When A’bu O’baydah had obtained information about the massing of the Byzantine troops, he knew that A’mru B. A´ass would not be able to cope with them, and consulted Khâled about the impending calamity. Khâled replied: ‘My opinion is to attack the Christian Byzantines and the Arab apostates in concert with A’mru B. A´ass, Shorahbil B. Hasnah, Zaid B. Abu Sofiân, and other Amirs such as they. Thou must write to them not to be in haste to attack the opponents till I arrive in Ba’lbek, and ascertain who the people are that desire to succour the inhabitants of Falesttyn, whereon I shall draw forth from my sleeve the arm of boldness and shall annihilate the foes.’ Abu O’baydah approved of this opinion, and despatched a courier to A’mru B. A´ass with instructions not to hasten on hostilities until Khâled had reached him. Thereon Abu O’baydah sent Khâled with five thousand cavalry to Ba’lbek, and as soon as the enemies became aware of his approach they drew out their forces in lines, whereon champions sallied forth on both sides and began the contest, which lasted from the rising of the sun till the setting of it. Seeing the boldness of the opponents, Khâled shouted: ‘Musalmân people, I shall attack these forces, and if you will aid me, the breeze of victory may perhaps blow upon the standards of Islâm.’ When the auxiliaries had joined Khâled, the two armies attacked each other, and the Yamani swords having begun their work, dyed the soil with blood, till at last by Divine favour the zephyr of victory commenced to waft over the glorious standards, so that countless numbers of the opponents hastened to the infernal regions, whilst some took refuge in the fort and others hastened in the direction of Falesttyn. The victorious army gained immense booty, all of which Khâled despatched to Abu O’baydah, informing him in a letter of the exploit. Abu O’baydah thereon offered thanks to God, and sent the following letter to Khâled: ‘As thou hast conquered the people of Ba’lbek, and thy mind has been delivered of all apprehensions concerning them, thou art, according to thy promise, to march to Falesttyn and do thy utmost in assisting our friends.’ Khâled acted as he had been bidden, and proceeded in the required direction. When, however, the Byzantines learnt that the adherents of Islâm were day by day receiving reinforcements, and were thus getting more powerful, they abandoned their camp, and retreated to a place called Majal, where they halted. Meanwhile Abu O’baydah, having in conformity with the requirements of the circumstances appointed a man to take his place in Damascus, marched in person with a force of brave men to Falesttyn, where he joined the troops of Khâled B. Alwolyd and of A’mru B. A´ass, after having hastened on day and night. When the Byzantines were informed of the arrival of Abu O’baydah, they sent him the following letter: ‘You must leave this country, or else we shall annihilate you with our brave army, not sparing the life of any Musalmân in our land.’ Abu O’baydah dismissed the envoys with a suitable reply, which having reached the Battâryqah [patriarchs or patricians], fear and complete terror having overpowered their minds, they despatched another messenger, requesting him to send to them a pious Musalmân, so that they might ascertain from him what was the object of the advent of the Musalmâns in their country, and what their eagerness for fighting was based upon. Thereon Abu O’baydah ordered Moa´adh B. Jabal to go and meet them. Moa´adh donned a loose coat-of-mail with a silken lining under it, wound a red turban around his head, mounted a black charger, and departed to the Byzantine army. When he had performed the distance and approached the assembly of the Battâryqah, he alighted from his horse, took the bridle in his hand, advancing further, till the Amirs and Wazirs perceived him and ordered one of their slaves to take charge of his horse. The slave approached and desired to wait on him, but he said that, being himself more worthy to take care of his horse than any other man, he would not surrender it, and continued his way with the bridle of his steed in his hand. When he had come quite close to that assembly, he perceived distinguished and noble Mohâjer [sic] sitting on costly pillows and couches, whereon another man beckoned to him to let go his horse to meet those persons, who were the Amirs and buttresses of the Qayssar’s monarchy, to sit down among them, and to speak to them. Moa´adh, however, replied: ‘Why should I step on their carpet and sit down with them? I intend to tell them in a standing position what I have to say.’ The interpreter said: ‘The Byzantine Battâryqah will be displeased to see thee standing while they sit, and thus to converse with thee.’ Moa´adh continued: ‘As our prophet has forbidden us to stand [humbly] before created beings, I shall not do so, and I dislike to sit on this carpet, which is very ornamental; but as sitting is indispensable, I shall squat on the bare ground.’ The interpreter rejoined: ‘The Byzantines have heard something of thy abstinence and piety; they intend to show thee respect and honour, do not therefore abase thyself by behaving like slaves and bondsmen, whose business it is to sit on the ground.’ Moa´adh continued: ‘Being one of the slaves of the Lord of lords, what harm is there in my sitting on the carpet of my Nourisher?’ The interpreter said: ‘It is known that thou art one of the best Arabs.’ Moa´adh replied: ‘I fear I am one of the worst of them.’ In short, more talk ensued between them than this abridgment can contain, and at last they asked him what was wanted from them. Moa´adh then said: ‘We want you to believe in the book of God— whose magnificence be glorified—and in the apostolate of the Mussttafa, as well as to accept the ordinances of Islâm, such as prayers, fasting, etc., and to abstain from eating pork, drinking wine, and other matters prohibited by the law. If you do not profess the Faith you must pay a capitation tax, and if you agree to neither the sword must decide between us.’ After they had heard these words of Moa´adh they despaired of attaining their object, and said: ‘There is a vast difference between what we say and what you want. There is, however, yet one proposal which we desire to make; if you assent to it all will be well, but if not the affair will be greatly protracted.’ He asked: ‘What is it?’ They replied: ‘Retain the Bulghâr country which you have forcibly taken from us, but abstain from invading any other possessions of ours. If you make a treaty on this subject with us, we shall be your allies against the Persians and other foreigners.’ Moa´adh replied: ‘The Bulghâr country and other districts formerly belonging to you are now in our possession; but it is our intention to deprive you of all the countries, forts, and strongholds over the inhabitants of which you dominate. The wish of the ascetic is one thing, and the melancholy of the lover is another.’* The Battâryqah of Byzantium, who had listened to these words, became incensed with wrath, threatened, reproached, and then dismissed him, whereon Moa´adh likewise uttered angry words and departed. The Byzantines, however, sent an envoy after him to Abu O’baydah with the following message: ‘We had requested thee to send us a man just in his dealings and conversant with the subtleties of negotiations, but thou hast sent one who possesses no sense of justice, and recoiled from listening to truth, so that how much soever we held forth offers of pacification, he retorted with threats of hostilities, so that we do not know whether he has uttered sentiments approved by thee or not. Now we implore thee to despatch to us another man, that we may tell him a few words profitable to thee as well as to us, or else allow us to send a confidential man to thee, to represent to thee what we have to say.’ Abu O’baydah having assented, the Byzantines sent a very eloquent and oily-tongued envoy, whose negotiations for peace were, however, not approved of by Abu O’baydah, because they were contrary to the law and not in agreement with the Sonna, so that the envoy returned disappointed, and informed them of the state of affairs.