Part of Ramadan events and lessons (series completed)
· Lesson 12 of 31
Ramadan events and lessons | Episode (12) | Battle of Buwaib
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Transcript
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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A summary of the book:
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Ramadan: Events and Lessons.
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The Battle of al-Buwayb.
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The timing during the month of Ramadan.
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From the thirteenth year of the Hijrah.
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Affairs had stabilized for the Muslims in the Arabian Peninsula
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following the suppression of the Apostasy movement,
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which had sought to return the people to the pre-Islamic era.
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Allah, the Exalted, had prepared for this the Rightly Guided Caliph,
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Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him,
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who extinguished its embers
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and halted its flood with his unique wisdom
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and firm resolve.
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Through this, the people were firmly established upon Islam,
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the dreams of the apostates crumbled,
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and their hopes vanished like dust in the wind.
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After the Muslims achieved this great victory,
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which led to internal stability,
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the Muslims aspired to conquer the lands of the Levant and Iraq.
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The seasoned commander,
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al-Muthanna ibn Harithah al-Shaybani,
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sought permission from the Caliph Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with them both,
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to invade Iraq,
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which was then under the control of the Persians.
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Al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, received
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this request with approval,
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and he sent word to Khalid ibn al-Walid, may Allah be pleased with him,
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ordering him to invade Iraq from its southern flank.
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He then reinforced him with al-Muthanna,
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and ordered Iyad ibn Ghanm
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to begin at al-Musaykh from the upper reaches of Iraq,
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all occurring at the beginning of the twelfth year of the Hijrah.
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Khalid marched with ten thousand fighters,
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and al-Muthanna joined him with eight thousand.
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They began at al-Hirah,
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where they encountered the Persians
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and dealt them a crushing defeat.
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Khalid then spread out across Iraq,
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conquering it city by city.
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However, the ongoing developments in the Levant,
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represented by the massive Roman mobilizations
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to fight the Muslims,
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caused Abu Bakr to send word to Khalid,
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requesting him to hasten to the aid of the Levant.
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Khalid departed,
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leaving al-Muthanna with a group of Muslims in Iraq.
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Al-Muthanna remained there,
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and sensing Persian mobilization movements,
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he hurried personally to Medina
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to seek aid from the Caliph of the Muslims,
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requesting reinforcements.
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His arrival was in the final days
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of the life of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him.
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The successor to al-Siddiq, Umar al-Faruq, then provided
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the reinforcements for al-Muthanna.
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Without delay,
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Umar, upon assuming the Caliphate, hastened
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to reinforce al-Muthanna with a group of Muslims
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under the command of Abu Ubayd ibn Mas'ud al-Thaqafi.
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He marched with his force to Iraq,
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and they met the Persians at the Battle of the Bridge,
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which ended in the defeat of the Muslims
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and the death of a large number of them,
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foremost among them the Muslim commander, Abu Ubayd.
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When the news reached the Caliph Umar,
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he realized that Iraq required large numbers
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due to the sheer size of the Persian forces
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and their use of elephants, from which horses and camels would flee.
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Umar called upon the tribes for aid,
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and large crowds came to Medina
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from various parts of the Arabian Peninsula.
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Umar dispatched these reinforcements to aid al-Muthanna,
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and with this force, the Muslims fought at al-Buwayb.
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The time and place of the event:
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This battle is called the Battle of al-Buwayb,
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named after the location where it took place.
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Al-Buwayb is a river in Iraq near the site of Kufa,
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branching off from the Euphrates at Dar al-Rizq.
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This battle took place in the month of Ramadan,
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in the year thirteen of the Hijrah.
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Before the battle:
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When the reinforcements reached al-Muthanna,
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the Muslim army was complete,
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and it was fully prepared to engage the Persians.
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Its overall command was held by al-Muthanna ibn Harithah.
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When the Persians heard of this preparation,
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they sent an army led by Mihran al-Hamadhani.
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When the Muslims were defeated at the Battle of the Bridge,
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it emboldened the Persians against them,
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thinking that the Muslims had been weakened by the previous loss.
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As for the Muslims,
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their enthusiasm for the Battle of al-Buwayb intensified,
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seeking revenge for their previous defeat.
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In addition to the army that came from Medina,
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al-Muthanna sought the help of Arab tribes in Iraq,
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such as the tribes of Namir and Taghlib,
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who were Christians,
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and they desired to fight
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in support of the Arabs against the Persians.
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The Muslim army camped on the western bank of the Euphrates,
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while the Persian army camped
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on the eastern bank.
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The Persian army advanced in three ranks,
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with an elephant in each rank,
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and their infantry in front of their elephants,
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making a great clamor.
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Then Mihran sent word to al-Muthanna, asking him:
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"Either you cross over to us,
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or we shall cross over to you."
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Al-Muthanna replied:
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"You cross over."
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So they crossed over to them.
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This was a wise plan by al-Muthanna,
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learned from the lesson of the Bridge.
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Since it was the time of Ramadan,
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al-Muthanna resolved that the Muslims should break their fast,
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so that it would strengthen them.
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Thus, they all broke their fast.
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Al-Muthanna then organized the army,
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passing by each banner of the tribal leaders,
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exhorting them and urging them to jihad, patience, and silence.
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To all of them he said:
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"I hope that the people will not be defeated through you today.
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By Allah, nothing pleases me today for myself
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except that it also pleases me for all of you."
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They responded to him in kind.
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He was fair with them in both word and deed,
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so no one could find fault with any of his words or actions.
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Among the leaders was Jarir ibn Abdullah al-Bajali, may Allah be pleased with him, with his tribe,
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and a group of the notables of the Muslims.
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Al-Muthanna said to them:
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"I will say 'Allahu Akbar' three times;
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be prepared.
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When I say it the fourth time, then charge."
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They met his command with hearing, obedience, and acceptance.
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The bloody encounter:
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When al-Muthanna said the first takbir,
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the Persians rushed them,
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and they charged until they clashed.
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They fought a fierce battle.
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Al-Muthanna noticed a weakness in some of the ranks of Banu 'Ijl,
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so he sent a man to them saying:
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"The commander sends you his greetings and says to you:
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'Do not disgrace the Arabs today.'"
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They straightened their lines.
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When he saw that from them, he was pleased and smiled.
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He sent word to the people saying:
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"O company of Muslims, be steadfast!
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Help Allah, and He will help you."
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Al-Muthanna and the Muslims continued to call upon Allah for victory and triumph.
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When the battle dragged on,
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al-Muthanna gathered a group of his heroic companions to protect his rear,
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and he charged at Mihran,
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forcing him from his position until he entered the fray.
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Then they intermingled, and the two centers clashed.
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Dust rose, and the flanks were engaged in fighting,
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unable to break away to help their commander.
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Both the Muslims and the polytheists were locked in combat.
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A young man from the Christian tribe of Taghlib charged,
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killed Mihran, and mounted his horse.
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It is also said
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that al-Muthanna ibn Harithah ibn Dirar al-Dabbi charged at him and stabbed him,
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and Jarir ibn Abdullah al-Bajali severed his head.
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This struck the heart of the Muslims into the heart of the polytheists.
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Mas'ud, the brother of al-Muthanna, was wounded that day,
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along with a group of Muslim notables.
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When Mas'ud was wounded, those with him were shaken,
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so he said:
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"O company of Bakr,
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raise your banner, may Allah raise you up!
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Do not let my fall alarm you."
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Al-Muthanna had told them:
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"If you see that we have been struck,
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do not abandon your positions.
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Hold your ranks,
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and perform the duty of those next to you."
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When the Muslims saw that al-Muthanna
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had broken the center and decimated its ranks,
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and that the Muslim flanks were holding against the flanks of the polytheists,
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they began to drive the Persians back.
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Al-Muthanna and the Muslims in the center continued to pray for victory,
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sending men to encourage them, saying:
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"Be steadfast as your peers are!
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Help Allah, and He will help you."
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Until they defeated the Persians.
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The Magians fled when their resistance weakened,
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and the Muslims pursued them, cutting them down.
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Al-Muthanna ibn Harithah raced to the bridge,
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standing upon it to prevent the Persians from crossing,
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so that the Muslims could finish them off.
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They pursued them for the rest of that day and that night.
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Many were killed that day,
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and many drowned in the river.
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Results of the battle:
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This battle was a great blow to the Persians
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and a great joy for the Muslims.
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Its results were a prelude to the great victory over the Persians.
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Among the outcomes of the battle:
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First:
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The killing of the Persian commander, Mihran,
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Along with a large number of his soldiers and officers.
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Nevertheless, a significant number of Muslims were also killed,
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Estimated at four thousand.
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Yet, this is a small number compared to the Persian casualties.
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Second:
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This victory encouraged the Muslims to continue their campaign in Iraq,
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And to advance toward new conquests thereafter.
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This battle served as a prelude to the decisive Muslim victory over the Persians at al-Qadisiyyah.
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Third:
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When the polytheist Persians suffered this crushing defeat,
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The Persian nobility agreed upon a series of leadership changes.
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They began by deposing their former monarch,
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Boran-dukht,
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And installing a new ruler from the lineage of Khosrow,
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Who was Yazdegerd ibn Shahriyar, son of Khosrow.
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And installing a new ruler from the lineage of Khosrow,
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Who was Yazdegerd ibn Shahriyar, son of Khosrow.
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This new king proceeded to reorganize the general military command,
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Entrusting it to Rostam,
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And tasking him with fighting the Muslims in the future.
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Fourth:
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The abundant spoils of war that the Muslims seized from the Persians.
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In this event, there are lessons to be learned:
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First:
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Defeat is not a final loss;
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Rather, it is a profound lesson that reveals mistakes,
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To be avoided in the future.
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Thus, al-Muthanna benefited from the lesson of the Battle of the Bridge,
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And consequently triumphed at al-Buwayb.
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Second:
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Arrogance leads to defeat.
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A wise person, no matter how thoroughly they defeat their enemy,
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Does not underestimate them in future encounters,
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Nor does it slip from their mind the Sunnah that war is a cycle of turns,
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That days alternate between people,
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And that time is ever-changing.
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Third:
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The sincere mujahid does not seek titles,
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Nor does he chase fame or strive to cast the spotlight upon his heroism.
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It is sufficient for him that Allah knows him,
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Even if humans and their leaders do not.
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Fourth:
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Battle is not merely about courage;
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Rather, it is about preparation, planning, and tactics,
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As well as wisdom and patience.
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Fifth:
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The importance of turning to Allah the Exalted
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When encountering enemies,
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The immense impact of supplicating to Him,
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And placing one's trust in Him.
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Ramadan: Events and Lessons.