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Musailima was safe once
again in the arms of his guards. But in that moment of flight something
meaningful happened to the spirit of the two armies, depressing
one and exalting the other. The flight of their 'prophet' and commander
from Khalid was a disgraceful sight in the eyes of the apostates,
the Muslims rejoiced. To exploit the psychological opportunity which
now presented itself, Khalid ordered an immediate renewal of the
offensive.
With shouts of Allah-o-Akbar the
Muslims again went into the attack. They fought with fresh vigour
and dash, and at last victory beckoned. The apostates began to fall
back as the Muslims struck with sword and dagger. The retrograde
movement of the apostates gathered speed. The spirits of the Muslims
rose as they redoubled their efforts. Then the infidel front broke
into pieces.
Musailima could do nothing. His top commander,
Rajjal, was dead. It was now the commander of his right wing, Muhakim,
who came to the rescue of the apostates. "Bani Hanifa!"
he shouted. "The garden! The garden! Enter the garden and
I shall protect your rear."
But the disintegration of the apostates
had gone too far to be halted. The bulk of the army broke and fled,
scattering in all directions. Only about a fourth of Musailima's
army remained in fighting shape, and this part hastened to the walled
garden while Muhakim covered its retreat with a small rear-guard.
This rear-guard was soon cut to pieces by the Muslims, and Muhakim
fell to the arrow of the Caliph's son, Abdur-Rahman.
The Muslims now pursued the fleeing apostates
across the plain of Aqraba, striking down the stragglers left and
right. Soon they arrived at the walled garden where a little over
7,000 apostates, Musailima among them, had taken shelter. The infidels
had closed the gate, and as they looked at the high wall that surrounded
the vast garden, they felt safe and secure. Little did they know!
The major portion of the Muslim army assembled
in the vicinity of the Garden of Death. It was now afternoon, and
the Muslims were anxious to get into the garden and finish the job
that they had started early that morning, before darkness intervened.
But no way could be found into the garden. The wall stretched on
all sides as an impenetrable barrier, with the gate securely bolted
from within. There was no siege equipment, nor time to spend on
a siege.
While Khalid searched his brain for ideas,
an old warrior by the name of Baraa bin Malik, who stood in the
group that confronted the gate, said to his comrades "Throw
me over the wall into the garden." 1
His comrades refused, for Baraa was a distinguished and much-respected
Companion, and they hesitated to do something which would certainly
result in his death. But Baraa insisted. At last his comrades agreed
to his request and lifted him on their shoulders near the gate.
He got his hands onto the edge of the wall, swung himself up and
jumped into the garden. In a minute or so he had killed two or three
infidels who stood between him and the gate, and before others could
intercept him, he had loosened the heavy bolt. The gate was flung
open and a flood of Muslims roared through it like water thundering
through a breach in a dam. The last and most gory place of the Battle
of Yamamah had begun.
Initially the infidels were able to contain
the advance of the Muslims, who were confined by the gate to a narrow
front and lacked elbow?room. But steadily the Muslims cut their
way through the apostates, who began to fall in heaps under the
attacker's blows. The apostates stepped back as the Muslims poured
into the garden in ever?increasing numbers.
The fighting became more vicious. Since
there was no room for manoeuvre, both sides engaged in a straight
slogging match. Gradually the ranks of the apostates thinned as
they fell in combat. But Musailima was still fighting: he had no
intention of giving up. As the front moved closer to him, he drew
his sword and joined in the combat, surprising the Muslims by his
strength and dexterity. The wily general was also a brave and skilful
fighter. He began to foam at the mouth, for desperation had turned
the ugly impostor into an awesome demon.
The last phase of the battle now entered
its climax. The Muslim army pressed the apostates everywhere and
it was only the endeavours of Musailima which prevented a general
collapse. The Muslims cut, slashed and stabbed with wild fury. Maimed
and mutilated bodies covered the ground. Those who fell suffered
a painful death under the trampling feet of those who would not
give in. The carnage was frightful and the dust on the ground turned
into red mud.
1. Tabari: Vol. 2, p. 514.
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