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 Aḳraʾ ath-Thaḳafi, assigning him to the leadership of the army, saying, "In case thou art killed, Ḥudhaifah ibn-al-Yâman shall be the leader; if he should be killed, then Jarîr ibn-ʿAbdallâh al-Bajali; if he should be killed, then al-Mughîrah ibn-Shuʿbah; and if he should be killed, al-Ashʿath ibn-Ḳais." This an-Nuʿmân was at that time the ʿâmil over Kaskar and its territory. Others say he was in al-Madînah, and when he received his appointment over this army from ʿUmar by word of mouth, he started from it.

Shaibân from Maʿḳil ibn-Yasâr:—When ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb sought the advice of al-Hurmuzân, saying, "Shall we begin with Iṣbahân or Adharbaijân [Atrapatakan]?" al-Hurmuzân replied, "Iṣbahân is the head, and Adharbaijân the wings. Cut off the head, and the wings will fall off together with it."

. When ʿUmar entered the mosque [in al-Madînah], his eyes fell on an-Nuʿmân ibn-Muḳarrin; so he took a seat by his side. When he was through with his prayer, ʿUmar said, "I want thee to be my ʿâmil [lieutenant]". An-Nuʿmân replied, "If a collecting-ʿâmil, no; but if an invading-ʿâmil, yes." "An invading one," said ʿUmar. Thus ʿUmar sent an-Nuʿmân and wrote to the people of al-Kûfah to reinforce him, which they did, sending among others al-Mughîrah ibn-Shuʿbah. An-Nuʿmân sent al-Mughîrah to dhu-l-Ḥâjibain, the Persian chief at Nihâwand. Al-Mughîrah [reaching the Per- sian camp] drew his sword and began cutting the rugs to pieces until he presented himself before the chief, upon which he took his seat on the throne. By dhu-l-Ḥâjib's