Battle of Nahavand (21 AH)

وقعة نهاوند — فتوح الفتوح

641 CE · 21 AH

Nahavand

Nahavand — «the victory of victories«: when the Persians stirred Yazdegerd at Marw and the kings between al-Bab, Sind, Khurasan and Hulwan joined forces at Nahavand, 'Umar detached al-Nu'man ibn al-Muqarrin from the Sus siege to meet them — the battle that sealed the fate of the Persian kingdom 1.

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The Prophetic Era · The Rashidun Caliphate

Summary

The battle of Nahavand was named "the conquest of conquests," because the kingdom of Persia was sealed by it. Yazdegerd had escaped to Marw, and he kept stirring up the Persians over what had slipped from their hands. Kings from the region between al-Bab and Sind, from Khurasan and from Hulwan gathered to him in hosts that none could withstand. Umar ordered al-Nu'man ibn Muqarrin to withdraw from the siege of Sus to Nahavand. The two hosts met, and it became the famous battle in which the Persians suffered a most disastrous rout, and al-Nu'man ibn Muqarrin was killed as a martyr. 1.

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Occurred at
Nahavand
Had participant
al-Nu'man ibn Muqarrin· Sad ibn Abi Waqqas

People and things also explored

The Battle of Nihawand (Fath al-Futuh)· Conquest of Tustar and the capture of al-Hurmuzan· al-Nu'man ibn Muqarrin

Sources

  1. al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir , p. 390-391
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islam.museum contributors. “Battle of Nahavand (21 AH)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/battle-of-nahavand/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-21.

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Related

The Battle of Nihawand (Fath al-Futuh)

In al-Baladhuri: when Yazdgard fled Hulwan in year 19, Persians of Rayy, Qumis, Isbahan, Hamadhan and the Mahayn gathered to him in year 20 under Mardanshah Dhu al-Hajib behind the Dirafsh-i Kabiyan — sixty thousand, some say a hundred thousand. Ammar had written Umar, who meant to march himself, then ordered two-thirds of Kufa out with a Basra detachment and charged al-Nu'man ibn Muqarrin — 'not as tax-gatherer, but as ghazi' — with succession running Hudhayfa, Jarir, al-Mughira, al-Ash'ath; al-Hurmuzan had counseled 'Isbahan is the head, Adharbayjan the wings.' The Muslims chained themselves in tens and fives lest they flee; Persian arrows wounded some before battle. Al-Nu'man announced three banner-shakes — ablution, then swords and shoes, then charge with none turning to another — and fought, his armor heavy, the first martyr, the Persian splitting his mule's belly; Ma'qil found him breathing, washed his face, gave him the tidings of victory — 'praise God; write to Umar.' Hudhayfa took the banner and the conquest was named Fath al-Futuh. Abu Uthman al-Nahdi bore the news to Umar, who wept, hand on head. Al-Sa'ib ibn al-Aqra' held the spoils — 'raise no falsehood, withhold no right' — climbed the fortress on Dhu al-Muwaynatayn's word to the Nukhayrkan treasure, two baskets of unmatched jewels sold at Umar's order to the Qurashi youth Amr ibn Harith for the warriors' shares, who resold one at al-Hira for the whole price and kept the other — his first capital. The conquest fell a Wednesday of year 19, or 20, and via Abu Ma'shar 21; al-Nu'man had camped at al-Isbidhar, al-Ash'ath on the right, al-Mughira the left.