Futuhusham_-_The_Islamic_Conquest_of_Syria_-_Al_Waqidi

Futuhushdm
"Take it immediately to AbU 'Ubaydah and stay alert." So he mounted and went
towards Syria. Khalid 4 ordered the army to march on.
Arakah was a dangerous place for travellers from Iraq. There the Romans would
collect taxes from murderous brigands and used to appoint a governor to reside there.
When the Muslims arrived, Khalid 4 ordered them to confiscate all wealth in the
place and the outskirts, and this was done. The inhabitants took refuge in a fort where
there lived a Roman sage. Amongst other sciences he had studied the prophecies of
war. When he saw the Muslims he turned pale and said, "I take oath by your religion!
The time has come." The people asked him, "What time?"
He replied, "These people have been mentioned in the prophecies. It is written that
the first flag to come here from 'Iraq will be a victorious flag. The destruction of the
Romans will be at hand. Examine them carefully - if their flag is black, the leader is
broadly built, tall, fleshy, broad shouldered, strong in appearance, pox-marked in the
face and wheat-coloured, then know that he will conquer Syria." They saw that that
was his exact description so they went to the governor and said, "You know that the
sage, Samuel, never utters a word without wisdom and we have seen with our very
own eyes whatever he described to us. We feel that we should make peace with the
'Arabs in order to protect our wealth, children and households." He replied, "Let me
think until morning comes."
So the governor went home passing the whole night pondering over the issue. He was
a highly intelligent man and so examining all factors, said to himself, "If! oppose the
citizens it is possible that they seize me and hand me over to the' Arabs. I know with
certainty that a small 'Arab force defeated Rubius in Palestine because terror of the
'Arabs is so embedded in the hearts of the Romans that it will never leave."
In the morning he summoned the citizenry and asked, "What do you intend?" They
replied, "We wish to make peace with the 'Arabs and stay here in our city." He said,
"I am but one of you and cannot oppose you." A widely travelled and experienced
man was sent to Khalid 4 to offer peace. He accepted and spoke to him gently and
politely in the hope that when the people of Sakhnah, Hawran, Palmyra and al-
Qaraytayn heard of the peace, they would also accept Islamic rule. He said, "I am
making peace on the conditions that I shall withdraw my army from here, that
whoever wishes to join Islam will be welcomed and whoever stays on his religion
will have to pay Jizyah."
Khalid 4 levied 2,000 dirhams and 1,000 dinars on them and signed a treaty. Before
he even left there, the people of Sakhnah came to make peace. When the people of
Palmyra heard about this, their governor, Karkar, gathered them and said, "I have
46