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When another few weeks
had passed and there was no further retrograde movement by the Muslims,
the Romans realised that their opponents had no intention of raising
the siege. It was now about the middle of March 636 (the beginning
of Safar, 15 Hijri), when the worst of the winter was over. The
Roman hope of the cold driving the Muslims away vanished. Supplies
were running low, and with the coming of spring and better weather
the Muslims would receive further reinforcements and would then
be in an even stronger position. Something had to be done quickly.
The local inhabitants were all for peace, but Harbees was a loyal
son of the Empire and sought glory in battle. He decided to make
a surprise sally and defeat the Muslims in battle outside the fort;
and with this decision of Harbees matters came to a head. The end
was now in sight, though not the kind of end which Harbees had in
mind.
Early one morning the Rastan Gate was flung
open and Harbees led 5,000 men into a quick attack on the unsuspecting
Muslims facing that gate. The speed and violence of the attack took
the Muslims by surprise, and although this was the largest of the
four groups positioned at the four gates, it was driven back from
the position where it had hastily formed up for battle. A short
distance back the Muslims reformed their front and held the attack
of the Romans, but the pressure became increasingly heavy and the
danger of a break-through became clearly evident.
Abu Ubaidah now asked Khalid to restore
the situation. Khalid moved forward with the Mobile Guard, took
the hard pressed Muslims under his command and redisposed the Muslim
army for battle. The surprise of the morning had had a depressing
effect on the Muslims, who had already been distressed by the discomfort
of the cold; and they took some time to recover from it, but with
Khalid present in their midst, they soon regained their spirits
and began to give as well as they took. This situation continued
till midday. Then Khalid took the offensive and steadily pushed
the Romans back, though it was not till near sunset that the Romans
were finally driven back into the fort. The sally had proved unsuccessful,
but it had the effect of making the Muslims feel a special respect
for Harbees and the Roman warriors of Emessa.
The following morning Abu Ubaidah held a
council of war. The Muslim officers were in a restrained mood, and
did not show their usual enthusiasm. Abu Ubaidah expressed his dissatisfaction
with the manner in which the Muslims had given way before the Roman
attack, whereupon Khalid remarked that these Romans were the bravest
he had ever met. "Then what do you advise, O Father of Sulaiman?"
asked Abu Ubaidah. "May Allah have mercy upon you!"
"O Commander", replied
Khalid, "tomorrow morning let us move away from the fort
and. . . ." 1
Early the following morning, the Romans
saw hectic activity in the Muslim camps around Emessa. Tents were
being struck and bundles packed to be loaded onto the camels. Before
their eyes the main body of the Muslims began to march away to the
south, leaving behind small parties to see to the movement of the
families, the baggage and the flocks. Here was deliverance! The
Muslims were raising the siege and withdrawing to the south. The
winter had got them after all! The Roman soldiers rejoiced at this
sight, but Harbees was not a man to be content with a drawn battle.
His trained eye could see a military opportunity when it appeared;
and such an opportunity had clearly presented itself. He immediately
collected 5,000 Roman warriors and led them out of the fort to chase
the Muslims. As the Romans approached the main Muslim camp, the
few Muslim warriors who were there looked at them with horror and
with cries of fear fled southwards, leaving behind the families
and the flocks and the baggage!
Harbees decided to leave the camp alone
for the moment. The camp could wait. He launched his mounted force
into a fast pursuit to catch up with the retreating enemy and strike
him down as he fled. He caught up with the Muslims a few miles from
Emessa. His leading elements were about to pounce upon the 'retreating
enemy' when the Muslims suddenly turned and struck at the Romans
with such ferocity that they were taken aback and hard put to defend
themselves. As the Muslims turned on the Romans, Khalid shouted
a command at which two mounted groups detached themselves from the
Muslim army, galloped round the flanks of the surprised Romans and
met between them. The plan proposed by Khalid and universally accepted
the day before at the council of war had worked; the Romans were
now trapped in a ring of steel! Ruefully Harbees thought of the
words of a local priest who had tried to warm him as he was leaving
Emessa to pursue the Muslims. The priest had said, "By the
Messiah, this is a trick of the Arabs. The Arab never leaves his
camels and his family behind!" 2
But it was now too late.
1. Waqidi:
p. 103.
2. Waqidi p.104.
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