This was truly a great battle. Muslims called this renowned battle the 'conquest of conquests.' Ibn Isḥāq and al-Wāqidī said: The Battle of Nihavand took place in the twenty-first year of the hijra. Sayf b. ʿUmar, however, stated that it occurred in the seventeenth year, and there is also a narration that it happened in the nineteenth year. Allah knows best. Abū Jaʿfar b. Jarīr mentioned the Battle of Nihavand among the events of the twenty-first year of the hijra, so we have followed him in this matter. We have compiled the statements of the sīra scholars on this topic, and as a result, their accounts have become intermingled.
Sayf and other sīra scholars said: The cause of this battle was as follows: After the Muslims conquered Ahvaz and defeated the great Persian army, capturing their capital Madāʾin and many surrounding towns, the Persians were stirred to action. Yazdegerd, the king who fled from city to city and finally arrived in Isfahan in exile, encouraged the Persians to fight the Muslims. However, he remained among his family, tribe, and wealth. He wrote letters to the people of the Nihavand region and those living in the surrounding mountains and cities. They gathered together to fight the Muslims, corresponding and communicating with one another. Eventually, they prepared an army of unprecedented size. When Saʿd b. Abī Waqqāṣ learned of this, he sent a letter to ʿUmar, informing him of the situation. At this time, the people of Kufa also rebelled against Saʿd, complaining about his every action. So much so that the representatives of the Kufans went to ʿUmar and said, 'Saʿd does not lead the prayer well.' The instigator of this delegation was Jirāḥ b. Sinān al-Asadī, who, along with a few men, went to ʿUmar and complained about Saʿd b. Abī Waqqāṣ. ʿUmar replied to them:
'Your coming to complain in this extraordinary situation proves that you are evil people. Meanwhile, Saʿd is preparing to fight the enemies of Allah. The enemies of Allah have gathered armies against you.'
'Nevertheless, I will consider your complaint and investigate the matter.' ʿUmar sent Muḥammad b. Maslama, who acted as an envoy between him and his governors, to Kufa to investigate. Upon arrival, Muḥammad b. Maslama visited the tribes and mosques in Kufa. Except for the supporters of Jirāḥ b. Sinān, all the Kufans spoke well of Saʿd and praised him. Only the supporters of Jirāḥ b. Sinān remained silent; they neither criticized nor praised him. Finally, Muḥammad b. Maslama went to the Banū Abs tribe. From among them, Abū Saʿda Usāma b. Qatāda stood up and said to Muḥammad b. Maslama:
'Since you have made us swear, let me tell you: The truth is that Saʿd does not distribute the spoils equally, does not act justly towards the people, and does not go on expeditions with the detachments.' Upon this accusation, Saʿd cursed him, saying: 'O Allah, if this man has spoken these words out of falsehood, hypocrisy, and for fame, then blind his eyes, increase his offspring, and subject him to misleading tribulations.' As a result of Saʿd's curse, Abū Saʿda Usāma b. Qatāda became blind, had ten daughters, and whenever a woman passed by in the street, he would approach and pinch her. When the woman noticed and became angry, Abū Saʿda would say, 'I have been afflicted by the curse of a blessed man.' Then Saʿd cursed Jirāḥ and his companions as well. All of them became ill, crippled, and suffered loss of property.
By the order of ʿUmar, Muḥammad b. Maslama called the Kufans to battle against the people of Nihavand. Then Saʿd, Muḥammad b. Maslama, Jirāḥ, and his companions set out to meet ʿUmar. ʿUmar asked Saʿd how he led the prayer. Saʿd replied that he prolonged the first two rakʿas, shortened the last two, omitted nothing from the prayer, and performed it just as the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) did. ʿUmar said, 'This is what we knew of you, O Abū Isḥāq.' Saʿd replied, 'I am the fifth of the first five to embrace Islam. At that time, we had nothing to eat but vine leaves, which wounded our cheeks. I was the first to shoot an arrow in the path of Allah, and although he had never said it to anyone before, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said to me: "O Saʿd, may my mother and father be sacrificed for you."'
'Now the sons of Asad claim that I do not lead the prayer well, that I am distracted by hunting, and that I have abandoned Islam. If this is so, then I am ruined and have lost the reward of my deeds.' After this, ʿUmar asked him, 'Whom have you appointed as your deputy in Kufa?' 'I have left ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUtban.' ʿUmar approved ʿAbdullāh's appointment as acting governor of Kufa. ʿAbdullāh was an elderly man from the notables of the Companions (ṣaḥāba), an ally of the Banū Hubla of the Anṣār. Saʿd was removed from office, not due to incapacity or treachery, but because he threatened those who complained about him and wished for their punishment. He later refrained from this, fearing that others might be discouraged from reporting an unjust governor.
In summary, the Persians gathered 150,000 soldiers at Nihavand, under the command of Fīrūzān. Other reports state the commander's name was Bendar or Dhū al-Ḥājib (meaning 'the one with the eyebrow,' i.e., 'the one from Kash'). The Persians encouraged each other to fight the Muslims, saying: 'Muḥammad, who came to the Arabs, did not attack our lands. Nor did Abū Bakr, who succeeded him as caliph, attack our territory. But when ʿUmar, son of al-Khaṭṭāb, expanded his rule, he attacked our borders, violated our honor, and took our towns. He will not stop until he expels us from our homeland and seizes our capital.' After these discussions, the Persians agreed to attack Basra and Kufa to prevent ʿUmar from attacking their own lands.
They pledged this to one another and recorded it in writing. At this time, Saʿd, who had been dismissed, informed ʿUmar by letter and in person that the Persians were uniting and preparing to attack, and that they had gathered 150,000 warriors. Meanwhile, a letter sent from Kufa by ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUtban reached ʿUmar via Karīb b. Zafar al-ʿAbdī. The letter stated that the Persians were gathering to attack the Muslims and Islam, encouraging each other to war, and that it would be beneficial to attack the Persians quickly to prevent them from moving against the Islamic lands. ʿUmar asked the messenger:
'What is your name?'
'Karīb.'
'Whose son are you?'
'The son of Zafar.'
ʿUmar took this as a good omen and said, 'Zafar Karīb (i.e., victory is near).'
ʿUmar then announced for the people to gather in the mosque. The first to arrive was Saʿd b. Abī Waqqāṣ, which ʿUmar also considered a good sign. He ascended the pulpit and addressed the congregation: 'Today is a day that will be followed by others. I wish to go there myself, along with those who will accompany me. I intend to camp at a midpoint between these two cities and support them until Allah grants them victory and I reach my desired goal.' Upon this, ʿUthmān, ʿAlī, Ṭalḥa, Zubayr, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿAwf, and other men of opinion rose and gave good and beneficial advice. They unanimously agreed that ʿUmar should not leave Medina, but should send detachments, give them instructions, and pray for them.
ʿAlī said in his speech: 'O Commander of the Believers! Victory or defeat in this matter does not depend on the number of soldiers. This affair will advance with the army strengthened by Allah and reinforced by angels. We have reached this level. We are the recipients of Allah's promise of victory, and Allah will fulfill His promise and help His soldiers. O Commander of the Believers! You are like a string holding together beads. If the string breaks, the beads scatter and cannot be gathered again. Today, although the Arabs are few in number, they are strong because of Islam. Remain in your place. Write to the people of Kufa, for they are the leaders and chiefs of the Arabs. Two-thirds should go to the front, and one-third should remain. Write also to the people of Basra so that they may reinforce the Islamic army.'
ʿUthmān advised ʿUmar to send reinforcements from Yemen and Syria to the Islamic army at Nihavand, and agreed with ʿUmar's idea of waiting at a location between Basra and Kufa. However, ʿAlī disagreed with ʿUthmān on this, considering it unwise to wait between Basra and Kufa, and also opposed sending reinforcements from Syria and Yemen, fearing that it would weaken the Islamic forces in those regions and expose them to Byzantine or Abyssinian attacks.
ʿUmar approved and appreciated ʿAlī's views. Whenever ʿUmar consulted with anyone, he would not make a final decision without consulting al-ʿAbbās. When the opinions of the Companions (ṣaḥāba) pleased him, he related them to al-ʿAbbās, who said: 'Be calm, these Persians have gathered for vengeance.'
Then ʿUmar said: 'Show me a man to command this battle, but let him be from Iraq.' Those present replied, 'O Commander of the Believers, you know your army and soldiers best.' He replied, 'By Allah, tomorrow I will appoint the most suitable person for this task.'
'O Commander of the Believers, who is that man?'
'Nuʿmān b. Muqarrin.'
'Yes, he is suitable for this task.' While governor of Kaskar, Nuʿmān b. Muqarrin had written to ʿUmar, asking to be relieved of his post and appointed to fight the people of Nihavand. ʿUmar granted his request and appointed him commander of the Islamic army at Nihavand. ʿUmar then sent letters to Ḥudhayfa, ordering him to march from Kufa to Nihavand with part of his troops; to Abū Mūsā, ordering him to go to Nihavand with part of his troops; and to Nuʿmān in Basra, ordering him to proceed to Nihavand with his forces. ʿUmar stated that when the army was assembled, Nuʿmān b. Muqarrin would be the supreme commander, and the other commanders would lead their own troops. If Nuʿmān was martyred, command would pass to Ḥudhayfa b. al-Yamān; if he was martyred, then to Jarīr b. ʿAbdullāh; if he was martyred, then to Qays b. Makshūḥ, and so on, naming seven men, among them Mugīra b. Shuʿba. According to one narration, Mugīra b. Shuʿba was not mentioned. Allah knows best.
The text of ʿUmar's letter to Nuʿmān was as follows:
'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Allah's servant and the Commander of the Believers, ʿUmar, to Nuʿmān b. Muqarrin. Peace be upon you. I praise Allah, besides whom there is no deity. I have received news that many Persian soldiers have gathered against you at Nihavand and formed a front. When this letter reaches you, go there with the Muslims with you, by Allah's command, help, and victory. Do not take your soldiers by harsh routes, lest you harm them. Do not deprive them of their rights, lest you drive them to kufr (disbelief). Do not take them through densely wooded areas. For a Muslim, in my eyes, is dearer and more valuable than 100,000 dinars. Peace be upon you. Go by this route until you reach Mah. I have written to the Kufans to join and assist you. When you have gathered your troops, march against Fīrūzān and the Persian soldiers he has assembled. Frequently say: Lā ḥawla wa-lā quwwata illā billāh (There is no power nor strength except with Allah), and seek Allah's help.'
ʿUmar also sent a letter to the governor of Kufa, ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbdullāh, ordering him to send troops to reinforce the Islamic army at Nihavand, to appoint Ḥudhayfa b. al-Yamān as commander of the contingent, and for Ḥudhayfa to hand over command to Nuʿmān b. Muqarrin upon arrival. If Nuʿmān was killed, Ḥudhayfa would assume command; if he was killed, then Nuʿaym b. Muqarrin would take command. Saʿib b. Aqraʿ was appointed to distribute the spoils.
Ḥudhayfa marched with a large army to join Nuʿaym b. Muqarrin at the town of Man. A group of commanders from Iraq accompanied Ḥudhayfa, who left sufficient troops as reserves in each town and posted guards everywhere, taking great precautions. He then joined Nuʿmān b. Muqarrin at the agreed location and delivered ʿUmar's letter, which instructed Nuʿmān on what to do.
According to Sayf b. ʿUmar al-Tamīmī, citing Shāṭrī, the Muslim army thus assembled numbered 30,000 warriors, including leading Companions (ṣaḥāba), Arab chiefs, and many others, such as: ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar, Jarīr b. ʿAbdullāh al-Bajalī, Ḥudhayfa b. al-Yamān, Mugīra b. Shuʿba, ʿAmr b. Maʿdīkarib al-Zubaydī, Ṭulayḥa b. Khuwailid al-Asadī, and Qays b. Makshūḥ al-Murādī.
When the army set out for Nihavand, the commander-in-chief, Nuʿmān b. Muqarrin, sent forward scouts: Ṭulayḥa, ʿAmr b. Maʿdīkarib al-Zubaydī, and ʿAmr b. Abī Salama (also called ʿAmr b. Sabī). The scouts were sent ahead to assess the enemy's situation and intentions. After traveling for a day and night, ʿAmr b. Sabī returned to camp. When asked why, he replied, 'I do not wish to be in the land of the Persians, for it is a country that has killed its ignorant and destroyed its learned.'
Then ʿAmr b. Maʿdīkarib also returned, saying, 'We saw no one on the road and feared an ambush.' Ṭulayḥa, however, continued, undeterred by his companions' return, and traveled twenty-one parasangs to reach Nihavand. He mingled among the Persians, gathered intelligence as he wished, and then returned to Nuʿmān to inform him that there was nothing to fear between them and Nihavand and no obstacles ahead.
Nuʿmān then arrayed the army. He appointed Nuʿaym b. Muqarrin over the vanguard, Ḥudhayfa and Suwayd b. Muqarrin over the right and left flanks, Qaʿqāʿ b. ʿAmr over the swordsmen, and Mujāshiʿ b. Masʿūd over the rearguard. They marched and confronted the Persian army, commanded by Fīrūzān, which included soldiers who had fled from or not participated in the Battle of Qādisiyya. The Persian army numbered 150,000. When the two sides faced each other, Nuʿmān gave the takbīr (Allāhu akbar), and the Muslims followed with three takbīrs. At this, the Persians were shaken and seized by intense fear. Nuʿmān then ordered the soldiers to unload their burdens, set up camp, and a great tent was erected for him. Fourteen tents were set up for the notables, including: Ḥudhayfa b. al-Yamān, ʿUtba b. ʿAmr, Mugīra b. Shuʿba, Basīr b. Ḥaṣāṣiyya, Ḥanzala al-Kātib, Ibn Hawbar, Ribʿī b. ʿĀmir, ʿĀmir b. Maṭar, Jarīr b. ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥimyārī, Jarīr b. ʿAbdullāh al-Bajalī, Aqraʿ b. ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥimyārī, Ashʿath b. Qays al-Kindī, Saʿīd b. Qays al-Hamadanī, and Wāʾil b. Ḥijr. No tent as large as Nuʿmān's had been seen in Iraq.
After the soldiers unloaded their burdens, Nuʿmān immediately ordered the battle to begin. It was Wednesday. They fought fiercely on Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday, the Persians retreated to their fortress, and the Muslims besieged them for a long time. The Persians would sally out at will and return to the fortress as they pleased.
The Persian commander requested a Muslim envoy. Mugīra b. Shuʿba went to him and described the Persian commander's magnificent attire and assembly, and how he spoke with contempt for the Arabs, saying they had long suffered hunger, had small lands, and were insignificant people. The Persian commander said:
'Nothing prevents my commanders from showering you with arrows except that they do not even wish to spit on your corpses. If you leave, we will let you be; otherwise, we will visit you in your graves.' Mugīra b. Shuʿba said: I bore witness and praised Allah, then replied:
'We were in a worse state than you describe, until Allah sent His Messenger to us, who promised us victory in this world and good in the Hereafter. Since the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) came to us, we have always received help from our Lord, and now we have come to your land. We will never return to that misery unless we defeat you in your land, seize what you possess, or kill you in your own territory.' The Persian commander replied:
'By Allah, the blind man has spoken the truth about himself in this matter.'
When the siege dragged on, Nuʿmān b. Muqarrin gathered the men of opinion in the army and consulted them on how to proceed until they could confront the polytheists on open ground. The eldest, ʿAmr b. Abī Salama, spoke first:
'Their current situation is more harmful to them than what the Muslims desire, and it is more lasting for the Muslims.'
All present rejected his view, saying:
'We are certain that our religion will be strengthened and that what Allah has promised us will come to pass.'
ʿAmr b. Maʿdīkarib said:
'O commander, attack the enemy, increase your assaults, and never fear them.'
But the Muslims rejected his view as well, saying:
'What are we fighting against now except these walls? Is there anything before us but these walls? The walls are aiding them against us.'
Ṭulayḥa al-Asadī then said:
'Neither of my companions has given a sound opinion. I suggest we send a group of cavalry to fight the enemy. When the fighting is intense, our men should feign defeat and suddenly flee towards us. We should not stop them until the enemy is close. Seeing us in this state, the enemy will attack and leave their positions. Then we will fight them until Allah decrees His judgment.' Those present agreed with this plan.
Nuʿmān appointed Qaʿqāʿ b. ʿAmr over the swordsmen, instructing them to go to the city, besiege the people alone, and, if attacked, to flee towards the Islamic army. Qaʿqāʿ carried out this order. When the enemy soldiers emerged from the fortress and attacked, Qaʿqāʿ and his men retreated. The Persians seized the opportunity, just as Ṭulayḥa had planned, and all rushed out of the fortress, shouting. Only the gatekeepers remained inside. They all approached the Islamic army. Nuʿmān was busy arraying the troops. It was Friday morning. The Muslims prepared to engage the Persians, but Nuʿmān ordered them to wait until midday and the winds began to blow, so that Allah's victory would descend upon them.
This was also the practice of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him). However, the soldiers insisted on attacking, but Nuʿmān, being resolute, ignored their insistence. As midday approached, he led them in prayer, then mounted a short mule of reddish-black color. He went to each banner, encouraging the soldiers to be patient and steadfast. He stood at the front ranks and announced that he would give three takbīrs: at the first, everyone should prepare to attack; at the second, complete their preparations; at the third, all should attack together. The Persians had also arrayed their troops in a formidable formation, with unprecedented equipment and numbers.
To prevent their soldiers from fleeing or retreating, some were chained together, and others had heavy iron rings and chains on their backs.
When Nuʿmān gave the first takbīr and waved his banner, all the soldiers began their preparations. At the second takbīr, they completed their preparations. At the third, he attacked the enemy, and his soldiers followed, charging the polytheists. Nuʿmān's banner waved over the Persians like an eagle over its prey. They fought with unprecedented ferocity from midday until nightfall, killing so many polytheists that it was said the ground was covered in blood. It is said that Nuʿmān b. Muqarrin's horse slipped on the blood-soaked battlefield, he fell, and an arrow struck him in the side, killing him. Only his brother Suwayd (or Nuʿaym) knew of his death. It is said his brother covered his body with a garment to conceal his death from the soldiers and handed the banner to Ḥudhayfa b. al-Yamān, who appointed his brother Nuʿaym in his place and ordered that Nuʿmān's death not be announced until the battle was over, lest the soldiers be demoralized.
When night fell, the polytheists were routed and fled. The Muslims pursued them. The disbelievers had chained 30,000 of their own men and dug trenches around them to prevent flight. When they were routed, nearly 100,000 of their soldiers fell into the trenches and valleys. About 100,000 or more were killed, not counting those slain in battle. All but the fugitives were killed. Their commander Fīrūzān was wounded in battle but managed to escape. Nuʿaym b. Muqarrin pursued him, sending Qaʿqāʿ ahead to capture Fīrūzān, who headed for Hamadan. Qaʿqāʿ pursued him and caught up with him near the hill of Hamadan. Many mules and donkeys carrying honey were coming from Hamadan, and due to the crowd, Fīrūzān could not enter the city. He dismounted and tried to climb the mountain, but Qaʿqāʿ caught and killed him. That day, the Muslims said, 'Truly, Allah has soldiers made of honey.' They took the honey and the animals as spoils, and the hill where this happened was called 'Honey Hill.' Qaʿqāʿ then pursued the fleeing enemy soldiers to Hamadan, besieged the city and its surroundings. The governor of Hamadan, Khusraw Shānum, descended from the fortress and made peace with Qaʿqāʿ, who then returned with the Muslims to Ḥudhayfa.
After this battle, they entered Nihavand by force, collected the spoils, and delivered them to Saʿib b. Aqraʿ, who was responsible for the booty. When the people of Mah learned of the fate of the people of Hamadan, they sent a delegation to Ḥudhayfa and obtained a guarantee of safety. The Magian firekeeper of Herend came to Ḥudhayfa, seeking protection, and offered to give the Muslims something that had been entrusted to him by the Chosroes and kept hidden for times of calamity. Ḥudhayfa granted him protection. The man brought two baskets full of precious jewels, but the Muslims did not take them for themselves, instead agreeing to send them to ʿUmar. They added the jewels to the fifth share of the spoils and sent them with Saʿib b. Aqraʿ to ʿUmar. However, Saʿib b. Aqraʿ, wanting the jewels to reach ʿUmar before the news of victory, sent them with Ṭarīf b. Sahm. Ḥudhayfa then distributed the remaining four-fifths of the booty among the warriors, giving a smaller share to those who had come as reinforcements. He also gave shares to the reserve troops and those who had supported them. The Commander of the Believers prayed for the Muslims at the front, supplicating day and night as one in distress would do. News from the front had not reached ʿUmar, and reports were delayed. At that time, a Muslim outside Medina saw a horseman coming from the other side, asked where he was from, and was told, 'From Nihavand.' He asked about the Muslim warriors there, and the man replied:
'Allah granted them victory. Their commander was killed. The Muslims obtained great spoils. The cavalry received 6,000 dirhams each, the infantry 2,000 each.' The horseman departed, and the man who spoke with him went to Medina and spread the news. When the Commander of the Believers, ʿUmar, heard this, he summoned the man and asked who had given him the news. ʿUmar said, 'The man you spoke of did not come to me. He is one of the jinn. He goes to the jinn. His name is Usaym.' A few days later, Ṭarīf brought the news of victory to Medina. ʿUmar asked him who had killed Nuʿmān b. Muqarrin, but he did not know. Eventually, those who brought the fifth share of the spoils arrived in Medina and related the events of the battle in detail to ʿUmar. It was then understood that the jinn had been present at the battle and had hurried to warn his people.
When ʿUmar heard of Nuʿmān b. Muqarrin's death, he wept and asked Saʿib for the names of the Muslims killed in battle. Saʿib listed the leading figures among the Muslims, then others whose names and identities ʿUmar did not know. ʿUmar began to weep and said, 'What harm is it if the Commander of the Believers does not know them? Allah knows them and has honored them with martyrdom. What need have they for ʿUmar to know them?' He then ordered the usual distribution of the fifth share of the spoils. The two baskets of jewels were taken to ʿUmar's house. The messengers returned, but the next morning, ʿUmar looked for them and could not find them. He sent a messenger who caught up with them only in Kufa. Saʿib b. Aqraʿ said, 'When I arrived in Kufa and unloaded my camel, the Commander of the Believers' messenger arrived and said, "Respond to the Commander of the Believers' summons. He is calling you." I asked, "Why?" He replied, "I do not know." So we set out to return to Medina. When I reached ʿUmar, he said to me:
'O son of Saʿib's mother, what is between you and me? No, what is between the son of Saʿib's mother and me?'
'O Commander of the Believers, what do you mean?'
'Woe to you! By Allah, the night you left Medina for Kufa, as soon as I fell asleep, Allah's angels came and dragged me from my bed to those two baskets of jewels. I saw that they were burning. They said to me, "We will brand you with this fire." Now I say I will distribute them among the Muslims. Take them and sell them, and add the proceeds to the stipends and rations given to the Muslims. They do not know about these jewels that were given to me as a gift, and you did not know either, though you were with them.'
Saʿib said, 'I took the two baskets of jewels to the mosque in Kufa. The merchants gathered around me, and ʿAmr b. Ḥurays al-Makhzūmī bought them from me for two million. He took them to Persia and sold them there for four million. After that, the Kufans became very wealthy.' Sayf b. ʿUmar said that Saʿib b. Aqraʿ distributed the proceeds among the warriors, with each cavalryman receiving 4,000 dirhams.
Shāṭrī said that each cavalryman received 6,000 dirhams, and each infantryman 2,000. The number of Muslims who benefited from the spoils was 30,000.
Nihavand was conquered at the beginning of the nineteenth year of the hijra, in the seventh year of ʿUmar's caliphate. When the prisoners of Nihavand were brought to Medina, Mugīra b. Shuʿba's slave Fīrūz (Abū Luʾluʾ) would see one of the young captives and weep, saying, 'ʿUmar has eaten my liver.' Abū Luʾluʾ was originally from Nihavand. The Byzantines had captured him in a war with the Persians, and later he fell into Muslim captivity and was thus considered Persian. It is said that after the Battle of Nihavand, the Persians could never recover. ʿUmar honored and rewarded the warriors who distinguished themselves in that battle, giving each 2,000 dirhams.
In the twentieth year of the hijra, the Muslims conquered Isfahan after Nihavand. After a great battle and long events, Isfahan was conquered and a peace treaty was made. ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbdullāh wrote a letter of safety and peace to the people of Isfahan. Thirty people from Isfahan fled to Kirmān and did not participate in the peace treaty. Another narration states that Isfahan was conquered by Nuʿmān b. Muqarrin, who was killed there. In this battle, the Magian commander from Kash fell from his horse, his belly was torn, and he died, causing his men to be defeated and scattered. According to the soundest report, Isfahan was conquered by the governor of Kufa, ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUtban. Also in this year, Abū Mūsā conquered the cities of Qum and Kashan, and Sunay b. ʿAdī conquered Kirmān.
Ibn Jarīr, quoting al-Wāqidī, said: ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ went with his troops to Tripoli (Barqa), which he conquered by treaty on the condition that they pay 13,000 dinars annually to the Muslims. Also in the twentieth year of the hijra, ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ sent ʿUqba b. Nāfiʿ al-Fihrī to Zuwaila, which he conquered by treaty. Thus, the lands between Barqa and Zuwaila came under Muslim control.
In this year, ʿUmar appointed ʿAmmār b. Yāsir as governor of Kufa in place of Ziyād b. Ḥanzala, and ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd as head of the treasury. When the Kufans complained about ʿAmmār, he resigned, and ʿUmar accepted his resignation and appointed Jubayr b. Muṭʿim as governor of Kufa, instructing him not to inform anyone of his appointment. However, when Mugīra b. Shuʿba learned of this, he sent his wife to Jubayr's wife with provisions for the journey. Seeing this, Jubayr's wife said, 'Thank you, you did well to bring this food.' When Mugīra b. Shuʿba learned the appointment was certain, he went to ʿUmar and congratulated him, revealing that he knew of the appointment. ʿUmar then canceled Jubayr's appointment and made Mugīra b. Shuʿba governor of Kufa, where he remained until ʿUmar's death. May Allah be pleased with them.
In this year, ʿUmar led the Muslims in the ḥajj and left Zayd b. Thābit in charge of Medina. The governors of the provinces, except for Kufa, were those appointed in the previous year.
Al-Wāqidī said: In this year, Khālid b. al-Walīd died in Ḥimṣ and left a will for ʿUmar. Others say he died in the twenty-third year of the hijra, and some say he died in Medina. The soundest report is that he died in Ḥimṣ. Another said that in the twentieth year of the hijra, al-ʿAlāʾ b. al-Ḥaḍramī died, and ʿUmar appointed Abū Hurayra in his place. As previously mentioned, there is also a report that al-ʿAlāʾ died before this year. Allah knows best. Ibn Jarīr, quoting al-Wāqidī, said: In this year, the governor of Damascus was Umayr b. Saʿīd, who was also responsible for Ḥimṣ, Ḥawrān, Kinnasrīn, and al-Jazīra. Muʿāwiya was responsible for Balqāʾ, Jordan, Palestine, the coast, Antioch, and other places.