Umm.

Issued and received. Al-Zubayr and Abdullah, his two sons, and the scribe, Wardan, witnessed this document.

The Muqawqis wrote a letter to the King of Rome, informing him of all that had happened. The King of Rome wrote back to him, rebuking him and expressing his inability to help, and saying in his letter:

"As for the Arabs who have come to you, they are a tribe of Arabs and a multitude from the Arabs, whose numbers are like the Copts, which cannot be counted.

If the Copts dislike fighting and prefer to pay the jizya to the Arabs and choose us over them, then in Egypt there are more than a hundred thousand Roman cavalry with you, equipped with arms and strength. The Arabs, with their numbers and their weakness, are as you have seen, and you have been unable to fight them. You have agreed to be in the same miserable state as the Copts, you and the Romans with you. Fight them, you and the Romans with you, to the death, or we will prevail over them. They are to you as you are to them, in proportion to your strength and their weakness. Fight them, and let there be no other opinion than this." The King of Rome wrote a similar letter to the Roman leaders.

Al-Muqawqis then turned to Amr and said to him: "The King disapproves of what you have done and has written to the Roman leaders not to agree to your alliance and has ordered them to fight you until they defeat you or you defeat them. I will not withdraw from what I have entered into and what I have pledged to you. You have only given me authority over myself and those who obey me.

The Copts have made peace with you, and there has been no breach from their side. I am your ruler over myself, and the Copts are loyal to you in the peace you have made with them and the terms you have imposed. As for the Romans, I am free from them.

I ask you to grant me three things. First, do not break the peace with the Copts and include me with them, and impose upon me what is imposed upon them. All my people and my people have agreed to what I have pledged to you, and they are loyal to you in what you desire.

Second, if the Romans ask you to make peace with them after today, do not make peace with them until you make them spoils and slaves, for they are worthy of that. I advised them, and they deceived me. I looked at them, and they were my enemies.

Third, I ask you, if I die, to order them to bury me at the bridge of Alexandria." He agreed to what he asked, on the condition that they would provide him with both bridges and establish lodging, hospitality, and markets for them on their way to Alexandria. They did so, and the Copts became his allies.

Amr then sent a messenger to the Caliph with a letter informing him of what had transpired between him and Al-Muqawqis.

He replied, encouraging him and asking him to describe Egypt. He wrote to him:

"Your letter has reached me, Commander of the Faithful, may God prolong your life. You ask me about Egypt. Know, Commander of the Faithful, that Egypt is a green village and a green tree, its length is a month's journey and its width is ten. It is surrounded by mountains."