CHAPTER XVI
ʿUmân
The Prophet sends abu-Zaid al-Anṣâri to ʿUmân. The al-Azd were in ascendency in ʿUmân,[1] although it had in its deserts[2] a many other peoples. In the early part of the year 8, the Prophet delegated to them abu-Zaid al-Anṣâri of al-Khazraj, who was one of those who compiled the Koran in the time of the Prophet. His [full] name, according to al-Kalbi, was Ḳais ibn-Sakan ibn-Zaid[3] ibn-Ḥarâm; according to some Baṣrah philologists, his name was ʿAmr ibn-Akhṭab, the grandfather of ʿUrwah ibn-Thâbit ibn-ʿAmr ibn-Akhṭab; and according to Saʿîd ibn-Aus al-Anṣâri, it was Thâbit ibn-Zaid. The Prophet also sent ʿAmr ibn-al-ʿÂṣi as-Sahmi with a letter to ʿAbd[4] and Jaifar, the two sons of al-Julanda, calling them to Islâm.[5] The Prophet said, "If these people accept the witness of truth and pledge obedience to Allah and his Prophet, ʿAmr will be the commander and abu-Zaid will officiate in prayer, propagate Islâm, and teach the Koran and the institutes of the Prophet."
On the arrival of abu-Zaid and ʿAmr at ʿUmân, they found that ʿAbd and Jaifar were at Ṣuḥâr on the sea-coast. They carried the letter of the Prophet to them, and they
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