Khalid bin Waleed RA

Name- Khalid bin Walid al Mugheerah RA

Father- Al Walid (Chief of the Bani Makhzum - one of the noblest clans of the Quraish)

Mother- Lubaba al-Sughra bint Al-Harith

Siblings- 5 brothers and 2 sisters

Birth- Makkah - 592

Death- Emesa (modern day Homs, Syria) - 642

Khalid bin Walid RA was a courageous Sahabah amidst the Muslims and his skills and abilities allowed him to accomplish many great things. His faith, prime values, firm foundations and commitment to Islam enabled him to fulfil many rights and it has been said 'no man sacrificed more than Khalid bin Walid RA for what they believed in.'

Family

Khalid bin Waleed RA came from one of the noblest tribes of the Quraish, Bani Makhzum. His father Walid bin Mugheerah was the leader of the clan and was well known around Arabia. His father was  the biggest enemy of Islam even though Allah SWT had bestowed him with so much wealth, beauty, and leadership that he was known as Rayhaan al Quraish (flower of the Quraish) and Waheed al Qaum (The Unique), however, he was deprived of the greatest of all bounties; Islam. No man was more intelligent than him and it was he who coined the term ‘Liar’ for the Prophet SAW. This was when the Quraish gathered and discussed how to stop the Prophet SAW from preaching monotheism. They offered a few suggestions; poet, magician etc but all of these were refuted and hence came forth the accusation of liar. (Na’oozu Billah)

The hate for Islam that Waleed bin Mugheerah had for Islam can be demonstrarted in the fact that he even offered his own son Ammarah to Abu Talib in return for the Prophet SAW. Abu Talib was shocked by this offer and he replied, “You give me your son to feed and bring up while you want mine so you can kill him. By Allah, this shall not be.”

Khalid bin Waleed RA had 5 brothers and 2 sisters, his brother Waleed, after being captured at the Battle of Badr, became a Muslim.

Childhood

Khalid RA whilst still a child was taught how to ride. It was a mark of the Bani Makhzum tribe to be a perfect rider and he soon acquired mastery over the art of horsemanship. He also learnt the skills of combat and with it the various other weapons such as the spear, lance, bow, and sword. He also learnt to fight on horseback and on foot. While he became skilful in the use of all weapons, the ones for which he appeared to have had a natural gift was the sword for mounted and dismounted dueling. He was so talented that it has been reported that he could ride with a sword in each hand and use his feet to control his horse.

Adulthood

Khalid RA grew into a man and attained a great height at above 6 ft. His shoulders widened his chest expanded and the muscles lean on his body. His beard appeared full and thick on his face too. With this fine physique and forceful personality and tactical skills he soon became known as a popular and much admired figure in Makkah. He had married and had children and was occasionally known as Abu Sulaiman.

Battles

Battle of Uhud

When Uhud commenced the man who was responsible for defeat of the Muslims was Khalid bin Waleed. The Prophet SAW commanded 50 Sahabah to stand at the mountain of Uhud and instructed that under no circumcisions should they descend from their position even if they were to see birds pecking on our heads. This was because the mountain was a passage onto the battlefield and a strategic position occupied by the Muslims.  On three occasions Khalid tried to attack but the archers repelled. Slowly the Muslim began to gain the upper hand and many Quraish fled the battlefield. The Muslim archers then fell into dispute as to if they should leave. 40 decided to leave and it was then that Khalid got his opportunity.

Amr Ibn Aas RA described Khalid as ‘A friend of death, a master of warfare as well as having the dash of a lion and patience of a cat.’

On that day he showed the patience of a cat as he waited for the perfect opportunity and then attacked the 10 Sahabah from the back and like the dash of a lion he had got the upper hand.

Battle of Khandaq

The time for another battle had come upon the Muslims, this time it was the Battle of Khandaq (trenches), so called because trenches were dug around Madinah to prevent the enemy entering the city. Khalid’s duty once again was to kill the Prophet SAW. Khalid had orchestrated the movement of the Mushrik cavalry so well that the Muslims had no rest. Only two people were able to cross the trench and one was Khalid. He unrelentingly attacked the Muslims and it took 200 Sahabah to fight him off. Because of Khalid bin Walid Allah revealed the Salat al Khauf where the Sahabah were permitted to pray Salaat on the battlefield due to the relentless attack of the enemy.

Entering Islam

A year later, the Prophet SAW came to Hudaibiya. Once entering the first person He SAW asked for was Khalid RA.  Khalid’s brother replied that ‘Khalid has left Makkah saying that if Khalid is in Makkah and Muhammad is in Makkah then Muhammad would not return alive.

To this the Prophet SAW replied, “Has an intelligent man like Khalid not understood that there is only One Allah and that I am His Messenger SAW?”

Waleed RA thereafter wrote to Khalid and informed him about his conversation with the Messenger SAW. These words despite being conveyed in letter form permeated the words of Khalid RA so deeply that what was the most hated thing to him suddenly became the most beloved.

This is a living example of the Prophet SAW’s words,

“The heart of a believer is in the hands of Allah.”

That very night, accompanied by Uthman bin Talha and Amr ibn al Aas,  Khalid took his armour, weapons and horse and set out for Madinah. The three seekers entered Madinah and after being warmly welcomed by the Messenger SAW, accepted Islam. Khalid RA at the age of 43, the prime of his life, took the Shahaadah and became a noble companion of the Prophet SAW. He would often visit the Messenger SAW and listen intently for hours to His words of wisdom and virtue.

After Islam

After entering Islam, Khalid RA used his tactics and military experience to assist the Muslim armies. He took part in the battle of Mutah and after the three Ameers had been martyred, became the commander and by using his intelligence to confuse the Romans, lead the Muslims to victory.

The Prophet SAW upon hearing of the martyrdom of the three Sahaabahs made Dua for their entry into Jannat and mentioned that now that Khalid RA was the commander, the sword of Allah had been unsheathed. This was the battle in which Khalid was bestowed with his title ‘Saifullah’ – The sword of Allah. It had only been three months since Khalid RA had accepted Islam and in this period he had gone from a staunch enemy of Islam to the ‘Sword of Allah’!

Once Khalid RA became injured, the Prophet SAW took his saliva and applied it onto the wound and it at once healed.

During the Fatah (Conquest) of Makkah, it was the duty of Khalid RA to destroy the idols.

After the demise of the Prophet SAW

After the death of Muhammad SAW, many powerful Arab tribes broke away in open revolt against the rule of Medina.  Abu Bakr RA sent his armies to counter the rebels and apostates. Khalid was one of Abu Bakr RA’s main advisors and an architect of the strategic planning in many wars, especially the Battle of Rida. Khalid RA took part in the battle of Yarmouk and in that battle the Byzantine States became opened up for the Ummah due to Allan's mercy. He was the military commander who lead the victories for Muslims. After this Damascus, Syria, Palestine and Jordan all became part of the Muslim States under Khalid bin Walid RA. Yarmouk was almost like a culmination and almost seems as though for the past 23 years or so Allah was preparing him for Yarmouk slowly but surely. After Hadhrat Umar RA became the Khalifah, Khalid RA was replaced by Abu Ubaidah RA as the chief of the army.

Death

In the last four years of his life, Khalid RA due to his numerous injuries could not go into the battlefield. He dubbed that year ‘The year of the Women’ due to his inability to fight. However despite this, Khalid RA did not waste any time; he would recite Quran from after Fajr until Zohr, then after praying Salaat continue reciting until Asar and so forth. He would cry continuously out of the fear of Allah.

When he was on his deathbed, a friend came to visit him, Khalid RA lifted the sheet which was covering his body and said, “I have fought so many battles but look at me, I am here dying on my bed.” His friend replied, “Don’t you understand that the day the Prophet SAW honoured you with the title of ‘the Sword of Allah’ it was impossible for you to die in the battlefield, for if you were to die on the battlefield it would mean that the Sword of Allah could be broken by an infidel and this could never be!”

His friend also reports that ‘Not a single hand span of his body was left without scars or wounds’.

The only possessions left by Khalid RA were his sword and horse which he bequeathed for Umar RA. When Umar RA saw these he began to cry saying, “No man would be able to fulfil the rights of thw sword and horse like the way Khalid RA did.”