Dismissal and death of Khalid ibn al-Walid
Dismissal of Khalid ibn al-Walid by Umar and his subsequent death From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The dismissal and death of Khalid ibn al-Walid refer to the removal of the prominent Muslim commander Khalid ibn al-Walid from the army by Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab around 17 AH (638 CE) and his death in 21 AH (642 CE). Known as one of the companions of Muhammad and for his victories in the Ridda Wars and the early Muslim conquests of the Levant and Iraq, Khalid was dismissed, according to most historians, due to concerns about his handling of war spoils and fears that the Muslim community might rely too heavily on his leadership rather than on Allah. Umar and the women of Banu Makhzum mourned his death, which was attributed to illness. The location of his death remains disputed among historians, with some placing it in Homs and others in Medina.
By the time of his death, the Rashidun Caliphate had begun transitioning from rapid territorial expansion to consolidation, focusing on siege warfare, governance, and the development of a structured military under Umar. Historians generally regard Khalid as one of the most skilled and successful commanders in Islam, with his strategies, including rapid maneuvers and key victories like Yarmouk, drawing comparisons to figures like Alexander the Great. Scholars emphasize his role in shaping Islamic warfare, and his contributions to the early expansion of Islam have established him as a notable figure and a hero in Arab and Islamic history.
Dismissal
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Khalid was dismissed from his military command in 17 AH (638 CE) by Umar. Historians such as Ibn Asakir and Ibn Kathir, as well as reports preserved in the works of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, attribute this decision primarily to differences in financial administration, particularly regarding Khalid’s handling of war spoils.[1][2][3] Reports from late 638 CE indicate that Khalid had allocated portions of the spoils from his campaigns in Syria, including a share for Al-Ash'ath ibn Qays.[4] This distribution raised concerns in Medina, prompting Umar to order Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah to investigate the matter publicly. Although the interrogation found no wrongdoing on Khalid’s part, Umar had already decided to dismiss him regardless of the outcome.[5] Following the interrogation in Homs, Khalid addressed his troops in Qinnasrin and Homs to bid them farewell before being summoned to Medina.[6] During a council meeting in Jabiya that same year, Umar apologized and clarified his decision, stating that while Khalid had been instructed to distribute wealth among the less privileged Muhajirun, he instead allocated it to the strong, the noble, and the eloquent.[2] This decision to dismiss Khalid faced opposition from Khalid’s cousin, Abu Amr ibn Hafs ibn al-Mughirah, who alleged that Umar’s actions stemmed from envy and overlooked Khalid’s military authority as granted by Muhammad. Umar firmly rejected the accusation.[7][2] According to Ibn Kathir, Khalid’s dismissal was primarily due to his lenient approach to distributing wealth during military campaigns.[3]
Beyond financial matters, another critical reason for Umar’s decision was his concern that Muslims had grown overly dependent on Khalid's military successes, potentially attributing victories to him rather than on Allah.[8] To clarify his intentions, Umar later addressed the provinces with the following statement:
I did not remove Khalid out of anger or suspicion of betrayal, but because people had become too enamored with him. I feared they would rely entirely on him and be tested through him. I wanted them to know that Allah is the true doer of all things and to prevent them from falling into temptation.[9]
This concern became evident during Abu Ubayda’s siege in the Levant, where his forces initially struggled without Khalid.[10] Later, when Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman brought news of victory, Umar expressed gratitude to Allah but also anticipated that some would regret Khalid’s absence.[10] This perspective was further underscored during Khalid’s dismissal, when Umar recited a verse to him, acknowledging his achievements while reminding him that all matters are governed by Allah.[9]
Despite the dismissal, Umar continued to hold Khalid in high regard, contradicting claims by some modern Western historians who suggest his decision stemmed from personal resentment. As recorded by al-Tabari and Ibn Asakir, Umar reassured Khalid: "O Khalid, by Allah, you are honorable in my eyes and beloved to me. From this day on, you will never have cause to blame me for anything."[9][11][12] Some historical sources state that after his dismissal, Khalid spent his remaining years in Homs, where he lived with his family and rarely left the city while continuing his dedication to Islam.[13]
Death
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The alleged tomb of Khalid, located inside the Khalid ibn al-Walid Mosque
Historical records predominantly agree that Khalid succumbed to illness in 21 AH (642 CE), though accounts vary regarding the precise location of his death.[14][15] This divergence has given rise to two primary narratives, each supported by early Islamic historians and offering distinct perspectives on Khalid’s final moments and burial. Sayf ibn Umar narrates that Khalid remained in Medina until Umar believed that public attachment to Khalid had diminished, after which Umar planned to reinstate him to military command upon his own return from Hajj pilgrimage.[16] While Umar was away, Khalid fell gravely ill while visiting his mother and returned to Medina, where she cared for him until he passed away. Upon learning of Khalid’s condition, Umar hurried back from Hajj, covering a three-day distance in a single night, but arrived after Khalid had passed away. He mourned his death and remained at his door until the burial preparations were complete.[16] At the funeral, Abū Ḥudhayfa Isḥāq ibn Bishr Qurashī, and Sayf ibn Umar recount that Khalid's mother recited a eulogy:
You were better than a thousand thousand men
When men's faces were cast down in defeat.
A lion—nay, braver than a lion in its lair,
Fierce, grim, and protector of cubs.
Generous—you were more generous than
A mighty flood surging between the mountains.[17]
Upon hearing her words, Umar proclaimed three times that no woman could give birth to a man like Khalid.[17] Although certain traditions attribute to Umar a general prohibition against wailing, historical narratives suggest he himself grieved deeply at Khalid’s death. [18] The women of the Banu Makhzum, observed a mourning period lasting seven days, during which they expressed their sorrow by tearing their garments and striking their faces. Some even shaved their heads as a mark of grief, actions Umar permitted so long as they refrained from excessive lamentation.[18]
On the other hand, al-Waqidi, Ibn Sa'd, and Al-Dhahabi assert that Khalid died in Homs. Their accounts describe how Umar, while present at the Quba Mosque in Medina, received news of Khalid’s demise from Yemeni pilgrims who had settled in Homs. These travelers reported that Khalid had passed away on the very day of their departure from the city. Umar wept, repeating the Islamic invocation “Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed, to Him we return” several times, and prayed extensively for Khalid's mercy, then say: "By Allah, he was a shield against the enemy, blessed in his leadership.[19][20] Ibn Hajar corroborates the existence of these two traditions, noting one view that Khalid died in Homs and another that he passed away in Medina, with Umar attending his funeral.[21]
According to an authentic narration recorded by Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak and Al-Dhahabi, when death approached, Khalid is reported to have said:
I sought martyrdom on the battlefield, but it was decreed that I would die in my bed. There is no deed of mine that has given me greater hope, after La ilaha illa Allah (There is no God but Allah), than a night spent on my horse, bearing my shield, while the sky rains upon me, waiting for dawn until we attack the Kuffar (disbelievers). When I die, look at my weapons and my horse, and use them in preparation [for Jihad] in the cause of Allah.[22][23][16]
Umar's remorse
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After Khalid’s death, Umar appeared to reconsider his treatment of him, reportedly regretting either Khalid’s dismissal [24] or the harsh way he had dealt with him. He had objected to Khalid’s generosity with wealth during his lifetime, as he later clarified, but upon learning that Khalid left behind only his horse, servant, and weapons, he remarked, "May Allah have mercy on Abu Sulayman (Khalid)! We used to think differently of him."[20][25] Later, he described Khalid’s death as an irreplaceable loss to Islam, stating: "A great breach has been made in Islam, one that cannot be mended."[26][27] When someone pointed out that his opinion of Khalid during his lifetime had been different, Umar replied: "I regret what I did to him."[26] Additionally, he expressed a wish that Khalid had lived longer, saying: "By Allah, if only he had remained alive as long as a single stone remained in al-Hima[a](the protected grazing land)".[27]
Khalid, however, had already forgiven Umar. During his final illness, he confided in Abu Darda, acknowledging Umar’s importance to Islam but warning that after Umar’s death, changes would come that Abu Darda would not approve of.[28] He then added:
At first, I resented Umar for some of the things he did. But as I lay ill and reflected, with the presence of Allah before me, I realized that Umar had only sought Allah’s will in all his actions. I resented him when he sent someone to divide my wealth with me, taking even a single sandal while leaving me with the other. But then I saw that he did the same with others who had precedence in Islam and had fought at Badr. He was harsh with me, yet I saw that he was just as harsh with others. I thought my family ties[b] to him would matter, but I realized that he cared nothing for kinship or the blame of others when it came to Allah. That was what erased any grievance I had against him. He rebuked me often, but it was always for the sake of the people. I was in the midst of battle, seeing things firsthand, while he was absent, ruling from afar—so I acted differently than he would have. Despite this, I have entrusted my will, my estate, and the execution of my final wishes to Umar ibn al-Khattab.[29]
Some time after Khalid's death, Hisham ibn al-Bukhtri and a group from Banu Makhzum visited Umar. Umar asked Hisham to recite a poem in Khalid’s honor, but after hearing it, he remarked that the praise was insufficient.[20] Umar then said:
May Allah have mercy on Abu Sulayman (Khalid). He truly loved to humiliate polytheism and its people. Whoever rejoices at his misfortune exposes himself to the wrath of Allah. What is with Allah is better for him than what he had in this world. He indeed lived as one highly praised and died as one deeply missed...[30]
According to a narration reported by Ibn Asakir, before Umar's death, he was asked to appoint a successor. Umar replied that if Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah, Muadh ibn Jabal, or Khalid were alive, he would have chosen one of them as caliph.[31][32]
Aftermath and Legacy
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Khalid's death aligned with the Rashidun Caliphate’s shift from rapid conquests to consolidation, with generals emphasizing siege warfare and establishing garrison cities like Kufa and Fustat. His victories laid the groundwork for a transition to a professional army.[33][34][35] Under the Umayyads, the focus shifted to administration, defense, and naval warfare, diverging from Khalid’s mobile tactics and reflecting the evolution from a conquest state to an administrative empire.[36][37][38][39] Despite these changes, Khalid’s military brilliance and pivotal role in Islam’s rapid expansion cemented his legacy as a "tactical genius", with his undefeated record and innovative strategies influencing later Islamic military leaders.[40][41][42]
Khalid’s reputation as a military commander emerged early and has been widely discussed in historical sources. Early Islamic sources portray him as the most effective leader during the early Muslim conquests,[43] with Richard Blackburn calling him "Islam’s most formidable warrior" for his campaigns under Muhammad, Abu Bakr, and during the conquest of Syria.[44][45] R. Stephen Humphreys, David Nicolle, and John Bagot Glubb consider him the most famous and successful Arab commander of the early expansion of Islam.[46][47][48] M.A. Shaban attributes the Quraysh's victory at the Battle of Uhud—the only battle where Muhammad suffered a defeat—to Khalid’s "military genius."[49] Tamim Ansary hails him as the "hero" of the Ridda Wars and one of Islam's leading generals.[50][51] David Nicolle highlights Khalid’s ability to secure victories with smaller forces, citing the Battle of Walaja as an example, which remains a subject of military studies.[47] Al-Baladhuri records that "whenever the Muslims met for a battle, the commanders would choose Khalid as their chief for his valor, strategy, and the auspiciousness of his counsel," referencing his leadership at battles like Yarmouk.[52] Agha Ibrahim Akram credits his charisma for uniting tribal warriors against a larger Byzantine army.[53] His innovations, including rapid maneuvers and psychological tactics, were groundbreaking, with Fletcher Pratt crediting him for transforming light cavalry warfare into an effective strategy against larger forces.[54] John Walter Jandora highlights Khalid’s "ingenuity" and "superior leadership" at the Battle of Yarmouk, describing it as a key victory that enabled the Caliphate’s expansion between the Pyrenees mountains and Central Asia. [55] Similarly, Peter Malcolm Holt argues that Khalid’s courage and strategic acumen were crucial in the Ridda Wars and his campaigns in Byzantine territory, with his desert march and victories, including Yarmouk, widely regarded by Muslims as significant contributions to Islam.[56] Expanding on this, Hugh N. Kennedy describes Khalid’s "desert march" as both a historical and legendary feat, admired by Arab sources for his endurance and by modern scholars for its strategic mastery.[57]
Khalid’s legacy continues to be examined in historical and modern studies. Fred Donner describes him as one of Islam’s greatest military tacticians, while Carole Hillenbrand calls him the most famous Arab commander in history.[33][58] Nicolle regard him as one of the greatest tacticians and cavalry commanders in history.[59] Justin Marozzi refers to him as the "military brains" behind the unification of Arabia under Muhammad, though his major contributions came after Muhammad’s death.[52] Moshe Gil calls Khalid's desert march "a feat which has no parallel".[60]Philip K. Hitti compares Khalid’s campaigns to those of Napoleon, Hannibal, and Alexander the Great, while Roy Casagranda likens his record to that of Thutmose III and Alexander, arguing that his victories reshaped 7th-century geopolitics.[61][62] W. Montgomery Watt acknowledges him as "one of the creators of the Arab empire" due to his "superb generalship" after Muhammad’s death, while Nicolle emphasizes his role as a hero and symbol of Arab nationalism, with streets named after him across the Arab world, as noted by Kennedy.[63][47][43]
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