Khlid ibn al-Wald Tariq ibn Ziyad Al-Hajjaj

Khlid ibn al-Wald (592-642)

Khalid b. al-Walid (Sword of Allah) was born in Mecca in 592.

He was from the Meccan tribe of Quraish, who opposed Muhammad : Banu

Makhzum.
His father, Walid ibn al-Mughira, was chief of Banu Makhzum. Role & Characteristics : One of the two famous Arab generals of the Rashidun

army during the Muslim conquests of the 7th Century. He is noted for his military expertise, commanding the forces of Muhammad and those of his immediate successors of the Rashidun Caliphate; Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab.
Significance: Undefeated in over a 100 battles against, he is regarded as one of the

finest military commanders in history.

Greatest strategic achievements were: his swift conquest of the Persian Empire and

conquest of Roman Syria within three years from 633 to 636

 Greatest tactical achievements were: his successful double envelopment maneuver

at Walaja and his decisive victories at Firaz, Ullais and Yarmouk.

Muhammads era : Khalid's leadership was instrumental in ensuring a Meccan

victory during the Battle of Uhud (625)

He was a part of Quraish's campaign against Muslims which resulted in the Battle

of the Trench(627), and this was Khalid's last battle against Muslims

Khalid accepted Islam and joined Muhammad after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah and

commanded various missions for him, such as the Battle of Mu'tah

It was during this battle that he broke 9 swords and earned the title Sayf-Allah al-

Maslul (the Drawn Sword of God or Sword of Allah).

He also participated in the farewell hajj of Muhammad.

According to a narration, when Muhammad shaved his head, Khalid took some of

his hairs. When asked by Muhammad the reason for this, he replied, "I will keep these hairs with me forever as a relic so that they will help me be victorious in battles." Later he sewed those hairs in his cap, which he always wore under his turban.

 Abu Bakrs era :After Muhammad's death, he played a key role in commanding

Medinan forces for Abu Bakr in the Ridda wars.

Khalid was one of Abu Bakrs main advisers and an architect of the strategic

planning of the Riddah wars. He was given the command over the strongest Muslim army and was sent towards central Arabia, the most strategically sensitive area where the most powerful rebel tribes resided.
Expansion: the capture of the Sassanid Arab client Kingdom of Al-Hirah, and the

defeat of the Sassanid Persian forces during his conquest of the Persian Empire
He then crossed the desert to capture the Byzantine Arab client state of the

Ghassanids during his conquest of Roman Syria.

Umars era: the caliph relieved him of high command But he remained the effective leader of the forces arrayed against the Byzantines

during the early stages of the Byzantine-Arab Wars. Under his command, Damascus was captured in 635 and the key Arab victory against the Roman Byzantine forces was achieved at the Battle of Yarmuk (636), which led to the conquest of the Bilad al-Sham (Levant).

 Caliph Umar later dismissed Khalid from the army, quoting :

I have not dismissed Khalid because of my anger or because of any dishonesty on his part, but because people glorified him and were misled. I feared that people would rely on him. I want them to know that it is Allah who does all things; and there should be no mischief in the land.
Although it is believed that relations between `Umar and Khalid, cousins, were

always something short of cordial, Khalid apparently harbored no ill-will. Upon his death, he bequeathed his property to `Umar and made him the executor of his will and estate.
Khalid died and was buried in 642 in Emesa (Homs), Syria. He had wanted to die a

martyr in the field of battle, and was apparently disappointed when he knew that he would die in bed. Khalid put all the torment of his soul into one last, anguished sentence: I fought in so many battles seeking martyrdom that there is no place in my body but have a stabbing mark by a spear , a sword or a dagger, and yet here I am, dying on my bed like an old camel dies. May the eyes of the cowards never sleep

 The wife of Khalid, upon feeling such a

pain of her husband told Khalid: "You were given the title of 'Saif-ullah' meaning, 'The Sword of Allah' and, the sword of Allah is not meant to be broken and hence, it is not your destiny to be a 'martyr' but to die like a conqueror.

His tomb is now part of a mosque

called Jamia Khalid ibn al-Walid (Khalid ibn al-Walid Mosque). Khalid's tombstone depicts a list of over 50 victorious battles that he commanded without defeat (not including small battles).