Futuhusham_-_The_Islamic_Conquest_of_Syria_-_Al_Waqidi

Futii!J.usfuim
destination is dust. (The eating of such luxuries was contrary to his ascetic nature -
translator s note).
Yazid bin Abi Sufydn ~ : Prices are low in these lands. We eat all those things Bilal
mentions for the same amount of money we would spend in al-Hijaz in a given
period.
'Umar ~.: Then there is no harm. Eat as much as much you like. However, I will not
leave here until you compile a register of all the poor Muslims who live in these
towns and cities so that I can stipulate for each household sufficient wheat, barley,
honey, olive-oil and other necessities. This is to come from the governors and is
separate from what comes from my side from the state-treasury. If they fail to do this,
I will dismiss them.
'Umar ~ then intended mounting his camel. He was dressed in woollen rags patched
in twenty-four places, some of the patches being of leather. (In that era cloth was
expensive and leather more freely available - translator s note). The Muslims
therefore said, "0 Commander ofthe Believers, why do you not mount a better camel
and wear some better white clothes?"
'Umar ~ did this.
Az-Zubayr .• narrates:
I estimate that the robes were worth fifteen dirham and were of Egyptian origin. Abu
'Ubaydah ~ gave him the linen cloth which was neither new nor worn-out and he
draped it over his shoulder. AbU 'Ubaydah ~ presented him with a grey Turkish
horse captured from the horses of the Romans. When 'Umar ~ mounted it, it
started galloping swiftly. He quickly dismounted and said, "Forgive my mistake and
Allah will forgive your mistake on the Day of Judgement. Your ruler was almost
destroyed by the vanity and pride which had entered his heart. I have heard
Rasulullah !3 saying, 'He who has an atom of pride in him will not enter Jannah.'
Your white robe and swift horse were close to ruining me."
He then stripped off the white linen and put on his patched rags.
11) The world tries to seduce 'Umar"
AI-Waqidi narrates:
'Ubadah bin 'Awf ad-Dinuri was a great scholar,who would speak in rhymed
sentences. He was reading.the stories of the conquests of Syria and Baytul Muqaddas
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