Prophet's era · 629

Battle of Mu'tah

The first clash with Byzantium. All three appointed commanders were martyred one after another, and Khalid ibn al-Walid took command and brought the army home.

The site of the battle on the 632 map. Shaded: Islamic state at the Prophet's death, 632.

Key facts

When: 629
Where: Near Karak, Jordan
Sides: Muslims vs Byzantines and Ghassanid Arabs
Commanders: Zayd ibn Haritha, Ja'far ibn Abi Talib and Abdullah ibn Rawaha vs Theodore
Result: Muslim withdrawal
Type: Prophet's era
Chapter: 1. The Rightly Guided Caliphs

Who led it

Khalid ibn al-Walidc. 585 to 642
Called Sayf Allah, the Sword of God.

The wider picture: The Prophet's state in Madinah

In the ten years after the Hijrah, Madinah grew from one town into a state that held most of Arabia. When the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) died in June 632, the two great powers next door, Byzantium and Sasanian Persia, were worn out after decades of war with each other.

See the 632 map Read chapter 1

More prophet's era battles

All 8 prophet's era battles · Battle explorer

Spotted a mistake on this page? Tell us