The Origins of the Islamic State/Part 2/Chapter 5
CHAPTER V
The Battle of Fiḥl in the Province of the Jordan
Abu-ʿUbaidah commander-in-chief. The battle of Fiḥl[1] in the province of the Jordan was fought two days before the end of dhu-l-Ḳaʿdah and five months after the proclamation of ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb as caliph. The commander-in-chief was abu-ʿUbaidah ibn-al-Jarrâḥ, to whom ʿUmar had sent a letter with ʿÂmir ibn-abi-Waḳḳâṣ, a brother of Saʿd ibn-abi-Waḳḳâṣ, conferring on him the governorship of Syria and the chief command.[2]
Some say that the appointment of abu-ʿUbaidah to the governorship of Syria was received when Damascus was under siege. Khâlid being the chief commander in time of war, abu-ʿUbaidah concealed the appointment from him for many days.[3] When asked by Khâlid for the reason, abu-ʿUbaidah said, "I hated to dishearten thee and weaken thy position as thou stoodst facing an enemy."
Terms made after the victory. The way this battle came about was that when Heraclius came to Antioch he summoned the Greeks and the inhabitants of Mesopotamia to go forth to war, putting them under the command of one of his men in whom he trusted. These met the Moslems at Fiḥl in the province of the Jordan and a most fierce and bloody battle ensued, which ended, by Allah's help, in the victory of the Moslems. The Greek patrician with about 10,000 men was slaughtered, and the rest of the army distributed themselves in the cities of Syria, some of them joining Heraclius. The inhabitants of Fiḥl took to the fortifications where they were besieged by the Moslems until they sought to surrender, agreeing to pay tax on their heads and kharâj on their lands. The Moslems promised them the security of life and property, agreeing not to demolish their walls. The contract was made by abu-ʿUbaidah ibn-al-Jarrâḥ, but according to others, by Shuraḥbîl ibn-Ḥasanah.