Futuhusham_-_The_Islamic_Conquest_of_Syria_-_Al_Waqidi

Futu!J.ushiim
Muslims spent the night rejoicing until morning. They then found no trace of the
Romans, most of them having drowned in the creek.
'Amir bin Yllsir narrates from Nawfal bin 'Ad! who narrates from Jllbir bin
Na!r who narrates from Hamid bin Majid:
AbU 'Ubaydah • tried to have the Romans counted but the sheer magnitude
overwhelmed him. He then ordered reeds to be cut from the valley and placed on
each corpse (numbered? - translators note) and found the dead to be 105,000 and
the prisoners 40,000. This was excluding those drowned in the creek. 4,000 Muslims
were martyred.
He also found several heads in the Yarmfik River and it could not be determined
whether they were Roman or 'Arab. He then prayed S-aHitulJaniizah over the martyrs.
The Muslims went to the mountains and valleys to capture the fugitives. They met a
shepherd and asked him, "Did any Romans pass through here?"
"Yes," he replied, "A patrician passed by me with about 40,000 men."
That was none other than Bannes. Khalid • took his elite squad and went in pursuit
of them. He caught up with them in Damascus. When he saw them he called out,
"Allahu Akbar!"
The Muslims called out, "Allahu Akbar!" and attacked, killing a mass of them.
Bannes got off his horse in order to disguise himself to be safe. However, a Muslim
came and killed him. It was either an-Nu'man bin Jahlah al-Azdi or 'A~im bin
Khawwal al-Yarbu'I.
The people of Damascus came out to meet Khalid • and said to him, "We remain
upon the treaty which we agreed upon."
Khiilid. : Yes, so you do.
He then went in pursuit of the Romans, killing them wherever he found them until
he reached the Pass of the Eagle where he remained for a day. He then advanced
towards Him~. Upon being informed of this, AbU 'Ubaydah • and his men went to
meet up with him. The other commanders were spread out in all directions hunting
down the fugitives.
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