In the 8th century AD, in the desolate Arabian desert, there was a lone traveler. The region, where Mecca and Medina are located, was a vast and perilous wilderness, with scorching sands that stretched endlessly. Traveling alone through this harsh terrain was daunting, and the threat of bandits loomed.
Most travelers in those times journeyed in caravans for safety, but this traveler was going alone. He rode a magnificent warhorse of noble lineage, its reins adorned with jewels. A sword hung by his side, and he held a shield in his hand. Though he shared the stature of the rugged men of his era, his demeanor while mounted on the horse revealed that he was a knight, not an ordinary man.
His face bore no trace of fear that the desert or bandits might steal his prized steed. It was clear from the way he sat in the saddle that he was a skilled horseman. His tall stature, broad chest, and well-built physique placed him among the warriors of his time. Yet, the aura surrounding him was not merely physical; it was something more profound.
He seemed lost in thought, either cherishing memories or attempting to bury them deep within his mind. Ahead, an oasis appeared. The horse quickened its pace. Upon reaching a certain elevation, the terrain became flat. He halted his horse and looked back.
Mecca was not in sight. He had descended below the horizon of Mecca. A voice called out to him as if from a distance, 'Abu Suleiman!' He listened attentively. 'Now, don't look back, erase Mecca from your mind. You are a warrior of the battlefield; do not divide yourself into two parts. Stand firm in your decision; your destination is Medina.'
He turned away from Mecca, directed his horse toward Medina, and gave it a gentle nudge. The horse understood its rider's command and began to move forward. The rider was 43 years old but appeared younger than his age. 'Suleiman' was the name of his son. His father's name was 'Alwalid,' but instead of 'Khalid ibn Walid,' he preferred to be called 'Abu Suleiman.' Little did he know that history would remember him as 'Khalid ibn Walid,' becoming a second name for Islamic military narratives and valor.
At the age of 43, as Khalid was journeying toward Medina, he was not yet a Muslim. Besides minor skirmishes, he had fought two major battles against the Muslims, the Battle of Uhud and the Battle of the Trench. When the first revelation came to the Prophet Muhammad in 610 AD on a Monday, Khalid was 24 years old.
By that time, Khalid had become the military leader of his tribe, the Banu Makhzum. The Banu Makhzum were among the respected clans within the Quraysh tribe, and they held authority over the military affairs of the Quraysh. Khalid's father, Alwalid, held a prominent position in the Quraysh, and Khalid had followed in his father's footsteps.
At the age of 24, Khalid had already acquired the same status within the Quraysh as his father. However, he was now rejecting this position and heading towards Medina as Abu Suleiman. At times, he felt as if a force from within him was pushing him forward, as if his very essence was trying to leave something behind.
When he sensed the influence of that force, he would turn his neck backward, but an inner voice would rise within him, urging him onward. "Look ahead, Khalid! You may be Alwalid's son, but he is gone now. You are now Suleiman's father. He is alive." Two names had etched themselves into his mind: Muhammad (the Messenger of Allah) who had brought a new religion, and Alwalid, Khalid's father, who had been a fierce enemy of this new faith.
His father's enmity had been handed over to Khalid as a legacy, but Khalid was now leaving it behind as he made his way to Medina. Sometimes, he felt as if some force was dragging him back, trying to pull him away from the path he had chosen. When he felt that force, he would turn his horse in the opposite direction, but his inner voice would remind him of his new purpose.
Ahead, Khalid noticed an oasis. His horse hastened its pace, and upon reaching higher ground, the terrain leveled out. Khalid stopped his horse and looked back. Mecca was no longer in sight. A voice called out, "Abu Suleiman!" He listened attentively. "Now, don't look back, erase Mecca from your mind. You are a warrior of the battlefield; do not divide yourself into two parts. Stand firm in your decision; your destination is Medina."
He turned away from Mecca, directed his horse toward Medina, and gave it a gentle nudge. The horse understood its rider's command and began to move forward. Khalid, once a prominent figure in the Quraysh, was now on a new path, one that would lead him to a pivotal role in the history of Islam.
They were both happy and unhappy about this murder. Happy because one of their own, a man from their tribe, had renounced their religion of idol worship and falsely claimed to be a messenger of God. It was natural for them to rejoice at the death of such an enemy. Unhappy because he had agreed to confront their enemy face to face in battle, although he had never contemplated killing his enemy. Nevertheless, he did not oppose this plot.
But on the night of the murder, when the assassins went to kill the Messenger of God at the appointed time, they found Ali in his place. There was no one there, and neither was there any evidence of his presence. The Prophet's camel was also missing. The Quraysh were hopeful that they would receive good news in the morning that their religion had been saved and that their new religion would be promoted by the murder. However, in the morning, they saw each other in a state of disappointment.
Then, in secret, they began to ask each other, 'Where has Muhammad gone?' The Messenger of God and Ali had been informed of the assassination plot and had migrated to Medina long before. Until morning, they had traveled a great distance. Khalid's mind was flooded with memories. Memories of events that had happened sixteen years ago. In 613 AD, on a night like this, the Noble Messenger invited a few influential Quraysh to a feast. After the meal, the Messenger of God said to his guests, 'O sons of Abd al-Muttalib! What I am about to present to you, no one else in Arabia can offer. Allah has chosen me. Allah has given me a command to call you to a religion that will not only bring you peace and happiness in this world but also in the Hereafter.'
In this way, the Messenger of God invited his close friends to accept Islam three years after the first revelation. Khalid was not present at this gathering. His father was invited, and he had jokingly told Khalid that his cousin Muhammad claimed to be a sent Prophet. We know that Abd al-Muttalib was a prominent leader of the Quraysh. Al-Walid said to his son Khalid, 'Certainly, Muhammad's family holds a high status, but why would anyone from our family make a claim to prophethood? I swear by Allah, by Hubble and by the Arab custom, our family's rank is second to none. By making a claim to prophethood, can anyone from our family surpass us?
Khalid couldn't forget his father's mocking laughter. He remembered a day in 629 AD while lying in a date palm orchard on the road between Mecca and Medina. The Prophet Muhammad was actively preaching his message, and the youth of Quraysh were gradually accepting Islam. Some destitute individuals had also embraced Islam. This trend of conversion troubled the Prophet, and he intensified his efforts to spread Islam. He was confronting the paganism of the Quraysh, and many Muslims were ridiculing the three hundred and sixty idols placed inside and outside the Kaaba.
Before the dawn of Islam, the Arabs believed in Allah and worshipped those idols, considering them as intercessors between them and Allah. They referred to those idols as gods and goddesses, believing them to be the children of Allah. They swore by Allah in every matter. Quraysh saw that Muhammad, the one they had previously ridiculed for his call, was gaining acceptance. So they established a united front against his teachings and made living for Muslims unbearable.
Khalid recalled how Allah's Messenger had invited people to Islam, gathering them in the streets and markets, telling them that there was no god worthy of worship except Allah, who was One without any partners. He remembered that the leaders of the opposition to the Prophet's mission included four prominent figures: his father, Al-Walid; his uncle, Abu Lahab; his cousin, Abu Sufyan; and his maternal uncle, Abu Al-Hakam. Abu Al-Hakam, who was also Khalid's maternal uncle, was the most hostile towards the Muslims. He was a vehement enemy of Islam and was nicknamed "Abu Jahl," a name that became so widespread that people almost forgot his real name. History remembers this once powerful, influential, and arrogant man as "Abu Jahl."
Khalid's heart ached as he remembered the cruelty inflicted upon the Muslims. They had been subject to severe persecution. Whenever a Muslim tried to spread Islam, the people of Quraysh would send their men to mock and harass them. Those who dared to propagate Islam were often publicly humiliated. Khalid was disturbed by these memories, perhaps even ashamed. Quraysh had made every effort to tarnish the reputation of the Prophet of God.
Khalid was reassured that his father had not engaged in such a despicable act against Muhammad Dilal Naim. Twice, he had taken the Quraysh's three or four leaders, along with Abu Talib, the Prophet's uncle, to speak to them. He had told them to stop Muhammad from his blasphemy and his claim to prophethood, or else they might face his murder at someone's hand. Abu Talib had turned them away both times.
Khalid vividly remembered his father's tremendous sacrifice. His brother Amarah was exceptionally handsome, intelligent, and had charisma. Khalid's father, Al-Walid, had entrusted Amarah to the custody of the two chieftains of Quraysh and told them to take him to Abu Talib. He had instructed them to say, 'Take our son and give us Muhammad. In return for Muhammad, we will surrender our obedient and respectful son Amarah. If you raise him as your own, he will be obedient all his life. But if you insist on taking him, swear by Allah, we will sacrifice our lives for Muhammad. Why are you holding him?' Abu Talib had asked, 'Do you know him? This is Amarah bin Al-Walid. You must know that no one from Banu Hashim has ever raised such an obedient and well-behaved youth. He has come to you willingly, and if you make him your slave, I swear by Allah, he will give you his obedience for his entire life. But if you insist on taking him, then, by Allah, we will sacrifice our lives for Muhammad. Why are you delivering him to me? Have the mothers of Banu Makhzumi begun selling their sons in exchange for Muhammad?'
"You're taking my nephew away, what will you do?" replied the other leader of the Quraysh, "We will kill Muhammad (peace be upon him). This won't be unfair. You see, we're offering you your nephew in exchange for your own son. That would be a great injustice."
Abu Talib responded, "You plan to kill my nephew, and I will raise your son, spend on him, and give him a good life. How is it that you seek justice from me? I bid you farewell with honor."
When Khalid saw his brother returning with the Quraysh leaders and heard that Abu Talib had not accepted their proposal, he felt immense joy.
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