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MUGHÌRAH, GOVERNOR OF KÛFAH.
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HOW EL-MUGHÌRAH THE SON OF SHUʾABAH BECAME GOVERNOR OF EL- KÛFAH.
TRANSLATOR'S PREFATORY NOTE.
The province of ʾIrâk, answering to the Babylonia of Ptolemy, had for its capital el-Hîrah, a city founded by Mâlik, one of the descendants of Kahlân. (See Note *, p. 26.) The Persian Satraps resided at el-Hîrah; but after the reduction of ʾIrâk by the Muslims, the latter people built el-Kûfah at about three miles' distance from el-Hîrah, and from thenceforth el-Kûfah became the capital of the province and the seat of government.
Saʾad-ibn-Abi-Wakkâs was one of the first who, following the example of Abu-Bekr, professed el-Islám. According to el-Jannâby, it was through Saʾad that ʾOmar-ibn-el-Khattâb was diverted from a design, which before his conversion he entertained, of assassinating the Prophet; though Abuʾl-Fedâ says it was through Naʾîm-ibn-ʾAbd Allâh, el-Khâm. Saʾad was one of the most successful and celebrated generals ever possessed by the Muslims. He fought valiantly for the Prophet at the battle of Ohod (A.H. 3), and was afterwards invested with a command under Osâma-ibn-Zeid, whom the Prophet just before his death appointed general of the army destined to act against the Greeks in Syria. In A.H. 14, Saʾad was constituted Commander-in-Chief of the Muslim army which ʾOmar, the reigning Khalîfah, desired to send into ʾIrâk. In the year 15, he completely routed the Persian army at the famous
