We were happy with him, and Allah too will be happy with him!

We were happy with him, and Allah too will be happy with him! You remain firm to meet the onslaught of the enemy! Allah will help you!” Muhammad replied, “I value your satisfaction more than anything else! Whatever commands you give, I shall abide by them!

I shall meet the enemy with all the energy at my disposal” Mu`awiyah, after eliminating Malik al-Ashtar, had a conclave with his advisers `Amr ibn al-`As, Habib ibn Maslamah, Busr ibn Abi-Arta’ah, al-Dahhak ibn Qays, `Abd al-Rahman ibn Khalid, Abul-A`war al-Salami and Shurahbil ibn Samt al-Kindi and told them, “You know for what reason I have called you today?” They said, “Only you must know what you have in your mind to communicate to us!” `Amr said, “Perhaps the purpose of calling a meeting today is to ask for our opinion about Egypt.” Mu`awiyah said, “Yes!

I have called you for that purpose only!” `Amr said, “Our opinion is not hidden from any one! We think that if Egypt is annexed, it will enhance your prestige and our prestige as well and we will raise our standard higher!” Mu`awiyah asked others of their opinion and everyone agreed with `Amr’s opinion. Mu`awiyah said, “We have our friends and supporters in Egypt. We shall strengthen our ties with them offering gifts and gratifications.

We shall have to frighten our opponents out of their wits that they are left with no courage to face us. How nice it will be that we succeed in this campaign without fighting!” `Amr said, “Fight will be inevitable! There is no other route to success than that!” After this discussion, Mu`awiyah wrote a letter to Maslamah ibn Mukhallad al-Ansari and Mu`awiyah ibn Hudayj al-Sakūni and sent it with his slave to Egypt. He appreciated their efforts in the letter and asked them to be more active.

He tempted them with offers of giving them important positions in the governance of the Province. Maslamah ibn Mukhallad wrote back, on his and on behalf of Ibn Hudayj, that they would take this step to improve there Hereafter. They required neither position nor power. He exhorted Mu`awiyah to send his troops fast. The opponents’ morale was at very low ebb. He said that if the help arrived in time, Allah would help them to succeed! Mu`awiyah got this letter in Palestine.

From there only he sent a contingent of 6,000 troops under the command of `Amr towards Egypt. When `Amr reached near Egypt the fans of `Uthman gathered around him. `Amr was carrying a letter from Mu`awiyah addressed to Muhammad ibn Abi-Bakr, which he sent him.