Khalid then advanced, and ʿAqqah came out to meet him. When the two forces stood face to face, Khalid said to his two flanks, “Hold your ground, for I am about to charge.” He ordered his bodyguards to stay behind him, then he galloped toward ʿAqqah while the latter was still aligning his ranks. Khalid seized him, made him a prisoner, and ʿAqqah’s army fled without striking a blow, so a great many of them were taken captive. (1)

Khalid next made for the fortress of ʿAyn al-Tamr. When Mehran heard of ʿAqqah’s rout and that of his troops, he dismounted, fled the fortress, and abandoned it. The scattered remnants (2) of the Christian Bedouins returned, found the gate open, and sought refuge inside. Khalid arrived, surrounded them, and imposed a most rigorous siege. When they saw this, they asked for terms, but he would accept nothing short of their surrendering to Khalid’s judgment. They agreed, whereupon he put them in chains, took possession of the fortress, and ordered that ʿAqqah (3) and all those captured with him—as well as those who had surrendered to his judgment—be executed to the last man.

He seized everything that [was] in the stronghold. In its church he discovered forty boys studying the Gospel behind a locked door; Khalid broke it open and distributed them among the commanders and those who had distinguished themselves. Among them was Ḥumrān, who went to ʿUthman ibn ʿAffan as part of the khums, and Sirin—the father of Muhammad ibn Sirin—whom Anas ibn Malik took. There were other well-known mawālī besides, for whom Khalid intended good, both for them and for their descendants.

When al-Walid ibn ʿUqbah brought the fifth share to Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, the Caliph sent him back as a reinforcement for ʿIyad ibn Ghanm, who was besieging Dūmat al-Jandal. On arriving, al-Walid found ʿIyad in a sector of Iraq laying siege to a people who had cut off his routes, so he too was under siege. ʿIyad said to him, “A little sound counsel is better than a vast army; what do you think of our situation?” Al-Walid replied, “Write to Khalid and he will send you troops from his force.” So ʿIyad wrote asking for support, and his letter reached Khalid immediately after the action at ʿAyn al-Tamr, pleading for help.

Khalid wrote back:

From Khalid [ibn al-Walid] to ʿIyad—(it is) you (4) for whom I am coming.

From the lines of rajaz:
“Wait but a little—your laden she-camels (5)
will arrive, bearing lions in rough-haired cloaks, (6)
regiment after regiment, rank upon rank.”