Khalid ibn al-Walid

Khalid ibn al-Walid was the son of al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah, one of the wealthiest and most prominent chiefs of the Quraysh. Khalid was raised as a warrior and horseman from childhood. Before his conversion, he was the architect of the Quraysh cavalry charge at Uhud that exploited the gap left by the Muslim archers who abandoned their post, turning near-certain Muslim victory into a devastating reversal. Despite his enmity to Islam in the early years, Khalid's heart began to incline toward the faith after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. His brother al-Walid ibn al-Walid, who was already Muslim, wrote to him urging him to accept Islam. Khalid travelled to Madinah alongside Amr ibn al-As and Uthman ibn Talhah in Safar 8 AH. When the Prophet saw them approaching, he said: 'Makkah has thrown to you the best of its children.' Khalid declared his shahadah before the Prophet and asked him to pray for forgiveness for his past hostility. The Prophet's confidence in Khalid was demonstrated almost immediately. At the Battle of Mu'tah (8 AH), the three appointed commanders — Zayd ibn Harithah, Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, and Abdullah ibn Rawahah — were all martyred in succession. Khalid seized the banner and, through extraordinary tactical skill, managed to withdraw the Muslim force safely against a vastly superior Byzantine army. The Prophet gave him the title 'Sayf Allah' (Sword of Allah) upon his return. He went on to command the right flank at the conquest of Makkah and played a decisive role at Hunayn. After the Prophet's death, Khalid was the key commander in the Riddah wars and the early conquests of Iraq and Syria. He never lost a single battle in his career — commanding in over a hundred engagements. He died in Homs, Syria, in 21 AH. On his deathbed, he wept and said: 'I have sought martyrdom in every place, yet here I am dying in my bed like an old camel. May the eyes of cowards never find rest.'