An Outline of Early Islamic History — Page 62
62 Shurahbil, the ruler of Ghassan, and was murdered. The Prophet sent a force to punish the killers. He enjoined on them fear of God and just treatment of Muslim comrades. “Go to war in the name Allah and fight the enemy in Syria, your enemy and Allah’s enemy. You will meet in Syria people who remember God much in their houses of worship. Molest them not and have no quarrel with them. Molest no women nor children nor the old nor the blind. Neither cut down trees nor pull down houses. ” Three thousand Muslims faced an army of 100,000 enemy. Zaid bin Harith, the Muslim Commander, fell fighting. Jabar bin Abu Talib took the command. He too was killed. Abdullah bin Ravah followed next. He met the same fate. Then Khalid bin Walid took over. M uslims gave hard blows to the enemy but they were many and the Muslims were few. Khalid hid away a large section of the army at night. They marched up in the morning. The enemy thought Muslims made a quiet retreat from Mauta, the field of battle. Later a f orce was sent by the Prophet under Amr bin Alas. He was helped with another force under Abu Ubaida bin al - Jarrah. Abu Bakr and Omar were also serving under his command. The enemy force dispersed without giving battle. Many tribes joined Islam after this vi ctory. The Arab volunteers who had helped the enemy walked over to the Muslims.