Khalid ibn Walid was a companion of the Prophet who was very famous for his war abilities. It is said that Khalid had never lost a war in his enemies. Khalid always managed to win when fighting against his enemies.
The only war that he could not conquer was during the Battle of Uhud against the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his Muslims. Khalid managed to repel the Muslim army, but did not defeat them. His ability is what makes Khalid earned the nickname “The Unsheathed Sword of God”.
What is the story of Khalid ibn Walid? What lessons can we take from the story of Khalid? Here is the story.
The Origin of Khalid and Became the Commander of the War of the Quraysh Infidels
Khalid ibn Walid was the son of the chief of the Bani Makhzum tribe, namely Walid ibn Al-Mughirah. His mother’s name was Lubabah bint Al-Harith. His father had the title Abdu Shams and often donated his wealth to buy kiswah for the Ka’ba during his ignorance. While his mother is a sister of Maimunah bint Al-Harith who is the wife of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Khalid was born as a prominent son. He is also known to be great and agile since childhood. His physique is known to be stronger than his age. Khalid was used to practicing war, riding and archery. Until finally, Khalid ibn Walid was chosen to be the leader of the Quraysh cavalry.
Khalid was an enemy of Islam in the early days of Islamic da’wah in Mecca and Medina, two of holy cities in Islam. Khalid once led an army of Quraysh against the Muslim forces during the battle of Uhud. In the history of the Uhud war, Khalid managed to take advantage of the ignorance of Muslims who fell asleep with the spoils of war.
Khalid, who at that time read a good opportunity, chose to go around the mountain and attack Muslims from an unexpected direction. When Khalid arrived, the Islamic forces were in disarray and had many troops killed in the Muslim camp.
However, the intention of Khalid and his troops to kill the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was not reached because the friends swiftly protected the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who had been injured at that time.
Khalid and his troops also managed to repel Muslims, but were unable to defeat the Muslim forces in full. It is said that only this Battle of Uhud did not succeed in defeating his opponent’s troops.
Although Khalid led the Quraysh infidels in the Battle of Uhud, that war also made Khalid convert to Islam. Later, Khalid’s great ability on the battlefield earned him the nickname “The Unsheathed Sword of God”.
Khalid ibn Walid Conquered Byzantium
The entry of Khalid ibn Walid into the Muslims made the strength of the Muslims become very large. This can be seen when under the reign of Abu Bakr Ash-Shiddiq as the first caliph.
On one occasion, Khalid was asked to be commander of 46,000 Islamic troops who would face the Byzantine Empire’s army. Byzantine Empire at that time was one of the superpowers with a large army reaching 240,000.
Nevertheless, Khalid did not flinch in the slightest and tried to devise a strategy to defeat Byzantium in the battle known as the Yarmuk War.
Khalid tried to divide the Islamic forces into 40 contingents from 46,000 existing troops to give the impression to the enemy that the number of Islamic troops was very large. Apparently, the tactic proved effective and able to make the enemy tremble. As a result, the Byzantine Empire was successfully conquered by Khalid with only 46,000 troops.
Besides the Yarmuk War, Khalid was also sent to lead the troops in the Riddah War. The Riddah War is a war between Muslims and dissidents who do not want to pay Zakat, a charity practice from Muslim. Khalid also managed to win the war.
There is also a story in which Khalid managed to conquer Persia in only 11 months, starting from Muharram to Dhulqa’dah. In fact, the incident was only carried out with war troops who did not yet have sophisticated equipment.
Khalid ibn Walid Dismissed by Umar ibn Khattab of the War Commander
The greatness of Khalid ibn Walid made many young people in Medina chant poems to praise his name. This condition was feared by the caliph at that time, Umar ibn Khattab, would be a deviation of faith.
Khalid, who was currently leading an army of Muslims in the face of the Eastern Roman army, was dismissed by Umar.
However, Khalid still had time to complete his responsibilities first to lead his army against the Eastern Roman army. When his troops were deemed ready to accept a new leader, Khalid gave the reins of leadership to Abu Ubaidah ibn Al-Jarrah.
Khalid had returned to Medina to inquire because Umar dismissed him from the position of Muslim warlord. However, after Umar explained the reason for the creed, Khalid accepted gracefully.
Khalid immediately returned to the Islamic army to help fight Eastern Rome under the leadership of his men. There is one famous sentence that was said by Khalid at that time.
“I struggled not because of Umar, I struggled only because of Allah SWT,” Khalid said when asked by friends.
Khalid ibn Walid finally passed away to Allah SWT. His greatness and sincerity in defending the religion of Islam will never be forgotten. The nickname “The Unsheathed Sword of God” will only be carried by Khalid ibn Walid.
Life Lessons of Khalid ibn Walid
1. As Muslims, we must have the nature of love of truth and be willing to accept all teachings that are logical and in accordance with the Qur’an and hadith. Like Khalid ibn Walid who converted to Islam not only because of guidance, but also because he has the nature of loving truth and recognizing that Islam is true.
2. As Muslims, we must be sincere in carrying out worship and contribute to Islam. We should not expect anything other than the pleasure of Allah SWT. Like Khalid ibn Walid who sincerely fought as an army only because of Allah SWT. He did not expect a position or a big name in the Islamic army.
3. As Muslims, we must maximize the potential and ability we have to develop Islam. If we have the ability in the field of writing, we can make writing that inspires the enthusiasm of Muslims. If we have the ability in the field of da’wah, we can invite as many people to convert to Islam, and many more.
That was a glimpse of the story of Khalid ibn Walid. Hopefully, the story of “The Unsheathed Sword of God” is able to inspire us to make a major contribution to the progress of Islam. Aamiin ya rabbal ‘alamiin.