Letter to Hazrat Amr (ra) bin al-Aas Regarding Egypt
According to Allama Shibli Nomani, after the victory at Baitul Maqdis [Jerusalem], upon the insistence of Hazrat Amr (ra) bin al-Aas, Hazrat Umar (ra) sent Hazrat Amr (ra) bin al-Aas with an army of 4,000 towards Egypt, but with the instruction that they must return if they received his letter prior to reaching Egypt.
They reached Arish when the letter from Hazrat Umar (ra) was received in which he instructed them not to advance any further. However, seeing as the instruction was conditional, Hazrat Amr (ra) said that since they were within the confines of Egypt, therefore they would advance from Arish to Farama.
(Al-Faruq, Shibli Nomani, p. 160, Dar al-Isha‘ah, Karach, 1991)
There is a book called Al-Iktifa which covers the Muslim battles. It is written therein that Hazrat Amr (ra) bin al-Aas received the letter of Hazrat Umar (ra) having reached a place called Rafah, but he did not take the letter from the messenger out of fear that it would contain the instruction from Hazrat Umar (ra) to return. So instead, he continued marching forth until he reached a small village between Rafah and Arish, and enquired about the village. He was told that this was within the confines of Egypt. He then asked for the letter to be brought and read it. It was written that he and the Muslims accompanying him should all return.
And so he asked his companions, “Do you not see that this is Egypt?” They replied in the affirmative. He then said, “The Leader of the Faithful [Hazrat Umar (ra)] instructed that if I receive the letter prior to reaching Egypt I should return, but I have received it having entered the land of Egypt. So let us go forth in the name of Allah.”
It is also mentioned in another narration that Hazrat Amr (ra) bin al-Aas was in Palestine and he advanced with his companions to Egypt without permission. Hazrat Umar (ra) was displeased with this, so he wrote a letter to Hazrat Amr (ra) bin al-Aas and he received this letter when he was close to Arish, but did not read it until he had reached Arish. The letter read as follows:
“Umar bin al-Khattab to Amr bin al-Aas:
“Thereafter, indeed you are travelling to Egypt with your companions. There is a large army of the Byzantines there whilst you are few in number. I swear that it would have been better had you not taken them with you, therefore if you have not yet reached Egypt, you must return.”
(Al-Iktifa bima Tadmanuhu min Maghazi Rasul Allah wa al-Thalathah al-Khulafa, Vol. 2, Chapter 1, pp. 324-325, Umar (ra) bin al-Khattab, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1420 AH)
On the way to Farama, the Muslim army did not encounter a single Byzantine soldier, and in fact, the Egyptians welcomed them in various places, and it was in Farama that the very first confrontation took place.
There are various narrations [with reference to Hazrat Amr (ra) bin al-Aas], but the one that seems correct is that letter was received after having reached Arish, which is situated within the border of Egypt. It cannot be that he continued to make excuses in order to only open the letter after reaching Egypt. Nevertheless, since they had already reached Egypt, the only option was to advance forward as the believers do not retreat.