Futuhusham_-_The_Islamic_Conquest_of_Syria_-_Al_Waqidi

Futuhushdm
Khawlah :A Christian hit me and 'Afirah killed him.
12irdr ~ : My sister, glad tidings of Jannah for I avenged your wound over and over
again. I killed many of them.
61) Najm bin Mafra]; and his eloquence
The battle started early that day and intensified as night neared. AbU 'Ubaydah ~
fought upholding his flag and the other commanders followed his example until
darkness separated the two parties. On the Day of Losing One Eye no less than
40,000 Romans were killed. It is reported from Khalid ~ that nine swords broke in
his hand that day.
A participant of al-Yarmuk narrates that Khalid ~ killed 100 men.
Hazlm bin Ma'n narrates:
In the middle of the battle, Polytheists came riding out on grey and pie-bald horses
as huge as mountains. They wore silk, brocade and protective armour. With a
jewelled cross raised in their midst they attacked all at once, penetrating to the
centre. Then their right-wing attacked our left-wing and their left-wing attacked our
right-wing. The Muslims fell back to the women who began striking their own faces
and wailing, "For Allah's sake, for Allah's sake! Do not bring grief to Islam by
fleeing. Fear your Rabb."
Najm bin Mafra]j was with AbU 'Ubaydah ~. He was one of the orators of the era,
the most eloquent of all 'Arabs, the most brave-hearted of them and was loud-voiced
and extremely handsome. The eloquent ones and 'Arabs would seek him out to hear
his speech and verse.
'Abdul Malik bin Mul!ammad narrates from his father who narrates from
Hassan bin Ka'b who narrates from' Abdul Wal!idwho narrates from 'Awfwho
narrates from Musa bin 'Imran al-Yashkuri who narrates from Nagr bin
Mazin:
The boy, Najm bin Mafrah of the Band Muh§.rib tribe, turned certain defeat into a
victory for Islam. He never spoke except in rhymed words which he constructed in
an excellent manner. We memorised his verses at the Battle of al-Yarmuk. I have
been informed that the latter scholars of eloquence and fluency such as al-Asam'I and
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