MARCH OF ABU O’BAYDAH TO AYLYÂ; AND OF O’MAR TO SYRIA; AND NARRATIVE OF SOME OTHER EVENTS OF THOSE DAYS.

Some chroniclers have narrated that after the army of Islâm had for some time sojourned in Damascus in comfort and tranquillity, an order, to which obedience is due, arrived from the residence of the Khalifate that Abu O’baydah should engage in the conquest of Aylyâ, which is now known by the name of the Holy House [i.e., Jerusalem]. Accordingly, before Abu O’baydah himself marched, he despatched A’mru B. A´ass with a numerous force in that direction. A’mru having according to the injunction of Abu O’baydah marched to his destination, reached the vicinity of Aylyâ after having duly traversed the distance. The inhabitants of that blessed locality had fortified it, and when A’mru laid siege to it, they sent one of the Christian U’lamâ to A’mru to ask for his name, who on learning it said: ‘Withdraw thy hand from the siege and spare thyself further toil, because this city will be conquered by that happy individual whose name consists of three letters, namely, O’m [a]r, whereas thine, being A’mru, consists of four.’ Meanwhile Abu O’baydah marched from Damascus with his brave army and reinforced his friends, but sent imme­diately a letter to the Battâryqah and the inhabitants of Aylyâ, the contents of which were as follows: ‘If you make profession of our religion, or pay the capitation-tax, I shall not injure you, but in the contrary case I shall send men to attack you who love more to be killed for the sake of their religiou, than you love to eat pork or to drink wine.’ Abu O’baydah halted a few days in the place where he was, but when he heard that the population of Aylyâ was intent on resistance and strife, he joined A’mru. After the arrival of Abu O’baydah a numerous army sallied forth from the town and was drawn up in battle array opposite to the army of Islâm; one hour’s conflict, however, sufficed for killing countless numbers of it and for putting the rest to flight, who took refuge in the fortress. Hereon the Musal­mâns again continued the siege with as much energy as possible, so that when the population saw for a certainty that the army of Islâm was not disposed to break the circle it had made around the fortress, a messenger was sent to Abu O’baydah, and delivered to him the following commu­nication: ‘We have arrived at the conclusion to make peace with you and to surrender the city, but as we place no trust nor faith in your words, difficulties will not arise if the prince of the companions [of the prophet], namely, O’mar B. Alkhattâb, will pass over to these regions that we may make a covenant of obedience and submission to him.’ Abu O’baydah thereon communicated the state of affairs to the luminous mind, and when O’mar had ascertained the truth of the circumstances, he held a consultation with the notables, the Anssâr and the Mohâjer, concerning the propriety of remaining at Madinah or departing [to Jeru­salem]. O’thmân B. O’ffan advised him to stay, but when O’mar asked A’li B. Abu Ttâleb, the seat of vicarship, he was of a contrary opinion, preferring departure to staying. O’mar, who had from the beginning foreseen the issue of the negotiations, ordered A’bbâs B. A’bdu-l-muttalleb to pitch tents outside the city for a camp, to which the victory-boding companions quickly crowded. When the troops had been collected, O’mar departed to the Holy House [i.e., Jerusalem], leaving A’li the Commander of the Faithful to be his lieutenant in Madinah. After he had in due time entered Syria, Abu O’baydah, having been informed of his approach, got ready for him an Arab charger and white robes as presents, and then went to meet him. In the ‘Târikh-i A´athum Kûfi,’ it is recorded that when Abu O’baydah had come near O’mar, he saw him riding on a camel, dressed in a woollen robe made by himself, with a sword hanging from his shoulder and an arrow by his side. In the ‘Tarjumat Mostaqassa’ it is related that at the time Abu O’baydah waited on O’mar he saw him leading a camel by the bridle and a slave riding it. Abu O’baydah and the notables of the army who accompanied him, beholding this scene with amazement, asked why the Commander of the Faithful was walking and the slave riding. O’mar replied: ‘I am sharing this camel with the slave, and now it is his turn to ride and mine to walk.’ It is related that Abu O’baydah requested O’mar to don the white garments and to mount the horse he had brought. O’mar complied, but after awhile put away the dress, and, alighting from the horse, donned his own old clothes and mounted his camel, saying: ‘I perceived vanity enter my mind after being thus arrayed, and knew it to be an inspiration of Satan.’ Abu O’baydah and Yazid B. Abu Sofiân then excused them­selves, saying that if the Amir of the Faithful had retained the clothes it would have been more appropriate to the dignity of the Khalifah. O’mar then replied to their remark with a few kind words of admonition.

When they had arrived at the camp and rested them­selves, Abu O’baydah sent a messenger to the inhabitants of Aylyâ to inform them of the arrival of O’mar, whereon the people of the town sent to O’mar an Arab, whose nick­name was Abu-l-ja’d,* to arrange matters concerning the payment of a capitation tax, on condition that no one be compelled to emigrate and leave his country. O’mar, having granted the request of the inhabitants of the Holy House, ordered a treaty to be written on that subject, which having been given to them, the Christians opened the gates and the Musalmâns entered the city. When the time for prayers had arrived, O’mar said to the Muedhdhin Ballâl, who had during the Khalifate of Abu Bakr gone to Syria and settled there: ‘It is a long time since I have heard thy Adhân [i.e., call to prayers]; how would it be if thou wert in this noble country and pleasant region to utter the shout for prayers?’ Ballâl replied: ‘I have decided with myself not to pursue this occupation after separating from the apostle—u. w. bl.—but as obedience to the order of the Khalifah is one of our duties, I cannot excuse myself from submitting to it.’ When Ballâl rose and began to shout the Adhân, the companions [of the prophet] destined for felicity, remembering their association with his holy and prophetic lordship, were moved and wept.

Hemistich: The melody of the Bulbuls again proclaims thy love.

But those of the friends of the apostle of Allah who wept more than all the others—being consumed by the fire of separation, and exhausted in the desert of longing and fatigue—were Abu O’baydan B. Jurrâh and Moa´adh B. Jabal. When Ballâl had finished his call to prayers, O’mar, rising to hold them, stood in front of the notables, each of whom had the following words on his tongue:

To be led by thee in every prayer
Is my desire as long as I live.

After finishing the prescribed orisons he praised and gave thanks to the Most High, and said: ‘The city of the Holy House, which is one of the most honoured in the inhabited quarters of the world, has, without trouble and without the misery of bloodshed, fallen under the sway of the adherents of the prince of existing beings—the most excellent bene­dictions and salutations to him—may the leader of Divine grace be our associate; we have held our Friday prayers, which are a firm buttress of Musalmânship, in the farthest mosque, which stands not in need of description.’ When O’mar had terminated the most important affairs of Syria, he appointed Abu O’baydah to be the Governor-General of the whole country, and returned to the abode of his own dignity and honour; but Abu O’baydah, Moa´adh B. Jabal, and several other good and righteous men, died three years after the conquest of Aylyâ of the plague which raged in Syria, departing to the upper paradise—may Allah be pleased with them.