Golden Mien: A Warrior par excellence [Part 9]

We may not be able to do justice with the Iranian campaign started by the unsung hero of Islam, Hazrat Musna ibn Haris [RA], without relating in some detail the tale and the historical trail of Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed [RA]. History is replete with great warriors from Alexandrian era down to Genghis Khan and Tamerlane. The famous battles between Alexander and Darius are woven in legend, apart from the historical recording. Hazrat Khalid (RA) was such a master strategist, a Napoleon; a Nelson would have loved to interact with. 
 
Nothing thrilled him more than to plan a battle with all its strategic implication. Whatever the opposition planned, he was always a step ahead. However, an assessment in purely military terms remained unknown until a modern day soldier of repute, of high rank provided the study material. Lt. Gen Akram of Pakistan army, who served during the era of Ayub Khan, has gone to great lengths to fill in the void. Gen Akram personally visited the various combat fields where Hazrat Khalid (RA) had fought some of the famous battles like the one at Yarmuk, sketch the war maps and match it with historical narratives and reach conclusions, which he put in book form to serve as an important source material.

To keep his date with destiny, Hazrat Khalid (RA)  set upon a path that Islamic narratives record with pride.  He  straight away went to the fountainhead of truth; Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and declared his allegiance. The prophet PBUH) of Islam was to name him ‘Saifullah’ the sword of Allah

Over a period of time, it might be known, Hazrat Khalid [RA] was an enemy of the religion he later chose to revere. In the battle of Ohod, he was on the opposing side.  

Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed (RA) in the battle of Ohod gave Islamic forces their greatest ever scare. Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) had gauged the battlefield perfectly and placed archers at a strategic location on a hilltop. The archers were supposed to offset any outflanking man oeuvre with implicit instructions not to move under any circumstances until advised.   
The stalemate continued until in a decisive push the Islamic forces put the Quereish on the run. The archers, failing to put a hold on collecting their share of war booty left the strategic location without following the implied instruction of not to leave until ordered. Hazrat Khalid (RA) sensing the opening he was hoping for started the outflanking manoeuvre by getting around the hill and suddenly a victory almost sealed turned into a reverse.
However, he was to witness one combatant after another laying his life to defend the most precious life ever. It got so close, as to cause some facial injuries to Prophet (PBUH) including loss of two teeth. The defensive ring around Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and its resilience surprised the mighty warrior. He could not penetrate the ring. Frustrated in his design, he had to give up. However, he promised to return at a future date to renew the battle.

Islamic forces were engaged on two fronts, the Iranian and the Syrian. Both had Arab segment of population located in the border areas. Their Arab origin had them develop divided loyalties, the allegiance to the state they belonged to clashed with the pride in resurgent Arabia

It is related by Gen Akram in his masterly treatise on Saifullah [RA] that the combat at Ohod set him thinking. He was wondering if ever he could combine the resilience of these forces with his military sense, it would make it potent enough to melt resistance of any sort. And what Hazrat Khalid (RA) could not resist was the love of battle. He took the momentous decision. To keep his date with destiny, he set upon a path that Islamic narratives record with pride.  He straight away went to the fountainhead of truth; Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and declared his allegiance. The prophet PBUH) of Islam was to name him ‘Saifullah’ the sword of Allah.
Islamic forces were engaged on two fronts, the Iranian and the Syrian. Both had Arab segment of population located in the border areas. Their Arab origin had them develop divided loyalties, the allegiance to the state they belonged to clashed with the pride in resurgent Arabia. Some of them provided all that Islamic forces needed to know of logistics. And Saifullah [RA] worked on this factor to gather intelligence, before making his moves.

Speed was the quality factor the Hazrat Khalid (RA) trained his forces in. The fast moving cavalry with light armoured units got the better of Byzantine Caesars and Chosroes of Persia, whose forces had a millennium of active combat experience

We may relate the Iranian campaign in detail later and presently keep track of the trail of Saifullah Khalid [RA]. His presence ensured victories on both the Iranian and the Roman front. At a certain point of Iranian campaign, he was asked by the Caliph, Hazrat Omar Farooq [RA], to move from Iranian to Syrian front swiftly, he chose to cross the desert terrain between Iraq and Syria through the shortest but hazardous route, which had just one source of water known just to one person in his caravan and he too lost the trace, the water reserves had finished and much of the route had still to be covered.
The tongues started getting parched with thirst and before thirst and hunger would spell doom of Hazrat Khalid (RA)’s force, the guide found the obliterated mark. Thus the Islamic forces led by the daring warrior were on enemy’s head much before anyone expected them to be. To reach his objective, Saifullah [RA] would take a risk. Fortune favours the brave, as it did in the case of Saifullah [RA].  
Speed was the quality factor the Hazrat Khalid (RA) trained his forces in. The fast moving cavalry with light armoured units got the better of Byzantine Caesars and Chosroes of Persia, whose forces had a millennium of active combat experience. It came to a point where the Islamic victories were ascribed to the genius of Hazrat Khalid (RA). He became an icon and before he would become an idol, the Caliph, Hazrat Omar Farooq (RA) decided to act.  
Islam was against idol worship in any form. Hazrat Abu Obadiah (RA) was made the supreme commander. He was mild in temperament, less daring than Hazrat Khalid; nevertheless administratively much more comforting. The Caliph, Hazrat Omar Farooq [RA], in Medina had an overall policy of consolidation in the growing Islamic territories.
Hazrat Khalid (RA), the military genius was hardly the person to get into the nitty gritty of administrative detail. After decisive victories in two of the greatest battles fought by Islamic forces—Yarmuk on Roman front, and Qadsia on Iranian front, it was a matter of administrative consolidation, the details that bored the great warrior, hence Hazrat Abu Obaidah [RA] on Roman front and Saad ibn Abi Waqas [RA] on the Iranian front assumed command.
In his last days, the mighty warrior of Islam, one of the greatest Generals history has ever known, Hazrat Khalid (RA carried the regret of not attaining martyrdom in battlefield. 

By Dr Javid Iqbal