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There was sorrow in the
eyes of Abu Ubaidah, and a great deal of affection and commiseration,
as he replied, "By Allah, I knew that this would hurt you.
I would never hurt you if I could find a way." 1
Khalid went back to Qinassareen, got the
Mobile Guard together, and addressed the warriors whom he had led
to victory and glory in battle after battle-warriors who had followed
him with unquestioning loyalty and faith. He informed them that
he had been dismissed from command, and that he was now proceeding
to Madinah on the instructions of the Caliph. Then he bade farewell
to the Mobile Guard-a body of men which under Khalid had not known
the meaning of defeat.
From Qinassareen he rode again to Emessa,
said his farewells, and then continued his journey to Madinah. He
was going to Madinah not as a hero returning home from the wars
to receive honours from a grateful government, but as a man under
disgrace.
Khalid arrived at Madinah and proceeded
towards the house of the Caliph. But he met Umar in the street.
As these two strong men drew closer to each other-the greatest ruler
of the time and the greatest soldier of the time-there was no fear
in the eyes of either. Umar was the first to speak. He extemporised
a verse in acknowledgement of Khalid's achievements and recited
it:
You have done;
And no man has done as you have done.
But it is not people who do;
It is Allah who does. 2
In reply Khalid said, "I protest
to the Muslims against what you have done. By Allah, you have been
unjust to me, O Umar!"
"Whence comes all this wealth?" countered Umar.
"It is what is left of my share of the spoils. Whatever
exceeds 60,000 dirhams is yours." 3
Umar had a check made of all Khalid's possessions,
which consisted mainly of military equipment and slaves, and found
that it was valued at 80,000 dirhams. He confiscated the surplus
of 20,000 dirhams.
When this had been done, Umar said to Khalid,
"O Khalid! By Allah, you are honourable in my eyes, and
you are dear to me. You will not have cause to complain of me after
this day." 4 The point was academic,
however, for there was not much more that could be done to Khalid!
After a few days, Khalid left Madinah for
Qinassareen, never to return to Arabia. Hardly had he left, when
the people of Madinah came to Umar and appealed to him to return
Khalid's property to him. To this Umar replied, "I do not
trade with what belongs to Allah and the Muslims." 5
But after this, according to Tabari, Umar's heart was 'cured' of
Khalid.
Very soon it became evident to Umar that
his treatment of Khalid was being deeply resented by the Muslims.
It was openly said that Khalid had suffered because of Umar's personal
hostility towards him. This popular disapproval of Umar's action
became so widespread that the Caliph found it necessary to write
to all his commanders and administrators:
I have not dismissed Khalid because
of my anger or because of any dishonesty on his part, but because
people glorified him and were misled. I feared that people would
rely on him. 6 I want them to know
that it is Allah who does all things; and there should be no mischief
in the land. 7
In this letter Umar, unwittingly paid, Khalid
the highest compliment that any general could hope to earn: that
his men regarded him as a god! But Khalid returned to Qinassareen
an embittered man. The Destroyer of the Apostasy, the Conqueror
of Iraq and Syria, came home as a nobody-dismissed and disgraced.
As his wife greeted him at the door, he said: "Umar appointed
me over Syria until it turned to wheat and honey; then dismissed
me!" 8
1. Tabari: Vol. 3, p. 167.
2. Ibid: Vol. 3, p. 168.
3. Tabari: Vol. 3, p. 167.
4. Ibid.
5. Tabari: Vol. 2, p. 625.
6. i.e. rather than Allah, for victory.
7. Tabari: Vol. 3, p. 167.
8. Tabari: Vol. 3, p. 99.
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