ERA OF ISLAM

The battle of Mauta happened in the 8th year of Hijrah As we have read the Holy Prophet (PBUH) had sent letters to the rulers of some other countries; the ruler of Busra was also one of them. The Prophet (PBUH) had sent Haris bin Umair(RA) to him with his letter. When Hazrat Haris (RA) reached Mauta, a town near Damascus he was murdered by Shuraih beel, the chief of Balqa. According to some others, Hazrat Harris was martyred when he was returning after delivering the Prophet's (PBUH) letter to the ruler of Busra. As slaying of an envoy is a vile crime, so the Prophet (PBUH) sent an army of three thousand warriors to punish Shuraih beel. The army was sent under the command of Hazrat Zaid bin Harsa(RA).

          While the army was departing, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) himself accompanied it to a short distance. The Prophet ((PBUH) instructed if Zaid (RA) is martyred then Ja'far bin Abi Talib should assume the command of the army, and if he too is martyred then the command of the army should be undertaken by Abdullah bin Rawaha.

         The Islamic army had to face the multitudinous army of the Christians consisting of one hundred thousand soldiers. There was a fierce battle in which Hazrat Zaid (RA) and Hazrat J'afar (RA) were martyred one after another, so Hazrat Abdullah bin Rawaha (RA) assumed the command of the Islamic army, as the Holy Prophet had instructed. But Hazrat Abdullah bin Rawaha (RA) too could not survive, he was also martyred after a while, and then Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed (RA) undertook the command of the army. He collected together the Mujahedeen and attacked the enemy in such a way that the enemy was totally repulsed. Thus, an army of only three thousand Muslims got victory over one hundred thousand enemies.