Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا عَتَّابٌ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُقْبَةَ، وَهُوَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ لَهِيعَةَ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ حَدَّثَنِي يَزِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ، عَمَّنْ سَمِعَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ الْمُغِيرَةِ بْنِ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ سُفْيَانَ بْنَ وَهْبٍ الْخَوْلَانِيَّ، يَقُولُ لَمَّا افْتَتَحْنَا مِصْرَ بِغَيْرِ عَهْدٍ قَامَ الزُّبَيْرُ بْنُ الْعَوَّامِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ يَا عَمْرُو بْنَ الْعَاصِ اقْسِمْهَا فَقَالَ عَمْرٌو لَا أَقْسِمُهَا فَقَالَ الزُّبَيْرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَاللَّهِ لَتَقْسِمَنَّهَا كَمَا قَسَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَيْبَرَ قَالَ عَمْرٌو وَاللَّهِ لَا أَقْسِمُهَا حَتَّى أَكْتُبَ إِلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَى عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ عُمَرُ أَنْ أَقِرَّهَا حَتَّى يَغْزُوَ مِنْهَا حَبَلُ الْحَبَلَةِ.
English Translation
Sufyan bin Wahb al Khawlani said: When we conquered Egypt without a peace deal (i.e., by force), az-Zubair bin al-`Awwam (may Allah be well pleased with him) stood up and said: “O `Amr bin al `As, divide the land.” `Amr said: “I shall not divide it.” az-Zubair (may Allah be well pleased with him) said: “By Allah, you will divide it as the Beloved Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) divided Khaibar!” ‘Amr said: “By Allah, I shall not divide it until I write to Ameer al-Mu`mineen.” So he wrote to `Umar (may Allah be well pleased with him) and `Umar wrote back to him (saying}, Leave it so that the third generation (i.e., the offspring of the foetuses currently in their mother`s wombs) may use the income from it to go out on campaign for the sake of Allah.