“Woe to you! Do you imagine you can frighten me with the Romans? Armies grow large through victory and shrink through defeat, not by the mere tally of men. By Allah, I would love it if al-Ashqar were free of his pain and they had doubled their numbers.” (Al-Ashqar—his horse—had worn down its hooves and gone lame on the march from Iraq.)
When the two forces drew near, Abu ‘Ubaydah and Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan advanced, accompanied by Dhirar ibn al-Azwar, al-Harith ibn Hisham, and Abu Jandal ibn Suhayl. They called out, “We seek only to meet with your commander, that we may confer with him.” Permission was granted for them to enter upon Tadhāraq, and there he was, sitting in a silk pavilion.
The Companions said, “We do not deem it lawful to enter such a place.” He therefore ordered silk carpets to be spread for them, but they said, “We will not even sit on these.” He then sat with them wherever they wished; they agreed upon a truce, and the Companions withdrew (1) after inviting them to Allah—glorified is He—but the agreement never came to fruition.
Al-Walid ibn Muslim relates that Bāhān summoned Khālid to come out between the two battle-lines for a parley. Bāhān said, “We know that hardship and hunger drove you from your land. Come, and I will give each of you ten dinars, clothing, and food; then return to your homes. Next year (2) we shall send you the same.”
Khālid replied, “None of what you mention drove us from our country. We are a people who drink blood, and we have heard that no blood is sweeter than Roman blood—so we have come for that.”
Bāhān’s men exclaimed, “By Allah, this is exactly what we were told about the Arabs!”
They continue: Khālid then ordered ‘Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl and al-Qa‘qa‘ ibn ‘Amr—who commanded the two flanks of the center—to ignite the fighting. The pair came forward, chanting their rajaz, calling for single combat. Champions met, wheeled, and clashed; the battle flared up until it stood on tiptoe. All the while Khālid was with a picked column of stout-hearted champions before the ranks; heroes from both sides faced off beneath his gaze as he dispatched orders to each contingent, directing the battle with perfect mastery. (3)
Ishaq ibn Bishr (4) reports from Sa‘id ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, from the early shaykhs of Damascus: Bāhān advanced, whereupon Abu ‘Ubaydah came out, placing Mu‘adh ibn Jabal over the right wing, Qubāth ibn Ashyam al-Kinani over the left, Hashim ibn ‘Utbah (ibn Abi Waqqas) over the infantry, and Khālid ibn al-Walid over the cavalry. The troops marched under their banners, and Abu ‘Ubaydah led the Muslims while saying:
“Servants of Allah, help Allah and He will help you and make your feet firm. O company of Muslims, be patient, for patience saves from unbelief (and wins the Lord’s pleasure) and wipes away disgrace. Do not leave your ranks, do not advance a single step toward them, and do not initiate the fighting. Keep your spears level, shelter behind your shields, and maintain silence—save for the remembrance of Allah.”
Mu‘adh ibn Jabal then stepped forward, exhorting them and saying, “O people of the Qur’an, custodians of the Book, champions of guidance and truth! Allah’s mercy is not attained, nor is His Paradise entered, through wishful thinking; Allah grants forgiveness and His vast mercy only …”