The Battle of Ajnadayn

وقعة أجنادين

c. 16 July 634 CE · 12 Rabi' II 13 AH

Ajnadayn

In al-Baladhuri: then came the battle of Ajnadayn — also Ajtadayn — attended by near a hundred thousand Romans, Heraclius chaining most of them and their bravest gathering from the districts, Heraclius then residing at Hims; the Muslims fought them fiercely, Khalid ibn al-Walid showing fine valour that day, then God defeated His enemies and scattered them utterly, killing many; martyred that day were Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr ibn Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim, Amr ibn Sa'id ibn al-As ibn Umayya and his brother Aban (some say Aban died in year 29), Tulayb ibn Umayr ibn Wahb ibn Qusayy — a Byzantine champion challenged him and severed his right hand so his sword fell with his palm, then covered and killed him, his mother Arwa bint al-Muttalib the Prophet's aunt, his kunya Abu Adi — Salama ibn Hisham ibn al-Mughira (some say he fell at Marj al-Suffar), Ikrama ibn Abi Jahl ibn Hisham al-Makhzumi (some say at Mu'ta), Nu'aym ibn Abdullah al-Nahham al-Adawi (some say at the Yarmuk), Hisham ibn al-As ibn Wa'il al-Sahmi (some say at the Yarmuk), Amr ibn al-Tuqayl ibn Amr al-Dawsi (some say at the Yarmuk), Jundub ibn Amr al-Dawsi, and Sa'id, al-Harith and al-Hajjaj sons of al-Harith ibn Qays ibn Adi al-Sahmi — Hisham ibn Muhammad al-Kalbi placing al-Na'am at Mu'ta, Sa'id at the Yarmuk, Tamim at Ajnadayn and his brother Ubaydullah ibn Abd al-Asad at the Yarmuk — and al-Harith ibn Hisham ibn al-Mughira fell at Ajnadayn; when the report reached Heraclius his heart sank, his hand failed and he was filled with terror, fleeing from Hims to Antioch — some say his flight came at the Muslims' very arrival in Syria; the battle fell on Monday twelve nights remaining of Jumada I year 13 — some say two nights into Jumada II, some say two remaining of it; the Romans then massed at al-Yaqusa — a valley whose mouth is al-Fawwara — where the Muslims met, exposed and routed them killing many, their remnant reaching Syria's towns; Abu Bakr died in Jumada II year 13, his obituary reaching the Muslims at al-Yaqusa.