Islam at War: A History

10 ISLAM AT WAR ditionally, except that they begged judgment by a member of the Arab tribe to which they were adherents. This wa ...

BIRTH OF ISLAM 11 internal dissent, was too much. The Meccans were overawed by the Mus- lim numbers and fled the field without s ...

12 ISLAM AT WAR of the Muslims so impressed the Byzantines that they decided to leave this hornet’s nest alone. The most reasona ...

BIRTH OF ISLAM 13 to offer their allegiance to Muhammad, if not out of conviction, then out of convenience. Muhammad accepted th ...

14 ISLAM AT WAR booty-gathering raids, but in the destruction of the enemy’s forces. At Badr, Muhammad targeted not the rich car ...

Chapter 2 THE GREAT CONQUESTS In 622, at about the time that Muhammad was beginning to construct his power base at Medina, the t ...

16 ISLAM AT WAR Empire centered in Rome itself. As with the Persians, the English- speaking world has generally paid little atte ...

THE GREAT CONQUESTS 17 of human history. He would be instrumental in two of the world’s most decisive campaigns. Even more remar ...

18 ISLAM AT WAR his son, Siros. Siros made peace with Byzantium and then proceeded to butcher every conceivable family rival. Th ...

THE GREAT CONQUESTS 19 In fact, all of Khalid’s campaigns show that he truly understood the concept of “desert power.” Simply pu ...

20 ISLAM AT WAR For the residents of Hira, though, the situation was also difficult. Al- though the townspeople could defend the ...

THE GREAT CONQUESTS 21 fair to say that Muthanna was a less capable leader than Khalid, but he was nonetheless a resolute man an ...

22 ISLAM AT WAR Before they could join in battle though, the obstacle of the Euphrates must be overcome. In ancient days great r ...

THE GREAT CONQUESTS 23 It would be autumn of 636 before the new Arab leader appeared on the Persian front. He was Saad ibn abi W ...

24 ISLAM AT WAR against the Persian force. Fighting continued into the night. On the third day, the elephants were put back into ...

THE GREAT CONQUESTS 25 In the first quarter of the seventh century, the empire engaged in a war of twenty-six years with the Sas ...

26 ISLAM AT WAR province for so many years. Whatever the reasons, the Byzantine target was always first in the eyes of the calip ...

THE GREAT CONQUESTS 27 legacy of the old Roman legions, and the experience of fighting mounted warriors in the east, was a formi ...

28 ISLAM AT WAR at Deraa. They were easily broken and streamed away toward the great city of Syria in September 634, just a few ...

THE GREAT CONQUESTS 29 because much of the central forces had probably been spent at Ajnadain and Damascus. Nevertheless, it was ...