The Fight at Ubulla

قتال الأبلة

c. 633 CE · c. 12 AH† †

† Hijri date derived by computation from the Gregorian/Julian date; it may differ from the transmitted date by a day or two.

الأبلة

In al-Baladhuri: Khalid ibn al-Walid came to Basra where Suwayd ibn Qutba al-Dhuhli — per other-than-Abu Mikhnaf, Qutba ibn Qatada al-Dhuhli — of Bakr ibn Wa'il had a band of his people, meaning to do to Basra what al-Muthanna did to Kufa — Kufa not yet existing, only al-Hira. Suwayd told Khalid: Ubulla's people have gathered against me and only desist for your presence. Khalid said: my judgment is I leave Basra by day then return by night into your camp with my men — if they attack at dawn we fight them. He did so, marching toward al-Hira, and when night fell wheeled back into Suwayd's camp; the Ubullans — told of Khalid's departure — approached Suwayd, saw the camp's numbers, and broke. Khalid said 'charge them — I see a people into whose hearts God has cast terror'; they charged, routed them, killed many, and drowned a party in Basra's Tigris.