Khalid ibn al-Walid

“O Allah, forgive Khālid ibn al-Walīd for all that he did to turn people away from Your path.” (From the duaa’ (supplication) of the Prophet ﷺ)

The life of Khalid ibn al-Walid is a magnificent epic, rich in its chapters. It begins with tribal pride and valor, and ends with deep faith and true manhood. Khalid was from the Banu Makhzum—a clan at the pinnacle of Quraysh’s power. He was raised in one of its most noble, well-born, and wealthy households, possessing not only abundant material wealth but also ancestral prestige and land.

His uncle Hisham was the leader of the Makhzum during the day of Fijar War, and with his death, the Arabs marked time—just as they marked it by great events. Quraysh did not hold their market in Mecca for three days out of grief over him. His other uncle, al-Fakih ibn al-Mughira, was among the most generous men of his time, owning a house of hospitality where anyone could enter without permission and find refuge and sustenance.

As for his father, al-Walid ibn al-Mughira—he was the wealthiest man of his era. He possessed gold and silver, gardens and vineyards, vast trade holdings, and many servants, maidens, and slaves—what no one else could match. He alone would clothe the Kaaba one year, and the entire Quraysh would do so together the next. For this, he was called “al-Wahid” (the Unique) and nicknamed “Rayhanat Quraysh” (the flower of Quraysh). About him, the Qur’an revealed:

“11 Leave to Me the one whom I created alone,12 and to whom I gave vast wealth 13 and children by his side, 14 and smoothed things for hem…”

— [Surah al-Muddathir 74]

So generous was he that he disdained the idea of any fire being lit in Mina for feeding the pilgrims other than his own. He even claimed that he, more than anyone else, deserved prophethood and the revelation of the Qur’an. In this regard, Allah says in Quran:

“They also said: If only this Recital (Qur’an) had been sent down to any great man from the two towns (Makkah and Al-ta’if)?”

— [Surah az-Zukhruf 43:31]

In this prestigious, wealthy, and noble household, Khalid ibn al-Walid was born in the year 34 before the Hijrah. He was tall and commanding, with a strong physique and broad shoulders—striking in appearance and fair in complexion. He bore a strong resemblance to ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab; those with weak eyesight often confused the two.

When the Prophet ﷺ declared his mission, Khalid was a young man, and he opposed it because he saw in it a new leadership that challenged the authority of his family, and a rising power that threatened the long-standing dominance of his father. Thus, he and his brother, ʿUmārah ibn al-Walid, resisted it.

ʿUmārah fought at Badr with the polytheists and fell into Muslim captivity. Given his immense wealth and the intense hostility of his family toward Islam, his ransom became the subject of long negotiations. His captor demanded 4,000 dirhams. But the Prophet ﷺ instructed that no ransom be accepted for him except his father’s wide armor, his sword, and his iron helmet. Negotiations stretched on and the man remained in captivity, firm upon his disbelief.

When his ransom was eventually secured and he returned to his people, he publicly embraced Islam—against their wishes and to their dismay. The idolaters were astonished and asked him, “Why didn’t you convert before your ransom was paid?” He replied, “I disliked that people should say I accepted Islam out of fear of captivity.”

As for Khalid, he remained opposed to Islam for some time.

At the Battle of Uhud, Quraysh entrusted him with the banner of the right flank. He personally led the attack that tipped the scales in the polytheists’ favor. With his cavalry charge, he struck the Muslims’ flank, scattering their lines and throwing them into disarray—until they could no longer distinguish between ally and enemy. Abu Sufyan rejoiced, exclaiming: “This is a day to avenge Badr! Victory and defeat alternate in war.”

At the Battle of the Trench (al-Khandaq), the polytheists divided their forces into battalions, assigning each battalion a group of Muslims to overwhelm at dawn. Khalid ibn al-Walid was assigned to target the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the Battle of the Trench. He nearly succeeded in reaching him, if not for the vigilance of the Prophet’s guards—led by Usayd ibn Hudayr, may Allah be pleased with him.

In the year of al-Hudaybiyyah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ set out toward Mecca to perform ʿUmrah with approximately 1,500 Muslims. They carried no weapons except sheathed swords. Despite this, the Quraysh felt uneasy and feared that it was a covert move, so they dispatched Khalid at the head of 200 cavalrymen to intercept the Prophet ﷺ and monitor his movements.

Khalid drew near and observed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Then the time for the Ẓuhr prayer arrived. The Prophet ﷺ led his companions in Ṣalāt al-Khawf (the prayer of fear). Khalid considered launching an attack on the Prophet ﷺ at that moment, but he was restrained by the tranquility that enveloped the Muslims, the awe of their prayer, and the honor of a noble warrior that abhors treachery.

A thought settled in Khalid’s heart—that Muhammad possessed a secret, and that he was protected. This was the first stir of emotion that drew Khalid toward Islam.

Then a letter arrived from his brother al-Walid, who had embraced Islam after the Battle of Badr. It included words from the noble Messenger ﷺ, and it became the means by which Allah guided Khalid from darkness to light.

Let us now allow Khalid to narrate his own story of embracing Islam. He said:

“When Allah intended good for me, He cast the love of Islam into my heart. My mind awakened, and I reflected: I have been present at every battlefield against Muhammad, and each time I withdrew, I felt it was all for nothing. And I was convinced that Muhammad would ultimately prevail.”

He continued:

“While I was in that state, a letter came to me from my brother. It read:

‘In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful… To proceed: I have never seen anything more astonishing than your turning away from Islam, despite your sound reasoning. A mind like yours should not be ignorant of Islam. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked about you and said: “Where is Khalid?” I replied, ‘Allah will bring him.’ The Prophet ﷺ said: “A man like Khalid cannot be ignorant of Islam. If he were to devote his military efforts to supporting the Muslims against the idolaters, it would be better for him—and we would surely prefer him over many others.” So, my brother, do not miss this opportunity. Many noble chances have already passed you by.”

Khalid said:

“When I received his letter, I felt eager to set out for Madinah. The words of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ delighted me. That night, I saw in a dream as though I were in a land that was tight and barren, and I emerged from it into a green and spacious land. I said to myself: ‘This dream is true.’”

Then he said:

“Once I resolved to go to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I asked myself: ‘Who shall accompany me?’ I met Safwan ibn Umayyah and said to him: ‘Abu Wahb, don’t you see what state we are in? Muhammad has triumphed over the Arabs and the non-Arabs alike. Why don’t we go to him and follow him? For indeed, Muhammad’s honor will be our honor.’ But he rejected the idea vehemently, saying, ‘Even if I were the last man from Quraysh, I would never follow him.’ So we parted ways. I thought to myself: this is a man wounded by loss—his father and brother were both killed at Badr and didn’t take revenge.”

Khalid continued:

“I left Safwan and went to ʿIkrimah ibn Abi Jahl. I said to him what I had said to Safwan, and he gave me a similar response. So I said to him, ‘Forget what I said.’ I returned to my house and ordered that my mount be prepared. I wanted to speak with ʿUthman ibn Abi Talḥah—a friend of mine—to share with him what was on my mind.

But then I remembered how many of his relatives had been killed, and I hesitated. Then I said to myself, ‘What harm is there if I speak with him? I’m leaving regardless.’ So I met him and shared what was happening, and I said to him something similar to what I had said to the others. He responded promptly, and we traveled by night at the time of suhoor (pre-dawn meal).”

While we were on the road, we encountered ‘Amr ibn al-‘Āṣ. He said, “Welcome, people!”

We replied, “And to you as well.”

He asked, “Where are you headed?”

We said, “What brought you out?”

He replied, “Rather, what brought you out?”

We said, “To embrace Islam and follow Muhammad.”

He said, “That is the very reason I have come.”

So we traveled together until we reached Madinah.

My brother met me and said, “Hurry, for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has been informed of your arrival and is pleased—he is waiting for you.”

So I hastened my steps and came upon the Prophet ﷺ. He continued smiling at me until I stood before him.

I gave the greeting of prophethood, and he returned my greeting with a face beaming with joy.

I said, “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah.”

He said, “Praise be to Allah who has guided you. I always believed you to be intelligent, and I hoped that Allah would guide you only to goodness.”

From that day on, Khālid ibn al-Walīd embraced Islam with all his heart and soul. He began to feel deep regret over the days he had wasted in opposition.

On one occasion, he said, “O Messenger of Allah, I witnessed those battlefields where I had stood as an enemy to the truth. Pray to Allah to forgive me for them.”

The Prophet ﷺ replied, “Islam erases whatever came before it.”

Still, Khālid pressed with hope, so the Prophet ﷺ raised his hands and prayed:

“O Allah, forgive Khālid ibn al-Walīd for all that he did to turn people away from Your path.”

Khālid was content with that, and his soul found peace.

When the noble Messenger ﷺ resolved to conquer Makkah, he set out with his army, and Khālid led the Green Battalion.

Abū ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrāḥ led the vanguard, al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwām led the right flank, and Khālid ibn al-Walīd led the left.

Thus, Khālid returned to Makkah as a commander—only a few months after his conversion to Islam.

When the Prophet ﷺ handed one of his banners to Khālid on the day of Makkah’s conquest—despite the recentness of his Islam—he did so with prophetic vision, seeing the great role Khālid would play in the support of Islam and the elevation of the banner of the Qur’an.

When the Prophet ﷺ passed away and joined the Highest Companion, and the caliphate passed to Abū Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him),

Khālid witnessed Ridda Wars (the wars of apostasy) from their earliest to their final battles. He had the largest share in the most critical and perilous confrontations, especially the Battle of al-Yamāmah.

When the Muslims turned to the conquest of Persia, Khālid played a role unmatched by any other man.

He faced the Persians and their allies in fifteen battles—in none of them was he defeated, or mistaken, or failed.

When the Muslims turned their attention to the Romans, it was Khālid who had the honor of leading the Muslim army at the Battle of Yarmūk, the greatest of all their battles.

Khālid reached the pinnacle of his greatness when a letter came to him from the Commander of the Faithful, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, relieving him of command—at the very height of his victories.

He accepted the command with complete submission and handed leadership over to his successor.

With a content soul, the great victor—Khālid ibn al-Walīd—returned to being a soldier in the army of Islam, after once being its commander.

May Allah have mercy on Abū Sulaymān. He was truly a unique figure among mankind.

• Suwar min Hayat al-Sahabah (Scenes from the Lives of the Companions) | Abdul Rahman Ra’fat al-Basha