Madina to Jerusalem: Encounters with the Byzantine Empire traces one of the most energetic and dynamic episodes in the history of Islam, that follows immediately after the passing away of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. It charts the course of Muslim history from 8-15AH/629-637CE when the great expansion into al-Sham (Syria, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon) took place. This book attempts not only to recount the military battles that led to the Muslims liberating Jerusalem from the Byzantines but also to understand the reasons why the Byzantine confederates of al-Sham abandoned their former masters for Islam. Ismail Patel attempts to address the Islamic expansion from a wider perspective with both the Muslim and non-Muslim readers in mind. It will hopefully assist the non-Muslims to shake off the prejudices created by the Orientalists and help Muslims to have a better understanding of how the first generation of Muslims challenged the superpower of the time. Ismail Adam Patel by profession is an Optometrist, who graduated from University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in 1985. He regularly contributes to discussions, debates and articles in the media and international forums regarding issues affecting Muslims and the Middle East. He has published several other books including: Islam the Choice of Thinking Women and Palestine: Beginner's Guide. He is also the editor of Al-Aqsa journal published from Leicester. THE ISLAMIC FOUNDATION aims to achieve excellence in academic research, education, publications, training and building bridges between Muslims and others. Since 1973, the Foundation has developed its national and international standing through the character, variety and scope of its activities. It has, at present, over 300 published titles, and houses one of the largest private Islamic libraries in Western Europe. It publishes three academic journals: The Muslim World Book Review (quarterly), Encounters: Journal of Inter-Cult