▁to ▁be ▁false ▁as ▁the ▁By z antine ▁army ▁had ▁retre ated ▁before hand . ▁Though ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁battle ▁in ▁the ▁typical ▁sense , ▁never theless ▁the ▁event ▁represented ▁the ▁first ▁Arab ▁assault ▁against ▁the ▁By z ant ines . ▁It ▁did ▁not , ▁however , ▁lead ▁immediately ▁to ▁a ▁military ▁confront ation . ▁ ▁However , ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁contemporary ▁By z antine ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁Tab uk ▁expedition , ▁and ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁details ▁come ▁from ▁much ▁later ▁Muslim ▁sources . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁argued ▁that ▁there ▁is ▁in ▁one ▁By z antine ▁source ▁possibly ▁referencing ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Mu ´ t ah ▁tradition ally ▁dated ▁ 6 2 9 , ▁but ▁this ▁is ▁not ▁certain . ▁The ▁first ▁engag ements ▁may ▁have ▁started ▁as ▁conflicts ▁with ▁the ▁Arab ▁client ▁states ▁of ▁the ▁By z antine ▁and ▁S ass an id ▁emp ires : ▁the ▁Gh ass an ids ▁and ▁the ▁Lak hm ids ▁of ▁Al - H ira h . ▁In ▁any ▁case , ▁Muslim ▁Arab s ▁after ▁ 6 3 4 ▁certainly ▁purs ued ▁a ▁full - b low n ▁off ensive ▁against ▁both ▁emp ires , ▁resulting ▁in ▁the ▁con quest ▁of ▁the ▁Lev ant , ▁Egypt ▁and ▁Pers ia ▁for ▁Islam . ▁The ▁most ▁successful ▁Arab ▁gener als ▁were ▁K hal id ▁ibn ▁al - W al id ▁and ▁' Am r ▁ibn ▁al - ' As . ▁ ▁Arab ▁con quest ▁of ▁Roman ▁Sy ria : ▁ 6 3 4 – 6 3 8