CONQUEST OF KHORÂSÂN, AND PREVALENCE OF THE
MUSALMÂNS OVER THEIR OPPONENTS.

When A’bdullah B. A´amer arrived in Nishâbûr, the inhabitants of that district took refuge in the fortress and began hostilities. On that occasion the Governor of Ttûs waited on A’bdullah and negotiated for peace. When Nishâbûr had, after a siege of four months, fallen into the grasp of the adherents of Islâm, Ebn A´amer entrusted that district to the wise administration of the Governor of Ttûs, and sent Ahnaf B. Qays in the direction of Hirat, appoint­ing each Amir to take charge of one of the districts of Khorâsân. When the rumour of the conquest of Nishâbûr had spread far and wide, the chiefs of the provinces of Nishâbûr, of Sarakhs, and of Merv waited on A’bdullah B. A´amer and concluded peace, whereon he appointed Hâtim B. No’mân Albâhely to govern Merv, and despatched A’bdullâh Hâzam to Sarakhs.

After these events, the desire of returning took possession of the mind of A’bdullah B. A´amer, whereon he appointed, according to one tradition, Qays B. Ssalt to be his lieutenant, entrusted the administration of military affairs to Ahnaf B. Qays, travelled from Nishâbûr to Arabia, and after traversing the distance waited on O’thmân, who, however, blamed him, saying: ‘Why hast thou come without my permission and jeopardized the boundaries of Islâm?’ The author of the ‘Mostaqassa’ says that Marisu-l-rûd, i.e. Ttayqân, was con­quered by the efforts of Ahnaf, as well as the country of Balkh and Khowârezm, all these events having taken place A.H. 32.* In this year, also, several of the great companions, such as A’bbâs B. A’bdu-l-muttalleb, and A’bdu-r-rahman B. A’wuf, and Abu Ttolhah, and A’bdullah B. Masu’d, and Abu Dhar Ghuffâry, died; but some allege that A’bbâs died A.H. 34, and according to one tradition he had reached the age of eighty-six years.