Early conquests · 637

Conquest of Jerusalem

The patriarch would only hand the city to the caliph himself. Umar travelled from Madinah, gave its Christians a written guarantee of safety, and prayed on the site of Al-Aqsa.

The site of the battle on the 644 map. Shaded: Rashidun Caliphate, 644.

Key facts

When: 637
Where: Jerusalem
Sides: Rashidun Caliphate vs Byzantine garrison
Commanders: Abu Ubayda and Caliph Umar vs Patriarch Sophronius
Result: City surrendered
Type: Early conquests
Chapter: 1. The Rightly Guided Caliphs

Who led it

Umar ibn al-Khattabc. 584 to 644
The second caliph, called al-Faruq.
Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah583 to 639
One of the ten companions promised paradise, called by the Prophet the trustworthy one of this community.

The wider picture: Abu Bakr and Umar: the great conquests

Within twelve years the Muslims defeated both superpowers of the age. Byzantium lost Syria at Yarmouk and Egypt soon after. Persia lost Iraq at Qadisiyyah and its heartland at Nahavand. Jerusalem surrendered in 637 and Umar came in person to accept it.

See the 644 map Read chapter 1

More early conquests battles

All 17 early muslim conquests battles · Battle explorer

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