The Battle of Dhu Qar
يوم ذي قار
c. 604 CE
Khosrow’s marzabans and the governor Iyas ibn Qabisa marched to wrest al-Nuʾman’s deposited family and wealth from Hani ibn Masʾud; Banu Shayban met them at Dhu Qar and routed the Persians utterly — the first day the Arabs defeated the Persians, shortly after the Prophet’s birth.
At a glance
- Era
- Pre-Islamic Arabia
- Region
- Arabia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it
In time
Sides
Banu Shayban
Banu Shayban (of Bakr ibn Waʾil) · Hani ibn Masʾud al-Shaybani
Commanders: Hani ibn Masʾud al-Shaybani
Sasanian host and al-Hira
Iyas ibn Qabisa al-Taʾi · The Sasanian Empire
Commanders: Iyas ibn Qabisa al-Taʾi
Overview
The day of Dhu Qar: Banu Shayban's victory over the Persian host and the retinue of Iyas ibn Qabisa — the first day the Arabs prevailed over the Persians.
The story
When Chosroes imprisoned al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir, king of al-Hira, he put Iyas ibn Qabisa al-Ta'i in his place and ordered him to demand of Hani ibn Mas'ud the surrender of al-Nu'man's family and property in his keeping; Hani refused out of pride and honour, and declared war on the king 1.
Soon Chosroes' marzbans and battalions came in Iyas's train, and a mighty battle was fought between the two sides at Dhu Qar in which Banu Shayban prevailed and the Persians were routed utterly 1.
Its standing
This was the first day the Arabs prevailed over the Persians, and it came shortly after the Prophet's birth: the Prophet was born eight months into Iyas ibn Qabisa's governorship of al-Hira 1.
For young visitors
A man named Hani kept his friend the king's deposit and refused to hand it to the Persians, so they fought him — and his tribe defeated the Persian army near Kufa.
Connections
- Had participant
- al-Nuʾman ibn al-MundhirHani ibn Masʾud al-ShaybaniIyas ibn Qabisa al-TaʾiBanu Shayban (of Bakr ibn Waʾil)The Sasanian Empire
- Occurred at
- Dhu Qar
- Part of
- Pre-Islamic Arabia
People and things also explored
Hani ibn Masʾud al-ShaybaniLiberation and Persian Rule of Yemenal-Nuʾman ibn al-Mundhiral-HiraBanu Shayban (of Bakr ibn Waʾil)The Second Abyssinian Occupation of YemenThe Expulsion of Jurhum from MeccaThe Flood of al-Arim (the Bursting of Maʾrib Dam)
Sources
- al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri
- Muhadarat Tarikh al-Umam al-Islamiyya — Muhammad al-Khudari
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The Battle of Dhu Qar”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/battle-of-dhu-qar/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-12.