Futuhusham_-_The_Islamic_Conquest_of_Syria_-_Al_Waqidi

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his saddle. He struck very hard and guarded himself well. Both became more
cautious of the other, but each one desperate to get at the other.
Qirar ~ ended up alone with the patrician with no Muslim nearby. He went further
out to ensnare the enemy and so the patrician and his men came after him to attack
him. He was searching for a place where his horse could manoeuvre when suddenly
someone came at him from the darkness of the night. His horse stumbled and he fell
to the ground. He sprang up to grab the horse but could not find a way to do that, so
he stood facing the enemy with his sword and shield in hand. He started fighting the
enemy and persevered like noble ones persevere so that nobody could censure him
with regard to his duty to Allah. The patrician wanted to hit him with a pole. When
he struck out, .Qirar ~ avoided it and then sprang at him like a lion and struck such
a blow at the horse that unsettled it. He then stood and clenched his fist to hit it a
second time right in its eye.
The horse fell to the ground and the Christian fell down on his back and could not
get up because he was stuck in the saddle. So .Qirar ~ went to deal with him before
his men arrived and struck him on his shoulder tendon, but the sword bounced off
without effect. The Christian resisted, so .Qirar ~ seized him and found him to be like
a great mountain. He pressed his chest and sat on his throat. He had a knife which
was made in Yaman which he always kept with him. He took it out of the scabbard
and began cutting the enemy of Allah from his chest to his navel until he fell down
dead and Allah sped his' soul to Hell. Qirar ~ then got up and sat on the horse of
Allah's enemy. It had on it much gold, silver and gems worth a large amount. He
attacked, shouting, "Allahu Akbar!" and scattered them left and right.
12) The booty
In the meantime Ibn Ja'far ~ captured the monastery and all those within it. The
Muslims surrounded the monastery, but did not seize anything awaiting Khalid's ~
return from pursuing the enemy. He pursued them until they reached a great river
which separated them from Tripoli. The Romans knew its crossings and crossed over
leaving Khalid ~ stranded. He returned to the ~anabah ~ of Rasulullah i3 and found
that they had occupied the monastery and killed the patrician. They were spread out
gathering the booty and all the goods, carpets, fabric, clothing, food etc. which they
found in the market.
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