Part 41

However, Ibn Rawaahah stood amidst the lines of the army and said: "O my people, by Allah, we do not fight our enemies with numbers, strength or equipment, but rather with this religion which Allah has honored us with. So go right ahead: it is either one of two equally good options, victory or martyrdom.” The Muslims, who were lesser in number and greater in faith, cried out, "By Allah, you spoke the truth.” The smaller army broke through the mighty host of 200,000 warriors in terrible and cruel fighting.

As we have mentioned, both armies met in fierce combat. The first commander, Zaid Ibn Haarithah, was struck down, he winning glorious martyrdom. The second in command was Ja‘far Ibn Abi Taalib, who was overjoyed to be martyred. “Abd Allah took over the command and grabbed the standard from Ja‘far's failing upper arms. The fight reached the peak of ferocity. The smaller army was indistinct amidst the waves of the mighty hosts of Heraclius.

When Ibn Rawaahah was a soldier, he attacked heedlessly and confidently. But now the command placed great responsibilities for the army's safety on his shoulders. It seemed that for a moment he was overtaken by hesitation and dread, yet he instantly shook off those apprehensions, summoned his innate fearlessness and cried out, "O my soul, you look as if you were afraid to cross the way that leads to Paradise. O my soul, I took an oath to fight. O my soul, death is inevitable, so you had better be martyred. Now I will experience the inevitability of death. What you have cared for so long is finally yours. So go ahead, for if you follow these two heroes, you will be guided to the way of Paradise." He meant the two heroes who had preceded him in martyrdom, Zaid and Ja‘far.

He darted into the Roman armies, fiercely and ruthlessly. Were it not for a previous ordainment from Allah that he was to be martyred on that day, he would have annihilated the fighting hosts. But destiny called and he was martyred. His body was struck down, yet his pure, valiant spirit was raised to the heavens. His

most precious wish finally came true, so that "When people pass by my grave, they will say: By Allah you are the most righteous warrior."

The fierce attack in Al-Balqaa’ in Syria went on. Back in AlMadiinah the Prophet (PBUH) was talking peacefully and contentedly with his Companions when he suddenly stopped talking. He closed his eyes a little, then opened them. A gleam flashed from them, yet it was tinged with sadness and compassion. He looked around sadly and said, "Zaid took the standard and fought until he was martyred." He was silent for a while, then continued "Ja*far grasped it and fought until he was marytred. Then ‘Abd Allah Ibn Rawaahah grasped it and fought until he was martyred.” He was silent for a while, then his eyes sparkled with elation, tranquility, longing, and joy as he said, "They were all raised to Paradise."

What a glorious journey it must have been! What a happy succession! They all marched to conquer, they all were raised up to Paradise. The best salute to immortalize their memory rests in the Prophet's words: "They were raised up to await me in Paradise.”

(22) KHAALID IBN AL-WALIID A Sleepless Man Who Will Not Let Anyone Sleep

His story is a rather perplexing one. He was the deadly enemy of Muslims in the Battle of Uhud and the deadly enemy of the enemies of Islam in the remaining Muslim battles.

I feel at a loss concerning where to begin and what to begin with. He himself hardly believed that his life had really begun until that day on which he shook hands with the Prophet as a sign of his allegiance to him. If he could have ruled out all the years, even the days that preceeded that day, he would not have thought twice.

Let us then begin with that part of his life which he himself loved most. Let us begin from that glorious moment when his heart was affected by Allah and his spirit was blessed by the Most Merciful. Thus, it overflowed with devotion to His religion, His Prophet and to a memorable martyrdom in the way of the truth. This martyrdom enabled him to erase the burdens of his advocation of falsehood in the past.

One day, he sat alone in deep thought concerning that new religion that was gaining momentum and gaining ground every day. He wished that Allah, the All-Knower of what is hidden and unseen, would guide him to the right path. His blessed heart was revived by the glad tidings of certainty. Therefore, he said to himself, “By Allah, it is crystal clear now. This man is indeed a Prophet, so how long shall I procrastinate. By Allah, I will go and submit myself to Islam."

Now, let us hear him (May Allah be pleased with him) narrate his blessed visit to the Prophet (PBUH) and his journey from Makkah to Al-Madiinah to join the ranks of the believers: I hoped to find an escort, and I ran into ‘Uthmaan Ibn Talhah and when I told him about my intention, he agreed to escort me. We traveled shortly

before daybreak and as we reached the plain, we ran into ‘Amr Ibn Al--Aas.

After we had exchanged greetings, he asked us about our destination, and when we told him, it turned out that he himself was going to the same place to submit himself to Islam. The three of us arrived at Al-Madiinah on the first day of Safar in the eighth year. As soon as I laid my eyes on the Prophet, I said, "Peace be upon the Prophet,” so he greeted me with a bright face. Immediately, I submitted myself to Islam and bore witness to the truth. Finally, the Prophet (PBUH) said, “I knew that you have an open mind and I prayed that it would lead you to safety." I took my oath of allegiance to the Prophet then asked him, "Please ask Allah's forgiveness for me for all the wrongdoings I have committed to hinder men from the path of Allah." The Prophet said, "Islam erases all the wrongdoings committed before it." Yet I pleaded with him, "Please pray for me." Finally, he supplicated Allah, "O Allah, forgive Khaalid for all the wrongdoings he committed before he embraced Islam." Then ‘Amr Ibn Al--Aag and “Uthmaan Ibn Talhah stepped forward and submitted themselves to Islam and gave their oath of allegiance to the Prophet.

Notice these words "Please ask Allah's forgiveness for me for all the wrongdoings I have committed in the past to hinder men from the path of Allah.” Now, whoever has the perception and insight to read between the lines will find the true meaning of these words of Khaalid, who became the sword of Allah and the hero of Islam.

When we come across various incidents in the course of his life story, these words are our key to understanding and elucidation.

For the time being, let us accompany Khaalid, who had just embraced Islam, and watch the Quraish's great warrior who had always held the reins of leadership. Let us see the subtlest of Arabs in the art of attack and retreat as he turned his back on the idols of his ancestors and the glory of his people, and welcomed, along with

the Prophet and the Muslims, the advent of a new world that Allah had destined to rise under the standard of Muhammad and the

Let us hear the Muslim Khaalid's impressive story. To start with, do you recall the story of the three martyrs of the Battle of Mu'tah ? They were Zaid Ibn Haarithah, Ja‘far Ibn Abi Taalib and “Abd Allah Ibn Rawaahah. They were the heroes of the Battle of Mu'tah in Syria, in which the Romans mobilized 200,000 warriors. Nevertheless, the Muslims achieved unprecedented victory.

Do you recall the glorious, sad words with which the Prophet announced the sad news of the death of the three commanders of the battle? "Zaid Ibn Haarithah took the standard and fought holding it until he died as a martyr; then Ja‘far took it and fought clinging to it until he won martyrdom; and finally, “Abd Allah Ibn Rawaahah gripped it and held it fast until he won martyrdom."

This is only part of the Prophet's speech, which I have written before, but now I find it appropriate to write the rest of the story: "Then it was gripped by a sword of the swords of Allah and he fought until he achieved victory."

"Who was that hero? He was Khaalid Ibn Al-Waliid, who threw himself into the battlefield as if he were an ordinary soldier under the three commanders whom the Prophet assigned. The first commander was Zaid Ibn Haarithah, the second was Ja‘far Ibn Abi Taalib, and the third was “Abd Allah Ibn Rawaahah. They won martyrdom in the same order on the vicious battlefield.

After the last commander had won martyrdom, Thaabit Ibn Aqram took the standard with his right hand and raised it high amidst the Muslim army. His purpose was to stop any potential disarray inside the lines. Thaabit then carried the standard and hastened towards Khaalid Ibn Al-Waliid and said, " Take the standard, Abu Sulaimaan." Khaalid thought that he did not deserve

to take it since he had newly embraced Islam. He had no right to preside over an army that included the Angaar and Muhaajiruun who

had preceded him in embracing Islam.

These qualities of decorum, modesty, and gratitude were becoming of Khaalid's worthiness. He said, "I will not dare to hold it. Go on, hold it, for you deserve it better than me. First, you are older. Second, you witnessed the Battle of Bad." Thaabit answered, "Come on, take it, you know the art of fighting far better than me. By Allah, T only held it to give it to you." Then he called on the Muslims, "Do you vote for Khaalid's command?" They readily answered, "Yes, we do!"

At that moment, the great warrior mounted his horse and thrust the standard forward with his right hand as if he were knocking on closed doors that had been closed for too long and whose time had finally come to be flung wide open. So this act was to lead the hero to along but passable road on which he would leap during the Prophet's life and after his death until destiny brought his ingenuity to its inevitable end.

Although Khaalid was in charge of the army command, hardly any military expertise could change the already determined outcome of the battle, turning defeat into victory or turning victory into defeat. The only thing that a genius could manage to do was to prevent more casualties or damage in the Muslim army from occurring and end the battle with the remainder of the army intact. Sometimes a great commander must resort to that kind of preventive retreat measure that will prevent the annihilation of the rest of his striking force on the battlefield. However, such a retreat was potentially impossible, yet if the saying, “Nothing stands in the way of a fearless heart" is true, there was no one more fearless and ingenious than Khaalid.