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HAZRAT KHALID BIN WALEED

AND THE BATTLE OF YARMUK
INTRODUCTION
GM allow me to take you back in time when the fire in the two camps
burnt merrily the whole night long and could be seen for miles like
twinkling stars descended to earth. But, there was no merriment in
the hearts of those who sat in the light of those fires. The thought of
ordeal that awaited them had driven all joy from their mind. They
were great men of valor, the soldiers who awaited the morrow. These
Romans and Arabs, these Europeans and Asians, these Christians
and Muslims, they were all lions, eagles and wolves. But they were
also human being and thought of their wives and children to whom
they will bid fare well in a few hours perhaps for the last time.
GM in another sight from the rise in the ground emerged a dark line
of horsemen whom none may resist and survive to tell the tale. This
thundering squad is led by a leader who gallops ahead, a large broad
shouldered, powerfully built man, he is mounted on a magnificent
Arab stallion and rides it as if he were a part of it. The loose end of
his turban and cloak fluttered behind with his large full beard pressed
against his chest by the wind. His fierce eyes shine with excitement,
with a promise of battle and blood and glory -- the glory of victory, the
glory of martyrdom.
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GM that was the eve of. Yarmuk the titanic battle between the
crescent and cross. And this is the commander of Muslims never to
born again Hazrat Khalid Bin Waleed. Today we shall give you the
detailed account of the link between the two in the presentation
HAZRAT KHALID BIN WALEED& THE BATTLE OF YARMUK.
which is divided into four parts. First part being the biography shall
be covered by SL Khanzada in the sequence as shown. Part 2 The
commander will be covered by SL Sohail describing the concepts of
Khalid and background of Yarmuk. In part-3 the war a sketch of the
battle by SL Nasir will be followed by the final part of analysis by
myself in the sequence as shown. GM after the conclusion we would
be glad to answer your questions.
Now I will request SQN LDR KHANZADA to come and tell us about
the life of Hazrat Khalid.

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PART 1
BIOGRAPHY
Gentlemen while covering the Biography of Hazrat Khalid, I shall
briefly touch upon the aspects as shown on the view foil.
Family Background
1.

No woman will ever afterwards mother a child as brave as

Khalid said Hazrat Abu Bakr the first caliph of Islam about Hazrat
Khalid who was born in 586 A.D to Al Waleed the chief of Bani
Makhzum, a noble clan of Qureish. In the family ladder of Hazrat
Khalid, the history tracks the names of prophets like Ismail, Abraham,
Noah and Idrees till Adam. Soon after his birth, Khalid was sent to a
Bedouin tribe in the desert as per the custom among the better
families of Qureish, where a foster mother nursed him and brought
him up. The clear, dry and unpolluted air of desert laid the foundation
of tremendous strength and robust health that Khalid was to enjoy
throughout his life. The desert suited him and he came to love it and
feel at home. When he was six years of age, he returned to his
parents in Mecca. Khalid had four brothers named Waleed, Hisham,
Ummara, Abd Shams and two sisters Fakhta and Fatima. After the
birth of his sons he was commonly known as Abu Suleiman after the
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eldest and his other son Abdur Rehman later became a commander
in Syria.

Military schooling
2.

As a boy Khalid came to realize with a thrill of pride that he was

son of a Chief of the clan. Khalids father did his best to instill into
Khalid the virtues of Arab manhood courage, fighting skills,
toughness and generosity. While still a child he was taught to ride as
per the demand of his clan and soon acquired mastery over the art of
horsemanship. Along with riding, Khalid learned the skill of combat, to
use weapons the spear, the lance, the bow and the sword. He
learnt to fight on horseback and on foot. He was naturally gifted for
his skills in use of lance while charging on horseback, and the sword,
for mounted and dismounted dueling
Personality Traits
3.

Khalid had a height over six feet, wide shoulders, expanded chest
and hard muscles on his lean and athletic body. He soon became
popular for his consummate skills and enormous strength. Khalids
best friends included Amr bin Al Aas and Ikrama who later became
well known commanders. Khalid got his first lesson in the art of
warfare from his father Al Waheed. Khalid learnt how to move
fast across the desert, how to approach a hostile settlement, how
to attack it, how to catch the enemy unaware and attacking them
at an unexpected moment. Khalid by nature was a moderate in
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religious sense not paying much attention to the idols before Islam
and concentrating more on battles afterwards. He was ruthless like
a warrior and composed like an administrator. He preferred a
lavish and rich way of life like a chief.
Quest for Military Skills
4.

His quest for fighting skills was natural because the great tribes

of Qureish that inhabited Mecca had evolved a clear cut division of

privilege and responsibility among its three major clans. The Three
leading clans of Qureish were the Bani Hashim, Bani Abdudar and
Bani Makhzum. The Bani Makhzum was responsible for the matters
of war. This clan bred and trained the horses on which the Qureish
rode to war; frequently it provided officers to lead Qureish groups into
battles. This Role of Bani Makhzum set the atmosphere in which
Khalid was to grow up and clash.
Obsession to fight
5.

On reaching maturity, Khalids main interests became war and

this soon reached the proportions of an obsession. Khalids thoughts

were thoughts of battle; his ambitions were ambitions of victory. His
urges were violent and his entire psychological make-up was military.
He would dream of fighting great battles and wining great victories,
himself always the champion-admired and cheered by all. He
promised himself battle and he pronounced himself victory. And he

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promised himself lots and lots of blood. Unknown to him, destiny had
much the same ideas about Khalid.

Conquests as Khalid
6.

Battle of Uhud. (22 March 625) Jubilant Muslims at the base

of Uhud were in pursuit of the retreating enemy and war spoils along
with the reserves unaware of the rear inspite of Holy Prophets
instructions - not to leave the positions till allowed. Hazrat Khalid Bin
Waleed and Ikrama appeared from nowhere as the wrath of Allah to
teach the Muslims a lesson of life for disobeying the prophet which
became Khalids trick to change a complete victory of Muslims into a
near defeat.
7.

Battle of Ditch. (24 Feb 627)

Khalids second major battle

against Muslims was siege of Mecca during this long and tormenting
period, the inner instinct of Khalid to engage made him to cross the
ditch and kill one Muslim followed by withdrawal. Finally the infidels
had to retreat with Khalid cavalry providing the rear guard.

Conversion of Khalid

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8.

For some time a change had been taking place in mind of

Khalid. At first he thought mainly of military matters and military

objectives. Conscious of his own ability and military prowess, he felt
that he was truly deserving of victory, but somehow victory always
eluded him. He admired the Prophets dispositions and the way the
prophet had forced battles Uhad and Ditch on the Qureish with the
odds. In the expedition of Hudeibiya, when Khalid had tried to
intercept the Muslims, the Holy prophet had neatly outmaneuvered
him. Khalid could not help admiring Muhammad (MPBUH) his
generalship, his personality qualities, which he could find in no one
else. Above all Khalid wanted the clash of battle and the glory of
victory and with the Qureish there was only misadventure. On the
other hand, there was plenty of military activity at Madina. Between
the battle of Uhad and the Pilgrimage spaning over a period of four
years, 28 expeditions were taken out by the Muslim which ended in
complete success.
9.

Khalid would think wistfully of the fun that Muslims were

having. After the prophets pilgrimage serious doubt entered Khalids

mind regarding his religious beliefs and suddenly it flashed across his
mind that Islam was the true faith. Khalid took his armor, his weapons
and his horse, and set out for Madina to embrace Islam. At 43, he
was glad to be at Madina, where there was activity, anticipation,
enthusiasm, optimism and this atmosphere entered the heart of
Khalid. He breathed the clear air of the new faith and was happy.

Conquest as Saifullah
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10.

Battle of Mauta. The battle took place in September, 629 AD

Khalid had to take over command of the Muslim forces after three
designated commanders were martyred. Khalid broke nine swords
and averted a close defeat. On his return, the Prophet said Khalid is
the sword of Allah. He then became known as Saifullah.
11.

Afterwards Hazrat Khalid played dominant role in a number of

battles, most important to mention are shown on this view foil.

Battle of Hunein, Jan Feb, 630.
Seige of Taif,

5 Feb, 630.

The Campaign of the Apostasy.

The Battle of Vatrama, Dec, 632.
The Battle of Chains, April, 633.
The Battle of the River.
The Battle of Walaja May, 633.
The Battle of Firaz, Jan, 634.
The Battle of Fahl, Jan Feb, 635.
The Battle of Marj ur Rum, Mar, 635.
The Battle of Yarmuk, August 636.
Demise
12.

It was 642 AD, Hazrat Khalid was taken ill but the nature of

illness was not known and it took the strength out of Khalid. On the
same death bed he asked his friend I have sought martyrdom in a
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hundred battles why could I not die in battle. His friend replied If you
had been killed by a non believer

it would have meant that Allahs

sword had been broken and that could never be. And the man for
whom Hazrat Amr Bin Aas said A master of war and a friend of
death died in the same year.
Gentlemen! Let us see how the commander led the Muslim
army against the enemies.

PART-2
MILITARY CONCEPTS
1. Gentlemen! It is well evident from the conquests of Hazrat Khalid
Bin Waleed which span from the day he was able to carry a sword
to the day of his farewell to arms. It is no ordinary feat by any
standards when miles were days and months. From the battle of
Uhud up to the time of his dismissal over a period of 15 years,
Hazrat Khalid Bin Waleed fought 41 battles.
2.

Khalid was most versatile soldier history has ever known - a true
military genius. He had the strategic vision of Genghis Khan and
Napoleon, the tactical brilliance of Taimur and Fredrick the great, and
the individual strength and prowess of the legendary Rustam of

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Persia. In no other case in history we see such diverse military virtues

combined in a single soul
Ideas of war
3. His idea :* His idea about a battle was to fight and vanquish mighty
foes, to attack, and to conquer.
* His idea of retreat was to employ a surprise in the disguise
of defense.
* His idea of offence was a total wipe out of the enemy with
no room to escape.
* His idea of victory was not contentment but obsession for
fresh glory and strive towards distant horizon.
* His idea about tactics was not a customary principle of
war but most dynamic step to ever changing situation of
battle.
Strategy
4.

Khalid always planned his battles, though offensive but

always measured. His over all strategy was to take the enemy
by surprise and charge offensively to crush him before he
realized. Hazrat Khalid Bin Waleed could rejoice his victory of
crushing large imperial forces like Romans by the strategy of
exploiting the tremendous mobility and traveling on trackless

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new routes along his mounted army with audacity, surprise and
violet offensive action.
5.

He employed the reserves as a rapid deployment force

on weaker fronts, to strengthens a counter offensive move and

inflict surprise attacks from the flanks.
6.

Psychological warfare was his favorite strategic move in

every battle to demoralize the enemy and add vigor to his own
soldiers. He always led the duel with victory.
7.

Development of effective intelligence network was a

very important aspect of his strategy in order to plan his tactical

shifts.
Tactics
8.

Khalid had the capability to use variation in his tactics

which was evident; During the battle of Mauta, as the event

began one after the other, Muslims lost all their appointed
commanders and ALAM came to Khalid. The situation facing
Khalid was a grim one he was left with three choices. The first
to withdraw and save the Muslims from destruction, second
was to stay on the defensive and continue fighting, and the third
was to attack and throw the enemy off-balance. He chose the
last being closer to his nature. Here we again see the quick and
clear thought of Khalid in a classic application of his favorite
Offensive with flexibility of decision.

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9.

In the Battle of Walaja, the Muslims in a tormented

situation were looking miracle as they fought with the suicidal

desperation. The next moment over the crest of the ridge
appeared two dark lines of mounted warriors - one from the
Persians left rear and the other from right rear. With the cries of
Allah-o-Akber Andarzaghars army was sandwiched.
10.

Gentlemen! This tactical maneuver of frontal holding

attack combined with powerful envelopment was his original

conception.
11.

And finally GM in the Battle of Yarmuk, Hazrat Khalid Bin

Waleed conducted tactical manoeuvre which seldom practiced

in history, and most difficult to control and coordinate even now
a days. It was a simultaneous converging attack from three
directions made at night which only a highly efficient military
machine could carry out under the able guidance of a visionary
leader.
12.

Gentlemen! All these tactical moves are not mere stroke

of luck or one time actions but a part of well orchestrated

strategy from the thoughts of first Muslim commander who laid
down the beginning of Muslim conquests in the foreign lands.
Back ground of battle of Yarmuk

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13.

GM the zenith of Khalids generalship was displayed in the

battle of Yarmuk which was fought between the Muslims and the
Christians Byzantine Empire, in 636 AD. Under his command the
Muslims inflicted a crushing defeat to the great Roman imperial
army and opened the gateway for the Muslims to spread the
massage of Islam to Africa and Europe.
Historical Background
14.

The conquest of Arab lands under the rule of Persians

and the Romans was started by Caliph Hazrat Abu Bakr (RAA) in
a pre-planned campaign to spread Islam to other parts of the
world. Khalid in a series of battles reached Hira and made it, the
headquarters of Islamic forces. Invasion of Syria was planned with
distribution of forces into four sectors under the command as
shown on the view foil.
Abu Ubeida Bin-Al-Jarrah----Emessa
Yazeed Bin Sufiyan -----------Damascus.
Shurahbeel Bin Hassana-------Jordan.
Amr Bin Al-Aas-----------------Palestine

Events Leading to the Battle

4.

Roman Plan. Heraclius, the emperor of Rome under whose

command was Syria, perceiving the grave threat of Muslim

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invasion began brisk preparations for a great maneuver to finally

crush the Muslim forces.

He planned to raise a big force of

150,000 men consisting of Russian, Slaves, Franks Greeks,

Georgians, Armenians and Christian Arabs. Being, a seasoned
strategist he found the Muslims highly imbalance and widely
spread in time and space presenting an easy prey. This plan was
revealed to the Muslims during interrogation of some prisoners in
Sheizer by Hazrat Khalid. According to Heracliuss strategy
Caesarea. was to be reinforced by sea and strengthened to
40,000 men so as to isolate the corps of Yazeed.
Army of Qanateer to approach Damascus from the west
along the coastal route and cut off Hazrat Abu Ubeida from
south.
The three Armies of Jabla, Deirjan and Gregory to attack
Emessa from north, west and northeast simultaneously.
Mahan was to act as reserve behind the Christian Arabs.

Muslim Defensive Measures

13.

Khalid with unerring sense of strategy asked Abu Ubeida to

pull the troops back. Abu Ubeida accepted the proposal and
ordered an immediate withdrawal of all Muslim forces to Jabiya
The war Council on the advice of Khalid chose a plain area
with tactical importance close to river Yarmuk, which provided
a perfect place for the charge of cavalry within close proximity
of desert where Roman lines of communication would be
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extended whereas Muslims could be reinforced from the

desert. The stream of Wadi-ur- Raqqad ran from east to
southwest for 11 miles through 1000 feet deep ravine with only
one main crossing site at a ford. In the south of the battlefield
ran the canyon of the Yarmuk River The only dominating
tactical feature was the hill of Jamaa, which was 300 feet high
overlooking the area. GM this was how the situation developed
and the forces ended up at Yarmuk.

Description of the Armies

8.

Gentlemen! Before narrating the events of the battle it

would be pertinent to know the composition and numerical

strength of both the armies.
Roman Army
9.

The commander in chief of the Roman imperial army was

Mahan the king of Armenia. His force was organized into five
armies each of about 30,000 soldiers led by Mahan, Qanateer,
Deirjan, Gregory,and Jabla king of the Ghassan Arabs.
Muslim Army
10.

The Muslim army was led by Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed.

This force was organized in to four corps and a mobile guard of

4000 horseman. The corps were led by Abu Ubeida, Yazeed,

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Shurahbeel, Amr bin Aas and Khalid himself led the mobile
guards.
Relative Strength of Both the Armies is depicted by the
table shown on the view foil.
11.

The strength of infantry and cavalry regiments of both

armies were as follows.

The roman infantry consisted of 80,000 men with a cavalry of
70,000. Thus the total strength of Roman army was 150,000.
The Muslim infantry on the other hand consisted of only
30,000 men and a cavalry of 10,000. Total strength
amounting to 40,000.
The Roman army thus enjoyed a numerical advantage of
almost 4:1 against the Muslim army.

Final Deployment of War

Order of the Battle

12.

Gentlemen with the two armies settled in the plain of

Yarmuk, let us now see what the order of the battle was. Both
armies were deployed facing each other on a 12 mile long front
on east west axis after the arrival of Roman forces from North
West forcing the Muslim army to change its position as
envisaged by Hazrat Khalid. The four armies of the Romans
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The army of chains under Gregory on the right flank.

The Romans under Dierjan on the right center.
The Armenians formed the Left Center, commanded by
Qanateer.
The Slavs formed the left flank also under Qanateer.
Mahan with his cavalry positioned himself at the rear.
Ahead of the front line, across the entire 12-mile front, Mahan
deployed the Christian Arab army of Jabla.
The Romans stood 30 ranks deep.
13.

Khalid organized the force into four corps each with nine

infantry regiments facing the Romans.

The right flank was covered by Amr bin Aas
The center was formed by Abu Ubaida on the left with
Shurahbeel on the right.
While the left flank was covered by Yazeed Bin Abu Sufiyan
The cavalry regiments behind the infantry.

The most critical element the Mobile Guards was commanded

by Khalid himself to act as a reserve attack force placed at rear.
The Muslims Army formed a thin line of 3 ranks with no gaps.

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PART-3
THE WAR

Gentlemen!
1.

The battle was fought in August 636 AD and lasted for six

days. Hazrat Khalid planned to cause maximum attrition to the

Romans through an offensive action and as the Roman offensive
lost its impetus, he would destroy the enemy through a counter
offensive, pushing them against the Wadi-ur-Raqqad. MAHANS
plan was based on his superior numbers. He planned to attack
on a broader front and localize a week point for exploitation.

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2.

First Day.

The day started with duels, followed by the

general battle. Romans attempted a limited offensive, using only

ten forward ranks. Their assault was not a determined one; fight
remained unevenly distributed along the broad front. On the
whole the action of the day can be described as steady and
moderately hard. Casualties were few though higher among the
Romans. By sunset both the armies separated and returned to
their camps.
3.

Second Day.

Romans launched a surprise attack while

the Muslims were at prayers. As the battle of the central corps

continued steadily, where the Romans had planned fixation
effect, the flanking Muslim corps, received heaviest blows .In the
north; the army of Qanateer attacked the corps of Amr. Twice the
Muslims put up stubborn resistance but the Muslims broke and
fell back to their camp when Qanateer attacked persistently for
the third time with fresh force. Amr launched his cavalry, which
with great dash checked the Roman advances for a while, but
could not sustain under the immense pressure. The retreating
Muslims received curses from their women, who pelted them with
stones and hit them with tent poles as instructed by Hazrat Abu
Ubaida. The warriors could not take this and once again turned
back to fight.
4.

The situation on south was equally serious. Here too the

Romans broke through the corps of Yazeed in a second attack.

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Yazeed used his cavalry regiment to counter-attack but soon his

warriors fell back.
5.

Khalid was watching these actions from his position. He

decided to launch his Mobile Guards to assist them, when

situation severely deteriorated. He first turned to the north with
his Mobile Guards and one cavalry regiment, struck the flank of
the army of Qanateer, and Amr counter-attacked from the front.
As Amr regained his ground, Khalid dashed to south where
Yazeed had begun a major counter-attack. He detached one
cavalry regiment under Zarrar and ordered him to attack the
front of the army of Deirjan, in order to create a diversion. Khalid
with his mobile reserves attacked the Roman army of chains on
the left flank. Valiant Zarrar broke through the army of Deirjan
and killed him. By evening the original positions were restored
and the days fighting ended with the Muslims winning the bout
on points and killing enemys esteemed general, Deirjan.
6.

Third Day.

The army of chains in the south made no

move on this day. Army of Qureen, Deirjans replacement, made

a limited diversionary effort on the front of Abu Ubeida. Qanateer
attacked the Muslims right flank at the junction point of
Shurahbeel and Amrs corps. By mid-day, he broke through at
several places. Both the Muslim corps were pushed back. At
this stage Khalid intervened, but the Romans proved much
stronger than previous day. However, by dusk the Romans were
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pushed back to their own positions. Results of this day were

same as yesterday.
7.

Fourth Day. This day, Mahan planned to attack the right

half of the Muslims followed by a decisive blow on left. With this

plan, two armies of Qanateer were set in motion.
8.

Amr was forced to push back but in Shurahbeels sector

the Armenians broke through and pushed the Muslims back to

their camp.
9.

When Khalid saw this situation he took a calculated risk and

ordered Abu Ubeida and Yazeed to attack on their respective

fronts in order to forestall Roman attack.

This was to be a

spoiling attack assuring Khalid safety of this sector in the

absence of mobile guards.
10.

Khalid feeling more assured, divided the Mobile guards in

two equal groups and launched a three pronged thrust on the

Armenians with Qeis from left, he himself from right and
Shurahbeel from the front. After several hours of struggle the
Armenians pulled back. The Slavs also retired under renewed
pressure from Amr. Meanwhile in a more fierce battle on the left
side the Muslims with initial success were subjected to a barrage
of archery, in which 700 Muslims lost their eyes. The day was
thus known as the DAY OF LOST EYES.
11.

Romans exploited their success and pushed the corps of

Ubeida and Yazeed, but Ikrama along with his 400 dedicated
men refused to retreat and fell upon the Romans like hungry
wolves and embraced Shahadat. At this phase of the battle the
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Muslim women also joined their men. Muslims, with their morale
boosted, hurled on the Romans and made the original lines good
by dusk. This was undoubtedly the worst day of the battle for
both, Muslims and the Romans. The Muslims had suffered more
than the previous day but Khalid knew that the tide had turned.
12.

Fifth Day.

Mahan sent a proposal for truce, which Abu

Ubeida nearly accepted but was restrained by Khalid. He knew

the time had come to go for second part of the plan with
dismayed Romans.
13.

Sixth Day. The sixth day of the battle commenced with a

duel, in which Abu Ubeida killed Gregory. On return of Abu

Ubeida Khalid gave the signal for the planned offensive to hold
Roman center and right, at the same time cutting off enemys
cavalry. This operation was completed in six distinct phases: (a)

Phase-I.

The entire Muslim Army moved forward

with determination. Center and left did not press the attack
to remain fresh for the last phase. Hazrat Khalid made an
envelopment maneuver in which he attacked the Roman
left flank splitting his cavalry in two groups, one to hold the
Roman cavalry and the other to attack the Slavs from left
coupled with Amrs frontal attack. As a result the Slavs fell
back into Armenians.

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(b).

Phase-II.

As the Slavs pushed back, Amr swung

his army to attack the Armenians from the left flank.

Meanwhile Khalid joined his second half of cavalry group
and attacked the left cavalry regiment of the Romans. This
regiment could not sustain Khalids offensive and fled to the
north.
(c).

Phase III. Before Mahan could concentrate his

forces for a counter-attack, he was assailed by Khalids

light and fast moving cavalry thus forcing heavier Romans
to flee northward, leaving their infantry at the mercy of
Muslims.
(d).

Phase-IV.

As the Roman cavalry fled, Khalid

charged Armenians from rear, while Amr and Shurahbeel

attacking from flank and front. Armenians could not face
this three-pronged attack and fled to the southwest. Under
pressure of Abu Ubeida and Yazeed, with their left flank
exposed, armies of Qureen and Gregory also started
fleeing west, towards the ford, thinking it to be the safe
route and not realizing that, this was what Khalid had
planned.
(e)

Phase-V. By mid-day the Romans were in full

retreat. Khalid with his cavalry blocked the route towards

north, thus forcing Romans to the ford of Wadi-ur-Raqqad.
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A mad rush started to cross the narrow ford for safety from
Muslims infantry pursuit. When leading Romans reached
the top of western bank of ravine, they found Zarrar and his
men waiting with their swords drawn. Khalid had sent him
with a force of 500 horsemen during the previous night to
block the ford. The Romans who reached the top were
slaughtered and those who stopped on the eastern web
were pushed into the ravine.
(f)

Last Phase.

Gentlemen!

The Muslim infantry

and the cavalry now encircled the Romans. Making them to

fall in the ravine, or cut by the swords. It was almost dark
when the last roman ceased to exist.
14.

Early next morning while the rest of the army gathered the

war spoils and buried the martyrs, Khalid set off to Damascus with
his best guards to catch Mahan. Khalid overtook the Romans a few
miles off Damascus, charged and killed Mahan, the Commander-inChief of the imperial army.
15.

Gentlemen!

Roman casualties during this war are

estimated to be 70,000 dead whereas about 4,000 Muslims were

martyred. A vast and heroic battle had been fought; the Muslims
had achieved a stupendous and remarkable victory.

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16.

A victory that is still being harped upon and analyzed for

better application in todays warfare. The following analysis may

enable you to draw your own conclusion.

PART 4
THE ANALYSIS

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1.

GM after having a fair idea and knowledge of this historical

event it is mandatory that a critical analysis be done keeping all

aspects of leadership, command, events of battle and a glance into
its impacts. The course that I will follow covers strategy, tactical
moves and operational aspects. For ease of understanding I have
divided the analysis into four parts as shown;
(a)

The commanders vision and over all grand strategy.

(b)

Role of commander in the theatre of operation

(c)

Conformity with established P.O.W and brief comparison

of Napoleon, Alexander and Hannibal.

(d)

Not forgetting the silhouette of these events in modern

warfare.

Calculated Judgment
2.

The experience of civil wars that made Khalid realise the

strength of his fellows the grain the making and Virtuous conduct
of the emerging nation. He was convinced that the drive and striking
potential of Neo-Arabs, galvanized by the spirit of Islam could easily
defeat the corrupt nations of the civilized world. The area envisaged
for this purpose spanned through Iraq and Plains of Euphrates and
the Tigris in northeast with Syria and Palestine in northwest.

Skirmishes to Battles

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3.

Hazrat Khalid adopted the policy of giving experience to the

forces from smaller events to bigger ventures. This indirectly proved

fruitful in
(a)

Getting the message across the enemy

(b)

It gave chance to the Muslims to check the strength of

enemy and
(c)

Psychologically pressurizing the enemy of the power of

ex-nomads.
Re Grouping
4.

The strategy of Hiraculias the Roman Emperor was to crush the

Muslims while they were split but Hazrat Khalid was quick enough to
judge and concentrate all forces at one place which action shows that
he had close coordination and belief in:(a)

A well knit intelligence system.

(b)

He ensured enough time for planning and concentrating forces.

(c)

The imbalanced Muslim forces regained their strength and

concentrated at Yarmuk.
(d)

Choice of Yarmuk suited the tactics and plans of the

commander to tackle a big army by squeezing it in a smaller place,

while keeping emergency exits for Muslims open.
Assuming Tactical Command
5.

Khalid is the man for this! By the son of Waleed with the help

of the Lord shall the mechanizations of Satan and of the Greek be

overthrown said the caliph and surely the command was assumed
by Khalid. GM Khalid after measuring, the strength of Romans and
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commanding qualities of Hazrat Abu Ubaida very wisely took the

initiative to offer his services for tactical command, which was
appreciated by the corps commanders and the general army. This
shows there confidence and his ambition to win.
Re-Organization of Forces
6.

GM the new commander organized the army in such a way that

each corps comprised of an infantry and cavalry with mobile guard

according to tribes and clans. This provided an Independent setup
within the force with quick re-enforcement. Whereas the clans and
tribes being together made a cohesive and united force to offer
maximum resistance to enemy.
Deployment Plan
7.

The Roman army of more than 150,000 men was deployed

horizontally in an area of 12 miles which was a tactical advantage.

Khalid deployed smaller Muslim army in an area of 11 miles, thinly
placed but without gaps to match the enemy in span of action. He
also deployed scouts for observation on Jamaa hill and intelligence
network for real time update, which enabled him to take quick and
timely decisions.
Importance of Area of Ops and Topography
8.

GM Hazrat Khalid as always kept the topography observation

on top of planning agenda for which he actually selected the Yarmuk.

This decision shows the battle to be:28
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Very well planned

Arresting the initiative from the enemy
He made sure that only one flank stays exposed to cater for lesser
Muslim numbers.
Desert was intentionally kept at the back for re-enforcement and
ease of defensive retreat.
While providing lesser maneuvering space to massive Roman
army his own mobile guard unit could move freely on the plains of
Yarmuk to keep a close command and control.
Game Plan
9.

GM owing to the inferior strength of Muslims initially defensive

posture was planned till the right time when the Roman army is wears
out. At this right moment a forceful offensive shall be launched initially
separating the Roman infantry and cavalry followed by a final push
into the narrow Wadi-ur-Raqqad. This plan was a classic example of
flexibility, and maintenance of aim to rout the enemy.
Tactical Maneuvers
10.

GM during the six day battle all possible maneuvers to achieve

tactical advantage in different situations were efficiently performed.

These maneuvers included:1.

Frontal clash

2.

Frontal penetration

3.

Counter attack and repulse

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4.

Flank attack

Rear attack

Out flanking maneuvers

Gentlemen!
11. The unbelievable victory of the Muslims against the gigantic army
of Romans could have been won only by strict compliance to military
rules known as principles of war for which;

12.

While maintaining the aim Khalids objective was destruction of

the Romans, which he made sure by refusing the peace offer, killing
most of the Romans through planned escape route and sealing the
fate of Mahan after a long chase on 7th tiring day to end the Roman
occupation.

13.

Offensive Action.

Although, Muslims were in a defensive

posture, yet they continued to launch counter-attacks during this

phase, along with mobile guards. Khalid who always thought
offensively was famous for the dash of a lion and patience of a cat.
Finally the Muslims went on an all out offensive to defeat the
Romans.

14.

Concentration of Force.

Before the main battle, Khalid

concentrated the widely spread Muslim forces into one strong force.
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Having concentrated the Muslims were able to put in a solid defense

for four days to wear out the enemy and launch an offensive in the
end.

15.

The mobility helped Muslims to out flank the Romans at

numerous occasions during the battle.

The

Romans

who

were

heavily armed could not move freely and got stagnated by Arabs who
were very light and Mobile, in fact this was the foundation and the key
element of Khalids plans, of which formation of Mobile guards was a
true demonstration of this principle.

16.

The effective Muslim intelligence system was able to penetrate

the Roman army and a valuable source of information to monitor their

activities. This helped flexibility of operation under changing
situations.
17.

Khalid achieved complete surprise on the Romans by blocking

the only ford available at Wadi- ur -Raqqad and catching up on

Mahan short of Damascus for a shot.
18.

The morale of the Muslims was deeply embedded in their faith

in Allah and the abilities of their commanders. Khalid further boosted

the morale by addressing them before each days commencement.

Silhouette on Modern Warfare

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A reflection of Khalids tactical action can be found in most modern

events to the level of air power, which is the best form of mobility to
deter any aggression in peace time and destroy the enemy by quick
response in war time. Hazrat Khalid was well aware of the fastest
means of mobility and its importance to be there before the opponent.
He knew no hindrances or physical obstacles like deserts and rivers
in the way of his goals.
Todays land forces carry out maneuvers like single and double
envelopments, after sound practice and war gaming even then
success is to be a dream of any commander .For Khalid these moves
were mere exercises of experience and ambitions to defeat the
enemy.
Khalids Cavalry was used to charge offensively to give decisive
blow and create havoc and terror in the columns of infantry, its speed
in the role of mobile guards is a perfect example of flexibility which is
seen in armor mechanized infantry, self propelled Howitzer and air lift
capabilities of modern days are all dreams of a modern commander.
Reserves to re-enforce the weakening areas like Yarmuk was
Khalids number one priority which is also a very important aspect of
todays scenarios.
Mobility, security, deception and hitting the centre of gravity
are all traits of Khalids generalship which were heavily demonstrated
during the gulf war and Iraqi invasion.

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GM Famous historian Phillip Hitti in his book the history of Arabs

writes the tactics of Khalid were like those of napoleon; Hannibal and
Alexander .Lets see the salient features of their resemblance.
Napoleon
The strategy of Bonaparte was to keep the conflict simple and to the
point with means to end, the shortest and sharpest. In pursuance of
same he preferred rapidity as predominant factor, which amounts to
speed and mobility, followed by hard offensive for which he said
Make war offensively .His ideal combination was well reasoned and
circumspect defense followed by a rapid and audacious attack. This
is exactly what Khalid did in most of the battles much before this time.
Alexander
Alexander in 370 BC aimed at winning wars with minimum
bloodshed.

His

favorite

tactics

like,

surprise,

mobility

and

concentration of forces matched Khalids ways to the extent of

winning hearts of people like in Shezier when Muslim retreated and
paid back the protection money to the people.
Hannibal
Hannibal commonly regarded as father of strategy of his time
was ruthless to enemies, he had the boldness with caution, and
resolute in adversity. He was a commander who knew how to deploy
his forces in best possible way. Khalid like him was equally ferocious
for his opponents that is why he always planned to block all the
escape routes to smash the adversaries .He gave a classical

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example of troops deployment in the battle of Yarmuk to stay one

step ahead of Hannibal.
CONCLUSION
GM the analysis and overall conduct of the battle provides
valuable strategic and tactical lessons even today in the era of
modern warfare. The victory indeed a military feat was an out come
of superior generalship of Hazrat Khalid. It is not conceivable in the
present day scenario how Khalid could apply such diverse exact
tactics in the battles without formal training and education. His
training ground was the desert and he was trained to lead and win by
the fate approved by the title Sword of ALLAH.

Khalids role in

Yarmuk is the finest example of combat leadership, efficient resource

management and unfathomable courage. Khalid was essentially a
soldier a soldier of Islam as he said I am the pillar of Islam I am the
companion of the prophet I am the noble warrior. In the end, this
could not have been possible without the divine blessings and help of
ALMIGHTY ALLAH. May Allah give us the same faith and courage?
Thank you.

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