Page:Baladhuri-Hitti1916.djvu/415

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The Conquest of as-Sawâd
399

asked Khâlid to release him, promising to point out to him a quarter inhabited by the banu-Rabîʿah. Khâlid did so and an-Nusair came to the Rabîʿah quarter, where he fell upon them in the night-time and carried away booty and captives. He then proceeded inland towards Takrît. Thus did the Moslems enrich themselves with booty.

According to a tradition communicated to me by abu-Masʿûd al-Kûfi, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn-Marwân, an-Nusair came to ʿUkbarâʾ and gave promise of security to its inhabitants, who brought forth food for his men and their animals. He then passed through al-Baradân, whose people hurried to present themselves before the Moslems. An-Nusair said, "Never mind!"; which was enough to guarantee their safety.

Thence an-Nusair advanced to al-Mukharrim which according to abu-Masʿûd was not called then Mukharrim,[1] but was so called after being occupied by a certain descendant of Mukharrim ibn-Ḥazn ibn-Ziyâd ibn-Anas ibn-ad-Daiyân al-Ḥârithi, as it is mentioned by Hishâm ibn-Muḥammad al-Kalbi.

The Moslems then crossed a bridge lying near Ḳaṣr [castle] Sâbûr, known to-day by the name of Ḳaṣr ʿÎsa ibn-ʿAli. The bridge was in charge of Khurzâd ibn-Mâhibundâdh who went out against the Moslems, but was fought and defeated by them. The Moslems then retreated to ʿAin at-Tamr.

An-Nusair and Ḥudhaifah. It is stated by al-Wâḳidi that after the battle of al-Jisr [bridge] and after making the Moslems withdraw to Khaffân, al-Muthanna ibn-Ḥârithah sent in the caliphate of ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb an-Nusair and Ḥudhaifah ibn-Miḥṣan at the head of a body of horsemen, who destroyed a band of the banu-Taghlib

  1. Yaʿḳûbi, Buldân, p. 253.