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ʾILÂM-EN-NÂS.
THE PROFESSION OF EL-ISLÁM BY THE
PERSIAN PRINCE HURMUZÂN.
TRANSLATOR'S PREFATORY NOTE.
According to most Oriental authors, the 15th year of the Hijrah was rendered famous by the battle of el-Kâdisiyyah, (so called from a city of that name bordering upon the deserts of ʾIrâk), wherein the Persians were signally defeated by the Arabs, and in consequence of which their capital city, and the greatest part of their dominions, fell into the hands of the latter. Hurmuzân, a noble Persian who had possessed himself of Khuzestân, after this complete defeat surrendered that province to the Khalîfah, and at his request embraced Muhammadism in the manner related below. Hurmuzân's dominions lay, says D'Herbelot, fifty leagues from el-Wâsit, on the Tigris, and eighty leagues from Isfahán.
HURMUZÂN was brought bound as a prisoner into the presence of the Commander of the Faithful, ʾOmar ibn-el-Khattâb, who called upon him to profess el-Islám. Upon his refusal so to do, ʾOmar gave the order for his execution. But he cried, "O Commander of the Faithful! before you kill me give me a draught of water, and do not slay me parched
