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Chapter: The Prophet’s—peace and blessings be upon him—Battles against the Christians
After dispatching letters to the kings, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, turned to campaigning against the Christians. His first step was to send Zayd ibn Haritha, Jaʿfar ibn Abi Talib, and ʿAbd Allah ibn Rawaha at the head of an army; they engaged the Christians at Muʾtah in the territory of al-Karak.
He said to his Companions, “Your commander is Zayd; if he is killed, then Jaʿfar; if he is killed, then ʿAbd Allah ibn Rawaha.” All three were killed, and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, informed
[فَصْلٌ: قِتَالُهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ النَّصَارَى]
ثُمَّ بَعْدَ الْإِرْسَالِ إِلَى الْمُلُوكِ، أَخَذَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي غَزْوِ النَّصَارَى، فَأَرْسَلَ أَوَّلًا زَيْدَ بْنَ حَارِثَةَ وَجَعْفَرَ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وَعَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ رَوَاحَةَ فِي جَيْشٍ، فَقَاتَلُوا النَّصَارَى بِمُؤْتَةَ مِنْ أَرْضِ الْكَرَكِ،
وَقَالَ لِأَصْحَابِهِ:
أَمِيرُكُمْ زَيْدٌ، فَإِنْ قُتِلَ فَجَعْفَرٌ، فَإِنْ قُتِلَ فَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ رَوَاحَةَ، فَقُتِلَ الثَّلَاثَةُ، وَأَخْبَرَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ