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When the Emir Bahram and the Emir Rustam and the Chief Chamberlain, with the Moslem host and flags flaunting high ahead, came in sight of Constantinople they saw that the Nazarenes had mounted the walls and manned the towers and the forts, and had set all their defenders in order of defence, as soon as they learned of the approach of the host of Al-Islam and the banners Mohammedan, and they heard the clash of arms and the noise of war voices and tramp of horse hoofs and from their look outs they beheld the Moslems, with their standards and ensigns of the Faith of Unity under the dust clouds and lo! they were like a flight of locusts or rain clouds raining rain, and the voices of the Moslems chanting the Koran and glorifying the Compassionate One, struck their ears.
Not only legends of the heroic figures of the Iranian epic Rustam and Isfandiar but religious views and persuasions of the Persians found a place and were spread among the Arab clans. Thus we know that "fire-worshippers" were settled among the Arab tribe of the Temim. As regards the political influence of the Persians on the tribes of Arabia a vast deal has been related in the pre-Moslem epoch.
Rustam replied, "O my lord, no sooner hadst thou left us than one of the Princess's women went in to King Sabur and said to him, 'O my master, didst thou give Gharib leave to lie with the Princess my mistress? whereto he answered, 'No, by the virtue of the fire! and drawing his sword, went in to his daughter and said to her, 'O foul baggage, why didst thou suffer yonder Badawi to sleep with thee, without dower or even wedding? She replied, 'O my papa, 'twas thou gayest him leave to sleep with me. Then he asked, 'Did the fellow have thee? but she was silent and hung down her head.
Upon this Bishtasb called upon Isfandiyar who was the strongest man of his time and said to him, "Oh son, the kingdom will be entrusted to you. But the affairs will not improve except by killing Rustam, and you know his strength and vigour. But you are his match in power and prowess. So do you choose from the army whomever you like and then proceed against him."
And having come up with them, he charged the Infidels; and followed him Zau al-Makan and the Wazir Dandan and the Emirs Bahram and Rustam with his brother Tarkash. When the foe saw this, they lost head and their reason fled, and the dust clouds towered till they covered the country whilst the righteous Believers joined their pious comrades.
The clangor of arms was reechoed to the tent of Rustam, who, far unlike the ancient hero of his name, was gently reclining in a cool and tranquil shade, amidst the baggage of his camp, and the train of mules that were laden with gold and silver.
Now the first to open the gate of battle was Rustam, who urged his charger into mid-field and cried out, "God is most Great! I am Rustam, champion-in-chief of the Arabs and Ajamis. Who is for tilting, who is for fighting? Let no sluggard come out to me this day nor weakling!"
So Isfandiyar selected 12,000 Persian knights from the forces of his father, and marched against Rustam. And Rustam proceeded towards him between the boundaries or Sagistan and Khorasan. Isfandiyar suggested to Rustam that their armies should be excused from attacking each other, but that they two should engage in single combat and that whoever killed the other should be held to be the victor.
The king fled; so true it is that "God alone gives victory;" but Bihzad Khan behaved so bravely, that perhaps even Rustam himself could not have equalled his valour.
Rustam sought a refuge from the violence of the storm among his baggage mules, and was probably meditating flight, when the Arabs were upon him. Hillal, son of Alkama, intent upon plunder, began to cut the cords of the baggage and strew it upon the ground. A bag falling severely injured Rustam, who threw himself into the Atik and attempted to swim across.
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