Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 35866 — Carrying heads

Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) or Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) (al-Awza'i was in doubt) sent Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amir and Sayyiduna Maslamah bin Mukhallad (may Allah be pleased with them both) to Egypt for jihad. They conquered Egypt and sent him the head of Yannaq the patrician. When he saw the head he disapproved of it. They said: These people do the same to us. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr or Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Is this following the way of Persia and Rome? Let no severed heads be sent to us. It is enough for us that a letter or news of the victory be sent.