Futuhusham_-_The_Islamic_Conquest_of_Syria_-_Al_Waqidi

Part 4: Baytul Muqaddas
AbU 'Ubaydah ~ : 0 enemy of Allah, you lie! You people have never taken Allah to
be One. Allah has informed us in His Book that you say, "Christ is the son of God"
but there is no deity except Allah. He is Pure and High, incomparably high above
what the oppressors attribute to Him.
Patriarch: Then this option we cannot accept. What is the second option?
AbU 'Ubaydah ~ : You will surrender your city and pay us the Jizyah in a state of
humility just as the other cities of Syria are paying.
Patriarch : That is even worse than the first option because we do not lower
ourselves to anyone.
AbU 'Ubaydah ~ : Then we will fight you until Allah grants us victory over you. We
will enslave your women and children and kill all the men who oppose the
declaration of Allah's Unity and cling to their declaration of disbelief.
Patriarch: We shall not surrender our city even if it means death. Why should we
surrender when we have ample provisions to withstand your siege, excellent
equipment and powerful soldiers? We are not like those cities which voluntarily paid
Jizyah. They are people upon whom Christ is angry, hence He placed them under
your rule. However, we live in a city in which if anyone prays to Christ, He answers
him.
AbU 'Ubaydah ~ : You lie again, 0 enemy of Allah.
Christ, son of Mary, was nothing but a Messenger. Many
Messengers passed before him and his mother was a truthful,
virtuous lady. Both of them ate food (which Allah does not do).
[5:75J
Patriarch: I swear by Christ! Even if you besiege us for twenty years you will never
be able to conquer us. We will only be conquered by a certain man who is described
in our Scriptures and knowledge. This city will be conquered by a companion of
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