2 – Khalid ibn al-Walid – (585 – 642)
Also known as Sayf Allah al-Maslul (Drawn Sword of God), Khalid ibn al-Walid was Islam’s first great military commander and one of the greatest of all-time. He was born in 585 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad. Khalid was originally a commander for the Meccan tribe of Quraysh which was in opposition to Muhammad’s clan. Indeed, Khalid played a pivotal role in the Battle of the Uhud against the Muslims in 625. However, his tribe signed a peace agreement of ten years with the Muslims at the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah in 628. Muhammad reportedly told Khalid’s brother, Walid, that a ‘man like Khalid can’t keep himself away from Islam for long.’ Walid apparently wrote numerous letters to his brother urging him to convert; his insistence proved worthwhile as Khalid ultimately converted to Islam.
He soon proved to be a worthy addition to the Muslim army and was named commander after three prominently leaders died during the Battle of Mu’tah in 629. Khalid had to galvanize the troops during the battle against the Ghassanids and Byzantines, and he successfully transformed certain annihilation into a successful tactical retreat despite being severely outnumbered. He was given his ‘Sword of God’ name after this battle.
Over the next nine years, Khalid was involved in over one hundred battles and was never defeated. Upon the death of Muhammad, several of the strongest Arab tribes broke away and rebelled. Khalid was entrusted with the task of quelling the revolt which he did after a series of impressive victories. The end came at the Battle of Yamama in December 632. Abu Bakr was the first Muslim Caliph after Muhammad’s death and set his sights on expanding the empire.
The result was an invasion of the Sassanid Empire of Persia which had been severely weakened after a quarter of a century of war with the Byzantines. Once again, Khalid defeated all before him and effectively destroyed the Persian Empire after capturing the fortress city of Firaz in 633. Abu Bakr recalled Khalid and ordered him to attack Roman Syria. This placed the Muslims in direct conflict with the Byzantine Empire. Khalid conquered Damascus in September 634 after a siege but was relieved of his command by his cousin Umar who had become the new Caliph.
He quickly realized his mistake after a Muslim army under the new commander was surrounded at Abu-al-Quds. Khalid was sent to rescue them and defeated the Byzantine and Christian Arab army he faced near the town. Further successes occurred soon after until Khalid won perhaps his greatest victory at the Battle of Yarmouk in 636. He destroyed the Byzantine army and ended their influence in the Levant. After more successful campaigns in Armenia and Anatolia, Khalid was a national hero and loved by his soldiers. However, he was dismissed from command after accusations of misappropriation of funds.
Khalid died in 642, and his tombstone shows a list of over 50 major battles he won. Not only was he unbeaten in combat, Khalid never even lost a skirmish or a duel! It was common for him and his trusted officers to challenge the commanders of enemy armies to a duel before battle. A win would ruin the morale of the opponents. The best military minds of two great empires couldn’t produce a commander or even a soldier to beat this genius.