Muqadasi narrates in his chronicle that Sâm, the son of Nûh, was one of the greatest prophets sent by Allah; and as the Lord Nûh found him to be the most intelligent, perfect, amiable, learned, pious, and noble of his sons, he appointed him to be his successor, communicated to him the secrets of prophecy and the mysteries of apostleship. He ordered all his descendants to obey him, bestowed upon him the middle climate, which is the best region in the habitable world, and prayed that the majority of saints, prophets, philosophers, sovereigns, chiefs of the people, and devout persons should be produced from his seed. Sâm lived five hundred years, and according to some till the time of the prophet Yaqûb, u. w. b., etc.; but the first opinion is the most correct. The Omnipotent, Inscrutable One presented him with nine sons; namely, Arfakhshad, who is the father of prophets; Kaiumarth, who is called the parent of kings; Asûd, Yafun, Yuruj, Lavud, A’ilam, Eran, and Sûr. Sâm despatched every one of these sons to another country. Some have recorded in their histories that the languages of the children of Sâm increased till they amounted to nineteen, and when they could no longer understand each other they dispersed, civilized, and cultivated the land separately. Kaiumarth reigned over all the races of Sâm, governed them like a king, and bestowed on them various appointments, according to the requirements of that age. His life will—if it pleaseth Allah—be narrated in the history of the kings of Persia.* After the children of Sâm had greatly multiplied in Babel, Yemen, Hadharamaut, O’mân, in both the E’râqs and in Persia, some of them emigrated eastward and others westward. They mixed with the children of Yâfuth and of Hâm, and built cities and villages.