Sahih al-Bukhari 3159, 3160
Narrated Jubair bin Haiya:
`Umar sent the Muslims to the great countries to fight the pagans. When Al-Hurmuzan embraced 
Islam, `Umar said to him. "I would like to consult you regarding these countries which I intend to 
invade." Al-Hurmuzan said, "Yes, the example of these countries and their inhabitants who are the 
enemies. of the Muslims, is like a bird with a head, two wings and two legs; If one of its wings got 
broken, it would get up over its two legs, with one wing and the head; and if the other wing got 
broken, it would get up with two legs and a head, but if its head got destroyed, then the two legs, two 
wings and the head would become useless. The head stands for Khosrau, and one wing stands for 
Caesar and the other wing stands for Faris. So, order the Muslims to go towards Khosrau." So, `Umar 
sent us (to Khosrau) appointing An-Nu`man bin Muqrin as our commander. When we reached the 
land of the enemy, the representative of Khosrau came out with forty-thousand warriors, and an 
interpreter got up saying, "Let one of you talk to me!" 
Al-Mughira replied, "Ask whatever you wish." The other asked, "Who are you?" Al-Mughira replied, 
"We are some people from the Arabs; we led a hard, miserable, disastrous life: we used to suck the 
hides and the date stones from hunger; we used to wear clothes made up of fur of camels and hair of 
goats, and to worship trees and stones. While we were in this state, the Lord of the Heavens and the 
Earths, Elevated is His Remembrance and Majestic is His Highness, sent to us from among ourselves 
a Prophet whose father and mother are known to us. Our Prophet, the Messenger of our Lord, has 
ordered us to fight you till you worship Allah Alone or give Jizya (i.e. tribute); and our Prophet has 
informed us that our Lord says:-- "Whoever amongst us is killed (i.e. martyred), shall go to Paradise 
to lead such a luxurious life as he has never seen, and whoever amongst us remain alive, shall become 
your master." (Al-Mughira, then blamed An-Nu`man for delaying the attack and) An-Nu' man said to 
Al-Mughira, "If you had participated in a similar battle, in the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) he would 
not have blamed you for waiting, nor would he have disgraced you. But I accompanied Allah's 
Apostle in many battles and it was his custom that if he did not fight early by daytime, he would wait 
till the wind had started blowing and the time for the prayer was due (i.e. after midday).
حَدَّثَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ الرَّقِّيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْمُعْتَمِرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ الثَّقَفِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا بَكْرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْمُزَنِيُّ، وَزِيَادُ بْنُ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنْ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ حَيَّةَ، قَالَ بَعَثَ عُمَرُ النَّاسَ فِي أَفْنَاءِ الأَمْصَارِ يُقَاتِلُونَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ، فَأَسْلَمَ الْهُرْمُزَانُ فَقَالَ إِنِّي مُسْتَشِيرُكَ فِي مَغَازِيَّ هَذِهِ‏.‏ قَالَ نَعَمْ، مَثَلُهَا وَمَثَلُ مَنْ فِيهَا مِنَ النَّاسِ مِنْ عَدُوِّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مَثَلُ طَائِرٍ لَهُ رَأْسٌ وَلَهُ جَنَاحَانِ وَلَهُ رِجْلاَنِ، فَإِنْ كُسِرَ أَحَدُ الْجَنَاحَيْنِ نَهَضَتِ الرِّجْلاَنِ بِجَنَاحٍ وَالرَّأْسُ، فَإِنْ كُسِرَ الْجَنَاحُ الآخَرُ نَهَضَتِ الرِّجْلاَنِ وَالرَّأْسُ، وَإِنْ شُدِخَ الرَّأْسُ ذَهَبَتِ الرِّجْلاَنِ وَالْجَنَاحَانِ وَالرَّأْسُ، فَالرَّأْسُ كِسْرَى، وَالْجَنَاحُ قَيْصَرُ، وَالْجَنَاحُ الآخَرُ فَارِسُ، فَمُرِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَلْيَنْفِرُوا إِلَى كِسْرَى‏.‏ وَقَالَ بَكْرٌ وَزِيَادٌ جَمِيعًا عَنْ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ حَيَّةَ قَالَ فَنَدَبَنَا عُمَرُ وَاسْتَعْمَلَ عَلَيْنَا النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ مُقَرِّنٍ، حَتَّى إِذَا كُنَّا بِأَرْضِ الْعَدُوِّ، وَخَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا عَامِلُ كِسْرَى فِي أَرْبَعِينَ أَلْفًا، فَقَامَ تُرْجُمَانٌ فَقَالَ لِيُكَلِّمْنِي رَجُلٌ مِنْكُمْ‏.‏ فَقَالَ الْمُغِيرَةُ سَلْ عَمَّا شِئْتَ‏.‏ قَالَ مَا أَنْتُمْ قَالَ نَحْنُ أُنَاسٌ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ كُنَّا فِي شَقَاءٍ شَدِيدٍ وَبَلاَءٍ شَدِيدٍ، نَمَصُّ الْجِلْدَ وَالنَّوَى مِنَ الْجُوعِ، وَنَلْبَسُ الْوَبَرَ وَالشَّعَرَ، وَنَعْبُدُ الشَّجَرَ وَالْحَجَرَ، فَبَيْنَا نَحْنُ كَذَلِكَ، إِذْ بَعَثَ رَبُّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الأَرَضِينَ تَعَالَى ذِكْرُهُ وَجَلَّتْ عَظَمَتُهُ إِلَيْنَا نَبِيًّا مِنْ أَنْفُسِنَا، نَعْرِفُ أَبَاهُ وَأُمَّهُ، فَأَمَرَنَا نَبِيُّنَا رَسُولُ رَبِّنَا صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ نَقَاتِلَكُمْ حَتَّى تَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَحْدَهُ أَوْ تُؤَدُّوا الْجِزْيَةَ، وَأَخْبَرَنَا نَبِيُّنَا صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ رِسَالَةِ رَبِّنَا أَنَّهُ مَنْ قُتِلَ مِنَّا صَارَ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ فِي نَعِيمٍ لَمْ يَرَ مِثْلَهَا قَطُّ، وَمَنْ بَقِيَ مِنَّا مَلَكَ رِقَابَكُمْ‏.‏ فَقَالَ النُّعْمَانُ رُبَّمَا أَشْهَدَكَ اللَّهُ مِثْلَهَا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمْ يُنَدِّمْكَ وَلَمْ يُخْزِكَ، وَلَكِنِّي شَهِدْتُ الْقِتَالَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ إِذَا لَمْ يُقَاتِلْ فِي أَوَّلِ النَّهَارِ انْتَظَرَ حَتَّى تَهُبَّ الأَرْوَاحُ وَتَحْضُرَ الصَّلَوَاتُ‏.‏