The Conquest of Tripoli

فتح أطرابلس

22 AH

Tripoli (Libya)

In al-Baladhuri on Ali ibn Abi Talha's report: Amr ibn al-As (may God be pleased with him) marched until he camped at Tripoli in year 22 — it was fought for, then he opened it by force, seizing there many loads of baziyun cloth with some of its merchants, which he sold, dividing the price among the Muslims; and he wrote to Umar ibn al-Khattab (may God be pleased with him) 'we have reached Tripoli, and between it and Ifriqiya are nine days — if the Commander of the Faithful sees fit to give us leave to raid it, let him act', and Umar wrote back forbidding it, saying 'it is not Ifriqiya, but a schismatic, treacherous land oft betrayed' — its people paying Rome's king then betraying him often, and Andalus's king having compounded with them then betrayed them, news of which had reached Umar.