mar , ▁after ▁the ▁two ▁previous ▁govern ors — his ▁brother ▁Y az id ▁ibn ▁Ab i ▁S uf yan ▁and , ▁before ▁him , ▁Ab u ▁U ba id ah ▁ibn ▁al - J ar rah — d ied ▁in ▁a ▁pl ague ▁along ▁with ▁ 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁other ▁people . ▁' Am r ▁ibn ▁al - ' As ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁take ▁on ▁the ▁Roman ▁Army ▁in ▁Egypt . ▁U mar ▁asked ▁Mu aw iy ah ▁to ▁defend ▁against ▁an ▁anticip ated ▁Roman ▁attack . ▁Mu aw iy ah ▁next ▁set ▁about ▁creating ▁al lies . ▁Mu aw iy ah ▁married ▁M ays um , ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁the ▁chief ▁of ▁the ▁Kal b ▁tribe , ▁a ▁large ▁Jacob ite ▁Christian ▁Arab ▁tribe ▁in ▁Sy ria . ▁His ▁marriage ▁to ▁M ays um ▁was ▁polit ically ▁motiv ated . ▁The ▁Kal b ▁tribe ▁had ▁remained ▁largely ▁neutral ▁when ▁the ▁Muslim s ▁first ▁went ▁into ▁Sy ria . ▁Mu aw iy ah ▁now ▁could ▁use ▁the ▁Jacob ite ▁Christians ▁to ▁restore ▁the ▁ranks ▁of ▁the ▁pl ague - de ple ted ▁army ▁against ▁the ▁Rom ans . ▁Mu aw i ya ' s ▁wife ▁M ays um ▁( Y az id ' s ▁mother ) ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁Jacob ite ▁Christian . ▁With ▁limited ▁resources ▁and ▁the ▁By z ant ines ▁just ▁over ▁the ▁border , ▁Mu aw iy ah ▁worked ▁in ▁co operation ▁with ▁the ▁local ▁Christian ▁population . ▁To ▁stop ▁By z antine ▁har ass ment