Part of Pictures from the lives of the Companions (series completed)
· Lesson 4 of 93
Pictures from the lives of the Companions - Episode (19) - Majzaa bin Thawr Al-Sadusi, may God be pleased with him
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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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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