towns (1), and he fell upon the people of Ullays, al-Thani, and the Persian districts beyond, together with everyone who had joined forces with them, wreaking upon their cavalry a dreadful slaughter. Matters reached such a pitch that the Persians rose up against their senior king, Ardashir, and his son Shirin, killed them both, and put to death every person (2) related to them. The Persians were left bewildered as to whom they should entrust with their rule, and quarrels broke out among them; even so, they mustered armies to stand between Khalid and al-Madaʾin, where the Iwan of Chosroes and the throne of his dominion stood.

At that point Khalid wrote to the marzabans, commanders, and state officials in those parts, summoning them to Allah and to enter the religion of Islam so that their sovereignty might be confirmed for them; otherwise they were to pay the jizya. If they refused even that, then let them know—and prepare—for his approach, for they were acquainted with a people who love death as much as they themselves love life. Amazed at Khalid’s audacity and courage, they nevertheless mocked him, blinded by their own folly and recklessness.

Khalid remained there for a full year after the peace of al-Ḥirah, moving about throughout Persian territory and visiting upon its people such severe blows and overwhelming assaults that they dazzled the eyes of those who witnessed them, delighted the ears of those who heard of them, and confounded the minds of those who reflected upon them.

Khalid’s Conquest of al-Anbar—this expedition is known as Ḏāt al-ʿUyūn (“the Raid of the Eyes”)

Khalid mounted with his troops and marched until he reached al-Anbar, which was commanded by a man counted among the wisest and most valiant of the Persians, named Shirzad. Khalid besieged the town; it was surrounded by a trench, and around it were Bedouins of their kinfolk who followed their religion, joined by the local inhabitants. They prevented Khalid from reaching the trench, so he engaged them head-on. When the two forces confronted one another, Khalid ordered his men to shower them with arrows until they had put out a thousand eyes (3). People cried, “The eyes of the folk of al-Anbar are gone!”—hence the battle was named Ḏāt al-ʿUyūn.

Shirzad then sought terms, but Khalid (4) laid down conditions that Shirzad refused. Khalid therefore advanced to the trench, summoned the baradhāyā (5) of the livestock—the worn-out camels—and slaughtered them until he had filled the trench with their carcasses, then he and his men crossed over them. When Shirzad beheld this, he accepted the truce on the terms Khalid had set, asking that he be allowed to withdraw to his place of safety. Khalid granted his request. Shirzad departed from al-Anbar, Khalid took possession of it, settled there, and felt secure.

The Companions learned the art of Arabic writing from the Arabs who were resident there. These (6) Arabs had themselves learned it from earlier Arabs—the Banū Iyād—who had dwelt in that region in the time of Nebuchadnezzar, when he had opened Iraq to Arab settlement. They then recited to Khalid some verses composed by a man of Iyād in praise of his people (7):

[from the metre al-munsariḥ]