Battle of Ajnadayn

The Battle of Ajnadayn was the first major Muslim engagement against a large Byzantine army in Palestine and opened the way for the subsequent conquest of the Levant. It took place during the caliphate of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, who died just before news of the victory reached him. The Byzantine commander Artabanus assembled a substantial force to push back the Muslim armies that had been probing Palestine. Khalid ibn al-Walid, after his extraordinary march across the Syrian desert, joined the Muslim forces in Palestine in time for the battle. The combined Muslim force under his tactical command engaged and defeated the Byzantine army decisively. The victory opened Palestine to Muslim advance, led to the fall of Caesarea and other coastal cities, and set the conditions for the definitive Battle of Yarmouk two years later. Companions who died in this battle included Dhiraar ibn al-Azwar's sister Khawla bint al-Azwar, one of several Muslim women fighters recorded in early Islamic history.