The Biography of the sword of Allah: Khalid bin Walid “May Allah be Pleased with Him” (Part 59)
Khalid (May Allah Be Pleased with Him) in the Battle of Marj al-Rum and Hazer
As discussed in previous sections, Hazrat Khalid (may Allah be pleased with him), with his Allah-given strength and talent, was able to stand firm against the enemy and eventually force them into submission. Now, in this part of Syedna Khalid’s (may Allah be pleased with him) Biography, we want to discuss his other acts of bravery in various battles, particularly focusing on battles such as Marj al-Rum, Homs, Hazar, Qinsarin, and Mar’ash.
Hazrat Khalid in Marj al-Rum and Homs
Allama Abu Zayd Shalabi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes in his book: “In the fifteenth year after Hijra, during the glorious period of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), Heraclius, the Roman emperor, resided in the great city of Homs, using it as his military and ammunition base. When he learned that his armies had been defeated in Damascus and Jordan and that the Muslims intended to capture Homs, he sent an army under the command of a man named Tawzhar, a priest of the Roman Church, to Homs. Shortly after, he dispatched another army under a man named Shans al-Rumi to assist Tawzhar and defend the people of Homs.”
The Muslims confronted the new Roman forces in a town west of Damascus called Marj al-Rum. A fierce battle ensued. Syedna Abu Ubaidah (may Allah be pleased with him) faced the army of Shans, while Syedna Khalid (may Allah be pleased with him) confronted the army of Tawzhar.
Imam Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) writes in his history: «فقتلهم مقتلة عظيمة وقتل أبوعبيدة شنس وامتلا المرج من قتلاهم فأنتنت منهم الأرض وهرب من هرب منهم» “They suffered a tremendous massacre, and Abu Ubaidah killed Shans. The land of Marj was filled with their dead, causing the earth to wreak from their corpses, and many of them fled.”
Tawzhar, thinking that the Islamic army was preoccupied with Shans’ forces, attempted to flee with his army toward Damascus. However, Syedna Khalid (may Allah be pleased with him) pursued him. In Damascus, Yazid ibn Abu Sufyan was also prepared to confront him. Consequently, both Islamic armies, Khalid’s from the front and Yazid’s from behind, surrounded them and annihilated them all. Tawzhar himself was killed by Syedna Khalid (may Allah be pleased with him), and all the remaining spoils were divided between the two Islamic armies. In this way, the city of Marj al-Rum was captured and brought under Islamic control.
Khalid in the Famous City of Homs
As soon as the news of Tawzhar’s death and the destruction of his army reached Heraclius, he immediately fled from the city of Homs and appointed a representative to oversee it. He instructed the people not to leave their shelters except during the cold days, hoping that the harsh weather would weaken the Muslims.
Hazrat Abu Ubaidah (may Allah be pleased with him) marched toward Homs from Baalbek, followed by Khalid. All the Muslims surrounded the city of Homs in a severe siege. As the cold season ended and the enemy was unable to engage the Muslims in battle, they were forced to make peace without bloodshed. The Muslims accepted the peace, and the city was captured.
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