of Khosru Parviz, of the following import: 'I have slain the Kesra because he has destroyed the nobles and grandees of Persia without being provoked thereto by treachery or guilt, which might have afforded a just reason. for shedding their blood, and because he has thrown the stumbling-block of contention into the assembly of the great men of this country. My commands to thee are, to obey me, ordering the inhabitants of Yemen, and of all the provinces under thy sway, to do so likewise, and to receive their [declarations of] allegiance to me; [I also order thee] not to injure the man who claims to be a próphet in Arabia, and concerning whom the [late] Kesra had written a letter to thee, until further orders from me concerning this matter.' As soon as Bâdân had perused this document, he uttered the profession of the Faith without the least delay, and with much sincerity, being followed therein by all the inhabitants of Yemen and Persia who had accepted Islâm in that country. It is related that Khar-Kharah, to whom his holy and prophetic lordship -u. w. b.-had presented a belt, was surnamed Dhu-lmafakhrah, the word Mafakhrah' meaning 'girdle' in the Hemyaritic language, and that name is borne by his descendants even at present. In Alexandria when Hâttub B. Abu Multa'ah delivered the august letter of his lordship the prophet of God to Maqôqush, the governor of that city, he was received with great honours. The governor replied with handsome expressions, placed the letter in an ivory casket, invited Hâttub to a private apartment, and examined him about the affairs and circumstances of that prince. When Hattub had explained the angelic character of his holy and prophetic lordship—u. w. b.-Maqôqush said: 'This is the description of the prophet whose advent I'sa [Jesus], the son of Maryamu. w. b.-had predicted. He will hereafter prevail, and his companions will enter our land.' Then he wrote a very friendly reply, and presented Hâttub with four girls, one white mule called Dildil, one eunuch, twenty garments, one thousand mithqâls of gold, and five robes, but refrained from making his profession of the Faith. When Hâttub arrived in Madinah with the presents of Maqôqush and the letter, his sacred and prophetic lordship -u. w. b.-said: The wicked man was covetous for his realm, but it will not endure.' It is related that [in conformity with this prediction] Maqôqush died during the Khalifate of Fârûq the Great [i.e., Omar]. As to those four girls, his lordship retained one, whose name was Mâryah the Copt, for himself as a concubine, and begat with her Ebrâhim. Another maiden, the sister of the former, named Shyryn, he bestowed upon Hasan B. Thâbet, and placed the brand of selection on Dildil for his own special use, but after the demise of the lord of existences-u. w. b.-A'li-may Allah ennoble his countenance ! -used to ride that mule, which [afterwards] perished in the time of Moa'wiah. When Shujaa' B. Wohb Asdy arrived on the frontiers of Syria he heard that Hâreth B. Abu Shammar Ghusâny was in the Ghautah of Damasus,347 engaged in the preparations necessary for the pilgrimage of Heraclius to the locality of the prophets; i.e., Jerusalem. Therefore Shujaa' went to the Ghautah, and forwarded the most noble epistle to [the governor] Hâreth, through one of his chamberlains, in whose heart the love for Islam had taken root. When the king [or rather governor] of Syria had perused the letter, he threw it to the ground, uttering disgraceful words to the effect that he would make haste to combat his lordship. He also ordered horses to be shod and despatched a letter to Heraclius, informing him of the arrival of Shujaa' B. Wohb and of his intention to attack Muhammad. Heraclius, however, sent a reply that he should give up his intention and hasten to the court, for the purpose of taking measures appropriate to the circumstances. Thereon Hâreth dismissed Shujaa' with a gift of one hundred mith qâls of gold, and when the latter arrived in Madinah he made his report, to which his lordship replied: May the kingdom of Hâreth perish!' Therefore Hâreth died in the 347 Ghautah is the district around the city. VOL. II. 6 34 year of the victory of Mekkah, and was succeeded on the throne by Haylah B. Abhân Ghusâny, whose conversion to Islâm will be narrated in the proper place if it pleaseth Allah the Most High. When Salytt B. A'mru A'amery delivered the glorious epistle of his prophetic lordship-u. w. b.-to Haudah B. Hanfy, the latter became acquainted with the contents thereof, showed great honours to Salytt, appointed a pleasant mansion for his lodging, entertained him hospitably, and wrote in reply to the letter as follows: How beautifully evident is that to which thou invitest the people! I am, however, the poet and the priest of my nation, and the Arabs respect me greatly. Make me a governor of one of thy provinces, and I shall obey thee.' After that he invested Salytt with costly robes, treated him with royal honours, and dismissed him. When Salytt arrived in Madinah he narrated what he had seen, and delivered the letter, but his holy and prophetic lordshipu. w. b.-said: 'If he were to ask me for a date which had fallen to the ground I would not give it to him. Let him and his kingdom perish!' It is related that when the apostle of God conquered Mekkah, and was returning, Jebrâil brought the death of Haudah to the exalted notice of the lord of apostleship-u. w. b.—who said: 'After this a mendicant will make his appearance in Yamâmah, and will pretend to be a prophet, and will after my time be slain.' But he had not yet departed this life when Moseylamah, the liar of Yamâmah, claimed to be a prophet, and was killed during the Khalifate of Ssiddyq Akbar,348 as shall be narrated in detail in this volume if it pleaseth Allah the Most High. In this year also the blessed verse, 'Now hath Allah heard the speech of her who disputed with thee concerning her husband, and made her complaint unto Allah,' 349 was revealed; the reason being that between Khawla, the daughter of Tha'labah B. Qays, and between her husband, 349 I.e., Abu Bakr, the immediate successor of the prophet. Awus B. Ssamat, divorce had taken place, and that when she asked his lordship, 'What is the remedy for this pain?' he could give no reply, because he had not yet received any Divine command on the subject. She therefore prostrated herself in her great distress, and prayed as follows: 'My God, I complain to Thee of my loneliness, desolation, and separation from my husband.' But she had not yet raised her head from the prostration when the verses concerning the formula of divorce 350 were revealed. His holy and prophetic lordship-u. w. b.-then called Awus, recited to him the verses just revealed, and said: Manumit a slave, and then have connection with Khawla.' Awus replied: I am too poor to liberate a slave.' His lordship thereon said: Fast two continuous months.' When, however, Awus again demurred, saying: 'O apostle of God, if I do not eat twice or thrice a day, my eyes become obscured,' the prophet rejoined: Then feed sixty poor men.' Awus said: Aid me in this matter.' His lordship accordingly presented him with fifteen Saa' [measures] of food to enable him to atone for the words, 'Thou art to me as the back of my mother,' which he had said to his wife. During this year his holy and prophetic lordship also gave permission to hold races between camels and horses. It is said that his lordship possessed a camel, named Ghadzalna, which no other camel was able to overtake; one day, however, an Arab [of the desert] made his weak camel race with the she-camel of the apostle of God, and overtook Ghadzabna, which occurrence displeased the companions; but his lordship, the refuge of termination-u. w. b.endeavoured to pacify them, saying: The truth is with Allah! He exalts nothing which he does not abase.' One of the consequences of this axiom and confirmation of those circumstances was the misfortune of the inhabitants of Khayber, who [at last] obtained tranquillity after all their trouble. 350 The form in use among the Arabs in the time of ignorance was: 'Thou art [henceforth] to me as the back of my mother.' THE VICTORY OF KHAYBER. One of the great events of this year was the victory of Khayber, the details whereof are as follows: When his holy and prophetic lordship-u. w. b.-returned from Hodaybiah he ordered, after a stay of some days in Madinah, the chiefs of the Mohajer and the Anssâr to get the army ready for a campaign in the direction of Khayber, and added: No one shall march out with me except to fight for the religion.' He meant by those words: Let no one accompany me who covets the goods of this world, and whose whole mind is bent on pillage.' Therefore the hypocrites and infidels who dwelt in Madinah were greatly displeased with his lordship's intention to march to Khayber, because they knew that the professors of Islâm would deal with the Jews of Khayber in the same manner as they had dealt with the Bani Qoryttah and the Bani An-natzyr Jews; and on account of the rage they were in, every Jew took a heavy pledge from any Musalman who happened to be indebted to him. It is related that A'bdullah B. Abu Hadhrah Solmy owed five dirhems to Abu Shâhm, the Jew, and that the latter troubled him much for this paltry sum. Once A'bdullah said to him: 'God the Most High and Glorious has promised that the professors of Islâm will obtain possession of the property of the inhabitants of Khayber, respite me, [therefore], in this matter for a short time, until the victory of Khayber takes place and I gain some booty.' Abu Shahm replied: 'Do not compare the war of the Khayber Jews with other campaigns! By the truth of the Torathah, there are ten thousand men in Khayber! Threatenest thou us with the vengeance of an enemy whilst thou art thyself living under our protection?' A'bdullah says: We quarrelled so much that I went to the lord of apostleship-u. w. b.--to whom I represented my case. His lordship said nothing to the Jew, but moved his blessed lips, and muttered something which I could not understand. Thereon the Jew exclaimed: "O father of Qâsim, this man has taken what |