The Commander-in-Chief of Iran, Rostam Farrokhzad, caused a fateful letter to be penned upon shimmering white silk, bright as the sun. At its head stood the title of Rostam, son of King Hormozd, the benevolent World-Champion of Iran, addressed to Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, who had sought conflict and brought gloom upon his own destiny. Rostam began the epistle with solemn praise for the Holy Creator, by Whose divine command the revolving heavens stand, and Whose sovereignty rests upon justice and loving-kindness.
He invoked blessings upon the Iranian monarch, a ruler endowed with Divine Glory who holds Ahriman in chains and wields the high crown and mighty sword. Rostam expressed profound regret at this unwished-for turn of events, condemning the needless toil and bloodshed of this impending war. He challenged Sa'd, asking who his king was, what manner of men they were, and what custom and creed they followed to advance with an unclothed commander and a destitute army. He remarked that the Arab soldiers were satisfied with a mere crust of bread yet remained ever hungry, lacking war-elephants, thrones, and royal baggage, and asserted that their humble life in their own lands should suffice them, for the crown and signet belonged to an ancient lineage.
Rostam vividly depicted the splendour of the Persian King of Kings, descendant of glorious monarchs, whose grandeur outshone the moon in the sky. He described how the monarch bestowed vast treasures during banquets without diminishing his royal treasury, keeping twelve thousand hounds, hunting leopards, and falcons adorned with golden rings and bells—creatures whose daily rations far exceeded all that the desert army possessed. Rostam admonished the invaders for their lack of shame, wisdom, and reverence, marveling at how men of such origin and plight could covet the throne of the Kayans. He urged Sa'd to send an experienced, wise envoy to negotiate, offering to convey their requests to the Persian King to avert a disastrous conflict with the grandson of Noshinravan the Just. Having sealed the letter of counsel, Rostam dispatched the noble knight Piruz Shapur, accompanied by Iranian magnates arrayed in gleaming mail, golden shields, and jeweled girdles, to deliver the ultimatum unto Sa'd.