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The predestined time for the conquest of Misr had arrived.
Imam Moiz (SA) began preparations for sending the Fatimid armies to Misr.
Every day, the Imam (SA) discussed the course of action in private sessions with Al Qaid Johar, the commander of the Fatimid armies.
The Fatimid army comprised of over one hundred thousand men, and the Imam (SA) sent more than twelve hundred trunks of treasure to accompany it. When the time came to bid the army farewell, the Imam (SA) went to the encampment and gave Al Qaid Johar some final directives. He instructed all who accompanied him to bid Al Qaid Johar farewell. After the army had left the encampment and traversed a small distance, the Imam (SA) sent the garments he was wearing to Al Qaid Johar as a gift.
The Imam (SA) had instructed the governors of all the cities to greet Al Qaid Johar and honor him by dismounting from their horses. One of the governors requested the Imam (AS) to be relieved of this, and offered to send a very large tribute in exchange. However to show the esteemed position of Al Qaid Johar, and the magnitude of what he was sent out to achieve, the Imam(SA)refused.
When the people of Misr found out that Al Qaid Johar was marching towards them with such a magnificent army, they formed a committee to approach Al Qaid Johar and plead for amnesty. He obliged, and the committee returned to Misr bearing news of the truce. Meanwhile, the Ikhshidids and the Kafuries of Misr had begun to gather people against Al Qaid Johar and rejected the truce.
The dissidents mustered up an army and captured the bridges along the Nile River so that Al Qaid Johar’s army could not cross into Misr. Al Qaid Johar approached one of his captains, Ja’far bin Falah, and said to him, “It is for this day that the Imam has chosen you!” Upon hearing this, Ja’far promptly dived into the river and swam across. Seeing him, his battalion followed. A skirmish ensued, and the Fatimid forces emerged victorious.
For a while there was chaos. All trade stopped. Again a committee was selected to approach Al Qaid Johar to appeal to him to renew the truce. The truce was renewed, and Al Qaid Johar ordered that trade be resumed, and that if any businesses were plundered, he would compensate.
The Fatimid armies marched triumphantly into Misr. The news reached Imam Moiz (AS) that Misr was finally conquered! The city of Al Qahira, the symbol of Fatimid glory, the city that was to triumph over the world was finally conquered!
Ibn Hani, the Fatimid court poet, upon hearing this news, wrote a poem:
“The Banu Abbas ask ‘Has Misr been conquered?’ Tell them, ‘Indeed! It has been conquered!’”
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