Khalid ibn al Walid shrine in Homs Syria before the war
Khalid ibn al-Walid
Abū Sulaymān
Khālid ibn al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah al-Makhzūmī (585 –642) also known as Sayf Allāh al-Maslūl ; “
Drawn Sword of God ”, was a companion of the
Islamic prophet Muhammad. He is noted for his military tactics and prowess, commanding the forces of
Medina under Muhammad and the forces of his immediate successors of the
Rashidun Caliphate,
Abu Bakr and
Umar ibn Khattab. It was under his military leadership that
Arabia, for the first time in history, was united under a single political entity, the Caliphate. Commanding the forces of the nascent
Islamic State, Khalid was victorious in over a hundred battles, against the forces of the Byzantine-Roman
Empire, Sassanid-Persian Empire, and their allies, in addition to other
Arab tribes. His strategic achievements include the conquest of Arabia,
Persian Mesopotamia and
Roman Syria within several years from 632 to 636. He is also remembered for his decisive victories at Yamamah, Ullais, and Firaz, and his tactical successes at Walaja and
Yarmouk.
Khalid ibn al-Walid (Khalid son of al-Walid) was from the Meccan tribe of Quraysh, from a clan that initially opposed Muhammad. He played a vital role in the Meccan victory at the
Battle of Uhud against the Muslims. He converted to
Islam, and joined Muhammad after the
Treaty of Hudaybiyyah and participated in various expeditions for him, such as the
Battle of Mu'tah. It was the first battle between the
Romans and the Muslims.
Khalid ibn Al-Walid reported that the fighting was so intense, that he used nine swords, which broke in the battle. Khalid took over after
Zayd ibn Haritha, then
Jafar ibn Abi Talib, then
Abdullah ibn Rawahah were killed. After Muhammad's death, he played a key role in commanding Medinan forces for Abu Bakr in the
Ridda wars, conquering central Arabia and subduing Arab tribes. He captured the
Sassanid Arab client
Kingdom of Al-Hirah, and defeated the
Sassanid Persian forces during his conquest of
Iraq (
Mesopotamia). He was later transferred to the western front to capture Roman Syria and the
Byzantine Arab client state of the Ghassanids.