Shadow of Death (Book 2 of Hanthalah)

Chapter 14

I drew my sword and furrowed my brow, an imposing figure on the huddled and cowering Jewish family in their shed. 'Amr put a hand on my arm and shoved me back, ever the obedient soldier.

"This is not to be a massacre," 'Amr scolded me, voice firm. He put himself between me and the cowering family. 'Amr and Mundhir had returned from Syria for a number of assignments to be carried out in Arabia and would return days later.

The Khalifa's son, 'Ubayd-Allah ibn 'Umar, a man after my own heart, almost as tall as his father and just as short-tempered, mocked him to his back by mimicking his words with a cartoonish tone. I would have laughed had my mind not been elsewhere.

The mother was sobbing, and the eldest of the children, who could not have been any older than ten, stood shielding her and his siblings, trying to look as intimidating as he could.

"Hey," Mundhir called out in his soft voice. He had an undeniable charm. He tossed a handful of dirhams at the mother's feet. "It's enough for the journey. I'll stand watch over your house for the night, but I can't help if you're caught yet lingering in the city come morning."

"Where are we to go?" the mother sobbed.

"Jerusalem is on the brink of surrender," 'Amr chimed in. I had informed 'Umar of the persecution of Jews and Miaphysite Christians at the hands of tyrannical Roman rule. Jews had not been allowed into their holy city for many a year now; one of many Roman decisions 'Umar sought to remedy.

I sheathed my sword and beckoned for the Nubian and 'Ubayd-Allah to follow me to other sheds. There were yet Jewish families that had not evacuated the city of Fadak, contrary to the Khalifa's orders. 'Umar sought to cleanse Arabia of all non-Muslims.

Pagans were not to be tolerated whatsoever, in any corner of the Caliphate.

Jews and Christians, however, were deemed People of the Book, or people of dhimma, subject to the protection of the Muslim Khalifa in return for certain social restrictions that included the payment of a special poll tax, the jizya, as well as a land tax. These restrictions were first imposed by Muhammad upon the Jews of Khaybar following their subjugation.

Another faith that shared this status were those of Zoroastrian faith in Persia, known to the Arabs as fire worshippers or 'majus'.

However, these People of the Book were not allowed to remain in the plains of Arabia, however. 'Umar had dispatched me with a number of other individuals to ensure such communities were given the choice of conversion or expulsion.

The most prominent havens that housed significant Jewish communities were in Khaybar as well as Fadak, which was where were harrying the families then. Their evacuation was long overdue. We had given them three weeks' notice to pack their belongings and leave.

"You will not be as shadow," 'Umar was firmly against the idea of personal guard. I followed 'Umar, and the Nubian subsequently followed me – much to the Khalifah\'s vexation. "I have no need of mortal protection, nor do I wish for a reign of tyranny."

So, 'Umar was always keen to be rid of me by setting me to one task or the other. The Nubian would naturally follow. I managed to convince him into uttering the shahada before 'Umar, so now he was a genuine convert in the eyes of the masses. I doubted he understood what Islam even was. He spoke little, and when he did, it was in the Greek tongue. He knew not a word of Arabic. I wondered if he had any gods for himself.

'Umar also deemed it an opportunity for me to prove that I no longer harbored any Jewish loyalties. He did not know I never identified as such. I have been schooled in the teachings of the Arab religion as well as Judaism and Islam, yet it was the gods and the gods only that lodged in my heart.