QuizTime (137): Name the Sahabi who was responsible for the conquest of Egypt?

 

QuizTime (137): Name the Sahabi who was responsible for the conquest of Egypt?

 

Ans: Amr ibn al-As al-Sahmi:

 

His full name was ‘Amr ibn al ‘As ibn Wa’il al Sahmi; his kunyahs are Abu Muhammad and Abu ‘Abdullah. Ibn Ishaq and Zubair ibn Bakkar agreed that he became Muslim while he was with the Negus in Abyssinia, and he migrated to Madinah in Safar 8 AH. Ibn Hajar stated that be became Muslim in 8 AH before the conquest of Makkah, and it was said that it was between Hudaybiyah and Khaybar.

 

Amr ibn al-'As (r.a)(573-664) was the Arab military commander responsible for the Muslim conquest of Egypt in 640. Under the caliph Abu Bakr(r.a), he invaded Palestine and played a key role in the conquering of this region. Later, he was sent to Egypt by the caliph Umar(r.a) and defeated a large number of Byzantine forces at Heliopolis. He was the founder of Fustat, which became the capital of Egypt, and the 'Amr ibn al-'As(r.a) mosque, which was the first mosque built in Africa. As governor of Egypt, he treated the natives fairly and did not force them to convert to Islam.

 

“He achieved lasting fame, however, for his conquest of Egypt—a campaign that, according to some sources, he undertook on his own initiative. After defeating large Byzantine forces at Heliopolis (now a suburb of Cairo) in 640 and Babylon (a Byzantine town on the site of the present Old Cairo) in 641, he entered the capital, Alexandria, in 642. A successful general, ʿAmr was also a capable government administrator and an astute politician. In Egypt he organized the system of taxation and the administration of justice and founded the garrison city of Al-Fusṭāṭ adjacent to Babylon, where he built a mosque (still standing) bearing his name.”[ The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica]

Note:  Info compiled from many sources. 

Allah knows the best.

 

By Mohammed Asif Ali. #MohammedAsifAli

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