[Source: The Sword of Allah - Khalid bin Al-Waleed By Late Lieutenant-General A.I. Akram of the Pakistan Army]
Scene: For almost a month, there was no major action on the Plain of Yarmuk. The cause of this inactivity is not known. We can only guess that the Muslims were not strong enough to take the initial offensive, and the Romans did not feel brave enough to do so. The respite, however, proved beneficial to the Muslims, as during this period a fresh contingent of six thousand Muslims arrived to join them, the majority of whom were from the Yemen. The Muslims now had an army of 40,000 warriors, including 1,000 Companions of the Prophet, and these in turn included 100 veterans of the Battle of Badr-the first battle of Islam. The army included citizens of the highest rank, such as Dhulbair(R.A.) (the Prophet's cousin and one of the Blessed Ten), Abu Sufyan(R.A.) and his wife, Hind.
When a month had passed after the repulse of Jabla, Mahan (the Roman general) felt strong enough to take the offensive, but decided to make one more attempt at peace. This time he would hold talks himself. He asked for a Muslim envoy to be sent to his headquarters, and in response to his request, Abu Ubaidah(R.A.) sent Khalid(R.A.) with a few men. Khalid(R.A.) and Mahan met in the Roman camp, but nothing came of these talks as the positions taken by the two sides were too rigid to allow for adjustment. Mahan threatened Khalid(R.A.) with his great army and offered a vast sum of money to all the Muslims, including the Caliph at Madinah; but this made no impression on Khalid(R.A.), who offered the three alternatives: Islam, the Jizya or the sword. The Armenian chose the last. It appears, however, that as a result of this discussion, both commanders were favourably impressed by each other and the Muslims began to regard Mahan as a fine man except that, to quote Abu Ubaidah(R.A.): "Satan has got hold of his reason!" 1
As the two leaders parted, they knew that henceforth there would be no parleys. The point of no return had been reached, and the following day the battle would begin.
When Khalid(R.A.) returned from his talks with Mahan, he informed Abu Ubaidah(R.A.) and the other generals that there would be no more talks, that the issue would be decided by the sword, that the battle would begin the next day.
The women and children were placed in camps stretching in a line in the rear of the army. Behind the men of each regiment stood their women and children. 2 Abu Ubaidah(R.A.) went round the camps and addressed the women: "Take tent poles in your hands and gather heaps of stones. If we win all is well. But if' you see a Muslim running away from battle, strike him in the face with a tent pole, pelt him with stones, hold his children up before him and tell him to fight for his wife and children and for Islam." 3 The women prepared accordingly.
As the army formed up in its battle position, Khalid(R.A.), Abu Ubaidah(R.A.) and other generals rode round the regiments and spoke to the officers and men. Khalid(R.A.) gave a set speech before each regiment: "O men of Islam! The time has come for steadfastness. Weakness and cowardice lead to disgrace; and he who is steadfast is more deserving of Allah's help. He who stands bravely before the blade of the sword will be honoured, and his labours rewarded, when he goes before Allah. Lo! Allah loves the steadfast!" 4
While Khalid(R.A.) was going past one of the regiments, a young man remarked, "How numerous are the Romans and how few are we!" Khalid(R.A.) turned to him and said, "How few are the Romans and how numerous are we! An army's strength lies not in numbers of men but in Allah's help, and its weakness lies in being forsaken by Allah" 5
Other commanders and elders, while exhorting the men to fight, recited verses from the Quran, the most popular one being: "How many a small group has overpowered a large group by Allah's help, and Allah is with the steadfast." [Quran: 2:249.] They spoke of the fire of hell and the joys of paradise, and quoted the example set by the Holy Prophet(S.A.W.) in his battles. For good measure they also reminded the soldiers of the hunger of the desert and the good life of Syria!
The night that followed was hot and sultry. It was the third week of August 636 (second week of Rajab, 15 Hijri.).6 The Muslims spent the night in prayer and recitation of the Quran, and reminded each other of the two blessings which awaited them: either victory and life or martyrdom and paradise. The Holy Prophet(S.A.W.) had established a tradition after Badr of reciting the chapter of Al Anfal from the Quran before battle, and all night the verses of this chapter could be heard wherever Muslims sat, singly and in groups.
The fires in the two camps burned merrily the whole night and could be seen for miles like twinkling stars descended to earth. But there was no merriment in the hearts of those who sat in the light of these fires. The thought of the ordeal that awaited them had driven all joy from their minds. They were brave men, these soldiers who awaited the morrow, these Romans and Arabs, these Europeans and Asians, these Christians and Muslims. They were lions and eagles and wolves. But they were also human beings and thought of their wives and children to whom they would bid farewell in a few hours-perhaps for the last time.
This was the eve of Yarmuk …. the greatest battle of the Century…. one of the decisive battles of history .... and perhaps the most titanic battle ever fought between the Crescent and the Cross.
1. Waqidi: p. 128.
2. According to some reports, the families were put on a hill well to the rear. This, as we shall see from the course of battle, could not have been so.
3. Waqidi: pp. 129-30.
4. Ibid: p. 137.
5. Tabari: Vol. 2, p. 594.
6. The only thing recorded in the early accounts about the date of this battle is the month-Rajab, 15 Hijri. My statement recording the week in which the battle began is the result of calculations made from the timing of earlier events narrated in this chapter.
Scene: For almost a month, there was no major action on the Plain of Yarmuk. The cause of this inactivity is not known. We can only guess that the Muslims were not strong enough to take the initial offensive, and the Romans did not feel brave enough to do so. The respite, however, proved beneficial to the Muslims, as during this period a fresh contingent of six thousand Muslims arrived to join them, the majority of whom were from the Yemen. The Muslims now had an army of 40,000 warriors, including 1,000 Companions of the Prophet, and these in turn included 100 veterans of the Battle of Badr-the first battle of Islam. The army included citizens of the highest rank, such as Dhulbair(R.A.) (the Prophet's cousin and one of the Blessed Ten), Abu Sufyan(R.A.) and his wife, Hind.
When a month had passed after the repulse of Jabla, Mahan (the Roman general) felt strong enough to take the offensive, but decided to make one more attempt at peace. This time he would hold talks himself. He asked for a Muslim envoy to be sent to his headquarters, and in response to his request, Abu Ubaidah(R.A.) sent Khalid(R.A.) with a few men. Khalid(R.A.) and Mahan met in the Roman camp, but nothing came of these talks as the positions taken by the two sides were too rigid to allow for adjustment. Mahan threatened Khalid(R.A.) with his great army and offered a vast sum of money to all the Muslims, including the Caliph at Madinah; but this made no impression on Khalid(R.A.), who offered the three alternatives: Islam, the Jizya or the sword. The Armenian chose the last. It appears, however, that as a result of this discussion, both commanders were favourably impressed by each other and the Muslims began to regard Mahan as a fine man except that, to quote Abu Ubaidah(R.A.): "Satan has got hold of his reason!" 1
As the two leaders parted, they knew that henceforth there would be no parleys. The point of no return had been reached, and the following day the battle would begin.
When Khalid(R.A.) returned from his talks with Mahan, he informed Abu Ubaidah(R.A.) and the other generals that there would be no more talks, that the issue would be decided by the sword, that the battle would begin the next day.
The women and children were placed in camps stretching in a line in the rear of the army. Behind the men of each regiment stood their women and children. 2 Abu Ubaidah(R.A.) went round the camps and addressed the women: "Take tent poles in your hands and gather heaps of stones. If we win all is well. But if' you see a Muslim running away from battle, strike him in the face with a tent pole, pelt him with stones, hold his children up before him and tell him to fight for his wife and children and for Islam." 3 The women prepared accordingly.
As the army formed up in its battle position, Khalid(R.A.), Abu Ubaidah(R.A.) and other generals rode round the regiments and spoke to the officers and men. Khalid(R.A.) gave a set speech before each regiment: "O men of Islam! The time has come for steadfastness. Weakness and cowardice lead to disgrace; and he who is steadfast is more deserving of Allah's help. He who stands bravely before the blade of the sword will be honoured, and his labours rewarded, when he goes before Allah. Lo! Allah loves the steadfast!" 4
While Khalid(R.A.) was going past one of the regiments, a young man remarked, "How numerous are the Romans and how few are we!" Khalid(R.A.) turned to him and said, "How few are the Romans and how numerous are we! An army's strength lies not in numbers of men but in Allah's help, and its weakness lies in being forsaken by Allah" 5
Other commanders and elders, while exhorting the men to fight, recited verses from the Quran, the most popular one being: "How many a small group has overpowered a large group by Allah's help, and Allah is with the steadfast." [Quran: 2:249.] They spoke of the fire of hell and the joys of paradise, and quoted the example set by the Holy Prophet(S.A.W.) in his battles. For good measure they also reminded the soldiers of the hunger of the desert and the good life of Syria!
The night that followed was hot and sultry. It was the third week of August 636 (second week of Rajab, 15 Hijri.).6 The Muslims spent the night in prayer and recitation of the Quran, and reminded each other of the two blessings which awaited them: either victory and life or martyrdom and paradise. The Holy Prophet(S.A.W.) had established a tradition after Badr of reciting the chapter of Al Anfal from the Quran before battle, and all night the verses of this chapter could be heard wherever Muslims sat, singly and in groups.
The fires in the two camps burned merrily the whole night and could be seen for miles like twinkling stars descended to earth. But there was no merriment in the hearts of those who sat in the light of these fires. The thought of the ordeal that awaited them had driven all joy from their minds. They were brave men, these soldiers who awaited the morrow, these Romans and Arabs, these Europeans and Asians, these Christians and Muslims. They were lions and eagles and wolves. But they were also human beings and thought of their wives and children to whom they would bid farewell in a few hours-perhaps for the last time.
This was the eve of Yarmuk …. the greatest battle of the Century…. one of the decisive battles of history .... and perhaps the most titanic battle ever fought between the Crescent and the Cross.
1. Waqidi: p. 128.
2. According to some reports, the families were put on a hill well to the rear. This, as we shall see from the course of battle, could not have been so.
3. Waqidi: pp. 129-30.
4. Ibid: p. 137.
5. Tabari: Vol. 2, p. 594.
6. The only thing recorded in the early accounts about the date of this battle is the month-Rajab, 15 Hijri. My statement recording the week in which the battle began is the result of calculations made from the timing of earlier events narrated in this chapter.
No comments:
Post a Comment