The Battle of Muʾtah

The life of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was filled with struggle in all its forms, for striving in the path of Allah is the highest peak of Islam. Before the Hijrah, he called to Allah with wise words and gentle exhortation, and after the Hijrah this call was accompanied by armed struggle — because truth is not truly recognised unless its people are strong.

The purpose of both forms of striving is to save people from a blazing Fire, into which none shall enter except the most wretched: those who denied the Oneness of Allah, the brotherhood of humanity, and the justice of Islam.

Those who recorded the biography of the Prophet ﷺ called the battles he personally led “ghazawāt” (military campaigns) due to their great importance, and these were twenty-one in number. The expeditions he sent out without personally participating in were called “sarāyā” (military detachments), numbering fifty-six, as they were considered of lesser rank than the major campaigns.

However, the Battle of Muʾtah was an exception: historians referred to it as a “ghazwah” even though the Prophet ﷺ was not physically present, due to its immense significance in Islamic history and the major consequences that followed it.

Muʾtah represented the first armed confrontation between the emerging Islamic state — led by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, carrying the banner of Tawḥīd, justice, and equality — and the arrogant Roman Empire, which controlled the Arab lands of Greater Syria.

Roman arrogance reached such a level that Shurahbīl ibn ʿAmr killed al-Ḥārith ibn ʿUmayr al-Azdī, the envoy of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who was carrying a letter from the Prophet ﷺ to the governor of Heraclius in Busra, calling him to Islam.

It is deeply regrettable that the killer was an Arab seeking favour with the Roman Emperor Heraclius. Yet Heraclius himself did not kill the envoy; rather, he reflected upon the message, gathered his nobles, and nearly embraced Islam — as recorded in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī.

In any case, the killing of envoys is an act of aggression that violates the dignity of states and cannot be ignored.

Around the Prophet ﷺ were men who had fulfilled their covenant with Allah, whose motto was: “We hear and we obey” and “You are our Protector, so grant us victory over the disbelieving people.”

The Prophet ﷺ sent an army of 3,000 fighters under the leadership of Zayd ibn Ḥārithah رضي الله عنه.

Recognising the seriousness of the situation — and that the commander must be at the forefront of battle — the Prophet ﷺ appointed a sequence of commanders in case one fell:

If Zayd were killed, Jaʿfar ibn Abī Ṭālib would take command — the cousin of the Prophet ﷺ, who resembled him in character and appearance, and who had recently returned from Abyssinia where he had called to Allah and through whom the Negus embraced Islam.

If Jaʿfar were killed, leadership would pass to ʿAbdullāh ibn Rawāḥah, the poet of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who defended Islam with both his speech and his sword.

This was not an honorary position without risk; rather, it was a true responsibility that involved real danger. Otherwise, what would it mean for a Prophet receiving revelation from heaven to appoint commander after commander, knowing they may all fall in battle?

The army set out, and they were bid farewell by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ along with many of his Companions. His final instruction to them was:

“I advise you to have taqwā (mindfulness) of Allah, and to treat well the Muslims who are with you. Fight in the name of Allah and in His path against those who disbelieve in Allah. Do not betray, do not steal from the spoils of war, do not kill a child, nor a woman, nor an elderly person weakened by age, nor a monk in his place of worship. Do not cut down palm trees, do not destroy trees, and do not demolish buildings.”

These were clear and firm commands, not only for that army but for every Muslim army that would follow. Whoever understands the language of the Sharīʿah knows the seriousness of adhering to these principles.

The first words of the instruction were: “I advise you to have taqwā of Allah” — meaning that Allah Himself is the One who observes you and will hold you accountable for fulfilling this command and all other rulings of Islam. This is not mere outward instruction or public rhetoric that can be violated by those who issue it and later defended when broken by others. Rather, we are a people who deal with Allah: “And He is with you wherever you are.”

When news of this Muslim army reached the Romans, they gathered a massive force — more than one hundred thousand Arab Christian fighters and one hundred thousand Roman soldiers.

Shurahbīl ibn ʿAmr — the same man who had killed the Messenger’s envoy — sent out a reconnaissance unit led by his brother Sudūs to gather intelligence on the Muslims, likely in an attempt to affirm his loyalty to Heraclius and strengthen his position within the Roman authority.

The advance party of the Muslim army detected this scouting group, engaged them in combat, killed Sudūs, and the rest fled.

Soon after, news of the large Roman army reached the Muslims. They paused and consulted one another, for such a large and trained force could not be taken lightly.

It was ʿAbdullāh ibn Rawāḥah who resolved the matter, saying:

“What you dislike is exactly what you came out seeking — martyrdom.”

And thus remained the strongest weapon in the hands of the believers: the longing for martyrdom in the path of Allah — even while they never neglected the material means of warfare.

This is why Khālid ibn al-Walīd later said to an enemy:

“I have come to you with people who love death as you love life.”

What, then, can an enemy do against people who love death for the sake of Allah, believing that martyrdom is an honour and a gift from Him?

Indeed, the only certainty in facing an enemy is death — and in our belief, death has its appointed time which no battle can advance and no peace can delay.

The army advanced, and the battle began — despite the vast imbalance in numbers and equipment. Yet as Ibn Rawāḥah رضي الله عنه said:

“By Allah, we do not fight people with numbers or weapons. We fight them only with this religion by which Allah has honoured us.”

A small army of three thousand faced a force of two hundred thousand.

Such a ratio is rarely recorded in history except among the Muslims — where a small group takes the offensive against a vastly larger force on its own ground.

Those who find this astonishing do not understand the power of strong faith and elevated morale in shaping courage and battlefield performance. Allah says {what means}:

“How many a small group has overcome a large group by the permission of Allah. And Allah is with the patient.” (Al-Baqarah/249)

Moreover, even large armies can only deploy forces in proportion to the battlefield conditions and the opposing side. Meanwhile, the psychological and strategic pressure on the smaller force is enormous, as it faces the full weight of the enemy’s presence.

The battle continued for seven days. It was a fierce and unequal confrontation in which the believers stood firm with extraordinary resolve despite the overwhelming numbers they faced.

During the course of the fighting, the three appointed commanders were all martyred one after another. Alongside them, only nine other Companions were martyred from the Muslim army, a remarkably small number considering the scale of the engagement.

As for the losses of the Roman forces, their exact number is not known. However, reports mention the intensity of the fighting and the heavy impact of the Muslim resistance. It is also narrated that Khalid ibn al-Walid رضي الله عنه said:

“On that day, nine swords broke in my hand, and only a Yemeni blade remained.”

This indicates the intensity of his fighting and the scale of engagement, while the rest of the Companions also fought with great courage and sacrifice. Some reports mention that the Romans suffered a severe defeat and that the Muslims were able to maneuver freely after the battle.

After the martyrdom of ʿAbdullāh ibn Rawāḥah رضي الله عنه, the Companions agreed to appoint Khalid ibn al-Walīd رضي الله عنه as their commander.

Khalid reorganized the ranks of the Muslim army and changed their tactical positions. He fought with great intensity and strategic skill, leading the Romans to believe that additional reinforcements had arrived for the Muslims.

This caused fear and hesitation among the Roman forces, and they refrained from advancing further.

Then Khalid carried out a disciplined withdrawal, carefully extracting the Muslim army from the battlefield in an organized manner. The Romans, despite their numerical superiority, did not pursue them.

Thus, the Muslim army returned safely without being annihilated, having preserved its strength and dignity in an extremely difficult situation.

When the army returned to Madinah, many of the ordinary people were not satisfied with the outcome. They questioned how the army could return without achieving a decisive victory over the enemy, and some even said:

“You are the ones who fled.”

However, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ responded to the news with reassurance and glad tidings, saying:

“Rather, they are the ones who will return — if Allah wills.”

And so it was, as the outcome later proved to be part of a greater divine wisdom.

Khalid ibn al-Walid رضي الله عنه later went on to lead the cavalry at the Battle of Yarmuk, through which the Roman presence in Greater Syria was brought to an end, and Damascus became a capital of the Islamic state.

The lessons drawn from the Battle of Muʾtah are profound and numerous. Among the most significant are the following:

1-When a leader is surrounded by people who share his spirit of sacrifice and commitment; he is able to achieve what the entire community aspires to. Otherwise, he becomes overwhelmed, and the hopes of the الأمة (Ummah) remain only painful wishes in the heart.

This is illustrated by the contrast in the Qur’an: when the Children of Israel said to Moses (peace be upon him):

“Go, you and your Lord, and fight; we will remain here sitting.”

He was unable to achieve what he hoped for with such reluctance.

But when the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ said to him before the Battle of Badr:

“Go, you and your Lord, and fight; indeed we are with you fighting,”

victory was granted, and that day became known as Yawm al-Furqān (the Day of Distinction).

Truly, a person is shaped by those who support him, just as a leader influences his followers and they in turn influence him.

2-The Arabs of Greater Syria were numerous, able to mobilize large numbers quickly when circumstances required it. This suggests that their population was very large, possibly reaching into the millions.

Despite this, many of them later embraced Islam and became part of the Muslim armies facing the Romans. The truth reached them in a clear Arabic tongue, removing the need for blind attachment to inherited customs or the culture of occupation.

Allah says {what means}:

“And say: The truth has come, and falsehood has vanished. Indeed, falsehood is bound to perish.”

Some reports even mention that certain Arab leaders in the region embraced Islam, fought alongside the Muslims, and were martyred with their companions.

3-The liberation of Greater Syria and Iraq was achieved through Islam and through the Companions and students of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

The Prophet ﷺ sent his closest companions to Muʾtah, and the graves of those noble Hashimite martyrs remain lasting witnesses that the first to come to the region as guides, liberators, and conquerors were men of Banu Hashim.

Those who came after them followed in their footsteps and became part of their historical legacy.

4-These meanings were present in the mind of the late King Hussein ibn Talal, may Allah have mercy on him, when he insisted on establishing a university in Muʾtah named after it.

From this university, officers of the Hashemite army graduate, combining modern military and academic education with spiritual awareness.

They pray in modern mosques, study knowledge and military sciences in modern institutions, while remaining aware of the historical legacy of Muʾtah, its heroes, and its sacrifices.

Thus, the spirit of that battle continues to live on in both memory and education.

Blessed is Muʾtah — the battle.

And blessed is Muʾtah — the university.