CHAPTER I
The Conquest of Syria
The "tying of the three banners." When abu-Bakr was done with the case of those who apostatized, he saw fit[1] to direct his troops against Syria. To this effect he wrote to the people of Makkah, aṭ-Ṭâʾif, al-Yaman, and all the Arabs in Najd and al-Ḥijâz calling them for a "holy war" and arousing their desire in it and in the obtainable booty from the Greeks. Accordingly, people, including those actuated by greed as well as those actuated by the hope of divine remuneration, hastened to abu-Bakr from all quarters, and flocked to al-Madînah. Abu-Bakr gave three banners[2] to three men [appointed them commanders] namely: Khâlid ibn-Saʿîd ibn-al-ʿÂṣi ibn-Umaiyah, Shuraḥbîl ibn-Ḥasanah, an ally of the banu-Jumaḥ and ʿAmr ibn-al-ʿÂṣi ibn-Wâʾil as-Sahmi. (Shuraḥbîl, according to al-Wâḳidi, was the son of ʿAbdallâh ibn-al-Muṭâʿ al-Kindi, Ḥasanah being his mother and a freedmaid of Maʿmar ibn-Ḥabîb ibn-Wahb ibn-Ḥudhâfah ibn-Jumaḥ. But according to al-Kalbi, Shuraḥbîl was the son of Rabîʿah ibn-al-Muṭâʿ descended from Ṣûfah, i. e., al-Ghauth ibn-Murr ibn-Udd ibn-Ṭâbikhah.)[3] The tying of these banners took place on Thursday the first of Ṣafar, year 13, after the troops had camped at al-Jurf throughout the month of Muḥarram with abu-ʿUbaidah ibn-al-Jarrâḥ leading their prayers. Abu-
