From the leaders of Muslims: Al Qa`qa` Ibn `Amr At-Tamimy

Al Qa`qa` went with Khalid ibn Al Walid to the Levant (the region covering Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine) to take part in the war of the Romans. In the Battle of Al Yarmouk was the first encounter, and as usual Al Qa`qa` was in the heart of the army beside Khalid who rearranged the lines of the army and made the command alternating between him and the rest of the army leaders. He took command in the first day which ended in the best interest of Muslims against the Romans.

At that moment, Abu Bakr As-Siddiq passed away and Al Farouq `Umar ibn Al Khattab assumed caliphate. The first decision he made was to the dismissal of Khalid ibn Al Walid, and appointed Abu `Ubaydah `Amir ibn Al Jarrah the command of the Muslim armies in a time Khalid remained the leader of the army which was coming from Iraq.

Then the Muslim armies marched to open Damascus which its garrison sought refuge inside its immune walls. The Muslim armies stood helpless before the walls of Damascus until Al Qa`qa` came up with a courageous solution which was that a Muslim group would climb the walls and open the gates from inside. Khalid ibn Al Walid agreed to that courageous mission, moreover Khalid ibn Al Walid and Al Qa`qa` ibn `Amr executed the mission themselves along with Madh`ur ibn `Ady Al `Ijly and some other heroic Muslims. The instructions given to the entire army were: "If you heard our Takbir (Allah-u-Akbar) on the wall, ascend to us and go toward the gate."

The heroes crossed the trench, which was filled with water and enclosed by the walls, swimming and began to throw their ropes on the top of the walls to be easy to climb, so Al Qa`qa` ibn `Amr climbed the ropes along with Madh`ur ibn `Ady carrying the rest of ropes. Then, they fastened them by the top of the wall —The place from which they broke in the fort was the most immune in all Damascus: it was full of water, its ditch was the widest, and the most guarded. Khalid ibn Al Walid ascended the wall with the rest of his men and pronounced Takbir in one voice so that the rest of Khalid's army would cross the trench. They were struggling to reach the ropes to climb and increase the number of the soldiers at the eastern fort gate which Khalid ibn Al Walid and Al Qa`qa` ibn `Amr succeeded to open after a bitter fight; thereupon the people of Damascus did not find a way out except to surrender and ask for a compromise.

At the same time, the Muslim armies in Iraq under the leadership of Sa`d ibn Abu Waqqas were facing the Persian large army and that army was in critical situation. Thereupon, `Umar wrote to Abu `Ubaydah ibn Al Jarrah after he opened Damascus for Islam to direct the army to Iraq and did not mention the name of Khalid.

Therefore, Abu `Ubaydah preceded him to the Levant to be an aid to them in their war against the Romans, and sent the army of Iraq to fulfill the instructions of the Caliph and appointed Hashim ibn `Utbah ibn Abu Waqqas as their leader and Al Qa`qa` ibn `Amr At-Tamimy at the head of the army.

Al Qa`qa` took the head of the army and reached Al Qadisiyyah on the day of "Aghwath" the second day of the Battle of Al Qadisiyyah.

Before entering Al Qadisiyyah, Al Qa`qa` divided his army, which were 1000 soldiers to groups of ten, into one hundred groups of ten. Whenever a group marched and was not seen in the horizon, the second group marched on their traces.

Al Qa`qa` wanted to raise the morale of Al Qadisiyyah army by giving them frequent supplies because Al Qa`qa` was keen to raise the morale because he knew about the effect of raising morale on the performance of the soldiers in the battle.

Al Qa`qa` was in the first batch, so he came to the people in Al Qadisiyyah, greeted them, gave them glad tiding, and said to them: "O people: Verily, I came to you with a group of people who envy you if they were in your shoes, and tried to win your status. O people, do as I do."

Al Qa`qa` progressed to lead the Muslim Army and stood in front of the Persian army saying: Who can fight us?

Who can believe this?

He came from a distant journey: from the Levant, coming from a bitter battle to stand in the face of the Persian Army asking for fencing without having some rest.

The enthusiasm of Muslims inflamed and their morale increased to the top because of that man about whom As-Siddiq said: "An army which has someone like Al Qa`qa` will never taste defeat."

From among the lines of the Persians "Buhman Jazwiah" came out to fight Al Qa`qa` who asked him: Who are you? He said: I am Buhman Jazwiah. Thereupon, the blood boiled in Al Qa`qa`s veins and said: Do you remember the Battle of the Bridge and its martyrs and what did you do then? Then he cried: "This is the revenge of Abu `Ubaydah and the people who were killed with him in the Battle of the Bridge." Then they fought with swords and Al Qa`qa` killed him.

Al Qa`qa` looked at the way from which his troops were coming and whenever he saw a group of them, he pronounced Takbir and so did Muslims.

The morale of Muslims increased because the supplies were coming frequently and the leader of the Persian Army was killed.

Al Qa`qa` was inflaming the enthusiasm of the soldiers, and he repeated again: Does anyone want to fight?

The Persian leaders wanted to restore their morale and to take revenge for the death of their leader, therefore two Persian leaders came out to fight and another one joined Al Qa`qa` who was Al Harith ibn Zhibyan. Al Qa`qa` cut off the head of Berzan, the leader of the army rear and Al Harith cut off the head of Bindiwan.

Then Muslim Knights asked them for fight and Al Qa`qa` kept saying: O Muslims, fight them with swords because swords are more effective."

Smartness of a fighter:

Al Qa`qa` saw the Muslims' inability to confront the elephants of the Persians, which frightened the Muslims' horses and made them escape the battle. Thereupon, he put leathers on camels to frighten the Persian cavalry, which ran away and left their infantry without cover and Muslims killed them.

In Medina, `Umar knew about the Day of Aghwath (the third day of the battle) and what happened to Muslims, therefore he sent four swords and four horses to the leader of the Muslim Army, Sa`d ibn Abu Waqqas, to distribute them on those who have done well in the battle, hence Al Qa`qa` got a horse.

Then came the day of "Amas," the 15 of August of the year 15 AH, to witness a strategic action of Al Qa`qa` who saw that fatigue and exhaustion leaked to the Muslim Army because of the continuous fight and the delay of Hashim's ibn `Utbah's army. Thereupon, Al Qa`qa` took his one thousand soldiers and divided them into 10 groups of 100 and said to them: "When the sun rises, come a group by group and when a group disappears, the other follows it until the army of Hashim comes."

That was Al Q`qa`, the leader who imposed his leadership by his well-manner, good conduct, and by keeping the morale of the soldiers up.

Al Qa`qa` stood looking at the road, spreading the feeling that Hashim's army are coming any minute and kept pronouncing Takbir whenever he saw a group of calvary. Likewise did `Asim ibn `Amr, thereupon Muslims' morale increased and stood up in lines to fight. Hashim approached in seven hundred soldiers who were the head of his army and Muslims told him about what Al Qa`qa` did. Thereupon, Hashim arranged his army in groups of 70 to come one by one.

As for the battle, the fight inflamed and the Persian pushed forward their elephants to invade the Muslim lines. Sa`d ibn Abu Waqqas sent to Al Qa`qa` and `Asim to say to them: Engage with the white elephant, which was the biggest elephant.

Al Qa`qa` and `Asim took two spears, a bear, and a detachment and said to the soldiers: Distract it and their soldiers.

The elephant kept in amaze looking right and left at the same time then Al Qa`qa` and `Asim attacked the elephant and killed it then it fell on the ground, throwing all the soldiers down. Muslims pronounced Takbir and rejoiced with the victory.

The days of the battle continued until it was the night of "Al Harir" the 5^th night, while both armies were facing one another, an arrow was launched from the Persians in the direction of Khalid ibn Ya`mur At-Tamimy while Al Qa`qa` was getting ready to the fight. Khalid's injury made him angry, then he took Banu Tamim to fight without the permission of Sa`d. When Sa`d knew about this, he said: "O Allah, forgive him and provide him victory. Now, I give him permission." Sa`d approved the action of Al Qa`qa` before a group of people saying: "I approve what Al Qa`qa` did, so when I pronounce Takbir three times, march."

On the 16^th of August 15 AH, it was a memorable day. Al Qa`qa` walked among the lines of his army to raise the soldiers' morale because he knew that the decisive battle is coming, so he addressed his army saying: "Soon they will free, so observe patience for an hour because victory comes with patience, so observe patience and do not panic."

The two armies engaged in the battle and Al Qa`qa` and Banu Tamim started the attack against the middle of the Persian army until they reached Rustom, the general leader, but he escaped until Hilal ibn `Alafah At-Tamimy killed him then cried: "I have killed Rustom, by the Lord of the Ka`bah."