KHALID IBN AL-WALID

PART III

Victory followed him wherever he went, from Al-Ubullah, to As-Sadir, An-Najaf, Al-Hirah, Al- Anbaar then Al-Kaadhimiyah. The glad tidings of Khalid's arrival blew like a fresh breeze wherever he went to usher in Islam. The weak and oppressed people found sanctuary in the new religion that saved them from the occupation and oppression of the Persians.

It was impressive that Khalid's first order to his troops was, 'Do not attack or hurt the peasants. Leave them to work at peace unless some of them attack you. Only then, I permit you to defend yourselves'.

Abu Bakr chose a group of his prominent commanders such as Abu Ubaidah Ibn Al-Jarraah Mar Ibn Al-Aas Yazid Ibn Abi Sufyan and Mu'aawiyah Ibn Abi Sufyaan to lead his armies.

When the Roman emperor heard the news of the mobilization of these armies, he advised his ministers and commanders to make peace with the Muslims to avoid inevitable defeat. However, his ministers and commanders insisted on fighting and maintained, 'By our Lord, we will make Abu Bakr's hair stand on end before his horses breed in our land.' Consequently, they mobilized an army estimated at 240,000 warriors.

The Muslim commanders dispatched this terrifying news to Abu Bakr, who pledged, 'By Allah, I will rid them of their doubts through Khalid.' Thus, the antidote of their evil suggestions of mutiny, aggression, and disbelief, namely Khalid Ibn Al-Walid, was ordered to go on an expedition to Syria, where he was to command the Muslim armies.

Khalid promptly acted upon his orders and left Iraq under Al- Muthannaa Ibn Harithah's supervision and marched with his troops until they reached the Muslim headquarters in Syria. His ingenuity enabled him to organize the Muslim armies and coordinate their different positions in no time. Shortly before the outbreak of war, he addressed his warriors after he had praised and thanked Allah, saying, 'This is Allah's day. On this day, we must not give way to pride not let injustice overrule. I advise you to purify your jihad and your deeds for Allah. Let us take turns in command. Let each and every one of us take over the command for a day.'

'This is Allah's day.' What a wonderful onset! 'We must not give way to pride nor let injustice overrule.' This sentence is even more graceful, adequate, and awesome. On the one hand, the great leader was not lacking in self-denial and cleverness, for in spite of the fact that the caliph had assigned the command of the army to him, he did not want to give Satan a chance to whisper in the breasts of his soldiers. Therefore, he relinquished his absolute hold on the army to every soldier in the ranks even though he was already the commander. Thus, the commander of the army rotated from day to day.

Undoubtedly the courageous Muslims, on that day, were gripped by fear and anxiety, yet in such predicaments they always resorted to their faith, in which they found hope and victory. Abu Bakr had firm belief in Khalid's abilities; therefore he said, 'Khalid is the man for it. By Allah, I will rid them of their doubts with Khalid.'

Ibn Al-Walid mobilized and rallied his army, then divided it into brigades. He laid out a new plan for attack and defence that adhered to the Roman war strategy and tactics with which he was well-acquainted from his past experience with the Persians. He was ready for all possibilities. Strangely enough, the battle raged exactly as he had imagined it would, step by step and one fight after another. If he had actually counted the number of strokes of swords, he would not have been much more accurate. Before the two armies clashed, he was worried about the possibility that some of the soldiers, especially those who had newly embraced Islam, might flee upon seeing the terrifying and enormous Roman army.

Khalid believed that the ingenuity of victory and firmness were one and the same. He believed that the Muslim army could not afford the loss of even one of its soldiers, for it was enough to spread malignant panic and havoc inside the army, which was something that even the entire Roman army could not succeed in doing. In the Battle of Yarmuuk, and afterwards, his troops took their positions. He called the Muslim women and, for the first time, gave them swords. He ordered them to stand at the rear of the lines to 'Kill anyone who flees.' It was the magic touch of a mastermind.

His army was like a missile as it charged into the battlefield. They met in an extraordinary, monstrous, and deadly combat. The Romans rushed into the battlefield with an enormous number, yet they found that their foes were not an easy prey. The self-sacrifice and firmness that the Muslims displayed on that day were impressive.

Among striking masterpieces of self-sacrifice exhibited by the determined will of the Muslims was the extraordinary portrait of Khalid lbn Al-Walid at the head of only 100 soldiers who flung themselves against 40,000 Romans. Khalid kept calling out to his 100 soldiers saying, 'By Allah, the Romans seemed to have lost their patience and courage, therefore I pray to Allah to let you have the upper hand over them.'

How could 100 soldiers have the upper hand over 40,000? It is, indeed, incredible! Yet, were not the hearts of these 100 soldiers filled with faith in Allah the Most High, the Most Great? Were they not filled with faith in His trustworthy and honest Prophet SAW? Were they not filled with faith in that cause which represents the most persistent vital issue in life? This cause represents piety and righteousness. And was not their Caliph Abu Bakr, the man who, while his flags were raised above the whole world, sat there in Medina, the new capital of the new world, milking with his own hands the ewes of widows and kneading with his own hands the bread of orphans? Was not their Commander Khalid lbn Al-Walid the antidote for the doubts of tyranny, arrogance, oppression, and transgression? Was not the Sword of Allah drawn against the powers of backwardness, decay, and disbelief? Were not all these portraits a depiction of truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? So let the breeze of victory blow! Let it blow strong, mighty, And victorious!

Khalid's ingenuity impressed the Roman officers and commanders so much so that Jerjah, a Roman commander, asked Khalid to show himself during a rest in the fighting. When they met, the Roman commander asked him, 'Khalid, tell me the truth and do not lie, for the freeman doesn't lie. Did Allah send down on your Prophet a heavenly sword and he gave it to you, so that it enables you to kill anyone who comes within its sweep?' Khalid answered, 'No.' The man exclaimed, 'Then why do they call you the Sword of Allah?' Khalid explained, 'Allah sent His Prophet to us. Some of us believed in him and others disbelieved in him. I was among the disbelievers until Allah guided my heart to Islam and to His Prophet SAW and I gave him my allegiance. Therefore, the Prophet supplicated Allah for me and said, 'You are the Sword of Allah.'' The Roman commander asked, 'What do you invite people to?' Khalid answered, 'We invite people to monotheism and to Islam.' He asked, 'Does anyone who submits himself to Islam have the same reward as you?' Khalid answered, 'Yes, and even better.' Jerjah exclaimed, 'How, when you embraced Islam before he did?'

Khalid answered, 'We lived with the Prophet SAW and saw with our own eyes his signs and miracles. Now anyone who had the chance to see what we saw and hear what we heard was expected to submit himself to Islam sooner or later. As for you who did not see or hear him, if despite this you believe in him and in the unseen, you will find better and greater reward if you purify your conscience and intentions to Allah.'

The Roman commander cried out as he urged his horse closer to Khalid and stood next to him, 'Please, Khalid, teach me Islam!' He submitted himself to Islam and prayed two rak'ahs. Soon, combat erupted and once again, the Roman Jerjah fought, but this time on the Muslim side until he won martyrdom.

Now, let us watch closely how human greatness was manifested in one of its most remarkable scenes. The first version narrated by the historian said that while Khalid was commanding the Muslim army in this bloody and crucial war and wresting victory out of the claws of the Romans with admirable master strokes, the new caliph, Umar Ibn Al-Khattab RA, Commander of the Faithful, dispatched a message to him in which he saluted the Muslim army and announced the sad news of Abu Bakr's death. Then he ordered Khalid to give up his command to Abu Ubaidah Ibn Al-Jarrah. Khalid read the message and supplicated Allah to have mercy on Abu Bakr and bestow His guidance on Umar. Then he strictly ordered the messenger not to tell anyone about the purport of the message and not to leave his place or communicate with anyone.

Then Khalid resumed his command of the combat and concealed the news of Abu Bakr's death and Umar's orders until they had achieved victory. Finally, the hour of victory came and the Romans were defeated.

It was only then that the hero approached Abu Ubaidah and saluted him. At first, Abu Ubaidah thought that he did so in jest, yet he soon realized how serious and true this news was. Instantly, he kissed Khalid between his eyes and praised his greatness.