CAPÍTULO V: EL DERECHO DE GENTES
1. LA SOCIEDAD DE LOS PUEBLOS LIBERALES
AbU Bakr • gave the letter to Najm bin Mafrah al-Kinani who mounted his camel and made for 'Iraq. Khalid bin al-Walid
ss.
was close to conquering Qadisiyah when- he received the letter. Upon reading it he said, "To obey Allah and the Khalifah of Rasulullah Jj,is necessary." He left that very night taking the 'Ayn at-Tamr road and wrote to AbU 'Ubaydahs-
to dismiss him and inform him of his coming to Syria,"AbU Bakr has put me in charge of the armies of Is lam. Do not move .from
your place until I arrive. Was-saldmu 'Alayka."
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'Amir bin Iufayl ad- Dawsi, a brave Muslim soldier, was sent with this letter to Syria.
When Khalid • reached as-Samawah he said, "0 people, water is scarce in this desert and should not be drunk too much. What is your advice?"
Rdfi' bin 'Umayrah
at.-Tal :
0 commander, it would be well if you act upon my opinion.Khdlid e; : May Allah guide you - implement whatever it is.
So he kept thirty camels thirsty for seven days and then gave them water, tied their mouths and mounted the camels and took the horses unladen. When they encamped, ten camels were slaughtered and the water that emerged from their slit bellies was filled in leather bags. When the water cooled down, it was given to the horses while the humans ate the meat. This was done at each encampment until the last camel (of
the thirty) was finished and two stages of the journey were traversed without water. The lack of water made Khalid 4lbvery restless and fearing their destruction, he said, "0 Rafi', the army is on the verge of death. Do you know where water can be obtained?" Rafi' was looking around and said, "0 commander, tell me when we reach Qaraqir and Sawa."
They hastened until most reached Qaraqir and Sawa and some were left behind. When Rafi' was told, he became very happy. He removed the edge of his turban from above his eyes, took his mount and roamed right and left. Everyone encircled him and went with him until he reached an Arak tree and shouted, "Allahu Akbar!" so the Muslims too started shouting, "Allahu Akbar!" He said, "Dig here." They started digging when all at once a spring gushed forth. The army encamped there and thanked Allah. They drank and gave the camels to drink. Then they sent water-filled leather bags by camel to those who were left behind. This restored their energy and so they were able to join the others.
They rested there for a while and then hurried on until, when one day's travel was left, they found at Arakah a way-station built on the road. There were sheep and camels there. The Muslims searched for the shepherd to question him. They found him drinking wine while a manacled 'Arab was sitting nearby, whom they realised to be 'A.mir bin Iufayl 4lb. Khalid 4lb was quickly informed. He rushed there on horseback and smiled when he saw Ibn Iufayl. He said, "0 Ibn Iufayl, how did you end up caught like this?" Ibn Iufayl4lb replied, "0 commander, I came to this way- station because I was suffering from thirst and heat. I wanted milk from this man but saw him drinking wine. So I rebuked him, '0 enemy of Allah, you drink wine when it is forbidden.' '0 commander,' he replied to me, 'This is water not wine. Come down to me and smell it so that you can be sure that it is not wine. If it is wine then you can punish me how you like.' I dismounted my she-camel to smell what it was when suddenly he pulled out a stick from under his armpit and hit me so hard that my skull cracked. When I turned, he pounced on me and, tying me with a rope, said, 'It appears that you are of the men of Muhammad bin 'Abdullah. I am keeping you until you can be taken to my chief.' I said, 'Who can your chief from amongst the 'Arabs be?' He replied, 'Qadh bin Wathilah.' Sir, I have been in this condition for three days now. Whenever he drank wine, he seated me in front of him and threw the dregs on top of me."
Khalid 4lbbecame so enraged that he pounded the man's head with his sword-hilt and killed him. The Muslims confiscated the sheep and camels, dug up the foundation of the way-station and freed Ibn Iufayl4lb. Khalid 4lbasked him, "Where is my letter?" He replied, "Tucked away in a fold of my turban. Nobody knew of it." Khalid.s, said,
Futuhushdm
"Take it immediately to AbU 'Ubaydah and stay alert." So he mounted and went towards Syria. Khalid 4 ordered the army to march on.
Arakah was a dangerous place for travellers from Iraq. There the Romans would collect taxes from murderous brigands and used to appoint a governor to reside there. When the Muslims arrived, Khalid 4 ordered them to confiscate all wealth in the place and the outskirts, and this was done. The inhabitants took refuge in a fort where there lived a Roman sage. Amongst other sciences he had studied the prophecies of war. When he saw the Muslims he turned pale and said, "I take oath by your religion! The time has come." The people asked him, "What time?"
He replied, "These people have been mentioned in the prophecies. It is written that the first flag to come here from 'Iraq will be a victorious flag. The destruction of the Romans will be at hand. Examine them carefully - if their flag is black, the leader is broadly built, tall, fleshy, broad shouldered, strong in appearance, pox-marked in the face and wheat-coloured, then know that he will conquer Syria." They saw that that was his exact description so they went to the governor and said, "You know that the sage, Samuel, never utters a word without wisdom and we have seen with our very own eyes whatever he described to us. We feel that we should make peace with the 'Arabs in order to protect our wealth, children and households." He replied, "Let me think until morning comes."
So the governor went home passing the whole night pondering over the issue. He was a highly intelligent man and so examining all factors, said to himself, "If! oppose the citizens it is possible that they seize me and hand me over to the' Arabs. I know with certainty that a small 'Arab force defeated Rubius in Palestine because terror of the
'Arabs is so embedded in the hearts of the Romans that it will never leave."
In the morning he summoned the citizenry and asked, "What do you intend?" They replied, "We wish to make peace with the 'Arabs and stay here in our city." He said, "I am but one of you and cannot oppose you." A widely travelled and experienced man was sent to Khalid 4 to offer peace. He accepted and spoke to him gently and politely in the hope that when the people of Sakhnah, Hawran, Palmyra and al- Qaraytayn heard of the peace, they would also accept Islamic rule. He said, "I am making peace on the conditions that I shall withdraw my army from here, that whoever wishes to join Islam will be welcomed and whoever stays on his religion will have to pay Jizyah."
Khalid 4 levied 2,000 dirhams and 1,000 dinars on them and signed a treaty. Before he even left there, the people of Sakhnah came to make peace. When the people of Palmyra heard about this, their governor, Karkar, gathered them and said, "I have
Futuhushdm
Romanus : I take oath by my religion that I know very well that you are on the Truth and that you will conquer 'Iraq and Syria. However, you are few while we are many. I will do this favour to you of making peace with you. You return to your land and we shall not interfere with you. 0 my 'Arab brother, AbU Bakr is my close friend. If he were present here, he would never fight against me.
Shurahbil ~ : In matters of religion he had no consideration for his own son and nephew until they embraced Islam, He has no personal choice in that Allah has ordered us to wage Jihad. We will not leave until one of three outcomes has been decided upon. Firstly, you should embrace Islam. Failing that, your second option is to pay Jizyah. If that is also not acceptable, then we will have to do battle.
Romanus : I take oath by my religion and faith that if the matter were in my hands, then I would never fight you because I know you to be upon the Truth. The Romans have gathered. Let me go to them and make them understand and see what they feel.
Shurahbil ~ : Very good, but hurry for what we have told you about Islam, Jizyah or war still stands.
Romanus returned to his people and said, "0 upholders of Christianity and sons of baptism water, the arrival of the 'Arabs heralds the loss of your wealth and the death of your leaders and champions. This has been foretold in your scriptures and it is imminent. You do not have Rubius's army nor his bravery. A handful of 'Arabs destroyed him in Palestine, massacred his champions and the rest fled in defeat. I have been informed that a man called Khalid bin al-Walid is invading from 'Iraq. He has conquered Arakah, Sakhnah, Palmyra and Hawran and is swiftly heading here. I therefore suggest that we render Jizyah to the' Arabs and place ourselves under their protection in order to avert this disaster."
The Romans were so infuriated at his words that they wanted to kill him, so he quickly said, "I was merely testing your loyalty to Christianity. I am with you and will go first to confront them."
The Romans prepared for battle and donned leather armour. Seeing this, Shurahbil ~ addressed his troops, "May Allah have mercy on you. Rasulullah ~ has said that Paradise lies beneath the shadow of swords and that the most beloved drop unto Allah is a drop of blood shed in Allah's Path and a tear-drop shed out of fear of Allah. Fight in all earnest and fire your arrows simultaneously so that they are not wasted."
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Futiihushdm
He then ordered them to rest and so they encamped and comforted each other.
The next day the Roman army again came. Khalid ~ said to his men, "The people of Busra think, 'Their men and horses must be tired from the journey', and advance against us. You should place your trust in Allah."
The Muslims armed themselves and mounted their horses. He then put Rafi' bin 'Umayrah at-Iii! in charge of the right wing, and .Qiriir bin al-Azwar bin Tiiriq al- Kind! ~ over the left wing. Qiriir ~ was a brave young man whose intelligence and bravery was famous. The infantry was under' Abdurahman bin Humayd al-Lakhmi, Khalid ~ split the advance-force under Musayyab bin 'Utbah and Math'flr bin Ghanim and said, "When I give the order, jump immediately onto your horses and attack."
Khalid and 'Abdurahman ~ were advising the army and intended to attack when suddenly a strong massive horseman (Romanus), on whom gold, silver, silk and rubies glittered, emerged from the Roman ranks. He stopped in between the two armies and called out in 'Arabic in a bedouin accent.
Romanus : I am the governor of Busra. None but your leader should come to combat me.
Khalid ~ came forward.
Romanus : Are you the leader?
Khdlid ~ : Yes, the Muslims will obey me for as long as I obey Allah, If I should disobey Him, then my position is lost.
Romanus : I am of the Roman royal class and one of their sages. Truth can never be hidden from an intelligent man with foresight. I have read in the Scriptures and war prophecies that God will send a prophet from the Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe whose name will be Muhammad.
Khdlid ~ : He is our Prophet.
Romanus : Was any book revealed to him? Khdlid ~ : Yes, the Quran,
Khiilid.
We punish whoever drinks alcohol, lash a fornicator and stone an adulterer.Romanus : Has Salah been made compulsory upon you? Khdlid • : Yes, five times a day
Romanus : Has Jihad been made compulsory?
Khdlid
e» :
If Jihad was not made compulsory, then why else should we have come to fight you?Romanus : I know that you people are on the Truth and I have great love for you. I have warned my people so that they can be safe, but they refuse to listen. I greatly fear for them.
Khiilid. :
You should recite, "I testify that there is no deity besides Allah alone. Hehas no partner. And I testify that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger." If you recite this then we and you share all benefits and loss.
Romanus : I will certainly become a Muslim but I fear that my people will kill me and enslave my women. However, I shall go to them and warn them. Perhaps Allah will guide them.
Khiilid. :
I fear that if you return without fighting me, they may harm you. Let uspretend to fight each other so that they do not accuse you and then you can return.
So they pretended to fight until Romanus said, "Attack forcefully so that I can flee the battlefield. Caesar has sent Darian to help and reinforce me. I fear that he will harm you."
Khdlid
e: :
Allah will help me against him.He then violently attacked Romanus who fled to his people and Khalid 4$b did not ehase him. The Romans questioned Romanus as to what had oceured and so he said,
"0 People, the 'Arabs are energetic and clever. You cannot win against them. They
will conquer Syria and the whole Roman Empire. Fear God and obey the 'Arabs. Enter into their protection just as Arakah, Palmyra and Hawran have done. I only desire good for you."
They responded with threats and abuse and would have killed him had it not been for fear of Caesar's retaliation. They said, "Go home. We will deal with the 'Arabs."
Futuhushdm