the battle. ʿAmr refused to return them, ordering that the two men be driven from his presence. When news of this reached the Commander of the Believers, ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab, he ruled that every captive taken during the five days for which security had been pledged must be restored to his people, as must all captives seized from those who had not fought; captives taken from combatants, however, were not to be returned. It is also reported that he instructed ʿAmr to give the captives in Muslim hands the choice between embracing Islam and returning to their families: whoever chose Islam was not to be handed back, while anyone who preferred to return was to be released to his kin and thereafter assessed the jizyah. As for those captives who had already been scattered throughout the provinces and had reached the Two Sanctuaries and other regions, it was impossible to bring them back, and no agreement should be concluded on what (1) could not realistically be fulfilled.
ʿAmr carried out the Caliph’s order: he gathered the captives, displayed them, and offered them the choice—some accepted Islam, others went back to their religion—and peace was concluded between the two sides.
After that, ʿAmr dispatched an army to Alexandria. Al-Muqawqis, who governed Alexandria, had previously paid the tax of his city and of Egypt to the Byzantine emperor. When ʿAmr besieged him, al-Muqawqis assembled his bishops and the grandees of his realm and said, “These Arabs have overcome Khosroes and Caesar and stripped them of their kingdoms; we have no power to withstand them. In my view, we should pay them the jizyah.” He then sent to ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ, saying, “I used to pay tribute to people more hateful to me than you—the Persians and the Romans—so let us now settle on the payment of jizyah.” ʿAmr forwarded the spoils of victory and the khums (one-fifth share) to ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him).
Sayf relates that when ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ confronted al-Muqawqis, many of the Muslims began to flee from the ranks, and ʿAmr started (2) berating them and urging them to stand firm. A man from Yemen said to him, “We were not created from stone or iron!” ʿAmr retorted, “Be quiet; you are nothing but a dog.” The man shot back, “Then you are the chief of dogs.” (3) ʿAmr turned away from him and called for the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. When those Companions who were present gathered around him, ʿAmr said, “Advance, for through you Allah grants victory to the Muslims.” They charged the enemy, and Allah opened the way for them so that they achieved a complete victory.
Sayf adds: Egypt was conquered in Rabīʿ al-Awwal of the year 16 AH, and the dominion of Islam was established there—praise and gratitude belong to Allah. Others say that Egypt was taken in 20 AH, and that Alexandria fell in 25 AH after a siege of three months, some claiming it was by force and others that it surrendered on terms for twelve thousand dinars. It is also reported that al-Muqawqis first asked ʿAmr for a truce, but ʿAmr refused, saying, “You already know what we did to your great king Heraclius.” Al-Muqawqis said to his people, “He speaks the truth; we have even more reason to submit,” and he concluded the treaty on the previously mentioned terms.
Another report states that ʿAmr and al-Zubayr marched to ʿAyn Shams (4) and laid siege to it, and that ʿAmr sent to al-Faramā (5) Abraha ibn