CHAPTER I
The Conquest of Certain Islands in the Sea
Sicily. The first to invade Sicily[1] was Muʿâwiyah ibn-Ḥudaij al-Kindi[2] in the days of Muʿâwiyah ibn-abi-Sufyân. It was continually invaded after that. The descendants of al-Aghlab ibn-Sâlim al-Ifrîḳi conquered more than 20 cities in it, which are still in the hands of the Moslems. In the caliphate of al-Mutawakkil, Aḥmad ibn-Muḥammad ibn-al-Aghlab reduced in it the Yânah castle and Ghalyânah[3] fortress.
It is stated by al-Wâḳidi that ʿAbdallâh ibn-Ḳais ibn-Makhlad ad-Dizaḳi plundered Sicily and carried off idols of gold and silver studded with pearls, which he sent to Muʿâwiyah. Muʿâwiyah sent them to al-Baṣrah to be carried into India and sold there with a view to getting a higher price for them.
Rhodes. Muʿâwiyah ibn-abi-Sufyân sent expeditions by sea and by land. He sent to Rhodes[4] Junâdah ibn-abi-Umaiyah-l-Azdi. Junâdah was one of those on whose authority traditions were reported. He had chance to meet abu-Bakr, ʿUmar and Muʿadh ibn-Jabal, and died in the year 80. Junâdah took Rhodes by force. Rhodes was a thicket in the sea. In pursuance of Muʿâwiyah's order, Junâdah caused Moslems to settle in it. This took place in the year 52.
