until he was martyred,” and he sought forgiveness for him. “Then Khālid ibn al-Walīd took the banner, though he had not been one of the appointed commanders—he assumed the command himself.” He then said, “O Allah, he is one of Your swords, so grant him victory.” From that day Khālid was called “the Sword of Allah.”

Al-Bakkāʾī transmits from Ibn Isḥāq: I have been informed that the Messenger of Allah said, “Zayd took the banner and fought with it until he was martyred; then Jaʿfar took it and fought until he was martyred.” He then fell silent, until the faces of the Anṣār changed colour, thinking that something displeasing had happened to ʿAbd Allāh. He continued, “Then ʿAbd Allāh ibn Rawāḥah took it and fought with it until he was martyred.” He added, “In a dream I saw them raised to Paradise, reclining upon couches of gold. I noticed that ʿAbd Allāh’s couch was set slightly apart from the couches of his two companions. I asked, ‘Why is this?’ and I was told, ‘They advanced without hesitation, whereas ʿAbd Allāh hesitated briefly before advancing.’ ”

Al-Wāqidī reported: ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Faḍīl related from his father that when Khālid took the banner the Messenger of Allah said, “Now the furnace of battle is ablaze!”

He also narrated from ʿAṭṭāf ibn Khālid: When Ibn Rawāḥah fell in the evening, Khālid spent the night in camp; at dawn he advanced, placing his rear guard at the front and his vanguard at the rear, his right wing on the left and his left wing on the right. The enemy failed to recognise the banners and formations they had grown accustomed to and said, “Reinforcements have reached them.” Panic overtook them and they turned in flight, suffering a slaughter the like of which no people had ever endured.

Ismāʿīl ibn Abī Khālid narrated from Qays: I heard Khālid ibn al-Walīd say, “Nine swords were broken in my hand on the day of Muʾtah, and nothing remained in my hand except …”