Battle of Yarmuk
When Hazrat Abu Bakr was on his deathbed the Muslims had defeated the Romans on the Syrian frontier. During the Khilafat of Hazrat Umar, Khalid bin Walid added Damascus, Jordan and Emmessa, one after another to the Muslim Empire.
After the loss of these three important cities, the Roman Emperor sent a vast army consisting of two hundred and sixty thousand men against the Muslims. The Byzantine army reached the valley of Yarmuk and encamped there. The Muslim army comprising forty thousand men rallied at Yarmuk under the leadership of Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah.
For some time, there were negotiations between the two armies. The Byzantines offered to pay the Muslims a large amount of money if they left Syria and returned to Arabia. Muslims turned down the offer. In return Muslims offered the Byzantines the usual three alternatives Islam. jizya or to be ready to fight. The Byzantines chose the third alternative.
The battle which followed lasted for six days. By the afternoon of the sixth day, only one third of the Byzantine army remained in the battle field; the rest had either been killed or had fled away.
To make matters worse for the Byzantines a storm broke out. In the confusion that followed. the Byzantines began to flee and the pursuing Muslims completely routed the enemy.
The Battle of Yarmuk ended in a great victory for the Muslims. This was the greatest battle that the Muslims had fought so far. With this battle, Byzantine lost Syria and the Muslim rule was ushered in.
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