Abu Ubayd's Dispatch to Iraq

al-Baladhuri reports that when Umar became caliph, he sent Abu Ubayd ibn Mas'ud al-Thaqafi, Abu al-Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubayd, to Iraq with a thousand men. He wrote to al-Muthanna ordering him to meet Abu Ubayd and to hear and obey him. ¹

He sent with him Sulayt ibn Qays al-Ansari, and said: "Were it not for the haste in you, I would have appointed you. But war is a rough business, and only a deliberate man is fit for it." ¹

Abu Ubayd did not pass any group of Arabs without urging them toward jihad and booty, and a multitude joined him. When he reached al-Muthayyib, he was told that Jaban the Persian was at Tustar with a large force. He met him, defeated his force and took prisoners. ¹

He then came to Darna, where a Persian force was gathered, and routed them as far as Kaskar. He marched to al-Jalinus at Barusma, and Ibn al-Andarzghar made peace with him at four dirhams per head, on condition that he withdraw. ¹

al-Muthanna was sent to Zandurd and found that its people had broken their agreement. He fought them, won, and took captives. He sent Urwa ibn Zayd al-Khayl al-Ta'i to al-Zawabi, and its lord made peace on terms similar to those of Barusma. ¹

Needs an additional source: the approximate date (the early caliphate of Umar, 13 AH) rests on al-Baladhuri alone, and its conversion is derived. The report is linked to al-Hira.