[The Conquest of Sūs]

Then Abū Sabrah set out with a detachment of the army, accompanied by Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī and al-Nuʿmān ibn Muqarrin. They took al-Hurmuzān with them and pursued the routed Persians until they reached Sūs, which they surrounded. Abū Sabrah wrote to ʿUmar, and the reply ordered Abū Mūsā to return to Basra, while ʿUmar directed Zazz ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn Kulayb al-Fuqaymi (1)—a Companion—to march on Jundaysābūr, and he set off accordingly.

Abū Sabrah then sent the khums and al-Hurmuzān (2) with a delegation that included Anas ibn Mālik and al-Ahnaf ibn Qays. When they neared Madinah they arrayed al-Hurmuzān (3) in the attire he used to wear: brocade and gold encrusted with rubies and pearls. Thus adorned, they entered the city and made straight for the house of the Commander of the Believers.

They inquired after him and were told, “He has gone to the mosque because of a delegation from Kūfah.” They went to the mosque but found no one, so they turned back. On their way they met some boys playing and asked them; the boys said, “He is asleep in the mosque, his head resting on his cloak.” They returned and found him lying with his head on a cloak (4) he had worn to meet the delegation; when they had departed he folded it and used it as a pillow. No one else was in the mosque, and his durrāh—the short staff—was hanging from his hand.

Al-Hurmuzān asked, “Where is ʿUmar?”

They said, “There he is,” and the people lowered their voices so as not to wake him. Al-Hurmuzān continued, “Where are his doorkeepers? Where are his guards?”

They replied, “He has no doorkeepers, no guards, no secretary, and no registry.”

He said, “He must be a prophet.”

They answered, “Rather, he acts as the prophets do.”

The crowd (5) grew and ʿUmar awoke at the noise. He sat upright, looked at al-Hurmuzān and said, “Al-Hurmuzān?” They replied, “Yes.” He studied him and his finery and then said, “I seek refuge with Allah from the Fire and I seek the help of Allah. (6)”

He then declared, “Praise be to Allah who has humbled this man and his followers through Islam. O Muslims, hold fast to this religion, follow the guidance of your Prophet, and let not the world delude you, for it is treacherous (7).”

The delegation said, “This is the king of Ahwāz; speak to him.”

He replied, “Not until every last ornament has been removed from him.” They complied and dressed him in a coarse garment (8).

ʿUmar then said, “O Hurmuzān, how have you found the consequences of treachery and the decree of Allah?”

He answered, “O ʿUmar, in the days of ignorance Allah left both you and us to your own devices, and we defeated you—He was with neither of us. But once He sided with you, you overcame us.”

ʿUmar said, “In the jāhiliyyah you prevailed over us only because you were united while we were divided.” Then—