Fusṭâṭ and camped at the myrtle gardens, as the people of al-Fusṭâṭ had dug moats. The name of the city was Alyûnah,[1] but the Moslems called it Fusṭâṭ because they said, "This is the meeting place [Ar. fusṭâṭ] of the people, and the place where they assemble." Others say that ʿAmr pitched a tent [also fusṭâṭ] in it, and it bore its name from it.[2]
As ʿAmr ibn-al-Âṣi was besieging al-Fusṭâṭ, he was joined by az-Zubair ibn-al-ʿAuwâm ibn-Khuwailid at the head of 10,000—others say 12,000 men—among whom were Khârijah ibn-Ḥudhâfah-l-ʿAdawi and ʿUmair ibn-Wahb al-Jumaḥi. Az-Zubair was on the point of leading an incursion and wanted to go to Antioch; but ʿUmar said to him, "Abu-ʿAbdallâh, wouldst thou like to take the governorship of Egypt?" To this az-Zubair replied, "I do not care for it, but would like to go there on a holy war and co-operate with the Moslems. If I find that ʿAmr has already reduced it, I would not interfere with his affairs, but would go to some sea-coast and keep post at it; but if I find him in the struggle, I shall fight on his side." With this understanding, he left.
Az-Zubair led the attack on one side, and ʿAmr ibn-al-ʿÂṣi on the other. Finally az-Zubair brought a ladder and climbed on it until, with his sword unsheathed, he looked down upon the fort and exclaimed, "Allah is great!" and so did the Moslems exclaim and follow him up. Thus he took the fort by assault, and the Moslems considered it legal to take all that was in it. ʿAmr made its holders dhimmis, imposed a poll-tax on their person and kharâj on their land, and communicated that to ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb who endorsed it. Az-Zubair marked certain lots in Miṣr [Old
