Battle between Rashidun army and Byzantine army during the Muslim conquest of Syria
A Rashidun victory on 23 January 635 that eliminated a Byzantine blocking force and opened the road to Damascus during the Muslim conquest of Syria.
Key Facts
- Date
- 23 January 635
- Byzantine commander at Damascus
- Thomas, son-in-law of Emperor Heraclius
- Muslim commander
- Khalid ibn al-Walid
- Notable combatant
- Umm Hakim bint al-Harith ibn Hisham killed 7 Byzantine soldiers
- Preceding battle
- Battle of Yaqusa, mid-August 634, near Lake Tiberias
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Thomas, the Byzantine commander at Damascus and son-in-law of Emperor Heraclius, received intelligence of Khalid ibn al-Walid's march on Damascus and dispatched field armies to delay or halt the Muslim advance while he strengthened the city's defences and requested reinforcements from Heraclius, then at Emesa.
On 23 January 635, a Byzantine blocking army sent by Thomas to impede Khalid ibn al-Walid's advance met the Rashidun force at Marj al-Saffar. The Rashidun army defeated the Byzantines; Muslim heroine Umm Hakim bint al-Harith ibn Hisham reportedly participated and slew seven Byzantine soldiers during the engagement.
The defeat of the Byzantine blocking force at Marj al-Saffar cleared the path to Damascus for the Rashidun army, following an earlier Byzantine defeat at the Battle of Yaqusa, leaving Thomas reliant on the city's fortifications and whatever reinforcements Heraclius could dispatch to resist the Muslim advance.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Khalid ibn al-Walid.
Side B
1 belligerent
Thomas (son-in-law of Heraclius).