Capítulo 5. Conclusiones
5.2 Correspondencia con los objetivos y respuesta a la pregunta de investigación
In the meantime Ibn Ja'far ~ captured the monastery and all those within it. The Muslims surrounded the monastery, but did not seize anything awaiting Khalid's ~ return from pursuing the enemy. He pursued them until they reached a great river which separated them from Tripoli. The Romans knew its crossings and crossed over leaving Khalid ~ stranded. He returned to the ~anabah ~ of Rasulullah
i3
and found that they had occupied the monastery and killed the patrician. They were spread out gathering the booty and all the goods, carpets, fabric, clothing, food etc. which they found in the market.Wathilah bin al-Asqa'" reports:
We gathered the booty and ate the good food and took out of the monastery the gold and silver vessels, curtains, seats, wealth and the daughter of the patrician who had with her forty slave-girls all wearing costly dresses and jewellery. We loaded these on Turkish horses, mules and donkeys and returned with great wealth and booty.
It is narrated that the success of this expedition was attributed to three men: 'Abdullah bin Ja'far
es,
the commander; 'Abdullah bin Unayses,
who brought the reinforcements and Khalid bin al- Walid ~, who saved the day. Khalid ~ had undergone great difficulties and had sustained painful wounds.As they were leaving, Khalid ~ went to the monastery and called out to the monk, "0 monk." He received no reply and so called out a second time and threatened him, so he came to him.
Monk : What do you want? I take oath in the name of Christ that the Master of Heaven will retaliate against you for the blood of those whom you have slain.
Khdlid ~ : How can He retaliate against us when He Himself has commanded us to fight you and wage Jihad against you and has in fact promised us reward for doing so? By Allah! Had Rasulullah
it.
not forbidden us, I would not leave you in your monastery, but would kill you in a most evil manner.The monk kept quiet and did not reply.
Khalid ~ and the Muslims returned with the booty to Damascus. There AbU 'Ubaydah ~ thanked them and made salam to Ibn Ja'far ~ and Khalid ~. He returned to his quarters where he took the state's one-fifth share out of the booty and divided the rest amongst the Muslims. To Wrar ~ he gave the patrician's horse with the saddle and whatever else was on it such as gold and silver jewellery, jewels and gems. Wriir ~ took it to his sister, the lady Khawlah, who took the gems out and distributed them amongst the Muslim women, with a single gem being worth quite a sum.
The captives, including the patrician's daughter, were brought in front of AbU 'Ubaydah
es,
Ibn Ja 'far ~ : I want her.
AbU 'Ubaydah ~ : I will have to ask 'Umar for permission.
Futiihushdm
He wrote to 'Umar ~ who wrote back, "She is for him." Ibn Ja'fares took his new slave-girl. She remained with him for a long time and was an expert cook who specialised in Persian and Roman cuisine. She remained with him until the reign of Yazid who, upon hearing of her, requested to receive her as a gift. Ibn Ja'far ~ gave her to him where she remained.
'Amir bin Rabi'ah narrates:
I received from the booty of the monastery's market, brocade with Roman pictures thereon. Every cloth had a beautiful picture of Isii and Maryam ~\. I took the brocade to Yaman where I sold some for a great price. 'Umar ~ wrote to me while I was with AbU 'Ubaydah ~, "0 my nephew, send many of these brocades to me so that they can be spent (on the poor)."
13) Drinking wine
I"
'IIt is narrated that when the Muslims returned with the booty, AbU 'Ubaydah ~ wrote to 'Umar ~ to inform him of the victory and booty of AbU al-Quds. He praised, commended and thanked Khalid es. and reported what he had said (when he left for the expedition). He also requested the Khalifah to write to Khalid ., to obtain his opinion on attacking either Heraclius or Baytul Muqaddas and informed him that some Muslims had taken to drinking wine.
'A.~im bin Thu-yab al-'Amiri who had participated in the conquest of Damascus
narrates:
Some of the Yamani bedouins had taken to drinking wine and considered it to be good. The commander, AbU 'Ubaydah es opposed this. One of the bedouins, I think it was Suraqah bin 'Amir, said, "0 Muslims, abandon wine, for it destroys the senses and earns sins. Rasulullah
Jt.
has not only cursed the drinker of wine, but even the transporter and the one to whom it is carried."Usamah bin Zayd al-Laythi narrates fom az-Zuhri who narrates from Humayd
bin 'Abdirahman bin 'Awf al-Ghifari:
I was with AbU 'Ubaydah in Syria. He wrote to 'Umar ., to inform him of the conquest of Syria and also wrote, "The Muslims are drinking wine and trifle with the prescribed punishment."
I arrived in al-Madinah and found 'Umar ~ sitting in the Masjid of Rasulullah ~
with some S-ababah ~ who were speaking amongst themselves. Amongst them were
'Uthman, 'Ali and 'Abdurahman bin 'Awf. I handed the letter over to 'Umar es, He read it, started thinking for a while and then said, "Verily Rasulullah
Jt.
lashed the drinker of wine."Then he asked 'Ali ~, "What is your opinion on that?"
•Ali ~ said, "When the drinker becomes drunk, he becomes delirious and when he becomes delirious he makes things up."
('Ali 4b meant that although the exact punishment for drinking wine had not been specified by Rasulullah ~, its punishment should at least equal that of slander, i.e. eighty lashes especially since the drunkard is apt to slander - translator
s
note.) So 'Umar ~ wrote to AbU 'Ubaydah ~, "Whoever drinks wine should be lashed eighty times. 1 swear that severity and poverty will be good for them. Their duty is to fear Allah, to worship Him, to believe in Him and be grateful unto Him. Inflict the prescribed punishment on whoever has returned to drinking."When 'Umar's ~ letter arrived, AbU 'Ubaydah ~ had it announced, "Whoever is liable for punishment for drinking wine should present themselves for lashing and repent unto Allah."
Many came forward and were lashed.