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Islamiyat IGCSEPDF 161
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4. Battle of Qadisiya: Following the humiliating defeat at Buwayb the Persians once again
prepared for battle against the Muslims. Hazrat Umar in response organised a force of about
30000 and choose Saad bin Abi Waqas a veteran from Badr to lead them. The Muslims army
camped at Qadissiya a little town among the palm groves on the very edge of the settled
lands of Iraq. A contingent which had been called by the caliph from the Syrian front also
reinforced the Muslim army and in 636 the battle of Qadissiya was fought between the
Muslims and the Persians. Despite its enormous importance very little is known of the
course of this battle. Arab accounts begin with the recruitment and dispatch of the army
from Madina, after whose arrival on the borders of Iraq a delegation of Muslim elders was
sent to Yazdegird the Persian emperor inviting him to accept Islam ,pay jizya or to arbitrate
for war. The arrogant emperor was contemptuous of the Arabs while the Muslim delegation
remained patient and courteous but to no effect. A stand-off lasting 3 months took place with
skirmishes against border settlements in which the Muslims were successful and during
which time there were desertions and defections from the Persian side. As a resulted of
which Muslim army got increased to 30000 whereas the Persians lost their strength which
came down 60000 from 120000. Finally, Rustam attacked the Muslims by crossing the river.
Saad bin Abi waqas employed best strategies making the best use of his archers to overcome
elephant corps and using his force to break the Persians. The battle lasted for three days, on
the third and final day of this battle, the Persians decided to attack the Muslims early in the
morning and to get a decisive victory. But Muslims were ready to fight back and the Persian
forces started to flee from the battlefield. Rustam was caught and killed while trying to swim
to safety and the Persians were routed. Sa’ad chased them to Babal where they sought refuge
and then after a 2 month campaign Muslims captured Mada’inthe Persian capital. The
emperor and his family and nobles fled. Two thirds of the Persian army was killed and the
Muslims lost a fifth of their men in this battle. This was a decisive battle in the history of
Islam, it shattered the strength of the Persian Empire and many people of the conquered
areas accepted Islam. Following this victory the whole territory between the Euphrates and
the Tigris came under the Muslims.
5. Battle of Jalula: The Persian King took refuge in Hulwan and asked his forces to
advance. Then occupied Jalula near Mada’in. They did great preparation and converted the
town into a fortress by digging trench around it. Muslims laid the siege which lasted for
seven months. Finally, they had no option but to come out and fight. The fighting continued
fiercely but late in afternoon Allah helped Muslims with a severe storm, Persian resistance
broke down, and they dispersed in all directions. Muslims pursued and killed them in large
numbers. They occupied Jalula and the residents surrendered on the usual terms of Jizya.
6. Battle of Nihawand: Between the years 638-639 Arabia was struck with a great famine
and plague but the expansion of the Islamic territories continued. On the other hand the
Persian ruler Yazdegird’s people to incite rebellion against the Muslims and skirmishes
ensued. When Hazrat Umar heard that Yazdgard was determined to recover his control of
the rich 6 plains of Mesopotamia (Iraq) and was trying to rally support and muster troops at
the city of Nihawand he sent letters to Kufa and Basra ordering that the armies should
assembled. The Muslim armies subsequently gathered and marched on to Nihawand. One
force was ordered to station itself on the borders between the provinces of Fars and Isfahan
to prevent the Persians sending reinforcement from the south. The Muslim army of 30000
was much smaller than the Persian force of 60000. The Muslim army on reaching Nihawand
found the Persian army drawn up on the near side of a ravine which was later to prove fatal
to many of them. They had also fortified themselves behind trenches. The Muslims tried to
storm them out but without success and the disciplined Persian emerged from their fortified