The Arab Invasion of Egypt; and the Last 30 years of the Roman Dominion, by Alfred Butler, D.Litt., F.S.A. First published in 1902, republished in 1992 by A & B Publishing Group, Brooklyn New York, 11238. ISBN 1881316068.

This book refers to the Roman Empire, which did not collapse in the 5th century like some history books say, but continued on with Constantinople as its capital. The King at the time of the Muslim invasions was Heraclius. Below is a portion of the book which I am currently reading. More excepts will be added later.

From 622 onwards both King and Prophet advanced in a career of victory almost unchequered for the space of six years. With eager eyes Mohammed watched the long eventful combat between Rome and Persia. . . . then Mohammed, fired with new dreams of dominion, rejoiced to see victor and vanquished both drained of strength, and read in the issue the finger of God preparing the way for the power of Islam. . . .

Even before that the Prophet had felt himself strong enough to challenge the submission of the rulers of the world to his new religion. In the course of 627, Mohammed caused letters to be written, and (page 139) he sealed them in Eastern fashion with a seal on which was written "Muhammad the Apostle of God." All contained the same claim of allegiance to Islam and to the Arabian Prophet as Vicegerent of the Most High. . . . (page 140)

So Heraclius passed on his way unheeding, or at least untroubled. But while the great procession was winding from the Golden Gate up to the church on Calvary for the festival of the Uplifting of the recovered Cross, while all Jerusalem was crying and sobbing with emotion which broke down even the singers quiring their triumphal hymns, at that same time a band of 3,000 horsemen sent by Mohammed was crossing the desert to Muta, to avenge the murder of his messenger, and to begin that war with the Roman Empire which ended only in 1453, when Constantinople fell before Islam, and the name of the Arabian dreamer was blazoned, where it still stands, on the walls of the great Cathedral of St. Sophia. It was not far from Muta that the Saracen army under Zaid was attacked by the imperial forces, and so severly handled that, after most of the officers had fallen, it was only saved from total destruction by the marvellous dexterity and prowess of Khalid, called henceforth the "Sword of God." The remnant made their way back in dejection to Mediana: but found Mohammed undismayed. ... and deferred the more serious conflict till he had established his power over Arabia. (page 144). . .

Filled now with dreams of empire . . . he planned and openly proclaimed an expedition for the conquest of Palestine. . . . Khalid with a band of 400 horse surprised and captured the Christian chief of Dumah, who had to surrender his oasis, his town and castle, nearly three thousand camels, four hundred suits of mail armour, and finally his religion. [footnote: Dr. Koelle's Mohammed and Mohammedanism, pp. 207-210] (page 145) . . .

In the spring of 632 Mohammed accomplished his last pilgrimage to Mecca, where amidst countless throngs of believers he solemnly consecrated to Islam the whilom idolatrous shrine of the Ka'bah, and established the ritual which still prevails. Two months later he sounded the trumpet for war against the Roman Empire, and gave the command of the expedition to Usamah, the son of his slave Zaid, who had been killed in the battle of Muta. But three days after the appointment of Usamah, the Prophet sickened of a fever, which carried him swiftly to his grave.

By the death of Muhammed the cause of Islam was strengthened rather than weakened. . . . (page 146)

The dying injunction of Mohammed was to drive every religion but Islam out of Arabia; and this seems to have been accomplished almost at once. All the Christian communities were swamped and extinguished, and all the art and culture and the learning which flourished among them perished.

There is no complete picture of the arts in Arabia at this time: but some idea of the splendour they attained may be formed from the descriptions of the cathedral at Sana', which the Muslims defiled and ruined. It was built by Abraha al Ashram, the viceroy of the King of Abyssinia, somewhat later than the middle of the sixth century. So intense, we are told, was the King's interest in the building and decoration of the fabric, that during the whole time he was living and sleeping in the church. In design the church was a basilican. Lofty columns of precious marble divided the nave from the aisles. The spaces above the columns, the apse and the upper part of the walls, were adorned with magnificent mosaics in gold and colours, or embellished with paintings. The lower part of the walls was panelled, and the floor was paved with marble of many hues set (page 147) in tasteful harmony. The choir was divided off by a screen of ebony inlaid with ivory most beautifully carved, and gold and silver ornament was lavished all over the interior. The doors were overlaid with plates of gold studded with silver nails, and plates of silver studded with massive nails of gold; while the doors leading to the three altars were wrought with large panels of gold set with precious stones. On every panel there stood in relief a jewelled cross of gold with a red jacinth in the centre, and round about the cross were flowers of open-work in gold with gems or enamel of many colours. Such was the glorious church which Justinian aided Abraha to build. St. Sophia itself was hardly a more richly embellished or a more glorious work of art....

But the artistic spirit of Islam was as yet undeveloped, and it saw in all this wealth and beauty mere matter for plunder or for iconoclasm. At what precise date this and other Christian buidlings were demolished, is uncertain. Wright thinks that few, if any, Christians were left in 632, . . . The Christian religion and Christian religious monuments were levelled by the first waves (page 148) of that Muslim fanaticism which was originally directed rather against Jews and idolaters. . . .

"This is to acquaint you that I propose to send the true believers into Syria to take it out of the hands of the infidels. And I would have you know that fighting for religion is an act of obedience to God." [footnote: Ockley, S. History of the Saracens. Ed. Bohn. London, 1847. page 93] So ran Abu Bakr's letter summoning the princes and chiefs of Arabia to muster their forces at Medina.