5 Interesting things to know about the Battle of Yarmouk
By: Waleed Gohar
Tags: Syria, War, Palestine, Middle East, Islam

The Battle of Yarmouk

Introduction:

The battle of Yarmouk was a significant conflict amidst the Byzantine empire and the Arab (Muslim) forces and was fought for six days in August 636 around the border of Jordan and Syria.

The Muslims gradually took control of Syria during the caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat Umar (R.A). Damascus, Emmessa and Jordan were under the Muslim rule.

Apart, following the heavy blow to the Sassanid Persians at Firaz, the Muslim soldiers, under the administration of Khalid ibn al-Walid, came face to face with the Christian Byzantine Empire at Yarmouk.

Mesopotamia after Firaz also came under the Muslim rule. The continuous expansion of the Muslims threatened the Byzantines and other dominant communities.

The Battle of Yarmouk:

Heraclius joined hands with the Sassanids to stop the advancing Arab army. He also dispatched a group to investigate the position of the Muslim forces under Khalid ibn Waleed (R.A).

Heraclius was determined to receive some reinforcement from the Sassanids during the war.

However, the Sassanids did not dispatch any force to assists the Byzantines. As Heraclius plans revolved around reinforcement, the Byzantine army was taken by surprise.

The Muslims were divided into four battalions. One battalion following Amr ibn Aas in Palestine, one following Shurahbil in Jordan, Damascus-Caesarea region under Yazid and the last one following Abu Ubaidah along with Khalid at Emesa.

The plan of the Byzantine commander, Vahan, was to involve Muslims in small engagements. He perceived that this would make a good impact on the Muslims as they were less in number.

Little day Vahan know that Khalid ibn Waleed (R.A) was aware of this strategy and he countered it successfully.

The battlefront is located in the plain of Jordanian Hauran, which is southeast of the Golan Heights. The battle was contested on the fields towards the south of Yarmouk River. The river is accompanied by steep banks, ranging in height from 30 m (98 ft)–200 m (660 ft). The Jambiya road is located on the north and Azra hills to the east.

Related: The Battle of Mu’tah Islamiat Notes

There are a lot of events in the six-day battle of Yarmouk. The Byzantines seemed

The Byzantines seemed very attacking in the first couple of days. The brilliant strategy of Khalid ibn Waleed weakened the left and the right flanks of the Byzantines.

Towards the sixth day, the Muslims turned attacking and they forced the Byzantine soldiers to retreat. The Muslims mobile forces blocked the North and the West so that the Byzantine soldiers did not escape.

It is popularly believed that Vahan died during the battle. The plan of Vahan to launch successive attacks on the Muslims when they were busy praying did not quite work out.

This six-day hectic battle helped Muslims gain further prominence in the Middle East and their rule ushered in.

Conclusion:

The battle of Yarmouk was a very important conflict in the history of Islam. The plans of Khalid bin Walid (R.A) and the strong faith of Muslims in God helped them to secure a victory against the mighty Byzantines.