CHAPTER IV
The Battle of Mihrân or an-Nukhailah
Jarîr ibn-ʿAbdallâh's campaign in al-ʿIrâḳ. According to abu-Mikhnaf and others, for one year after the calamity that befell abu-ʿUbaid and Salîṭ, ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb refrained from the mention of the name of al-ʿIrâḳ. In the meantime, al-Muthanna ibn-Ḥârithah was staying in the region of Ullais summoning the Arabs to the "holy war". At last ʿUmar invited the Moslems to an expedition to al-ʿIrâḳ, but they kept aloof and hesitated to go there, so much so that he was on the point of carrying the expedition in person. Now, a body of al-Azd came to ʿUmar intent on the invasion of Syria; but he asked them to go to al-ʿIrâḳ and aroused their interest in the spoils to be taken from the Kisra family. They left it for him to choose for them, and he ordered them to start [for al-ʿIrâḳ].
Jarîr ibn-ʿAbdallâh came from as-Sarâh at the head of the Bajîlah[1] tribe, and offered to go to al-ʿIrâḳ, provided one-quarter of what they took possession of be allotted to him and his men. ʿUmar accepted the offer and Jarîr started towards al-ʿIrâḳ. Some claim that he went via al-Baṣrah and had a conflict with the satrap [Marzubân] of al-Madhâr, whom he defeated. Others claim that the conflict with the Marzubân took place when Jarîr was in the company of Khâlid ibn-al-Walîd. Still others assert that Jarîr took the road to al-ʿUdhaib, passing through Paid and ath-Thaʿlabîyah.
- ↑ Ṭabari, vol. i, p. 2186; Caetani, vol. iii, p. 155.
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