A literary history of Persia

EARLY PERSIAN CONVERTS 203soldiers from Daylam (near the Caspian Sea) decided, afterconsultation, to embrace Islam and join the Arabs, whom theyaided in the conquest of Jalula, after which theysettled inKufa with the Muslims ;rand other wholesale and voluntaryconversions were numerous. Indeed the influx of Persianconverts and captives into Arabia caused 'Umar some anxiety,so that, as the historian Dinawari informs us (p. 136), heexclaimed, " O God J I take refuge with Thee from the"children of these captives of Jaliild!Nor, in the event, didhis anxiety prove baseless and he himself was struck down;bythe dagger of one of these Persian captives, named by theArabs Abu Liilu'a ;a fact which even at the present dayisrecalled with satisfaction by the more fanatical PersianShi'ites, who, at least till very lately, used to celebrate theanniversary of 'Umar's death (called l Umar-&ushdn) much asGuy Fawkes' day is celebrated in England.The earliest Persian convert, Salman, one of the mostrevered " Companions " of the Prophet, whom the SyrianSpSn.hesect of the Nusayris include in their mysticalTrinity denoted by the letters