Hazrat Umar’s Battles.
Wars with Persia
Battle of Namarraq (October, 634 AD):
• because the Muslims had captured Hira under the
caliphate of Abu Bakr, the infuriated Persian
Emperor sent a large force under a famous general.
• The two armies met 10 miles from Hira.
• Persians were defeated and put to flight.
Battle of Jar/Battle of the Bridge (October, 634 AD):
• Alarmed by the Muslim victory, the Persian
Emperor dispatched a large army, commanded by
Bahman.
• The Muslim army was led by Hazrat Abu Ubaydah.
• Before this mighty force, the Arabs fell back and
re-crossed the Euphrates.
• The Persian commander challenged Hazrat Abu
Ubaydah to cross the river again or allow him to
come to the Arab side.
• Acting rashly and against his advisors’ warnings,
Hazrat Abu Ubaydah ordered the Muslim army to
build a bridge of boats and cross the river.
• Once on the opposite side, the Muslims found
themselves in an alarming situation. They were
hemmed in between the Persian war-elephants in
their front and the swift river Euphrates on their
backs.
• The Arabs and their animals had never seen
elephants before and were terrified by these fierce
and gigantic beasts. These elephants routed the
Muslim cavalry.
• Hazrat Abu Ubaida ordered the cavalry to
dismount and fight on foot.
• Although the Muslims fought bravely and brought
down many elephants, they were trampled in large
numbers under the beasts’ feet.
• Hazrat Abu Ubaida himself was martyred by one
of the elephants. His brother succeeded him, but
one by one, the Muslim commanders were
martyred.
• A Muslim had cut the boat-bridge so that the
Muslim army would not lose heart and retreat
easily.
• However, the routed soldiers jumped into the river
and many lost their lives.
• The new Muslim commander, Hazrat Musanna,
ordered the bridge to be rebuilt. He and a small
detachment held back the Persians while the
survivors crossed over to the Arab side.
• Out of the original Muslim force of 9,000 men,
approximately: I) 3000 survived. II) 2,000 fell
fighting. III) 2,000 drowned in the river. IV)
2,000 fled to Madina and elsewhere.
Battle of Buwayb (November, 634 AD):
• Acting wisely and calmly after the disastrous
Battle of Jasr, Umar rallied his allies to fight
against the Persian Empire.
• When the Persians came to know of this, they
sent a large force under the command of Mehran,
an expert in Arabian warfare techniques.
• The Muslim army was commanded by Hazrat
Musanna.
• Like the Battle of Jasr, the Persian army camped
on the eastern side of the Euphrates.
• This time, however, the Muslims allowed the
Persians to cross over to the Arabian side.
• The next day, the two armies engaged in a fierce
battle at Buwayb.
• Even though the Persian force was many times
larger than the Muslim army, they were put to rout
when Mehran was killed.
• The Muslim force destroyed the bridge over the
Euphrates when the Persians tried to fall back.
Persians were killed in large numbers and their
army was almost completely destroyed.
Hazrat Umar resolves to conquer Iraq:
• Hazrat Umar realized that if Hira was to be held by
the Muslims, Madain, the Persian capital of the
Iraqi province, must be captured.
• Hazrat Umar called for Holy War on Persia and
wrote letters to his allies and rallied them under his
banner.
• Finally, an army of 20,000 men was mustered and
was placed under Hazrat Saad bin Abi Waqqas.
Battle of Qadisiya:
• Hazrat Saad was ordered to march to Qadisiya, a
little fortress on the western bank of the Ateeq (a
branch of the Euphrates).
• From here, Hazrat Saad sent an envoy to the court
of Yazdgard, the Persian Emperor, with the
message of Islam.
• The Persian Emperor insulted the envoy and
turned him out of his court.
• To teach the Muslims a lesson, he dispatched a
large army of 120,000 men, including 300 war-
elephants. This army was commanded by Rustum.
• The Muslim army now numbered 30,000, including
1400 of Muhammad (PBUH)’s Companions and 99
veterans of Badr. The soldiers had also brought
their families along, as they intended to settle on
the conquered land.
• Rustum encamped with his army on the opposite
bank of the river. He intended to tire out the
Muslims or make them short of supplies before
attacking.
• Arab raiding parties, which attacked the fertile
Persian fields, forced the Emperor to order Rustum
to commence fighting.
• Rustum and his army crossed the river in the
secrecy of the night by building a dam to check the
flow of the water.
• The battle that ensued was very fierce and lasted
for 3 days and 4 nights.
• Hazrat Saad directed his forces from his sick bed.
• Eventually, the Persians lost and were killed in
large numbers.
• Rustum was killed as he tried to flee the
battlefield.
• Losses: I) Muslims --- 8500 men. II)
Persians --- 30,000 to 40,000 men.
• Booty: I) 6,000 pieces to every soldier. II)
70,000 pieces from the jewels stripped from the
body of Rustum. III) 100,000 pieces from the
Persian banner made from panther’s skin.
• Consequences: I) Put an end to the military
might of the Persian Empire. II) Arab tribes no
longer hesitated to fight against Persia and the
enemies of Islam. III) Way to Madain opened.
Siege and capture of Madain:
• After resting his troops , Hazrat Saad marched on
Madain with the intention of capturing it.
• The army defending the city fell back before the
Muslim assault, fled into the city and closed the
gates.
• The Muslims captured the city after a siege and a
brave assault by the troops.
• Booty: I) Vessels and statues of gold and
silver. II) Stores of precious stones. III) Luxurious
wardrobes. IV) Thousands of prisoners of war. V)
Each soldier received 12,000 dirhams.
Battle of Jalula:
• The Persian king, fleeing from Madain, took
refuge in Hulwan.
• As a result, his remaining army occupied Jalula, a
place in the neighborhood of Madain.
• This army made great preparations for battle; the
entire town was converted into a fortress and a
deep ditch was dug around the town.
• Hazrat Saad, with Hazrat Umar’s permission, sent
a strong army to Jalula under the command of
Qaka.
• The siege of Jalula stretched over 7 months.
• Eventually, the Persians decided to counterattack
and drive out the Muslims.
• The Muslim commander pulled back his army so
that the whole of the Persian army could come into
the field.
• Fierce fighting ensued.
• Eventually, a fierce storm started blowing into the
Persians’ faces and they fell back and were killed
in large numbers.
• The residents of Jalula surrendered on the usual
terms of Jizya.
Battle of Nahawand:
• After the Battle of Jalula, Hazrat Umar stopped
further conquest and sought to consolidate Muslim
rule in the lands already occupied.
• Towards this end, a peace treaty was signed with
the Persians.
• However, the Persians soon broke the treaty and
marched with 60,000 men against the 30,000
Muslims.
• The two armies fought at Nahawand for 2 days.
On the 3rd day, the Persians took refuge in their
forts.
• By a clever strategy, the enemy was coaxed out of
hiding and hand-to-hand fighting took place.
• The Persian might was shattered forever and their
emperor fled to Isfahan.
• This battle was a decisive one for the whole
world, as it signaled the end of Persian power and
the rise of Muslims.
Wars with the Byzantine Empire
• The Eastern Roman Empire consisting of Syria,
Jerusalem and Egypt was called the Byzantine
Empire.
• Although relations between the two parties had
been cordial when Muhammad (PBUH) sent his
envoy to Heraclius, things had begun to cool down.
• The Christian prince of Syria had murdered
Muhammad (PBUH)’s envoy at Mu’tah. This led to
an increase in the hostility.
Causes:
• Rebellion of the Bedouin tribes on the Syrian
border against Muslim rule on instigation of the
Byzantine Empire.
• Bedouin tribes in the Byzantine Empire on the
Syrian border rendered help to their kinsmen in
Arabia to raid Muslim territory.
• Natural expansive need of Arabia as it was not
very rich in resources as compared to its
neighbours.
Conquest Of Syria
Battle of Yarmouk:
• During the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr, Muslims had
defeated the Romans on the Syrian front.
• During the reign of Hazrat Umar, Hazrat Khalid bin
Walid had now added Damascus, Jordan and
Emmessa to the Muslim State.
• In retaliation, the Byzantine Emperor sent 260,000
men, who camped in the valley of Yarmouk.
• Hazrat Abu Ubaydah rallied 40,000 men under the
banner of Islam.
• The Byzantines offered to pay the Muslims a large
sum of money if they left Syria.
• Hazrat Abu Ubaydah offered them the usual: I)
Accept Islam. II) Pay Jizya. III) Prepare for battle.
• The battle lasted for 6 days.
• By the afternoon of the 6th day, only 1/3 of the
Byzantine army remained.
• Meanwhile, a storm broke out and the fleeing
Byzantines were cut down in large numbers.
• With this battle, the Byzantines lost Syria and
Muslim rule was ushered in.
Fall of Juraselem:
• After the Battle of Yarmouk, Muslim forces spread
out in all directions in Jordan and captured key
areas to pave the way to Jerusalem.
• The city of Jerusalem, held sacred by Jews and
Christians, was strongly fortified and was
protected on all sides by deep valleys.
• Muslims laid siege to Jerusalem in the severe
winter.
• Hazrat Amr bin Aas, the Muslim commander,
wrote to Hazrat Abu Ubaydah for reinforcements.
• When the reinforcements arrived, the citizens of
the city lost heart and offered surrender if the
Caliph himself would come and receive the keys of
the city.
• Leaving Hazrat Ali as his deputy, Hazrat Umar left
for Jerusalem with a slave, taking turns to ride the
camel.
• When he arrived, a treaty with the citizens was
drawn up, guaranteeing security of life, safety of
churches and other religious buildings etc. The
citizens were required to pay Jizya. Those who
wouldn’t do so were asked to leave the city.
• When Hazrat Umar asked the Patriarch of the city
where he could offer the prayer of thanksgiving, he
was led to a church.
• Hazrat Umar declined to pray in the church
because he feared that he would set an example for
Muslims to convert churches to mosques.
• He was then led to a place where Prophet David
used to pray.
• Staying in Jerusalem for a few days, he
reorganized the administration and built the
Mosque of Hazrat Umar.
Conquest of Egypt:
• Causes/Reasons:
I) The Muslim navy was extremely weak and
Alexandria was a strong naval base of the
Byzantines. From there, they could launch a
devastating attack.
II) Egypt was the ‘granary of the Empire’, and its
capture would debilitate the food system of the
Byzantine Empire.
III) The conquest of Egypt would open the way to
large parts of Africa.
IV) The Copts of Egypt lived in miserable
conditions under their Byzantine masters; Hazrat
Amr knew that these people would welcome and
support the Muslims.
• With the permission of the Caliph, Hazrat Amr
bin Aas set out for Egypt with 4,000 men, in 639
AD.
• After attacking small towns, he laid siege to the
fort of Fustat, which lasted for 7 months. This fort
was captured.
• Alarmed by the Muslim advance, the Egyptian
king sent a large army to hold Alexandria.
• When the Muslims reached Alexandria, they
found it heavily fortified and manned by 50,000
soldiers.
• At this time, the Muslims strength was only
12,000.
• Whenever the Muslims tried to get close to the
city, the enemy rained boulders on them.
• Also, Alexandria was a major port and help could
come from sea any time.
• When the Byzantines tried to fight the Muslims in
the open, they were beaten back.
• When Emperor Heraclius died, a wave of
disappointment went over the besieged city as they
knew that no one would now come to their help
anymore.
• Finally, the city capitulated and Muslims became
the masters of Egypt.
Death of Hazrat Umar:
• After the Battle of Nahawand, many Persian men,
women and children were sold as slaves.
• One of these was Abu Lulu, also known as Firoz.
• He was purchased by the Governor of Basra.
• In Zil Haj, 23, Hazrat Umar was leading the
morning prayers when Firoz attacked him with a
dagger and inflicted several wounds.
• Hazrat Umar survived for some days and
nominated his successors, asking them to choose
the caliph from among themselves:
I) Hazrat Ali II) Hazrat Usman III) Hazrat Zubair
bin Awwam IV) Hazrat Abdur Rehman bin Auf
V) Hazrat Talha VI) Hazrat Saad bin Abi Waqqas
• With the permission of Hazrat Ayesha, Hazrat
Umar was buried next to Hazrat Muhammad
(PBUH).
