|
And so this manoeuvre was
carried out. The Persians and the Arabs slept peacefully, for the
last reported locations of the Muslim corps showed them at a considerable
distance and there was no apparent danger of a surprise attack.
This proved to be their last night in Muzayyah. The imperial army
knew of the attack only when three roaring masses of Muslim warriors
hurled themselves at the camp.
In the confusion of the night and the panic
of the moment the imperial army never found its feet. Terror became
the mood of the camp as soldiers fleeing from one Muslim corps ran
into another. Thousands were slaughtered. The Muslims struck to
finish this army as completely as they had finished the army of
Andarzaghar at Walaja; but large numbers of Persians and Arabs nevertheless
managed to get away, helped by the very darkness that had cloaked
the surprise attack.
By the time the sun rose over the eastern
horizon no, living warrior of the imperial army remained at Muzayyah..
We do not know the fate of the Persian general, Mahbuzan, but the
Arab commander, Huzail bin Imran, made good his escape and joined
the Arab force at Zumail.
This action took place in the first week
of November 633 (fourth week of Shaban, 12 Hijri). The manoeuvre
had worked beautifully; the timing was perfect!
Among the Arabs who lost their lives at
Muzayyah were two Muslims. These men had travelled to Madinah a
short while before the invasion of Iraq and had met Abu Bakr, accepted,
Islam and returned to live among their Christian clansmen. When
Madinah heard of the death of these two Muslims at the hands of
Khalid's army, Umar walked up to the Caliph and angrily denounced
what he called the tyranny of Khalid; but Abu Bakr shrugged it off
with the remark: "This happens to those who live among infidels."
1 Nevertheless, he ordered that blood-money
be paid to their families. As for Khalid, the Caliph repeated his
now famous words: "I shall not sheathe the sword that Allah
has drawn against the infidels."
From Muzayyah, Khalid turned to Saniyy and
Zumail-Saniyy was closer and thus became the first objective, for
which Khalid decided to repeat the manoeuvre of Muzayyah. His army
would operate in three corps as before. From Muzayyah the corps
would march on separate axes and converge for the attack on Saniyy
on a predetermined night and time. Khalid advanced on the direct
route from Muzayyah while the other corps moved wide on his flanks.
On the appointed night and at the appointed time-in the second week
of November 633 (first week of Ramazan, 12 Hijri)-the three corps
fell upon the Arab camp at Saniyy. This time even fewer Arabs survived
the slaughter. The women and children and many youths, however,
were spared, and taken captive. The Arab commander, Rabi'a bin Bujair,
also met his death, and his beautiful daughter was captured; but
she was not taken by Khalid. She was sent to Madinah, where she
became the wife of Ali. 2
Khalid was now manoeuvring his army with
the effortlessness with which one might move pieces on a chessboard.
Two or three nights after Saniyy he did the same to Zumail - three
corps attacking from different directions-and the Arabs at Zumail
too were swallowed up by the earthquake which hit Muzayyah and Saniyy.
3
Once he had disposed of the captives and
the booty taken at Zumail, Khalid turned his steps towards Ruzab,
where Hilal, the son of Aqqa, was gathering more Arab clans to avenge
his father's death. But when the Muslims arrived at Ruzab not a
soul was to be seen. At the last moment these Arabs had decided
that further resistance was futile and had melted away into the
desert.
1. Tabari: Vol. 2, p. 581.
2. Tabari: Vol. 2, p. 582.
3. There is uncertainty about the location
of these four battlefields. For an explanation see Note 6 in Appendix
B.
| 
