The Battle of Muʾtah
غزوة مؤتةA small force met an overwhelming Byzantine army. The three appointed commanders fell one after another, until Khālid ibn al-Walīd (ra) took the banner and skilfully withdrew the army, saving it from annihilation.
Opposing force
A vastly larger Byzantine and allied force (numbers disputed)
۞
The frontier of Shām
The first great encounter with the Byzantine power on the northern frontier.
The believers
≈ 3,000
The three commanders martyred · the army brought back safely
How it unfolded
- 1
Zayd ibn Ḥārithah (ra) carried the banner and was martyred, then Jaʿfar ibn Abī Ṭālib (ra), then ʿAbdullāh ibn Rawāḥah (ra).
- 2
Khālid ibn al-Walīd (ra) took up the banner and held the line through the day.
- 3
By a clever night re-arrangement of the ranks he convinced the enemy of reinforcements and withdrew the army intact.
- 4
For this he earned from the Prophet ﷺ the title Sword of Allah (Sayf Allāh).
Reflections
- Courage and sacrifice in obedience to Allah.
- Wisdom in preserving the believers.
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Source & authenticity · Compiled from standard Seerah works (principally Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum). Figures are the traditional ones; disputed numbers are flagged. Editorial summaries in our own words, under scholarly review.