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"The plotting of Evil
surrounds only its own plotters."
[Quran 35:43]
More will be said in a
later chapter about the character and abilities of Heraclius and
the strategy he used for his attempt to crush the Muslim invaders
of his Empire. Here it may just be noted that as an enemy, Heraclius
was a man to be reckoned with-not one to give up the struggle while
the least hope remained. His next move after the affair of Abul
Quds was to put another army in the field, consisting of fresh contingents
from Northern Syria, the Jazeera and Europe. This army included
the survivors of the Meadow of Brocade. Part of the army gathered
at Antioch, while part landed by sea at the Mediterranean ports
in Syria and Palestine.
The concentration of this army at Baisan,
west of the Jordan River, began in late December 634 (early Dhul
Qad, 13 Hijri). From here the army would strike eastwards and cut
Muslim communications with Arabia. According to this plan-which
was typical of Heraclius-he would avoid a head-on clash with the
Muslims at Damascus, put them in a position of strategical disadvantage,
and force them to evacuate Damascus. Fahl, just east of the Jordan
River, was already occupied by a Roman garrison of moderate size
which was engaged by a Muslim cavalry detachment under Abul A'war.
The Muslims received intelligence of the
movement of Roman contingents from local agents; and before the
concentration of the Romans at Baisan was complete, they knew that
the strength of this new army would be about 80,000 men, and that
its commanders was Saqalar, son of Mikhraq. It was evident that
this force would move eastwards and place itself astride the Muslim
lines of communication. A council of war was held by Abu Ubaidah,
and it was decided that the Muslims should move and crush this new
Roman army, leaving behind a strong garrison to hold Damascus against
any threat from the north and west. By now the Muslims had fully
rested after their heroic labours. Soon after Abul Quds, more reinforcements
had been received from Arabia, while a large number of those who
had been wounded in earlier battles had rejoined the Muslim ranks
as fit soldiers. This raised the strength of the army to something
like 30,000 men, organised in five corps of varying strength.
Now the command arrangement made by Abu
Bakr and confirmed by Umar came into effect in a rather unusual
way. Yazeed was the commander and governor of the Damascus region,
and was consequently left in Damascus with his corps. Shurahbil
was the commander appointed for the district of Jordan in which
lay Baisan and Fahl. Hence Abu Ubaidah, carrying out the Caliph's
instructions to the letter-farther than was probably intended-handed
over the command of the army to Shurahbil for the forthcoming operation.
In about the second week of January 635, the Muslim army, leaving
behind the corps of Yazeed, marched from Damascus under the command
of Shurahbil, with Khalid and the corps of Iraq forming the advance
guard. In the middle of January the Muslims arrived at Fahl to find
the Roman garrison gone, Abul A'war in occupation of the town, and
what looked like a marsh stretching on both sides of the Jordan
River. 1
As soon as the Roman garrison of Fahl had
heard of the advance of the Muslim army from Damascus, it had left
the place in haste, and withdrawing across the river, joined the
main body of the Roman army at Baisan. Immediately after, the Romans,
not wishing to be disturbed at Baisan before their preparations
were complete, dammed the river a few miles south of the Baisan-Fahl
line and flooded the low-lying belt which stretched along both banks
of the river. The flooded area was determined by the contour line
and in places was up to a mile from the river. There were some routes
across this inundated area, but they were known only to the Romans.
The Muslims knew the desert; they had come to know the hills; but
this belt of water and mud which stretched along their front was
a new experience and left them nonplussed. However, they decided
to attempt a crossing.
1. Fahl is
below sea level, and from the town the hillside slopes even further
down to the bed of the Jordan Valley. In this area the Jordan River
is about 900 feet below sea level.
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