When O’mar had become established in the Khalifate, he said: ‘Abu Bakr had been called the Khalifah [i.e., successor] of the apostle of God, and it would be a long title to call me the Khalifah of the Khalifah of God.’ The people asked, ‘What expression are we to use to designate thy noble person?’ He replied: ‘You being Believers and I your Amir, call me Amir of the Believers.’ It is related in the ‘Meadows of Gold’ that the first man who called him Amir of the Believers was A’dy B. Hâtim, and also others are mentioned, but Allah knows best. It is said that when the office of the Khalifate had become adorned by the installation of O’mar therein, he sent a letter to the Amirs of Syria, who were at that time engaged in a siege, informing them of the demise of Abu Bakr and his accession to the Khalifate, also that he had removed Khâled B. Alwolyd from the command, and had appointed thereto Abu O’baydah B. Jurrâh in his stead. He despatched also another letter to Abu O’baydah B. Jurrâh, the contents of which were as follows: ‘When thou receivest this writing thou art to convoke the officers of the army and to inform them of thy appointment to, and of the removal of Khâled from, the command, that they may obey and follow thee. The army of Islâm being numerous in those parts, thou art to send back to us the men thou standest not in need of, but to retain those with thee whom thou requirest, and one of the men thou standest in need of is Khâled B. Alwolyd, to whose departure thou art not to consent.’ When Sheddâd B. Aws, who was the envoy of O’mar, arrived in the vicinity of Damascus, he gave both letters to Abu O’baydah, who kept the matter secret, performed the prayers as usual in the rear of Khâled [who was the Emâm], and was too modest to inform him of his removal. Meanwhile the rumour of Abu O’baydah’s appointment had spread, and in conversation people called him Amir. When Khâled heard the rumour in the way just alluded to, he said: ‘May God the Most High and Glorious pardon Abu Bakr; if he were alive he would never have removed me from the command.’ There is a tradition that when the letter appointing Abu O’baydah to the command had arrived, he kept it secret, and Khâled continued as before to administer affairs until a second letter arrived ordering Abu O’baydah to retain a portion of the army and to beleaguer Damascus therewith, but to send the rest in the direction of Hamss, retaining near himself those who were needed, one of them being Khâled B. Alwolyd, whose aid and advice Abu O’baydah could not dispense with. This letter the couriers handed to Khâled, but the manner in which he was informed of his removal is narrated also in another way; when, however, he had heard of it he spoke as follows to Abu O’baydah: ‘Why hast thou up to this time not informed me of the state of affairs?’ Abu O’baydah replied: ‘I never meant to reveal it, because the commandership and Amirate is to intelligent and experienced men not of such value that two brothers should contend for it, envy each other for it, or uselessly grieve for the loss of it. O Khâled, we have appointed thee to be the Amir of the whole cavalry of the army, so that we may bravely and unanimously continue the siege together.’ It is recorded in some histories that when O’mar had become Khalifah, he wrote to the Amirs of Syria: ‘Ask Khâled whether he had slain Mâlek by accident or on purpose. Spare him if he confesses his error, but if not, then take the turban off his head in that very interview and confiscate one half of his property.’ When the Amirs had received the letter, they asked Khâled, and he replied: ‘Give me respite this night that I may consider this matter.’ During that night he held a consultation with his sister Fattimah, who was a very intelligent person, and she said: ‘The desire of O’mar is that thou shouldst confess the killing of Mâlek B. Nuyrah to have been improper, so that he may invite all the Bani Nuyrah to wreak vengeance for their brother and to slay thee.’ The next day Khâled B. Alwolyd gave a suitable answer, and the Amirs acted according to the instructions of O’mar.