In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Mawaddah Association is pleased
to present to you glimpses from the lives of the Companions.
By Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha,
may Allah have mercy upon him.
Khalid ibn al-Walid, may Allah be pleased with him.
The biography of Khalid ibn al-Walid
is an epic of glorious chapters,
beginning with tribal zeal and heroism,
and ending with faith and true manhood.
Khalid was from the Banu Makhzum,
and the Makhzum were at the pinnacle of the Quraysh.
He was raised in one of their most ancient houses by lineage,
most noble by status,
and wealthiest in property and assets.
His uncle, Hisham, was the commander of the Banu Makhzum on the day of the Fijar War,
and upon his death, the Arabs dated events by it, just as they dated other momentous occurrences.
The Quraysh did not hold a market in Makkah for three years out of grief for him.
His uncle, al-Fakih ibn al-Mughirah,
was one of the most generous Arabs of his time.
He possessed a house of hospitality
where anyone he wished could find shelter without needing permission.
As for his father, al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah,
he was the wealthiest man of his era,
possessing gold and silver,
orchards, vineyards, and trade,
as well as servants, handmaidens, and slaves,
in quantities no one else possessed.
His father used to drape the Ka'bah alone for one year,
and the entire Quraysh would drape it the next.
For this reason, he was called "the Unique" (al-Wahid),
and nicknamed "the Basil of Quraysh."
He is the one about whom the Holy Qur'an says:
“Leave Me (to deal) with him whom I created lonely,” (74:11)
“And then bestowed upon him ample means,” (74:12)
"And children present [with him],"
"And I spread [everything] before him, easing [his way]."
Because of his extreme generosity, his father
would disdain having any fire lit in Mina other than his own,
for the sake of feeding the pilgrims.
He used to claim that he was the most deserving of people
to receive prophethood and for the Qur'an to be revealed to him.
Regarding this, Allah the Almighty says:
“And they say: If only this Qur'an had been revealed to some great man of the two towns?” (43:31)
“And they say: If only this Qur'an had been revealed to some great man of the two towns?” (43:31)
In this noble, wealthy, and prominent house,
Khalid ibn al-Walid was born
thirty-four years before the Hijrah.
Khalid was tall, remarkably so,
of long stature and a grand presence.
He had an imposing appearance and a fair complexion.
He bore a striking resemblance to Umar ibn al-Khattab,
so much so that those with poor eyesight
would often confuse the two men.
When the noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
declared his call, Khalid was a young man.
He turned away from it because he saw in it
a new leadership that challenged the leadership
of his family and a nascent sovereignty
that stood in the face of his father's authority.
Thus, he and his brother, 'Amarah ibn al-Walid, opposed it.
As for 'Amarah, he fought at Badr
with the polytheists and fell into the captivity of the Muslims.
There was much discussion regarding his ransom
due to his immense wealth and the intense enmity
of his family toward Islam.
His captor demanded four thousand dirhams,
but the Prophet, may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, instructed
that no ransom be accepted for him other than the coat of mail
of his father, his sword,
and his helmet—the "baydah" being the helmet
made of iron.
The man remained in his faith while in the captivity of the Muslims.
When his ransom was paid and he went to his family,
he announced his Islam among them,
despite them and against their will.
The polytheists were astonished by his action
and asked him, "Why did you not embrace Islam before you were ransomed?"
He replied, "I hated for it to be said
that I panicked because of captivity."
As for Khalid, he remained as he was.
At the Battle of Uhud, the Quraysh gave him
the standard of the right flank.
He personally led the attack that tipped
the scales in favor of the polytheists against the Muslims.
He charged with the cavalry against the Muslim army,
causing their ranks to falter and become intermingled,
until they could no longer distinguish
between their own and their enemy.
Abu Sufyan was overcome with joy and said,
"A day for a day, as at Badr, and the fortunes of war alternate."
On the day of the Trench (al-Khandaq),
the polytheists divided their battalions,
assigning each battalion to a group of Muslims
to strike them in the morning.
Khalid ibn al-Walid was the one tasked
with [watching] the Messenger of Allah, may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him.
Khalid nearly captured the noble Messenger,
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Their commander was Usayd ibn al-Hudayr, may Allah be pleased with him.
In the year of al-Hudaybiyah,
the Messenger, may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him,
went out to Makkah to perform 'Umrah
with about 1,500 Muslims,
carrying no weapons other than swords
in their sheaths.
The polytheists felt fear because of this,
and they dispatched Khalid to meet the Messenger, peace be upon him,
with two hundred horsemen
to scout his intentions.
Khalid drew near until he saw the Messenger, peace be upon him.
Then the time for the Dhuhr prayer arrived,
and the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
led his Companions in the Prayer of Fear (Salat al-Khawf).
Khalid intended to launch a surprise attack on the Messenger, peace be upon him,
but the tranquility of the Muslims held him back,
as did the awe of the prayer,
and the chivalry of a knight that refuses treachery.
It occurred to him that Muhammad had a secret,
and that the man was under divine protection.
This was the first sentiment
that inclined him toward Islam.
Then he received a letter from his brother, al-Walid,
who had embraced Islam after Badr,
containing words from the noble Messenger, peace be upon him,
which became the reason for Allah to bring him
out of darkness into the light.
Let us leave it to Khalid himself to tell us
the story of his conversion.
He said: "When Allah desired good for me,
He cast the love of Islam into my heart.
My reason returned to me, and I said,
'I have witnessed all these battlefields against Muhammad,
and every time I left a battlefield,
I found myself upon nothing.'"
Then he continues, saying:
"While I was in that state,
my brother wrote me a letter:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
To proceed:
I have seen nothing more strange than your turning away from Islam,
given your intellect—your intellect!
A matter like Islam is not unknown to anyone.
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, asked me about you,
saying, 'Where is Khalid?'
I replied, 'Allah will bring him.'
He said, 'A man like Khalid cannot be ignorant of Islam.
If he had used his strength with the Muslims
against the polytheists, it would have been better for him.'
We would have prioritized him over others.
So, my brother, make up for what you have missed,
for you have missed many virtuous opportunities.'"
Then Khalid continued, saying:
"I became eager to set out for Madinah,
and the words of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, pleased me.
I saw in a dream
as if I were in a narrow, barren land,
then I went out to a green, vast land.
I said, 'This dream is true.'
When I resolved to set out
to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
I said, 'Who shall I take with me to Muhammad?'
I met Safwan ibn Umayyah
and said, 'Do you not see, O Abu Wahb,
the situation we are in? Muhammad has prevailed
over the Arabs and non-Arabs. If we went
to him and followed him, for the honor of
Muhammad is our honor.' But he refused
me with the strongest refusal and said,
'If no one remained of the Quraysh but me, I would never follow him.'
So we parted ways.
He was a man seeking vengeance,
for his father and brother were killed at Badr."
Then Khalid continued the story of his conversion and said:
"I left Safwan ibn Umayyah
and met 'Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl.
I said to him what I had said to Safwan,
and he said to me what Safwan had said.
I said to him, 'Keep what I have mentioned to you to yourself.'
I went to my house,
and told my mount to be prepared, until
I met 'Uthman ibn Abi Talhah,
who is a friend of mine, to mention to him what I intended.
Then I remembered those of his ancestors who were killed,
and I disliked that. Then I said,
'What does it matter if I meet him while I am departing?'
So I mentioned to him what had happened,
and I said to him something
similar to what I had said to the others. He hastened,
and we traveled by night, reaching the dawn,
meaning we traveled at night during the time of Suhur.
While we were on the road,
we met 'Amr ibn al-'As, who said,
'Welcome to the group!' We said, 'And to you.'
He said, 'Where are you headed?'
We said, 'What brought you out?'
He said, 'Rather, what brought you out?'
We said, 'To enter into Islam
and follow Muhammad.'
'That is what brought me here,' he said.
So we traveled together until we arrived in Madinah.
My brother met me and said, 'Hurry,
For the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
had foretold your arrival, so be happy,
for he is awaiting you.
I quickened my pace until I appeared before him,
and he did not cease smiling at me until I stood right before him.
I greeted him with the greeting of Prophethood,
and he returned my greeting with a radiant face.
I said, "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah,
and that you are the Messenger of Allah."
He replied, "Praise be to Allah who has guided you.
I always saw that you possessed intelligence,
and I hoped it would lead you only to what is good."
From that day on,
Khalid Ibn al-Walid turned toward Islam with his heart and soul.
He began to regret all that had passed of his previous days,
and once he said,
"O Messenger of Allah,
I have seen how I used to bear witness in those battles,
resisting the truth;
so pray to Allah to forgive me for them."
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, answered him,
"Indeed, Islam wipes away what came before it."
Khalid returned to confirm his hope,
so the Prophet, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, prayed to his Lord,
and said,
"O Allah, forgive Khalid Ibn al-Walid
for all that has passed of his turning people away from Your path."
Khalid was content with that,
and his soul found peace.
When the noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, resolved
to conquer Makkah,
he headed toward it, leading his green battalion.
Abu Ubaydah Ibn al-Jarrah was in charge of the vanguard,
al-Zubayr Ibn al-Awwam was on the right flank,
and Khalid Ibn al-Walid was on the left flank.
Thus, Khalid returned to Makkah as a commander,
though only a few months had passed since his conversion to Islam.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
when he entrusted Khalid Ibn al-Walid
with one of his banners on the day of the entry into Makkah,
despite the recentness of his Islam,
was looking with the light of Prophethood at what would become
of Khalid’s role in supporting Islam
and raising high the banners of the Qur'an.
The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, joined
the Highest Companion,
and the caliphate passed to Abu Bakr,
may Allah be pleased with him.
During his era, Khalid witnessed the wars
of the apostasy from their beginning to their end,
and he had the greatest share in the most important
of their battles and the most difficult of their times,
foremost among them being the Battle of al-Yamamah.
Khalid possessed in this field
what no other man possessed,
for he encountered the Persians and their allies in fifteen battles,
and was not defeated in any of them,
nor did he err or fail.
When the Muslims intended to fight the Romans,
Khalid had the honor of leading the Muslim army
in the Battle of Yarmouk,
the greatest of the Muslims' battles.
Then the letter of the Commander of the Faithful, Umar Ibn al-Khattab, reached him,
dismissing him from command
while he was at the peak of his victories.
He obeyed the command and handed over leadership to his successor,
with a content soul.
The great victor, Khalid Ibn al-Walid, transformed
into a soldier in the Muslim army,
after having been the commander of this army.
May Allah have mercy on Abu Sulayman,
for he was a unique model among the people.
O Allah, forgive Khalid Ibn al-Walid
for all that has passed of his turning people away from Your path,
as per the prayer of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, for him.