqarrin al-Muzani."
To him, Umar despatched a letter:
"From the servant of God, Umar ibn
al-Khattab, to an-Numan ibn Muqarrin:
"I have received
news that large numbers of Persians
have gathered to fight
you in the city of Nihawand.
When this my letter
reaches you go forward (to confront
them) with the help of
God, with whoever of the
Muslims are with you.
Don't take the Muslims over too
difficult terrain lest
they may be hurt, for one Muslim
person is dearer to me
than a hundred thousand dinars.
And Peace be unto
you."
An-Numan responded to
the orders of the Amir al-Muminin and
mobilized the Muslim forces. He
despatched an advanced detachment of
cavalry to reconnoiter the approaches of
the city. Just outside Nihawand, the
horses stopped and despite prodding
would go no further. The riders
dismounted and discovered iron nails in
the horses' hooves. They looked around
and found that all approaches to the
city were strewn with these iron spikes
to halt the advance of the Muslim army.
On being informed of this, an-Numan
ordered the
horsemen to remain
where they were and at nightfall to
light fires for the enemy to see them.
They were also to feign fear and defeat
in order to entice the enemy to come out
to them and in the process clear the
approaches of the iron spikes. The ruse
worked. When the Persians saw the van
guard of the Muslim army appearing
dejected and defeated before them, they
sent workers to clear the area of the
spikes. These workers were captured by
the Muslim cavalry who gained control of
the approaches to the city.
An-Numan pitched camp
on the outskirts of the city and decided
to make a determined assault on the
city. He addressed his soldiers: "I
shall say Allahu Akbar three times. At
the first time, get Yourselves ready (by
performing your toilet and making wudu).
At the second time, let every man of you
get ready his weapons and gird them on.
And the third time, I shall move against
the enemies of God and you must join in
the attack with me." He went on:
"And if an-Numan
is killed, let no one tarry over him.
For I shall (now) make a supplication to
God Almighty and I want everyone of you
to say 'Ameen'. "He then prayed:
"May God grant martyrdom to an-Numan
this day and may He grant victory to the
Muslims."
Three times an-Numan
shouted Allahu Akbar. On the third time,
he plunged into the ranks of the enemies
and the Muslims rushed on behind him.
They were outnumbered six to one but
inflicted terrible losses on the
Persians.
An-Numan received a
mortal blow during the battle. His
brother took the standard from his hand,
and covered him with a burdah and
concealed his death from the others.
The Muslim forces
emerged victorious. The Persians never
recovered themselves after this battle
which Muslim historians have called
"the Victory of Victories".
The battle over, the
victorious soldiers asked for their
valiant commander. His brother lifted
the burdab and said: "This is your
Amir. God has shown him victory and
blessed him with martyrdom."
When the news was
brought to Umar in Madinah, a companion
who was with him said: "I saw Umar,
may God be pleased with him. When he
heard of the death of an-Numan ibn
Muqarrin, he placed his head in his
hands and began to cry."
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