After subduing the Persians, Khalid turned his attention to the infiltrative activities of the Byzantine army. They, too, feared the growing power of the Islamic State and indirectly encouraged the neighbouring states to rise up against the Muslims. Caliph Abu Bakr resolved to deal with the looming danger presented by the Byzantines. He created four different battalions, each led by a separate commander. Under the command of Abu Ubaida ibn al-Jarrah, Amr ibn al-As, Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan and Shurahbil ibn Hasanah, the four battalions set out in different directions to face the Byzantines. Since the Byzantines had dispatched a very large army to crush the Muslims, the Caliph ordered Khalid to leave his Persian garrison and join the army he had sent to face the Byzantines. In July 634, Khalid met up with the Muslim army at Ajnadayn. He held a council of all the Muslim commanders and suggested that one of them should take overall command of the army. The Muslim army consisted of forty-five thousand men, while the Byzantine army consisted of around one hundred and fifty thousand troops. The decisive battle of Yarmuk was now looming in the horizon.
Like the Persians, the Byzantines were also fascinated by the genius of Khalid; they were very keen to see the man Muslims fondly referred to as the ‘Sword of God’. After due deliberation, the Muslim army (under the central command of Khalid) met the well-equipped, professionally-trained and highly-motivated soldiers of the Byzantine Empire and a fierce battle then ensued. During the battle, Khalid received a letter from Madinah informing him of the death of Caliph Abu Bakr. The letter, signed by Caliph Umar, instructed Khalid to hand over the central command of the Muslim army to Abu Ubaida ibn al-Jarrah. Khalid decided not to disclose the contents of the letter while the battle was raging, in order to avoid creating confusion among the Muslims. This was a very clever move by Khalid as it ensured the Muslim army did not lose heart at the news of the Caliph’s death. Under Khalid’s able leadership, forty-five thousand Muslims crushed the mighty Byzantine forces. After the battle, Khalid informed the Muslim army of the death of Caliph Abu Bakr and willingly placed himself under the command of Abu Ubaida ibn al-Jarrah as per Caliph Umar’s instruction.
To Khalid, the great military genius, it did not matter who was in charge. What mattered to him, more than anything else, was that Islam gain victory over its adversaries. He lived a very simple, pious and austere life dedicated to the service of Islam and the Muslims. Refering to Khalid, Caliph Abu Bakr once remarked, ‘O Quraysh! Verily your lion, the lion of Islam, had leapt upon the lion of Persia, and spoiled him of his prey. Women shall not bear a second Khalid.’ As a military general, Khalid thrived in the lion’s den. In the history of warfare, no other military general had achieved as much as Khalid did, in such a short period of time. Although Khalid became a Muslim only a few years before the conquest of Makkah in 630, he became one of the greatest champions of Islam immediately upon embracing the new faith. His firm commitment, selfless dedication and great sacrifices for the sake of Islam made him a symbol of pride and joy for all Muslims. Considered by the Muslim soldiers to be a great gift and a blessing from God, his unprecedented success on the battlefield convinced many Muslims that as along as Khalid was with them they would not lose a battle.
The perception of Khalid’s invincibility among the Muslim soldiers clearly disturbed Caliph Umar, who immediately discharged him from his duties as commander of the Muslim army in order to remind the Muslims that it was God who granted victory. Moreover, Khalid would not have been able to defeat the Persians and the Byzantines, argued Umar, had it not been for Divine support and assistance. Caliph Umar did not demote Khalid out of jealousy or personal grudge, unlike suggestions by some historians. On the contrary, he was very fond of Khalid and considered him to be one of Islam’s greatest sons. Khalid died of prolonged illness at the age of fifty-eight and was buried in Hims, in Syria; his desire to attain martyrdom was not realised. However, he understood why he could not die fighting in the battlefield, because that would have meant defeat for the ‘Sword of God’. When the news of Khalid’s death was relayed to Caliph Umar, he remarked, ‘The death of Khalid has created a void in Islam that cannot be filled.’ That was the greatness of the man who single-handedly humbled two of history’s greatest empires.
ALL NATIONS HAVE their own heroes. Some attained fame and fortune by defending their nations against external aggression; others were glorified for their artistic achievements; yet others became symbols of hope in the face of great adversity. All great nations and civilisations, therefore, remember and commemorate, at one time or another, the heroic actions and deeds performed by their great historical figures. Islamic history, indeed human history, is replete with great feats performed by renowned personalities in different spheres of human endeavour; but very few people have been able to reach the sublime and exalted position attained by one man. He was braver than a lion, an angel among men and the prince of all martyrs. That was Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
Hussain ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib was born in Madinah into the most noble and respected family of Arabia. His father was Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth Caliph of Islam, and his mother was Fatimah, the youngest daughter of Prophet Muhammad. Hussain’s family lineage was, therefore, of the highest pedigree. Once Abdullah ibn Umar, the son of Caliph Umar, asked his father why he consistently treated Hussain and his brother Hasan more favourably than his own sons. The great Caliph retorted, ‘Abdullah, your remarks have hurt me. Don’t you know that your grandfather stands no comparison with their grandfather! Do you think your grandmother can equal theirs? Has your maternal uncle the same standing as theirs? Can your maternal aunt compare with their aunt? Is your paternal uncle of the same rank as theirs? Can your paternal aunt be a match for theirs?’ Abdullah, the son of Caliph Umar, understood what his father was trying to say. As far as family background and nobility of origin was concerned, no one was superior to Hussain; he was beyond comparison in this respect. As young Hussain grew up in Madinah under the watchful gaze of his beloved grandfather, the Prophet, and the loving care of his parents, Ali and Fatimah, he came to personify sublime qualities and attributes; indeed, honesty, integrity and piety became the hallmarks of his character and personality. Above all, Hussain grew up to be a man of sound beliefs and uncompromising principles. He inherited all the noble qualities and attributes of his parents, and received tuition in Islam from the Prophet himself. Being very fond of his two grandsons, the Prophet visited them daily and spent quality time with them. Often he would volunteer to feed Hussain and his older brother with his own hands, and became visibly distressed and anxious if he knew his grandsons were sick or upset.
One day when Hussain and his brother ran into the Prophet’s mosque while he was delivering a sermon, the sight of his beautiful grandchildren – who were wearing new clothes and looked very handsome – touched the Prophet so much that he leaned forward and gently seated the boys next to him on the pulpit and said, ‘How true is the word of God! Verily, children and worldly goods are the test of a man. When I saw these children coming in, I could not help but stop the sermon and run towards them.’ Hussain spent his early years in the company of the Prophet, the greatest of all teachers, and he learned all his habits from his beloved grandfather. He enjoyed playing with the Prophet while the latter immersed himself in his daily prayers. He climbed onto his shoulders and played games like any other child of his age. Once, while the Prophet was holding Hussain in his lap, tears suddenly began to roll down his cheeks. When he was asked why he cried, he replied, ‘Because angel jibrail (Gabriel) appeared just now. He has informed me that my followers are going to slay this grandson of mine. He has even shown me the dust of the spot where he is going to be butchered! The dust is red!’
Hussain was only seven when the Prophet passed away in 632. Six months later he suffered another shock when his beloved mother Fatimah also died, leaving him in the care of his father, Ali. It was a very difficult period for young Hussain, who suddenly found himself deprived of motherly love and affection. Being a very wise and learned man, Ali tried his best to fill the void left by his wife and took good care of Hussain, who also grew up to be a wise