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Khalid, leader extraordinary

In writing his well researched “THE SWORD OF ALLAH” on one of Islam’s outstanding military leaders, Khalid Bin Waleed, late Lt Gen Agha Ibrahim Akram confessed that he could hardly capture all of the extraordinary exploits of this amazing man (41 major battles in 15 years, 35 concentrated in the last seven) in just one book. On a pro-rata scale, an article is much less commensurate.

The son of Waleed, one of the most respected of Quraish clan elders in the time of our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Khalid showed early prowess as a more than ordinary soldier, being physically very strong, aggressive in nature and extremely courageous. At the Battle of Uhud, when he fought the first of his two battles against the Muslims, it was his patience and military acumen that kept the Quraish cavalry’s two wings (his along with that of Akrama) aloof from the battle as the Quraish infantry disintegrated on account of the relentless Muslim attack, then seizing the moment to attack and overwhelm the critical high ground that the Muslim archers had partially vacated in direct violation of the instructions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), turning the prospect of Muslim victory into Islam’s first military defeat. Military tactical sense was an inborn Khalid attribute, he deployed this God-given gift later to Islam’s advantage many times over in his illustrious career.

A cousin of Hazrat Omar as well as a childhood friend, Khalid turned towards Islam after the third attempt of the Quraish (along with coalition partners) to overwhelm the Muslims (at Madina) had failed (the Battle of the Ditch). Khalid had been deeply impressed with the Prophet’s (PBUH) stratagem and tactics that had stymied Quraish efforts despite their much superior numbers. He came to admire the ability of the Muslims to withstand adversity with patience, marvelling at the Muslims tenacity and courage. After deep meditation and inner counsel and despite the alternate entreaties and threats of his clan, Khalid journeyed to Madina and submitted himself to the Prophet (PBUH) on May 31, 629.

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was delighted by Khalid’s conversion to Islam. Khalid was much admired by the Prophet (PBUH) even when he was an enemy, the Prophet (PBUH) foresaw in Khalid’s leadership qualities and military acumen, Islam’s future conquests. Very early on, the Prophet (PBUH) also came face to face with the residual effects of Khalid’s aggressive nature and the ruthlessness with which he pressed home military advantage on the battlefield, having difficulty with the Muslim concept of quarter after the hostilities had ceased and peace had been won. At times the Prophet (PBUH) had to admonish or restrain Khalid, even pardon him, such as after the tragic events of Bani Jazima when Khalid exceeded his mandate and just managed to withstand the intense criticism by the closest Companions of the Prophet (PBUH).

As a military personality of his time, Khalid has virtually no equal in Islam. It must be remembered that in those years military commanders could not sustain their dominance by brains alone, they had to physically cow down the opposition! Many battles were lost or won on the strength of individual battles between the leaders of the opposing forces or even their chosen champions. In the service of Islam, Khalid was repeatedly wounded, many times grievously. At the Battle of Humein (Feb 1, 630) it was only after the Prophet (PBUH) exhorted him that he shrugged off his serious injuries and regained control over the Bani Suleim.

Not being a member of the Blessed Ten, the inner circle and original Companions to the Prophet (PBUH), Khalid ranked very low in seniority among the Muslims. Yet the Prophet (PBUH), recognizing Khalid’s superior military abilities, put him in command over various military expeditions. Taking over from the slain commanders at Mauta, Khalid broke off engagement to avert a bloody defeat, thus effecting the first general withdrawal from the field of battle in Muslim history and evoking great annoyance among the Faithful. Recognizing Khalid’s wisdom, the Prophet (PBUH) stifled criticism by conferring on him the title of Saifullah, the Sword of Allah. Members of the Prophet’s (PBUH) inner circle served cheerfully under Khalid, such was the discipline inculcated in the early days of Islam. This discipline was put to severe test when the 22-year-old Osama was appointed by the Prophet (PBUH) in the middle of May, 632 to lead a strong Muslim army against the Romans in Jordan. The Army of Osama was in camp when the Prophet (PBUH) breathed his last (June 5, 632) and with Apostasy proliferating all over Arabia, wise and sane counsel thought it prudent to keep the army close to Madina to deal with the worsening situation. Hazrat Abu Bakr refused to rescind the orders of the deceased Prophet (PBUH) on any account, with the result that the inexperienced Osama led the most powerful army of Muslims, veterans of past campaigns, away from Madina, with many able, experienced and brilliant commanders under his command. As the expedition was leaving, Hazrat Abu Bakr requested Osama to leave behind only Hazrat Omar, this Osama was only too pleased to concede. The iron grip of Muslim discipline was such that a future Khalifa (Hazrat Omar) was prepared to serve happily under whoever (in this case a mere stripling) was appointed as the commander by the supreme authority.

Hazrat Abu Bakr had taken an enormous chance, it was only his own personal and outstanding leadership that kept the false prophets and Apostates at bay in absence of the Army of Osama. As soon as the Army returned after its success, Hazrat Abu Bakr re-organised the army under 11 corps each with its own Standard, giving command of the most powerful corps to Khalid, with clear instructions to swiftly seek out and destroy the more powerful of the forces assembling against Islam. This Khalid successively and successfully did, first Tuleiha at Burakha (mid September 632) then Malik Bin Nuweira (without a fight) at Butah, finally Musalima the Liar at Yamama (Dec 632) wiping out the traces of Apostasy in his area of operations, more difficult a task than that given to all the other 10 Muslim corps combined. As usual Khalid did not remain free of personal controversy, those jealous of his success became his lifelong detractors, this time again the benefit of doubt was given to the great general but he had to pay out blood-money to the heirs of Malik Bin Nuweira. The historical record seems to support him though he could have perhaps exercised greater discretion and lesser impatience. But then, one of the factors that give credibility to Khalid’s known history is that he comes across as a human being, extraordinary perhaps, but as a flesh and blood personality.

After the collapse of the Apostasy, Hazrat Abu Bakr then turned his attention to the Persian Empire, particularly the Iraqi Province of this once great imperial civilization spanning over hundreds of years. In great battles, Khalid destroyed successive Persian armies that were sent against him, the bloodiest battles being at Walaja and then at Ulleis (an adjacent river became known as the River of Blood). In battle after battle, Khalid’s outstanding leadership was on display, his physical dominance over his enemies, both in individual battle and in the frontline of his columns was only superseded by his military genius in the strategic ploy of not allowing the enemy to concentrate and dealing with their perceived, this tactical, conduct of the actual battle and the superior employment of his cavalry columns. The Persians were brave soldiers, they were led by able generals and were logistically well taken care of. Facing the lightly equipped Muslims, they were handicapped to their detriment because of lack of mobility. In short order the Iraqi Province came under Muslim tutelage though a number of attempts by the Persian Emperor to regain his lost territories had to be put down. As the Iraqi campaign wound down, an important messenger arrived from the Khalifa, Hazrat Abu Bakr, in late May 634. The Muslim army commanded by Abu Obaida against the Romans in Syria was in danger of being overwhelmed. Khalid was to take half his army and go to his succour, leaving the command in Iraq to Musamma. To reach faster Khalid took his entire army through an unknown route through a waterless desert, finding water only when they had reached the utmost limit of their endurance.

In the areas now comprising Syria, Palestine, Israel and Jordan, Khalid took over as Commander-in-Chief from Abu Obeida and fought a series of battles including the siege of many Roman forts. The two battles that stand out are Ajnaidan and Yarmuk. During this time the Khalifa, Hazrat Abu Bakr, died (Aug 22, 634) after a short sickness, willing that Hazrat Omar would succeed him. Hazrat Omar was an austere and inflexible disciplinarian who did not take kindly to the indiscretions and excesses of the Muslim commanders in victory, his particular disapproval was reserved for Khalid. Hazrat Omar maintained that as the Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic military arm, Khalid had to set an example of nobility and probity. Khalid, on the other hand, was rather careless in this respect, tending to be over-generous in the distribution of largesse, in some cases his detractors evinced concern whether the gifts came from Khalid’s own wealth, which was immense because of the war booty, or out of the State’s coffers. To set an example of strict adherence to Islamic principles and to destroy the feeling that victory was because of Khalid rather than because of Islam, one of Hazrat Omar’s first acts was to remove Khalid and appoint Abu Obaida, one of the Prophet’s (PBUH) original Companions, in his place. Since Khalid was in the midst of the siege of Damascus. Abu Obeida gave him the Khalifa’s letter only when the campaign was over so that the change of command would not affect the course of battle to the detriment of Muslims.

Khalid was shocked and so were the soldiers of this great army. He had won many victories for Islam by his military exploits, his presence on any battlefield would spread terror through the ranks of Islam’s enemies. Instead of being rewarded for his services, he was being punished! Such was the iron discipline of this outstanding man that he willingly gave his loyalty to Abu Obeida and served under him without protest. Abu Obeida was very fond of Khalid and held him in great esteem, this helped in maintaining mutual trust and confidence at the highest levels of the Muslim military hierarchy.

Yarmuk was the greatest battle of Islam, a battlefield that saw the Muslim army facing a Roman horde sent by the Emperor Heraclius and several times the size of the Muslims, this was annihilated by the Muslims under Khalid after an epic seven-day battle. The Muslim contingent of 30,000 suffered over 4,000 dead and almost all were wounded but almost 200,000 of the Roman army comprised of Armenians, Christians, Arabs, Franks, Azeris, etc perished on the battlefield and in the mad rout in the Wadi-ur-Raqqad (The Raqqad Gorge). Other than raw courage, this battle displayed the complete spectrum of Khalid’s genius from the strategic sense of selecting the right battlefield, the tactical employment of his numerically superior forces by concentrating at critical points and the exercising of patience in preserving his reserves till the appropriate time. This was an overwhelming victory and finished the Roman Empire in the region. For posterity, it was one of the world’s decisive battles. What made it more magnificent that though nominally Abu Obeida was Khalid’s commander, yet realizing his military limitations in the face of the enemy’s overwhelming numerical superiority and gave over the battlefield command to Khalid in the greater interest of Islam. Instead of being peevish, Khalid willingly exercised that command to the great benefit of Islam, handing back that command to Abu Obeida willingly once the battle was over. Such was the level of self-sacrifice in Muslim leadership in the early days of Islam.

One of the greatest of human failings is jealousy at the relative success of others. This jealousy is generally all pervasive, and is usually born out of personal frustration, a factor makes the situation become vicious, turning it into hatred. Today’s would-be Khalids tend to imitate the great hero’s leisure moments rather than be equal to his military feats, these desires remain confined to land mouth bragging a figment of imagination, induced by liquor. They tend to go emulate Khalid’s reputation off the battlefield, most of their bravado is confined to glib-talking among convivial friends. Unfortunately some of them have thus built up ill-deserved reputations for soldiering among the more impressionable. But not only that, the general good of the country or the army is lost as they attempt to get personal satisfaction by conspiring against those who may have been crowned with success. While forgiveness may be divine, these selfish creatures create problems, mostly through the spreading of falsehood, both of individual and universal nature and the world is a better place by exposing their vile designs. Khalid was a proven battle-tested military hero, replete with innumerable victories and yet he obeyed the command of his superiors without question, keeping his bitterness to himself, lest he cause dissension among the Muslim ranks and file. If Islam is alive today, it is partially because of the selflessness of this great military champion of Islam and his refusal to let his personal dismay harm the greater cause. If anything, Khalid set an example of discipline that must be emulated, none of the soldiers today in any Islamic country can hope to match even an approximate percentage of his military exploits. Even when fully deserving of every reward and appointment that could be bestowed on him, Khalid did not let his own desires and ambitions interfere with superior authority.
The malady of jealousy carries with it unending danger, there is great mischief among those who burn with its passion, an addiction to liquor force-multiplies that jealousy and makes it all-consuming. Frustration and greed are the two great catalysts, either taken together or separately. This motivates the frustrated to conspire against those who are blessed with more, materially, intellectually and spiritually. These craven human beings carry false tales to those in authority, with the purpose of putting the object of their jealousy in trouble, for either personal benefit, materially by obtaining pecuniary advantage or spiritually in getting sadistic pleasure from the other’s discomfort. In the modern age it is used frequently as a blackmail weapon. Unfortunately, Islam’s greatest hero, champion of countless physical combats on the battlefield, fell victim to this unseen nemesis.

In the bitterness of being ultimately consigned into oblivion without any appointment whatsoever, Khalid’s exemplary conduct in adversity till his death in 642 set an example of discipline that is a magnificent obituary by itself. The stoic nature of his patience served Islam well, it exists even today as a model of obedience. Our country is on strong foundations primarily because of the steadfastness of our Army. Our Army thrives on strict obedience up the chain of command. These who desire nothing better than to destroy this country will certainly move Heaven and Earth to cause dissension within the ranks of the Pakistan Army, trying to sabotage the bedrock of this institution. Some of our naive people may even become willing tools of this ploy. Very much like the Germany of the late nineteenth century, Pakistan is an army with a country, as long as Khalid-like strict discipline remains a hallmark of this profession, no one can touch this country.

(References (1) The Sword of Allah, Lt Gen A.I Akram and (2) The Last Prophet (PBUH) and HIS Teachings, Abdul Majid.

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