Jami' al-Saghir / Jam' al-Jawami' (al-Suyuti) 2-2967b

Translation

Machine translation, not reviewed

" (From al-Sa'ib ibn al-Aqra' who said: A great army marched against the Muslims, the like of which had never marched against them.) The news came (to 'Umar), so he gathered the Muslims, praised Allah and extolled Him, then informed them of it. Then he said: "Speak and be brief, and do not be long-winded, lest matters become confused () for us and we do not know which of them to take." So Talhah stood and spoke, then al-Zubayr stood and spoke, then 'Uthman stood and spoke, then 'Ali stood and said: "O Commander of the Believers, these people have come only with the worship of idols, and Allah is stronger in changing what they disapprove of. I think that you should write to the people of Kufah so that two-thirds of them march and one-third remains with their families and to safeguard their jizyah, and that you should send for the people of Basrah (so that they dispatch an army)." Then he said: "Advise me, whom should I appoint over them?" They said: "O Commander of the Believers, you are the best of us in opinion and the most knowing of your people." He said: "I will appoint over them a man who will be at the front of the first spearheads he meets. Take this letter of mine, O Sa'ib ibn al-Aqra', to al-Nu'man ibn Muqarrin," and he commanded him with the same as what 'Ali had advised: "If al-Nu'man is killed, then Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman; if Hudhayfah is killed, then Jarir ibn 'Abdullah; if that army is killed, then let me not see you. You are in charge of whatever spoils they obtain, so do not bring me anything false, and do not withhold from anyone a right that is his." (So I set out with the letter of 'Umar to al-Nu'man, and he marched with two-thirds of the people of Kufah and sent for the people of Basrah, then marched with them until they met at Nahawand.) Then he mentioned the battle of Nahawand at length. He said: They charged, and al-Nu'man was the first one killed, and Hudhayfah took the banner, and Allah gave them victory. Al-Sa'ib said: So I gathered those spoils and divided them among them. Then Dhu al-'Uyaynatayn came to me and said: "The treasure of al-Nukhayrjan () is in the fortress." So I climbed up and found two chests of jewels, the like of which I had never seen. I did not consider them part of the spoils so as to divide them among them, (and I did not secure them as jizyah, or he said: secure them; Abu 'Ubayd was unsure). Then I went to 'Umar, whose news had been delayed () for him, and he was going around Madinah asking. When he saw me he said: "Woe to you, O son of Abu Mulaykah, what is behind you?" I said: "O Commander of the Believers, what you love." Then I told him of their battle, the killing of al-Nu'man, and Allah's granting them victory, and I told him about the two chests. He said: "Take them and sell them, whether they fetch a dirham, or less than that, or more, then divide it among them." So I went with them to Kufah, and a young man of Quraysh called 'Amr ibn Huraith came to me and bought them with the stipends of the families and the fighters. Then he took one of them to al-Hirah and sold it for what he had bought both of them from me for, (and that was the first handful of wealth () he acquired)."

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