Islamic Figures: Khalid ibn Saeed ibn al-Aas (the first commander ‎to whom Abu Bakr al-Siddiq entrusted the conquest of the Levant)‎

The Companion Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-'As, ibn Umayya ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy, al-Qurashi al-Umawi. He was known as Abu Sa'id and was among the first to embrace Islam.

Umm Habiba (Ramla bint Abi Sufyan) appointed him as her representative when the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) proposed to her. His mother was Umm Khalid ibn Hubab ibn 'Abd Yalil ibn Nashib ibn Ghayra ibn Sa'd ibn Layth ibn Bakr ibn 'Abd Manat ibn Kinana.

The sons of the noble Companion Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-'As were Sa'id ibn Khalid, who was born in Abyssinia, and his sister, Umm Khalid bint Khalid, who married al-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam and bore him two sons, 'Amr and Khalid.

It is said that he embraced Islam after Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, making him the third or fourth to do so, though some say he was the fifth. Damra ibn Rabi'a said that Khalid's conversion coincided with Abu Bakr's, while Umm Khalid bint Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-'As said that her father was the fifth to embrace Islam. I asked: Who preceded him? She said: Ali ibn Abi Talib, Abu Bakr, Zayd ibn Haritha, and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas. The reason for his conversion to Islam was that he saw in a dream that he was standing on the edge of Hellfire. He described its vastness in a way that only God knows, and it was as if his father was pushing him into it. He saw the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) holding him by his waist (hip or waist) to prevent him from falling in. He was terrified and said, "I swear it was a true vision!" He met Abu Bakr and told him about it. Abu Bakr said to him, "I want what is best for you. This is the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), so follow him. You will follow him in Islam, which will protect you from falling into Hellfire, while your father will fall into it."

Then he met the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was at Ajyad and said, "O Messenger of God, to whom do you call?" He said, “I call to God alone, who has no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. Abandon the worship of a stone that neither hears nor sees, neither harms nor benefits, and does not know who worships it and who does not.” Khalid said, “I bear witness that there is no god but God, and I bear witness that you are the Messenger of God.” The Messenger of God was pleased with his conversion.

Khalid then disappeared. His father learned of his conversion and sent his remaining children, who had not yet embraced Islam, to search for him. They found him and brought him to his father, Abu Uhaiba Saeed, who rebuked and berated him, striking him with a stick until it broke over his head. He said, “You have followed Muhammad, even though you see his people disagreeing with him and what he brought of the denigration of their gods and the denigration of their forefathers!” Khalid replied, “By God, I have followed him in what he brought.” His father became angry and reprimanded him, saying, “Go, you wretch, wherever you wish! By God, I will deprive you of sustenance!” Khalid replied, “If you deprive me, God will provide for me.” So he expelled him and said to his sons, “None of you should speak to him, or I will do to him what I did to Khalid.” Khalid then went to the Messenger of God and stayed with him, living in his company. He remained away from his father in the vicinity of Mecca until the Muslims emigrated to Abyssinia in the second migration. He went with them. His father was harsh towards the Muslims and was the most powerful man in Mecca. He fell ill and said, “If God heals me from this illness, the god of Ibn Abi Kabsha will not be worshipped in Mecca.” His son Khalid then said, “O God, do not heal him.” He died during that illness.

Khalid emigrated to Abyssinia with his wife, Umayma bint Khalaf al-Khuza'iyya. His son, Sa'id ibn Khalid, and his daughter, Umm Khalid, whose name was Amat, were born there. His brother, Amr ibn Sa'id ibn al-As, also emigrated with him to Abyssinia. They arrived at Khaybar with Ja'far ibn Abi Talib in two ships. The Messenger of God spoke to the Muslims, and they were given a share of the spoils. He witnessed the events of the Treaty of Hudaybiyya with the Prophet. Before the conquest of Mecca, and the conquest of Mecca, Hunayn, Ta'if, and Tabuk, the Messenger of God appointed him as the collector of zakat in Yemen, or, as some say, in the zakat of Madhhij and Sana'a. Khalid and his two brothers, Amr and Aban, remained in the positions to which the Messenger of God had appointed them until his death. When the Messenger of God died, they returned from their posts. Abu Bakr said to them, "Why have you returned? No one is more deserving of these positions than the servants of the Messenger of God. Return to your posts." They replied, "We are the sons of Abu Uhaiba, and we will never work for anyone after the Messenger of God." Khalid was in charge of Yemen, Aban of Bahrain, and Amr of Tayma, Khaybar, and other Arab villages. Khalid and his brother Aban delayed pledging allegiance to Abu Bakr. Khalid said to the Banu Hashim, "You are like tall trees (indicating their nobility and high lineage) and sweet fruit (indicating the purity of their origin and the beauty of their legacy), and we are followers of you." When the Banu Hashim pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr, Khalid pledged allegiance to him as well. And it became clear.

The Companion Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-'As was the first commander to whom Abu Bakr al-Siddiq entrusted the banner of the conquest of Syria. He ordered him to encamp with his army in Tayma, north of the Hijaz, and instructed him not to initiate fighting unless attacked. The astute Caliph intended Khalid's army to serve as a support and reinforcement when needed, and to keep a watchful eye on the movements of the Romans, not to be the vanguard for the conquest of Syria.

And so it happened. Khalid ibn Sa'id clashed with the Romans, who had mobilized some Arab tribes—Bahra', Kalb, Lakhm, Judham, and Ghassan—to fight the Muslims. Khalid's forces were insufficient to engage the Romans, and he suffered a crushing defeat at Marj al-Saffar on the 4th of Muharram, 13 AH (March 11, 634 CE). It is said that he was killed in this battle during the caliphate of Abu Bakr in 13 AH.