CHAPTER VI
The Province of the Jordan
Tiberias makes terms. Ḥafṣ ibn-ʿUmar al-ʿUmari from al-Haitham ibn-ʿAdi:—Shuraḥbîl conquered all the province of the Jordan [al-Urdunn] by force, with the exception of Tiberias, whose inhabitants came to terms, agreeing to give up one-half of their homes and churches.[1]
ʿAmr ibn-al-ʿÂṣi and then abu-ʿUbaidah in chief command. Abu-Ḥafṣ ad-Dimasḥki from abu-Bishr—the muezzin of the mosque at Damascus—and others:—When the Moslems arrived in Damascus, each commander used to direct his forces to a special region which he would make the object of his incursions. Thus ʿAmr ibn-al-ʿÂṣi used to go against Palestine, Shuraḥbîl against the Jordan province and Yazîd ibn-abi-Sufyân against the province of Damascus. In case the enemy was massed in one group, they would all combine against him, each [commander] hastening to the support and the reinforcement of the other. In the early days of abu-Bakr, when they would join forces, the commander-in-chief would be ʿAmr ibn-al-ʿÂṣi. This was the case until the arrival of Khâlid ibn-al-Walîd, who became the commander of the Moslems in every battle. Abu-ʿUbaidah ibn-al-Jarrâḥ later assumed the chief command in the whole of Syria, and the commanders acknowledged him as their chief for war and peace in behalf of ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb. This was brought about when ʿUmar was
- ↑ Ṭabari, vol. i, p . 2159.
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