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With the death of Salma,
all resistance collapsed and the apostates scattered in all directions.
Salma had given Khalid the hardest fight since Tulaiha.
The Salma Range-a range of black, rugged
hills standing some 40 miles south-east of the town of Hail-is believed
to have been named after Salma, Um Zhiml…a fitting tribute
to a grand lady who had the courage to stand and fight against the
greatest soldier of the day, and who went down fighting.
The Battle of Zafar was fought in late October
632 (late Rajab, 11 Hijri). For a few days Khalid rested his men.
Then he gave orders for the march to Butah, to fight Malik bin Nuwaira.
The first phase of the Campaign of the Apostasy
ended with the death of Salma. The major tribes of North-Central
Arabia which had rebelled against Islam as followers of Tulaiha
had now been defeated and subdued, and their leaders were either
killed or captured or driven away. No more rebel chieftains raised
their heads again in this region.
But one man remained, more of a bandit leader
than a tribal chief, who was still causing anxiety to the Muslims.
This man's name was Ayas bin Abd Yalil, but he was more commonly
known as Al Faja'a. He was an adventurer.
At about the time when Khalid was consolidating
his gains at Buzakha, Al Faja'a came to Abu Bakr. "I am
a Muslim." he said. "Equip me with weapons and
I shall fight the infidels." 1
Abu Bakr was only too glad to hear the offer
and equipped him with weapons. The man rode away from Madinah, formed
a gang of bandits and began to waylay unwary travellers, many of
whom were killed. The gangsters operated in the region lying to
the east of Makkah and Madinah, and Muslim and infidel alike suffered
at the hands of Al Faja'a.
When Abu Bakr heard of the depredations
of Al Faja'a, he decided to make an example of him for the deceit
he had practised on the Caliph. He sent a column to get the man
alive, and a few days later the brigand was brought to Madinah in
irons.
Abu Bakr ordered a large pile of faggots arranged in front of the
mosque. When ready, the pile was set on fire. As the wood crackled
and the flames rose skywards, Al Faja'a, still in irons, was thrown
into the fire!
When Abu Bakr was dying, two years later,
he expressed certain regrets. There were, he said, three things
that he had done and wished he had not done, and three things that
he had not done and wished he had. One of these related to Al Faja'a
"I wish", said Abu Bakr, "I had had Al
Faja'a killed outright and not burnt alive." 2
1. Tabari: Vol. 2, p. 492
2. Ibid: Vol. 2, p. 619; Balazuri:
p. 112; Masudi: Muruj, Vol. 2, p. 308.
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