Banishment
of the Najrân Christians
Umar Faruq (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) asked Ya‘la bin Umayyah to go to Yemen
and tell the Christians of Najrân to leave the country and that they would be provided
with land that was more fertile plus other facilities in Syria.
Some narrow-minded persons hold this
banishment of the Christians as an unjust step. However, these people ignore
the evil designs and conspiratorial activities of the Jews of Al-Madinah
injurious to the Muslim cause. They overlook how they incited the Romans to
invade Al-Madinah. The Christians of Najrân were playing the same role against
the Muslims in that area. Since the Prophet (صلى الله
عليه وآله وسلم) was well-aware of the usurious and anti-Islamic activities of
the Jews and the Christians of Al-Madinah and Najrân, he wanted them to be
driven off Arabian soil lest their evil habits made inroads into the Muslim society.
The agreement signed by the Prophet (صلى الله عليه
وآله وسلم) and the Najrân Christians included as one of the conditions
that they would give up the practice of usury but they failed to implement it.
Thus, they deserved such an extreme step by involving themselves in
collaboration with the Romans on one hand and hatching conspiracies against the
Muslims on the other. We so often come across in history books, newspapers and
magazines how people have been or are now being exiled by the civilized nations
forcing them to leave hearth and home, wealth and property, they are even
indulged in the mass killings also on a very large scale. In comparison to
these exiles and brutal killings, the exile of the Christians of Najrân was
very humane.
Conquest
of Damascus
After a major defeat at the hands of
the Muslim troops in the battle of Yarmuk, the Roman soldiers took to their
heels and stopped only at Fihl. Heraclius shocked and disappointed issued fresh
orders for the Roman soldiers to assemble again. Damascus was refortified and
large reinforcements from Palestine and Hims were arranged. Nastas bin Nasturas
was appointed the commander-in-chief of the Syrian forces. Mâhân, the governor
of Damascus was already there.
The Muslim army was still in Yarmuk.
Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrâh dispatched the Iraqi detachment accompanied by Khâlid
bin Walid to Iraq under the command of Hâshim bin Utbah as per the orders of
the Caliph. He sent a contingent towards Fihl and the rest of the army was
divided into a number of divisions. A column was sent under the command of
Dhul-Kala‘ to obstruct the movement of the Roman reinforcements from Hims to
Damascus, and another column was sent to stop them marching from Palestine to
Damascus. Abu Ubaidah himself proceeded to Damascus at the head of the remaining
troops. He conquered Ghutah before reaching Damascus and then laid a siege
around the city in the last of Rajab 13 AH. Although the city contained a large
garrison, the Romans could not muster enough courage to face the Muslims in the
open. They had to take refuge in their strong fortifications and use defensive
means of war. Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrâh camped at Al-Jâbiah gate while Khâlid
bin Walid and Amr bin Al-Âs (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
moved towards Tuma gate, and Shurahbil bin Hasanah and Yazid bin Abu Sufyân
appeared respectively at Farâwis, and Saghir and Kisân gates. Thus, Damascus
was besieged on all sides. At times the besieged Romans hurled stones through catapults
and shot arrows at the Muslim soldiers, which were countered effectively and
without delay. The siege dragged on for about six months. The reinforcements
dispatched by Heraclius to Damascus were effectively intercepted by Dhul-Kala‘.
At last, the people of Damascus lost hope of Heraclius’ help and their zeal for
battle began to dissolve. Abu Ubaidah on being informed of their distress and
despair, issued orders to all the commanders to launch a full-scale attack the
next morning.
When the besieged Romans came to
know of the next step of the Muslim army, a deputation appeared before Khâlid
bin Walid at Tuma gate and sought peace, which the Muslim commander immediately
granted and entered the city without any fight. The peace document written by
Khâlid bin Walid is given below:
“Khâlid bin Walid has made
concessions for the people of Damascus that they will be granted peace on the
entry of the Islamic army into Damascus and their lives, properties and
churches would remain safe and intact. Moreover, neither fortifications of the
city nor the houses will be demolished nor any member of the Islamic force will
be allowed to reside in any house. The Muslims and their Caliph will practice
nothing but good to the people of Damascus while they keep paying the Jiziyah
(tax).”
About the same time that Khâlid bin
Walid entered the city with the peace agreement, other commanders and their men
forced into the city through ladders and by breaking the gates open. Khâlid and
Ubaidain came across each other in the middle of the city. Abu Ubaidah claimed
that he had conquered the city with his sword while Khâlid argued that he had
seized it through the process of peace.
Some narratives lend support to the
view that even if the peace agreement was signed at the request of Mâhân, the
governor of Damascus, he also wanted to see the might of the Muslim forces. If
the Muslim assault met with failure, their defensive efforts would continue not
caring the least for the peace document with Khâlid bin Walid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), but if the Muslim
campaign was crowned with success and they made their entry by force, these
documents would come to their rescue. When the two commanders met in the middle
of the city, the question that came up was whether the city was peacefully
seized or conquered by force. Some people argued the point that since Khâlid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) was simply a
commander, he had no right to write a peace document when the
commander-in-chief was there to take a final decision. However, Abu Ubaidah bin
Jarrâh (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) rejected this point
by saying that if peace or shelter was provided even by an ordinary member of
the army, it applied to everyone. He declared peace to prevail in the entire
city according to the peace document of Khâlid (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and every point therein was handled with due care. The
citizens of Damascus enjoyed perfect peace. Yazid bin Abu Sufyân (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) was appointed as the
governor of Damascus who not only brought peace to the city but let the Roman
soldiers go at will.
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