A- R- A B- I AV 
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The inhabitants became'tributaries; and, according to 
Eutychius, the tribute collected on this occafion amounted 
to 7)0,000 pieces of money. This, according to A 1 Ma* 
liin, was thofirft tribute-money ever brought to Medina. 
The exigence of the khalif’s affairs, however, did not 
fiiffer Khaled long to remain in Irak. Before the depar¬ 
ture of the army under his command, Abu Beer had come 
to a refolution to invade Syria; and-, finding Ms defign ap¬ 
proved by the principal officers of his court, he lent cir¬ 
cular letters to the petty princes- of Yaman, tire chief men 
of Mecca, &c. informing them of his intention to take 
Syria out of-the- hands of the infidels ; acquainting them* 
at the fame time, that a war for tlie propagation of the 
true religion was- an aft of obedience to God. To thefe 
letters they paid a-proper regard ; and in a very fhort time 
they all appeared at Medina at the head of their refpec- 
tive troops, and pitched their tents round the city. Here 
they (laid till the Modem army deftined to aft againft Sy¬ 
ria was completely formed, and in a capacity to begin its. 
march. The khalif having viewed the troops from the 
top of an hill,- and prayed to God for fuccefs, attended- 
the generals-fame way on foot. As the generals vs ere on 
liorfeback, they could not forbear exprelTing their uneafi- 
nefs at the khalifs-thus demeaning himlelf; but he told 
them, that it- dignified little whether they \\ aiked on foot¬ 
er rode,- as they had all the fame views, viz. the fervice of 
God, and the propagation of' religion. At parting, he 
addreffed Yezid Ebn Abu Sofian, w ho had the fupreme 
command, in the following manner: “ Take care,-Yezid 
Ebn Abu Sofian, to treat your men v\ ith tendernefs and- 
lenity. Confult with your officers on all prefling occafions, 
and encourage them to face the enemy with bravery and 
refolution. If you fiiull happen to be viftorioits, deftroy 
neither old people, women, nor children. Cut down no 
palm-trees, nor burn any fields'of corn: Spare all fruit- 
trees, and flay no cattle but fuuli as you fltall take for your 
own life. Adhere always inviolably- to your engagements,, 
and put none of the religious perfons you Avail meet with¬ 
in monafteries to the fwovd. -Offer no violence to the places 
they ferve God in,- As for tliofe members of the fyna- 
gogues of Satan who fiave their crowns , cleave their fkulls,- 
and give them no quarter, except they embrace Iflamifnv 
(Mahometanifm), or pay tribute.” 
Heraclius, the Greek emperor, was greatly alarmed at 
the approach of the Modem army ; however, he made all 
neceliary preparations for his defence,- and lent out a de¬ 
tachment to reconnoitre the enemy. Thefe having fallen 
in with the Arabs, a battle enfued, in which the Greeks 
were defeated witli the lofs of 1200 men, while the Arabs 
loft only 120. This was fucceeded by a great many (kir¬ 
n-fifties, in which the Modems were generally victorious. 
The rich fpoils taken on thefe occafions were fent as a pre- 
fent to the khalif; who, having acquainted the inhabitants 
of Mecca Vvith his good fuccefs, they were fb elated, that 
they furnifhed him with a ftrong reinforcement, which was 
immediately ordered into Syria, Khaled’s next exploit 
was the reduction of Bofira, a very rich and populous city 
of Syria Damafcena. Having left a garrifon of 400 men 
in Boftra, and being joined by Abu Obeidah’s forces, he 
laid fiege to Damafcus with an army of 45,000 men. This 
fo alarmed the emperor, that he difpatched 100,000 cho- 
fen troops commanded by one Werdan, to the relief of 
that city. Khaled, 01V hearing of the approach of this 
formidable army, was for marching immediately with all 
his forces, and giving them battle ; but this was oppofed 
by Obeidali, as i-t would enable the inhabitants of Damaf¬ 
cus to procure frefh fupplies both of arms and providons, 
and confequently render the reduction of the place more 
difficult. It was, therefore, agreed, that a body of troops 
jfliould be detached under Derar Ebn A 1 Wazar, an ex¬ 
cellent officer, to fight the enemy, whilft the fiege was 
.carried on by the two generals. 
Rivaled, fearing left Derar’s furious- zeal and hatred to 
the Greek Chriftians ffiould prove fatal to his tr.oops, told 
iUu before his departure, that, though they were com¬ 
manded to fight for the propagation of their religion, yet* 
they were not allowed to throwaway the lives of tlveis" 
men ; and therefore ordered him to retire to the main body; 
of the army, in cafe he found himfelf preffed by a fupe- 
rior force. But Derar, deaf' to his falufary admonition,, 
with his fmall body of troops rufifed upon the whole Chri- 
ftian army, notwithfianding the vaft di(proportion of num¬ 
bers. He charged them, how ever, with fuch bravery, that he 
penetrated to the fpot where the general ’gave his orders, 
killed tlie ftandard-bearer, and carried off the ftandard it- 
felf,. in which was a-crofs richly adorned with precious 
(tones. Nay, he would’ in all probability have put Wer-. 
dan’s army to flight;, hadmot the general’s (on, the com¬ 
mandant of Hems, arrived in the heat of the engagement 
with a reinforcement of 10,000 men ; with which he at¬ 
tacked the Modems fo brifkly in the rear, that he forced’ 
them to retire, and took Derar himfelf prifoner. This- 
fo difeouraged the Modems, that they would have taken- 
to their heels, had not Raft Ebn Omerrah animated them 
with the following words : “ What! do not you know,, 
that whoever turns his back upon bis enemies offends God 
and his prophet ? and that the propliet declared tlie gates 
of paradife fliould be open to none but fuch as fought for 
religion ? Come on! I will go before you. If your cap¬ 
tain be dead, or taken prifoner, yet your God is alive, and 
fees what you do.” This exhortation had tlie defired ef- 
feft ; and, liis troops,,returning to tlie charge, maintained 
their ground with unparalleled bravery, till Klialed arrived 
with a conftderable body of infantry, and kooo horfe. 
This event turned the fortune of tlie day. A party of the 
imperial army went'over to the Modems, and the reft were, 
defeated. Derar was alfo retaken, and carried off in tri¬ 
umph. However, Werdan, having collefted the (battered 
remains of his forces, and received a reinforcement from 
the emperor, found his army dill amounted to 70,000 
men, with which he refolved to- make another (land for 
the relief of Damafcus. They- were attended with (till 
worfe fuccefs in this fecond attempt than they had been, 
before ; being utterly defeated with the lofs of 50,000 
men, in confequence of which tlie city furrendered. This- 
event happened in the year 63.4; and the very day that 
Damafcus was taken, Abu Beer died of a confumption, m 
the 63d year of his age. He was fucceeded by Omar,gand‘ 
the firft titleaffigned liimwas, The khalif of the khalif of the 
apofle of God. But the Arabs, conddering, that by the 
additions to be continually made at the acceflion of every 
new khalif, the title would become too long, they with, 
one voice fainted him Emperor of the believers ; which here¬ 
ditary title defeended afterwards to his fucceffors by a kind 
of right. 
The new khalif was no fooner fettled,, than lie placed 
Abu Obeidali in tlie chief command of the army of Syria, 
being greatly difpleafed with the fanguinary difpofition of 
Klialed. He alfo commanded Abu Obeidah to have an 
eye upon Paleftine, and to invade it as foon as opportu¬ 
nity oftered. Khaled bore his difgrace with great magna, 
nimity : and fwore, that though he always had the greateft 
regard for Abu Beer, and the utmoft- averfion to Omar, 
yet he would fubmit to God’s will, and obey the new kha, 
lif as'the lawful fucced’or of Mahomet. The Modem 
forces in the mean time, having made proper difpofitions. 
for improving the advantages they had gained, Abu Obei¬ 
dah font a detachment of 500 horfe to ' Dair Abil Kodos, a- 
bout 30 miles from Damafcus, to plunder the Chriftians 
there. He next fet about reducing the principal fortreftes 
in Syria, and foon became mafter of Kinnifrin, Baalbec, 
Adefian, Shaizar, and Hems ; on the news of which, the 
Greek emperor Heraclius, refolving if podible to putaftop 
to the unprovoked ravages of the Modems, fent againff 
them an army of 240,000 men, commanded by one Ma- 
ntrel, whom the Arabs call Mahan. But this vaft multi¬ 
tude was utterly defeated by Khaled ; upon whom Abu 
Obeidah conferred the fupreme command, on account of 
his fuperior (kill in military affairs. This battle was fought 
near a village called Ycrmouk ; and, according to the Ara¬ 
bia^ 
