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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

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Mawaddah Association is pleased

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to present to you vignettes from the lives of the Companions,

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by 'Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha,

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may Allah have mercy upon him.

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Majza'ah ibn Thawr al-Sadusi (may Allah be pleased with him).

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Here are those glorious heroes from the army of Allah,

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shaking off the dust of al-Qadisiyyah,

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rejoicing in the victory Allah granted them,

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delighted by the reward decreed for their martyred brothers,

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and eagerly yearning for another battle

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that would rival al-Qadisiyyah in splendour and grandeur.

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They waited intently for the order of the Caliph of the Messenger of Allah, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab,

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to press forward with the jihad,

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in order to eradicate the Persian throne from its very roots.

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The noble, illustrious warriors did not have to wait long for their anticipation to be realized,

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for the messenger of Farooq arrived from Madinah to Kufa,

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bearing an order from the Caliph to its governor, Abu Musa al-Ash'ari,

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to advance with his army,

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rendezvous with the Muslim forces arriving from Basra,

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and march together toward Ahvaz

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to pursue Hormuzan, eliminate him,

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and liberate the city of Shushtar—

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the jewel of the Sasanian crown

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and the pearl of Persia.

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The instructions sent by the Caliph to Abu Musa specified

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that he take along the valiant knight,

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Majza'ah ibn Thawr al-Sadusi,

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chief of the Banu Bakr and their obeyed leader.

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Abu Musa al-Ash'ari promptly obeyed the Caliph's command

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and mobilized his army,

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placing Majza'ah ibn Thawr al-Sadusi in command of his left flank.

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He then merged with the Muslim armies arriving from Basra,

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and together they set out as fighters in the cause of Allah.

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They continued liberating cities

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and cleansing strongholds,

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while Hormuzan fled before them from place to place

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until he reached the city of Shushtar

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and sought refuge within its fortresses.

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Shushtar, to which Hormuzan had retreated, was

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one of the most beautiful Persian cities in terms of splendor,

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blessed with scenic nature and formidable defenses.

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Moreover,

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it was an ancient city

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deeply rooted in the depths of history,

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built upon an elevated tract of land

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shaped like a horse.

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It was irrigated by a great river called the Dujayl,

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above which stood the Shadhurwan—

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a grand waterworks featuring a basin and fountains,

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constructed by King Shapur

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to elevate river water to the city

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through tunnels he had carved beneath the earth.

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The Shadhurwan of Shushtar

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and its tunnels were a marvel of architecture,

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constructed from massive, finely fitted stones

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reinforced with solid iron pillars,

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with its passages and tunnels paved in lead.

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Surrounding Shushtar

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was a massive, towering wall

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that encircled it like a bracelet around a wrist.

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Historians remarked of it

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that it was the very first and greatest wall

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ever built upon the face of the earth.

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Hormuzan then dug around the wall

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a vast trench

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that was impossible to cross,

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and stationed the elite forces of Persia behind it.

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The Muslim armies set up camp

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around the trench of Shushtar,

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remaining there for eighteen months,

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unable to breach it.

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During that long period, they engaged

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the Persian armies

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in eighty battles.

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Every single one of these battles

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began with duels between knights of both sides,

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before escalating into a fierce, devastating war.

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Majza'ah ibn Thawr performed

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in these duels

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with a heroism that boggled the mind,

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astonishing enemies and allies alike.

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He single-handedly slain one hundred enemy knights in duel,

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such that his name struck terror into the ranks of the Persians

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while instilling pride and honor in the hearts of the Muslims.

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It was then that those who had not known him before realized

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why the Commander of the Faithful had been so eager to ensure this valiant hero

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was among the marching army.

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In the final conflict of those eighty battles,

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the Muslims launched a fierce and resolute assault against their enemy.

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The Persians abandoned the bridges spanning the trench

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and fled back into the city,

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locking themselves behind the gates of its impregnable fortress.

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After all their prolonged patience, the Muslims found themselves passing

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from a difficult ordeal into an even dire situation.

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The Persians began raining deadly arrows upon them from high atop the towers,

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lowering iron chains from above the walls,

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at the end of which were hooks red-hot

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from being heated in fire.

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Whenever a Muslim soldier tried to scale the wall or draw near it,

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they would snag him with a hook and haul him up,

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burning his body, searing off his flesh, and ending his life.

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Distress intensified for the Muslims,

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and they began calling upon Allah with humble, submissive hearts,

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praying that He grant them relief and grant them victory over His enemy and theirs.

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While Abu Musa al-Ash'ari

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stood gazing at the great wall of Shushtar,

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despairing of breaching it,

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an arrow shot from atop the wall fell before him.

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He looked at it and found attached to it a message reading:

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"I have placed my trust in you, O assembly of Muslims.

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I request protection for myself, my wealth, my family, and those who follow me.

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In return, I will guide you to an entry point through which you can breach the city."

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Abu Musa wrote a pledge of security for the sender of the arrow

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and shot it back to him using a bow.

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The man felt secure in the Muslims' pledge

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because of their known truthfulness in promises

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and unwavering fulfillment of covenants.

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He slipped out to them under the cover of darkness,

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disclosing his plight to Abu Musa,

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saying, "We are among the nobles of the people.

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Hormuzan killed my elder brother,

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seized his wealth and family,

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and harbors malice against me in his heart,

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to the point that I no longer feel safe for my life or my children.

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I have chosen your justice over his tyranny,

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and your fidelity over his treachery,

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and I am resolved to guide you to a hidden entrance

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through which you can enter Shushtar.

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So provide me with a man who possesses bravery and intelligence,

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and who is a skilled swimmer,

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so that I may guide him to the way."

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Abu Musa al-Ash'ari summoned

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Majza'ah ibn Thawr al-Sadusi,

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confided the matter to him,

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and said, "Provide me with a man from your tribe

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who possesses intelligence, resolve, and the ability to swim."

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Majza'ah replied,

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"Make me that man, O commander!"

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Abu Musa said to him,

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"If that is your wish,

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then go forth with the blessings of Allah."

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He then instructed him to memorize the route,

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locate the position of the gate,

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identify Hormuzan's whereabouts,

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confirm his identity,

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and refrain from taking any other action.

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Majza'ah ibn Thawr set out

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under the cover of darkness with his Persian guide,

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who led him into a subterranean tunnel

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connecting the river to the city.

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The tunnel widened at times,

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allowing him to wade through its water

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on foot,

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and narrowed at other times,

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forcing him to swim.

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It branched and meandered at times,

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and straightened out at others,

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until it finally brought him to the exit

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leading into the city.

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The guide showed him Hormuzan, the murderer of his brother,

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and the fortress in which he was barricaded.

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When Majza'ah saw Hormuzan,

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he was tempted to strike him down with an arrow through his throat,

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but he quickly remembered

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Abu Musa's explicit instruction

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not to initiate any conflict.

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Thus, he curbed his urge

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and returned the way he had come before the break of dawn.

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Abu Musa prepared three hundred

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of the bravest, most stouthearted Muslim soldiers,

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choosing those with the greatest endurance, patience,

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and swimming proficiency.

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He placed Majza'ah ibn Thawr in command over them,

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bade them farewell, and instructed them,

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designating the Takbir as the signal to call the Muslim army

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to storm the city.

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Majza'ah ordered his men

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to strip down their clothing as much as possible,

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so it would not absorb water and weigh them down,

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and warned them against carrying anything except their swords,

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instructing them to bind the weapons tightly to their bodies beneath their remaining garments.

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He set out with them in the late hours of the night.

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Majza'ah ibn Thawr and his valiant soldiers spent

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nearly two hours

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struggling against the hazards of that treacherous tunnel,

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overcoming its obstacles at times,

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and being overwhelmed by them at others.

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When they finally reached the outlet leading into the city,

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Majza'ah discovered that the subterranean waterway

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had claimed two hundred and twenty of his men,

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leaving him with only eighty.

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As soon as the feet of Majza'ah and his companions touched the soil of the city,

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they unsheathed their swords

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and charged at the guards of the fortress,

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plunging their blades into their chests.

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They then rushed to the gates

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and threw them open while shouting "Allahu Akbar!",

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The takbir from within the city echoed and joined

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the takbir of their brothers from without,

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and the Muslims poured into the city at dawn.

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Between them and the enemies of Allah,

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a fierce battle raged,

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the likes of which the history of warfare has rarely witnessed

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in its terror, dread,

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and heavy casualties.

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While the battle was raging in full force,

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Majza'ah ibn Thawr caught sight of Al-Hurmuzan on the battlefield.

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He made straight for him

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and engaged him with the sword,

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but the surging wave of fighters soon swallowed them up

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and hid him from his sight.

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Then he appeared to him once more,

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so he rushed toward him and charged at him.

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Majza'ah and Al-Hurmuzan dueled with their swords,

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and each struck the other a decisive blow.

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Majza'ah's sword recoiled harmlessly,

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while Al-Hurmuzan's sword struck true,

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and the brave, valiant hero fell

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slain upon the battlefield,

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his eyes delighted with what Allah had achieved through his hands.

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The Muslim army continued to fight

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until Allah granted them victory,

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and Al-Hurmuzan fell into their hands as a prisoner.

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The bearers of glad tidings set out for Medina,

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bringing the joyful news of victory to Al-Faruq,

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leading Al-Hurmuzan before them,

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upon his head his jewel-encrusted crown,

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and over his shoulders his robe woven with gold thread,

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so that the Caliph might see him.

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Along with this, the bearers of glad tidings brought

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heartfelt condolences to the Caliph

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for his brave knight, Majza'ah ibn Thawr.

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Majza'ah ibn Thawr—

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a valiant hero,

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who had slain one hundred polytheists in single combat,

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to say nothing of those he slew

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in the thick of battles.

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Historians

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