Hazrat Umar Farooq — Page 26
going back. As he was returning the Holy Prophet said to him, “Suraqa! How would you feel with the gold bangles of the king of Persia on your wrists?” Suraqa was amazed to hear those prophetic words. Later on he accepted Islam and lived in Madinah. He wore those gold bangles in order to provide the visible proof of the great prophecy. THE CONQUEST OF EGYPT THE BATTLE OF FUSTAT Hadhrat Amr bin Al-Aas was the Commander of Muslim army in Egypt. After capturing city after city the Muslim army reached Fustat. In those days Fustat was a plain, which lay between river Nile and a hill called Maqtam and was covered with green fields and pastures. There was a royal fort where the Roman officials stationed in Egypt, used to live. Hadhrat Amr bin Al-Aas besieged the fort. The siege dragged on for some months. Hadhrat Umar sent some reinforcement from Madinah. As a result the whole town fell to Muslims. FALL OF ALEXANDRIA After the conquest of Fustat the Muslim army took the road to Alexandria. Alexandria was a walled city. The Muslims besieged the city, which lasted for several months. When the Muslims increased the pressure the Roman soldiers left the city and fled to Constantinople and the city was left to the care of the Egyptians. The Egyptians opened the gates of the city to the Muslims and made a treaty with them. From Alexandria the Muslims marched to Memphis, the then capital of Egypt where they won the battle after some resistance. Thus the whole of Egypt came into the hands of Muslims. THE RIVER NILE BEGINS TO FLOW AGAIN When Hadhrat Amr bin Al-Aas conquered Egypt, the River Nile was completely dry and this worried the Egyptians. River water was essential for the irrigation of their land. According to their pagan custom they believed that River Nile was demanding a human sacrifice. They told the Muslims, “Whenever it dries up, we take a virgin, dress her in beautiful clothes and with the consent of her parents, throw her into the water as a sacrifice to please the river Nile. ” When Hadhrat Umar came to know about this, he said, “Muslims are not superstitious, and won’t do any such thing. ” He then wrote something on a piece of paper and sent it to the Muslim Commander Hadhrat Amr bin Al-Aas, instructing him to throw it into the river. Hadhrat Amr bin Al-Aas found the following writing on the paper: “From Umar to the River Nile. If you flow according to your own will, then do as you please, and go dry if you please, but if you flow according to God’s will and command, then I pray to my God that you begin flowing again. ” Hadhrat Amr bin Al-Aas gathered some people, showed them the letter and then threw it into the river. Shortly afterwards, to everyone’s surprise, the river began to flow again. When the people saw this sign, they were very impressed by the Muslims and gradually superstition was eradicated from Egyptian society. 26