he was met by the singers and tambourine players of the inhabitants of Adhriʿât[1] with swords and myrtle. Seeing that, ʿUmar shouted 'Keep still! Stop them!' But abu-ʿUbaidah replied, 'This is their custom (or some other word like it), "Commander of the Believers," and if thou shouldst stop them from doing it, they would take that as indicating thy intention to violate their covenant.' ' Well, then, said ʿUmar, 'let them go on.'"
The plague of ʿAmawâs. The plague of ʿAmawâs [Emmaus] occurred in the year 18. To it a great many Moslems fell victim, among whom was abu-ʿUbaidah ibn-al-Jarrâḥ (who was 58 years old and a commander in the army) and Muʿâdh ibn-Jabal of the banu-Salimah of al-Khazraj who was surnamed abu-ʿAbd-ar-Raḥmân and who died in the district of al-Uḳḥuwânah in the province of the Jordan, aged 38. This Muâdh, abu-ʿUbaidah on his deathbed had appointed as his successor. According to others he appointed ʿIyâḍ ibn-Ghanm al-Fîhri. Some others say he appointed ʿAmr ibn-al-Âṣi who appointed his own son as successor and departed for Egypt. Al-Faḍl ibn-al-ʿAbbâs ibn-ʿAbd-al-Muṭṭalib, surnamed abu-Muḥammad, fell, according to some, as martyr in Ajnâdân; but the fact is that he was a victim to the plague at ʿAmawâs. Other victims were Shuraḥbîl ibn-Ḥasanah, surnamed abu-ʿAbdallâh (who died 69 years old); Suhail ibn-ʿAmr of the banu-ʿÂmir ibn-Luʾai, surnamed abu-Yazîd; and al-Ḥârith ibn-Hishâm ibn-al-Mughîrah-l-Makhzûmi (who, according to others, fell a martyr in the battle of Ajnâdîn).
Yazîd ibn-abi-Sufyân governor of Syria. When ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb received the news of the death of abu-ʿUbaidah, he wrote to Yazid ibn-abi-Sufyan appointing him in his place as governor of Syria, and ordering him to
- ↑ Edrei of Numbers xxi: 33.
