b — The Days of Armath, Aghwath and ‘Emas There was a...

b — The Days of Armath, Aghwath and ‘Emas There was a pitched battle in Qadesyya between Muslims and Persians for three days. Saif has called the first day, The Day of Armath, the second, The Day of Aghwath and third day, The Day of ‘Emas. He has invented heroes of his own tribe Tamim, such as two brothers Qa‘qa‘ and ‘Asem. Tabari has recorded Saif's stories and the historian Ibn Athir and Ibn Kathir from Tabari. Hamawi has also quoted Tabari's text to explain the words Armath, Aghwath and ‘Emas.

Bin ‘Abdoun in his poem, "Bin Badroon" in his commentary of these poems and Qalqashandi in his book. The Days of Islam has used Saif's invention of the above three days. In my book Hundred and Fifty Imaginary (of the Prophet) I have given more details of those three days under the names ‘Asem and Qa‘qa‘. Origin of Saif's story Saif has recorded these Days from Muhammad, Talha, Ziad, Bin Mehraq narrating from a man of the tribe Tay and Ghosn narrating from a man of the tribe Kenana.

We said previously that Muhammad, Talha, Mehraq and Ziad were Saif's fictitious narrators. Saif has recorded thirteen stories from Ghosn of whom we could not find a trace in the books of biography, and we do not know who is the un-named man from the Kenana tribe. c — The Day of Jarathim Tabari has recorded fifteen stories from Saif regarding crossing Tigris by Sa‘d.

This is the story recorded by Saif in brief:- After the battle of Qadesyya, the Muslim army intended to capture Madaen (Persian capital). Sa‘d the commander delivered a sermon at the camp near the river Tigris (Dejla) and warned Muslims of the enemy's attack from the sea. He told them that he had decided to cross the river. He asked, "Who is ready to command the attack?" ‘Asem Bin ‘Amr said that he would attack first.

‘Asem with sixty men swam the river, and fought the enemy and captured the other side of the river. Then the whole Muslim army crossed the river. The sea was very rough, yet the soldiers were talking to one another as though they were marching on the land. Whenever a horse was tired, the sea bed rose up under its feet, so the horse stood on it to regain his breath. There is nothing stranger than this on the day of the battle of Madaen.

The day of water which is called the Day of Jarathim, meaning the day of the small hill. It was called Jarathim because no one was tired, and because a small hill rose up under its feet from the sea- bed in order that he could have a rest.