On the withdrawal of Persia from Byzantium [35, line 5] The cause of the withdrawal of Persia from Byzantium was às ʿAbd Allah ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us from al-Hiql ibn Ziyād from Muʿāwiya ibn Yahya al-Ṣadafi, saying: al-Zuhri related to me, saying: ʿUbayd Allah ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn ‘Utba related to me that Ibn ʿAbbās informed him that he heard ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb-may God be pleased with him-asking al-Hurmuzān, the foremost noble of al-Ahwāz, concerning the cause of the Persian withdrawal from [Byzantium].

Al-Hurmuzān said to him that Khusraw sent Shahrbarāz and the Persian armies in the direction of Syria and Egypt and he destroyed most of the fortresses of Anatolia. His stay in Syria, Egypt and that land was prolonged such that Khusraw was kept waiting, and so he wrote to [Shahrbarāz]: “Were I to order you to conquer the city of the Romans (Constantinople) itself, you would conquer it. Instead, you are satisfied in your [current] location and you have ordered a lengthy occupation.“

He [also] wrote to the greatest of the Persian lords who were with Shahrbarāz, ordering him to kill Shahrbarāz, take charge of the Persian armies, and return to him. The lord wrote back to him stating that Shahrbaraz strove sincerely and that he was more competent in war than he. So Khusraw wrote to him [again], insisting absolutely that he kill him. So [the lord] wrote back to him asking him to change his mind, saying: “You do not have a servant like Shahrbaraz. If only you knew the stratagems of the Romans that he thwarts, then you would excuse him.” So Khusraw wrote to him [a third time] insisting absolutely that he kill him and take charge of the armies. The lord wrote to Khusraw [once more] asking him to change his mind, so Khusraw grew angry, and wrote [also] to Shahrbarāz ordering him to kill that lord.

Shahrbaraz despatched a messenger to that Persian lord and made him read the letter of Khusraw. [The Persian lord] said to him: “Make him reconsider [36] my affair.” [Shahrbarāz] said: “I know that Khusraw will not reconsider. You have known that my friendship with you is sincere. However, something has come to me (i.e. the execution command) that I cannot discard.“