Muslim conquest of Syria
| Muslim conquest of Syria | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Arab–Byzantine wars | |||||||||
Scene of the Roman Theatre at Palmyra, 2005 | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Rashidun Caliphate |
Byzantine Empire Ghassanids Tanukhids Banu Judham Banu Lakhm | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
The Muslim conquest of Syria (Arabic: فَتْحُ الشَّام, romanized: Fatḥ al-šām; lit. 'Conquest of Syria'), or the Arab conquest of Syria, was the conquest of Byzantine Syria by the Rashidun Caliphate that took place between 634–638 CE as part of the Arab–Byzantine wars and the wider Muslim conquests.
Clashes between the Muslims and the Byzantines on the southern Levantine borders of the Byzantine Empire had occurred previously during the lifetime of Muhammad, with the Battle of Muʿtah in 629 CE. However, the actual conquest did not begin until 634, two years after Muhammad's death. It was led by the first two Rashidun caliphs who succeeded Muhammad: Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab. During this time, Khalid ibn al-Walid was the most important commander of the Rashidun army. In the aftermath of the conquest, Syria was brought under Arab Muslim rule and developed into the provincial region of Bilad al-Sham.