Flowers for the Women Wearing Veils - Volume II — Page 127
127 The Muslim commander said , “O K ing ! W hen you say that in our country people eat lizards and that we spen d our days in poverty and helplessness, you are absolutely correct. That is exactly how it was , b ut that era has passed. God Almighty has sent His Messenger to us who has brought God’s message and we have accepted it. You think we have come for money, but we did not set out for money. Your people have started a war with us. Now our swords can only be returned to their sheaths when you either recite the Kalima Shahadat and become Muslim, or you become subjects of Muslims and pay us jizya [ taxes ]. ” The k ing of Iran , who considered himself to be the ruler of half the world could not tolerate such a response and he grew livid. He said to the watchman, “Go and get a sack of mud. ” He went and brought back a bag full of mud. The k ing said, “Place this sack of mud on the Muslim’s head and say to him, ‘ I put this dirt upon you, and I am not prepared to give you anything except this dirt. ’ The Muslim officer had not thus far bowed his head before the k ing of Iran. H e immediately did so at this point and place d the sack on his back, saying to his companions, “Let us go. The k ing of Iran himself has handed over his territory to us. ” An idolater is generally fretful. When the k ing heard this, the ground slipped from beneath his feet and he o rdered his cou r tiers to quickly go and arrest the men , b ut they were already far gone by that time. The guards said , “Now there is no capturing these people. ” Then that same king who had said, “I put a dirt upon your head” was forced to flee from the battlefield. Then he fled the country and sought refuge in the northern mountains a nd each and every one of his forts, palaces, and treasures came entirely under the control of the Muslims. Ha z rat Abu Hurairah ra , that same poor Abu Hurairah ra who did not work for a living because he w ishe d to sit all day in the company of the Messenger of Allah sa , and who frequently spent several days s tarv ing , once started to cough while sitting in a gathering. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and spat into it saying, “Well done, Abu Hurairah ra. In the past you used to faint from hunger pangs and here you are today spitti ng into Chosroes ’ handkerchief , which the k in g when sitting upon his throne, would specifically h o ld in his hand to s how the extent of his glory. ”