The Honesty at Yarmouk
Raeesa Nurani, sunniforum.com
The green valley of Yarmouk, with its large river and lush vegetation, is a place unknown and forgotten.
Yet, it was here that we see the army of Islam display such valour and heroism that even those who disbelieved
were reduced to tears when witnessing the honesty of the Muslims.
The year was 15 AH wherein Syria was ruled by the Roman emperor Heraclius, who on learning about
the Muslims entering Syria became extremely frustrated. He failed to understand how an inferior army
of the Muslims could challenge the mighty Roman Empire. However, indeed it was a man of his own kingdom
who understood the reasons behind the victory of the Muslims. He explained:
“The morals of the Muslims are superior to ours. They pray at night and fast during the day. They
do not oppress anyone. They regard themselves equal to others. We drink liquor, indulge in evil, do not
keep our promises and oppress others. The result is that they are firm and enthusiastic in their ventures
and we are weak and lax in what we do.”
The words of this man, who by no means was a Muslim, drove anger into the heart of Heraclius and
he decided that he would never allow the Muslim army to get away from his clutches. He would swallow
them like the tide when it comes in, taking everything and leaving nothing behind.
With this great rage, Heraclius sent his brother Tadharaq to lead the great army of 240,000 troops
against the poorly equipped 3,000 Muslims. Heraclius’ army was both trained and well equipped,
however this was fruitless without passion, and passion came from the Muslims - passion for Allah, passion
for the Prophet (peace be upon him) and passion for the deen. The candle of faith was alive in the hearts
of the Muslims. Their trust in Allah and love for the Prophet (peace be upon him) exceeded their love
for worldly possessions, so much so that for them, even the entire force of Heraclius’ army would
not cause them to grieve.
However, times did look bleak and the Muslims had to prepare for the worst. It was during this period,
that Abu Ubaidah (May Allah be pleased with him) held mashwara (consultation) with the army. For every
Muslim that was fighting, a force eight times greater was opposing him. It was therefore decided that
the entire amount that the Jews and Christians had paid to the Muslims as Jizyah would be refunded back
to them. Jizyah is a tax paid by the non-Muslims for protection. However protection could no longer
be guaranteed. The honesty and trustworthiness shown by the Muslims brought tears to the inhabitants
of Yarmouk, and on this day, the streets of Yarmouk were drowned by the sorrow of seeing such a civilised
and great people leaving their vicinity. Yet Allah loves the honest, and as the Prophet (peace be upon
him) has stated: "Remember, there is no faith in him who is not trustworthy; there is no place for him
in religion who cares not for his pledged word or promise."
The time drew close, and the two armies met. The situation was tense and each soldier was on guard.
The Romans began by attempting to bribe the Muslim army, yet this was immediately rejected by Khalid
bin Waleed (May Allah be pleased with him), who offered the Romans to accept Islam and pay the Jizyah,
or settle on the sword. The arrogance of the Romans prevented them from accepting the light of guidance
and they opted for the sword. However, amongst their midst stood a man who desired to learn about such
an impressive religion - a religion that turned men who used to bury girls alive to those who displayed
outstanding characteristics. He was Jurjah bin Budhiyah, a Roman general. After listening to Khalid
bin Waleed (May Allah be pleased with him), he immediately accepted the truth and decided to side with
the Muslim army. Thereafter, he fought against the Romans with such courage and valour that only a strong
believer in the truth could produce such results. He finally fell as a martyr.
It was the Romans who had made the first move, with an attack by 40,000 soldiers, which the Muslim
army immediately countered. The fight had begun: swords were striked, daggers swept from right to left,
and arrows flew overhead. The Muslims called to Allah, and the words of Surah Al-Anfaal were recited
to inspire the Muslim forces. Martial songs were sung to encourage the army and even women joined the
masses, proving their worth as Mujaahidahs. The Muslims fought with such zeal and passion that the Romans
began to retreat. The Romans were up against not humans, but the army of Allah, and no power invested
in them could challenge such an army.
It is in Yarmouk that we witness the bravery of the fighters for Islam. Khalid bin Waleed, Abu Ubaidah
bin Jarrah, Shurabil bin Hasana, Yazid bin Abu Sufyan, Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl, Qa’qa bin Amr, Abu
Sufyan, Abud-Darda, Amr bin ‘As, Harith bin Dirar and Jurjah bin Budhiyah (May Allah be pleased
with them all) were at the forefront of the battle. Their heroic acts and abilities were beyond comparison
as their swords swiped across in the blink of an eye.
To prevent the Romans from escaping, the generals were forced to chain their soldiers together. Day
turned to night, yet the fighting continued. The Romans were failing, exhausted and tired; yet the spirit
of Islam had not received even a dent. Fatigue and frustration settled into the midst of the Roman army,
which continued to retreat until their backs were pushing against the mountain. Many soldiers then fell
into the river, while others were killed, including Tadharaq. The result of truth versus falsehood was
that 3,000 Muslims became martyrs and 100,000 Romans were destroyed. Amongst the Muslims who had been
honoured with martyrdom were: Jurjah bin Bhudiyah, Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl, Amr bin Ikirimah, Salamah bin
Hisham, Amr bin Saeed, Aban bin Saeed, Hisham bin Al-Aas, Habbar bin Sufyan and Tufail bin Amr (May
Allah be pleased with them all).
This battle was a victory for the Muslims - a victory achieved by their trust in Allah. Verily, Allah
does not fail those who believe in Him. The honesty and trustworthiness in the Muslims' dealings and
their desire to become martyrs for Islam were strong enough to resist even one of the most well-equipped
and well-known armies in the world. Victory is strength, but not the strength of money or armour; rather
it is the strength of the passion in one’s heart.