Another new episode of the biography of our Ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). By starting our discussion of today’s episode, we are basically going to enter another new chapter, which is the description of the campaigns that Omar Ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) led during his caliphate.
Now, we are going to today’s episode, and there will be many more to come in our series of discussions. Since we have come to some of the last episodes, and these events are being linked together in the last episode, it should not be thought that these events are some events that happened in chronological order at the end of the life of our Ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him).
Rather, these events were the beginning of the conquest campaigns. When Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) became the caliph, he continued the campaigns without any interruption. So, these were various series of events that happened at different times throughout the entire caliphate of our Ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). There was no break between them.
The Muslims were basically fighting on two fronts against the two empires. First, they were conducting campaigns against the Persian Empire, and on the other hand, they were conducting campaigns against the Roman Empire.
Before entering into the main discussion, we would like to mention some introductions at a few points so that it is easier for us to understand our next essay. The first point is: what was the background?
The campaigns that were being conducted against the Persian Empire were initiated by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself. When he communicated with the Persian Emperor Khusrau, or Kisra, that was the first step. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) sent him a letter inviting him to Islam and warned him about the consequences if he did not accept Islam.
Later, when Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) became the Caliph, he launched the first military campaign against the Persian Empire. In the first phase, Musanna ibn Haritha al-Saibani (may Allah be pleased with him) started the campaign.
Later, Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) led the campaigns against the apostates and succeeded. Then came Khalid bin Walid (may Allah be pleased with him). At that time, Khalid bin Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) started his campaign from the city of Basra in Iraq and conquered one big city and town after another along the banks of the Euphrates.
Through this, the Muslims were using Hira and that city as a base from which the Muslims were subsequently conducting continuous campaigns in various places inside Iraq.
Some of the initial events that we have mentioned as a background include the birth of Abu Bakr Siddiq. He ordered Khalid bin Walid to go to Sham, or Syria. As a result, Khalid bin Walid took half of the 18,000 soldiers with him, that is, 9,000 people, and went ahead. The remaining 9,000 remained in Iraq.
The Qazi again took command of the Muslim army. At that time, when Khalid bin Walid left, Musanna ibn Haritha al-Saibani was in charge. His main responsibility was to observe and maintain the areas that the Muslims were under their control.
The most notable thing is that the Persian Empire had an opportunity at that time to recover their lost territories because Khalid bin Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) had left, and half of the Muslim army had gone to Syria. But in that case, we see that Allah (SWT) helped the Muslims by creating a different situation. If Allah wants to do something, He will create the right means and conditions for it.
At that time, the Persian Empire was involved in internal conflicts and strife. Khusrau was killed during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Later, Shahriyar was appointed as the governor of the city. Due to all these reasons, one ruler after another was changing.
The conflicts and strife became so serious that they were finally forced to put their princesses in power. Therefore, because they were busy with themselves, they could not attack the Muslims again at that time, nor did they have the opportunity to recover the lost territory.
Musanna ibn Haritha al-Saibani thought, why not take advantage of this opportunity and directly attack the capital of the Persian Empire, Madain? This city was located on the banks of the Tigris River. On the other side was the main position of the Muslims.
During the time of Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), they regularly conducted raids on the banks of the Euphrates and the regions between Tarjama and Furat, crossing the Euphrates.
And the Muslims thought that they would completely bypass the lightning strike and conduct a Madain attack — directly attacking the Persian capital.
To do this, of course, they would need extra strength. Keeping this in mind, Musanna sent a letter to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) requesting additional reinforcements. But he noticed that the letter was taking a long time to reach him. So, he himself went to Medina to assess the situation — to understand why there was no reply.
When he arrived in Medina, he saw that Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) was seriously ill and on his deathbed. In that state, Musanna met Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) and explained the entire situation — the condition in Iraq and the war situation there.
At that time, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) called Omar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) for consultation, and he came. During that meeting, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) gave some important final advice to Omar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him).
Although we have mentioned these points earlier in the discussion of Abu Bakr’s biography, it will help us to better understand the upcoming events if we recall them now.
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) advised Omar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), saying:
“Do not let anything stand in your way in carrying out the commands of Allah and performing your religious duties. You have seen with your own eyes what I did after the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and you are not unaware of the great danger the Muslims faced at that time. By Allah, if I — or Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) — had shown even a little laziness, weakness, or hesitation, we would have been humiliated, and eventually, a fire of conflict would have broken out in Medina. The danger would have overwhelmed the people.”
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) basically instructed them to continue the act of Jihad, ensuring that it remains constant, with no interruption — both by him and by Omar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him).
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) also said:
“When the entire region of Sham is under the control of the Muslims, bring back those warriors who were with Khalid ibn al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) to Iraq. The people of Iraq are its rightful residents, and they are the rightful ones to govern and manage its affairs.”
The point is, these events clearly show us that there was no interruption during this period of Jihad. This was a fundamental principle in the foreign policy of the rightly guided caliphs.
When Musanna ibn Haritha al-Shaibani (may Allah be pleased with him) came to meet Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), Abu Bakr passed away shortly after. Omar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) then took over as the new Caliph.
When Musanna returned to Iraq, he took with him the new commander of the Muslim army appointed for the campaign. These events clearly show us that although there was a change in leadership — with the death of the Caliph — even then, there was no break in the period of Jihad.
Musanna ibn Haritha al-Shaibani (may Allah be pleased with him) returned to Iraq with the newly appointed commander and resumed operations from their previous positions.
The second point that we are going to mention in this introduction is that we should keep this mentality in mind while listening to these events — so that we can derive both financial and spiritual benefits from them.
The third point is that these events come before us as examples of how Allah Almighty helped the Muslims by His own will and how Allah Almighty fulfilled His promise to the Muslims.
From a military perspective, we see how the Muslims achieved victories on one battlefield after another — quickly, decisively, and with great force — despite being few in numbers, having limited weapons, and possessing weak military training. Yet, the Muslims defeated two powerful superpowers: the Roman and Persian Empires.
There is no satisfactory military explanation for this. In reality, the only explanation is the divine assistance from Allah, who helped the Muslims with His own support and granted them victory. These events stand as a great example and model of Allah’s help. Similarly, they are a shining proof of the divine support for the Islamic community.
If we mention some timelines, it will be easier for us to understand these historical events:
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away in the month of Jamadi al-Thani, 13 AH. During his leadership, the military expeditions were launched, and within just four years of these expeditions, the Muslims had achieved great victories. They were victorious on various battlefields, including the significant conquest of Damascus.
Three years after assuming the caliphate, Omar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) held the keys to Jerusalem in his hands. On the other hand, the first decisive battle against the Persian Empire — the Battle of Qadisiyyah — took place in 15 AH, during the caliphate of Omar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). He won that battle within just two years of assuming leadership.
We can observe that, within just two to four years of his caliphate, he achieved absolute victory in major, decisive battles — effectively leading to the downfall of the Roman and Persian empires. The remaining campaigns were, in many ways, formal and strategic. Some of these campaigns were delayed for tactical reasons, but battlefield victories continued one after another with remarkable speed.
Initially, Omar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was hesitant to send the Muslims into new battlefields. In the same year that the Muslims conquered Jerusalem, the joint commander of Palestine requested permission from Omar ibn al-Khattab to begin the conquest of Egypt.
Despite witnessing these lands being conquered before his eyes, Omar and his advisers delayed the campaign with the argument that the Muslims had not yet achieved full control over the lands they had recently conquered, and in such a situation, it was unwise to stretch resources further.
The following year, a plague occurred, and Omar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) went to Syria. At that time, Amr ibn al-As again requested permission to conquer Egypt. Finally, Omar ibn al-Khattab granted permission.
Remarkably, within two years of starting the campaign, the Muslims had conquered the entire land of Egypt, making it the fourth major Muslim state to be taken from the Byzantine Empire.
This was another significant blow to the Byzantine Empire. Similarly, a similar series of events unfolded within the Persian Empire. Omar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) observed that the Muslims had conquered such vast territories in such a short time that maintaining administrative authority in those regions required a solid foundation.
That is, unless the Muslims consolidated their rule and built strong administrative structures, further conquests would become difficult to control. Ahmad ibn Qays and other leaders, along with Omar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), recognized the importance of this and requested permission to conduct further campaigns deeper into the Parthian (Persian) Empire.
In short, the Muslims were conquering more territory than they had initially imagined possible. They were advancing rapidly — conquering one region after another like a storm.
Historical records mention that during the caliphate of Omar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), approximately 1,034 cities were opened to Islam, including both small and large cities, ports, and towns.
Point Number 4: Having concluded our introduction by mentioning this point, we are now going to enter the main discussion.
Point number 4 is that, in this discussion, we are presenting only the main and major events. The detailed accounts of each war and each campaign are relevant, but going into such specifics is not consistent with the nature of this discussion. For those who are interested in more details, they can refer to various books and historical sources.
If we look at a map, we can see that during the time of Omar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), vast regions were opened to Islam — starting from present-day Armenia, Azerbaijan, and extending through Khorasan to the borders of China. On the other side, the Muslim territories stretched through Egypt all the way to Libya.
This was a vast and expansive area. In fact, this remarkable expansion was the real reflection of the dream of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had a dream that, when Omar (may Allah be pleased with him) succeeded Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), he was drawing water from a well with such strength that the water was spilling over and spreading everywhere. The Prophet (peace be upon him) remarked that he had never seen any brave warrior, any abqari (genius), or any hero like him.
The Ulama (scholars) explained that Omar was drawing water with such strength, and in the interpretation of the dream, they said that the act of drawing water from the well symbolized leadership, management, and spreading benefits to the people.
Therefore, in every battle, Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala (Glorified and Exalted be He) helped the Muslims with His own divine support. Through these incidents, we witness that the rule or principle of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala is reflected in reality.
We see clearly that if the Muslims improve their internal condition, make themselves worthy, and fulfill the conditions of victory prescribed by Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala, then indeed, Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala will grant them victory and authority.
These historical incidents are yet another undeniable proof of the truthfulness of Islam and that Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala always fulfills His promises.
We are now entering the main part of our discussion.
During the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), wars were given two types of titles. One is Ghazwa, and the other is Sariyya.
Ghazwa refers to the campaigns in which the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) directly participated — large-scale campaigns. In general, Ghazwa literally means to attack or conduct an assault.
On the other hand, Sariyya refers to all those campaigns in which the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not participate directly but sent troops under the leadership of others. This is the basic explanation of Ghazwa and Sariyya.
However, we see an exception to one war, which is the Battle of Mu’tah, or Ghazwatul Mu’tah. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not personally participate in that campaign, but the Battle of Mu’tah is still identified as a Ghazwa. The reason for this is that the battle held significant importance; it was the first military confrontation in which Muslims were sent to fight against the Romans.
In the historical period after the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), that is, during the caliphate of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) and Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), these wars were generally referred to as battles or expeditions.
We are now discussing the military campaigns that took place during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him).
After the death of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) assumed the role of Caliph. Musanna ibn Haritha al-Shaybani (may Allah be pleased with him) came from Iraq to Medina seeking additional military support. He stayed in Medina for some time.
After assuming the caliphate, Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) gathered the Muslims of Medina. He delivered speeches encouraging Muslims to prepare for war, giving sermons, and motivating them to participate in the upcoming campaigns. He was recruiting volunteers on a voluntary basis.
This is because the wars in Iraq and Persia were offensive campaigns. When the war was defensive — meaning the Muslims were attacked by external enemies — fighting became obligatory for everyone under Islamic law.
On the other hand, when the Caliph launched a campaign against an external enemy, such wars were classified as offensive. In that case, participation in battle was not individually obligatory; rather, if some people fulfilled the responsibility, it was considered fulfilled on behalf of the entire community.
Knowing this, Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) called for volunteers. At that time, Muslims were already fighting on multiple fronts. Therefore, when the Muslims in Iraq requested reinforcements, Umar ibn al-Khattab encouraged participation on a voluntary basis.
On the first day, when Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) delivered a sermon, no one came forward. The same happened on the second day. On the third day, still, no one stepped up.
Then, on the fourth day, Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) saw Abu Ubaydah coming forward. He encouraged his entire tribe to join the campaign.
At that time, since the Muslims were already engaged on different battlefields and fighting across various fronts, they needed time to consult and strategize. For this reason, they took three days to deliberate.
Additionally, Muslims were divided into different tribes. When one tribe made the decision to go to war, they agreed that they would all step forward together.
Then, Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) called upon the chiefs of the tribes to come forward. After three days, Abu Ubaydah stepped up and expressed his readiness to participate in the battle.
Although Abu Ubaydah was not a companion (Sahabi), he was a Tabi’i — one who followed the companions. After that, Ibn Qays from the Ansar tribe came forward. He encouraged the others, declaring his willingness to sacrifice himself for the sake of Allah.
Some of the others, along with several more from the Ansar, joined them. Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) then appointed Abu Ubaydah as the commander of the army that was to be sent to Iraq.
At that moment, one of the companions among the assembled soldiers said, “Why don’t you appoint someone from the Muhajireen or the Ansar as the commander? Why don’t you appoint a companion as the leader?”
Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, “O son of Khattab, I appointed the one who responded first and came forward first.”
He continued, “You are the pioneers of this mission. Your status is higher than the rest. You are ahead of the others because you were the first to respond on this day, and you were the first to assist in this cause.”
This point is quite significant, and we have discussed it previously as well. There is special importance and dignity in being the pioneer of any good deed or noble action.
This is the story of Abu Ubaydah al-Thaqafi being appointed and some lessons to be learned from that story.
Now, we are going to discuss a battle led by Abu Ubaydah al-Thaqafi under his command. When the Muslims set out with the army, they had already participated in various battles. The details of each of those battles are not relevant to our discussion, so I will go directly to the description of the Battle of the Bridge.
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away in the month of Jamadi al-Thani, in the year 13 AH. In that same period — during the months of Rajab and Sha’ban — the Battle of the Bridge, or the Battle of al-Jisr, took place.
At that time, Abu Ubaydah al-Thaqafi led an army of around 7,000 soldiers. Later, Musanna ibn Haritha sent some reinforcements, bringing the total number of soldiers to approximately 10,000. They began their journey towards Iraq.
While on their way, they reached a river. The Muslims were stationed on one side of the river, and the enemy, the Persian army, was stationed on the other side. Eventually, both forces prepared to engage in a final battle.
During the time of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), the territories that were conquered included the areas between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers — a region often referred to as the “Cradle of Civilization.”
This area is where the ancient city of Babylon was located, which historians recognize as one of the oldest known civilizations in the world. After crossing the Euphrates, one would reach the area between the Euphrates and the Tigris Rivers. On the far side of the Tigris River was the Persian Empire’s capital, Madain.
The campaigns conducted during the first phase of Umar ibn al-Khattab’s (may Allah be pleased with him) caliphate were mainly focused in the regions between the Euphrates and Tigris. Muslims fought and participated in several battles within this area, where many rivers facilitated their military movements.
Later, after two years, in 15 AH, a major decisive battle took place in the desert. Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) as the commander. The incident I’m referring to is the famous Battle of Qadisiyyah, which we will discuss in detail later.
In their efforts to gain a tactical advantage, the Muslims left the territories they had already conquered and moved further inland. They crossed the Euphrates River and chose Qadisiyyah as the battleground, reaching the border of the Arab region.
During the Battle of the Bridge, the Muslims and the Persian army confronted one another and could visibly see each other. At that moment, the enemy commander said to the Muslims, “Will you cross the river and come to us, or shall we cross the river and come to you?”
Abu Ubaydah al-Thaqafi responded, “Let us cross the river and attack them ourselves.” He was eager for martyrdom and driven by courage. The Muslims crossed the bridge and reached the other side of the river.
However, the location they chose for their position was shaped like a triangle, with the rear side resembling the English letter “V.” Thus, they ended up in a location surrounded by the river on both sides and the enemy directly in front of them.
The only route through which they could retreat or receive reinforcements was the same bridge they had crossed earlier. As a result, the Muslims had positioned themselves in a very narrow area, unsuitable for maneuvering the army effectively.
Despite the tight space, the battle began, and the Muslims fought bravely. However, the Persian Empire had a significant advantage in terms of military power and numbers. They launched a fierce attack.
The Persian army also introduced a special type of weapon that the Muslims had never encountered before — war elephants. These elephants were specially trained for battle. They produced a loud, terrifying sound from their throats, which echoed across the battlefield.
The Muslim horses, upon hearing the terrifying noise and seeing the enormous elephants, became frightened and completely uncontrollable. The Muslim cavalry was rendered ineffective, leaving only the infantry to fight.
The archers of the Persian army launched a continuous and extensive assault on the Muslims, gradually weakening them. Abu Ubaydah al-Thaqafi realized the severity of the situation and understood that if they could not neutralize the elephants, they would face complete defeat.
He observed that the Muslim horses were incapable of launching any attack and had essentially become useless due to fear. The cavalry had effectively turned into infantry.
In response, Abu Ubaydah ordered his men, “Go and target the soldiers who are riding the elephants — the mahouts or drivers. Cut the seats off where the riders are sitting. If the drivers fall off the elephants, we can neutralize the elephants’ threat.”
The elephants had seats mounted on top, from which they were being controlled.
Abu Ubaydah al-Thaqafi thought that even if all the soldiers riding the elephants were killed, there would still be no one to control the elephants. Whoever killed the riders would be free from that immediate threat. But soon, it became clear that this would not solve the problem. Those elephants were specially trained for war. Even without their drivers, the elephants continued attacking the Muslims, trampling them underfoot.
At that point, Qazi Abu Ubaydah al-Thaqafi said, “This time, we have to kill the elephants themselves at any cost.”
During the wars of that era, the most common weapons were shields, swords, and arrows. However, it is not easy to kill such a large animal like an elephant with arrows. An elephant is a massive creature; small arrows do little to harm it.
Some people suggested that they should aim for the elephants’ eyes, blind them, or injure their trunks and mouths. If these parts were cut or injured, the elephants would lose their balance and become uncontrollable on the battlefield.
Abu Mirash became the commander of the operation and stepped forward to carry out this strategy himself. However, when he entered the battlefield, an elephant trampled him underfoot before he could act, and he was martyred in this way.
The overall commander of the war, Abu Ubaydah al-Thaqafi, also continued leading from the front but was likewise crushed by an elephant and was martyred. Seven people from his family were martyred during this battle.
A great disaster struck the Muslims in that battle. The Muslims were suffering heavy casualties. After the martyrdom of Abu Ubaydah and seven others from his family and tribe, command passed to Al-Musanna ibn Haritha al-Shaybani.
He assessed the situation and, for strategic reasons, ordered the Muslims to retreat. But by then, a new danger had emerged for the Muslims. As the Muslims were returning toward the bridge, they encountered Abdullah ibn Mas’ud al-Thaqafi (may Allah be pleased with him), who was shouting on the battlefield, “We should be martyred like our leaders! There is nothing wrong with you—go back to the battlefield!”
However, by that time, the Muslims were already preparing to retreat, unable to withstand the pressure. Musanna ibn Haritha (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered that the retreat be organized. But in this critical situation, Abdullah ibn Asad took drastic action—he went straight to the bridge and cut the rope that connected it.
As a result, the Muslims lost their only proper escape route. With no other option, many Muslims, under heavy attack, were forced to jump into the river to defend themselves. Tragically, many Muslims drowned and were martyred in the river.
In this chaotic situation, Abdullah ibn Asad was captured and brought to Musanna ibn Haritha, who became extremely angry given the critical circumstances. He beat Abdullah and asked, “Why did you cut the rope?” Abdullah replied, “I did it so the Muslims would remain on the battlefield and continue fighting.”
Despite this, the Muslims remained on the battlefield, continuing to fight with great difficulty. Finally, Musanna ibn Haritha al-Shaybani (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered that a new temporary bridge be constructed to prepare a path for the Muslims to retreat.
Eventually, the bridge was repaired, and the Muslims began retreating in an organized manner. As the commander, Musanna ibn Haritha realized that continuing the fight in that situation was no longer beneficial. He instructed the Muslims to retreat peacefully for now, promising to protect them until everyone had safely crossed the river.
True to his word, Musanna, as the commander, stayed behind and ensured he would be the last to retreat, giving the rest of the soldiers a chance to withdraw safely. Musanna ibn Haritha al-Shaybani (may Allah be pleased with him) was leading from the front and fulfilling his duties as commander with courage and responsibility.
In that battle, a terrible disaster befell the Muslims. It was later reported that 4,000 Muslims were martyred, many of whom were among the noble companions (Sahabah) and righteous individuals (Tabi’een).
Losing 4,000 soldiers in those times was considered a huge loss, especially considering the total size of the Muslim army. This battle is historically known as the Battle of the Bridge.
Despite this tragic loss, the Muslims continued their fight. The Persian Empire, although victorious in that battle, suffered significant losses as well, with 6,000 of their soldiers killed.
After this disaster, 2,000 of the Muslim warriors returned to Medina. The remaining Muslim force in Iraq was reduced to approximately 3,000 soldiers, who stayed on the battlefield and prepared for future campaigns.
The Qur’an says, “Do not flee from the battlefield.” From the Hadith, we know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told us that one of the seven major sins is fleeing from the battlefield. However, not all retreating from the battlefield is considered fleeing. It is permissible for strategic reasons or to gather strength, as Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has given permission.
Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “You cannot turn your back on the battlefield; you cannot do that except for two exceptions.”
Number one is as a strategy. Number two is to gather strength again. No one can flee from the battlefield except for these two purposes — either for strategy or to regroup with another Muslim army.
Now, we will look at some relevant events from the Battle of the Bridge. Abu Bakr was martyred. Another important detail in this battle is that it took place during the month of Ramadan, when Muslims normally fast. The commanders gave permission, saying that in this situation, it is permissible for you to break the fast. You can increase your strength in war by breaking the fast. In the case of jihad, it is permissible in this situation.
We would like to add a side note or comment here. It is regrettable that our ancestors — the companions of the Prophet — used to break their fast during Ramadan for the sake of jihad in the field of war. It was permitted then.
But what are we doing now? We claim to be their successors, yet we see players with Muslim names from different countries breaking their fast to play cricket or football. Moreover, some courtiers are giving fatwas claiming permission for this. This is truly a matter of regret. Where is the example set? Where are we applying it today? Grant us the ability to understand what is right.
An incident occurred in this war where Ibn al-Bukhari set up a camp in the rear and sent a Christian with some food. When the Muslims saw a Christian approaching, they thought he might be an attacker. Muslim women took off the tent poles and started attacking him. The man who brought the food witnessed this and remarked, “Women should be like this.”
At that time, Muslim women were very strong mentally. By participating in battles in this way, many of the Ansar female companions showed great strength. Many of them died fighting alongside the men. It must be said that the women of that time fought directly alongside the men.
Another important event in this war is that when the Muslims were fighting on one side of the river, the enemy crossed it and came to fight with the Muslims. In the end, the Muslims won.
The enemies said that, in order to trap them, the Muslims went and cut off the distance behind the enemy so that they could cross the bridge and escape to the rear.
Muhammad bin Zayed, an experienced commander who participated in all the battles one after another and was familiar with all the battlefields, expressed his opinion that this decision was not a good one.
He said the enemies should not be completely cornered. Instead of cornering the enemy entirely, they should be given a way to escape. When a person is completely cornered and his back is against the wall, he has no option but to defend himself — no matter how cowardly he might be, he is forced to fight.
Giving the enemy a way to escape can prevent desperate resistance or counterattack. There was a fear that if the enemy forces were cornered completely, they might turn and attack the Muslims again. However, Allah Almighty created terror in their hearts, and they did not counterattack, though the Muslims suffered losses.
Now, I am going to discuss some later campaigns. These campaigns basically forced the Persian Empire to come to a decisive battle, such as the Battle of Qadisiyyah. The first decisive battle was the Battle of Qadisiyyah, where the Muslims defeated the Persian Empire. The second was the Battle of Nihawand, which took place six years after Qadisiyyah.
Through these two battles, the Muslims effectively dismantled the Persian Empire’s military power until the Day of Judgment.
From the discussion of how the situation at Qadisiyyah came about, we now move on to the smaller-scale battles the Muslims waged along the borders between the Tigris and Euphrates.
These campaigns took the form of wal-far — attack and retreat tactics — which are now considered equivalent to guerrilla warfare. These wars or campaigns aimed to economically damage the Persian Empire and its economic centers. The Muslims specifically targeted the Persian Empire’s resources.
Historical accounts show that sometimes they would attack, finish the campaign, and return all within a single day. In that day, they would cover a distance of about 60 miles. Is this a significant distance compared to the standards of the world at that time? They would strike like a lightning storm and then return.
A story from the battlefield illustrates this: once, while returning, a sound reached the ears of a soldier. This soldier did not hear it when he was among everyone else. He said, “Maybe an army is coming to attack us.” Commander Musanna Shaibani responded, “Don’t say anything else. But if you must speak, say something good. Think before you speak. Understand the situation and decide before you talk. I will not speak until I fully understand.”
He continued, “The enemy has not yet received the news of our attack, so how would they chase us if they don’t even know what happened? Our attack was so fast.” Musanna explained that the news had not yet reached the enemy soldiers. He added, “If it had reached them, they would have chased us in fear and panic.”
One of the purposes of these campaigns was to create fear among the enemy—keeping them in a state of terror for an entire day. The enemy had to remain anxious, unable to rest, anticipating another attack from the Muslims. However, this was not possible for them.
Musanna fearlessly told his soldiers, “Don’t worry, don’t fear. Our attack will keep them in terror for 24 hours. Even if they come after us, what is the problem? Fight them. One of two good things will happen: a reward from Allah, or victory from Allah.”
Hussain Naro said that they attacked with lightning speed because this strategy was taught by the representative of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Caliph Abu Bakr Siddiq. This strategy was set by Abu Bakr Siddiq, who advised the Muslims to attack the enemy’s economic centers with lightning speed. This was the dictionary of war—using today’s terminology.
So, the Muslims successfully overcame the disaster in the Battle of the Bridge. After that battle, the Muslims brought the entire region between the Euphrates and the Tigris under their control. Therefore, there was no need to fight them anymore.
This situation was a nightmare for the Persians. They were like bells in a Persian flute—engaged in internal conflicts and quarrels among themselves. One emperor after another was being replaced. They were even forced to put princesses in power because the men were not cooperating.
Among them, the first commander, Fairuz, was engaged in excessive quarrels with others. Meanwhile, the Muslims were occupying all their territories one by one. The Persians were forced to come together in Khairul, where they said, “This disunity of yours is weakening the Persians and inviting enemies to our land. It is because of your disputes that we suffer the shame of defeat.”
They lamented, “We have lost these lands—Savar, Tikrit, Maren. What is left for us except the torn capital?” They mentioned several major cities the Muslims had conquered at that time, including Baghdad, which was recognized as controlled by the Muslims.
They said, “Either you unite our troops, or we will kill you.” One of them also said, “If killing you didn’t make us weaker, we would have done it long ago. So if you do not unite now, we will kill you—even if we lose the war. Even if we are defeated, at least we will have some consolation in our hearts that we took revenge on you, and these defeats happened because of you.”
So, the Persians were in a desperate situation—a terrible calamity. The Muslims sensed the danger, panicked, and were anxious about taking over their capital, Madain, at any moment. The people were searching for a royal man to be the next emperor, but since they couldn’t find a prince among them, they needed a man of special lineage to become emperor.
The answer to this situation was twofold: first, the king’s son was emerging as a potential heir, and second, their false religion influenced their beliefs. What did the Basir believe in? They considered the bloodline of their rulers sacred, akin to the blood of graves.
After Khusrau, the one they placed on the throne was named Yazdegerd, which means “created by God.” Yazdegerd was the grandson of Khusrau. Following his death, his son Shahriyar (or Shah Bazan) came to power, and then several rulers succeeded one after another.
As I mentioned before, one after the other, these rulers came and went. There was even a time when they were forced to put one of the princesses in power. At that time, there was internal conflict and fighting within the palace. The ruler then killed all his brothers and nephews from different families—meaning there was no male member left alive. In the future, there was no competitor alive to become emperor.
But eventually, he himself died. With his death, it became clear that there was no other male dynast left to take the place of the emperor. In that situation, they were forced to put a princess in power. Eventually, she was also killed.
Rustam and Fairuz were not royals but generals. They basically took the responsibility of Persia on their shoulders but never claimed the kingdom, although they held the main power as caretakers. Such a situation created conflict between them. Unable to find a solution, they decided to search again: if there was any remaining male dynast, they would find him and place him in power.
To achieve this, they tortured all the women of the dynasty to extract information about any surviving royal males. Finally, a woman gave information: she admitted that a royal family member was alive and living in a faraway place. His name was Yazdegerd. His mother, fearing for his life, had hidden him far away.
They eventually verified the truth of this information, called the young royal man, and placed him on the throne of Persia.
