Battle of Mu'tah

Historical overview

The Battle of Mu'tah took place in 8 AH (629 CE) near the village of Mu'tah, south of Karak in modern-day Jordan. The confrontation arose after the Prophet Muhammad sent an emissary, Al-Harith ibn 'Umair al-Azdi, to the Ghassanid ruler of Bosra, who was intercepted and executed by Shurahbil ibn 'Amr al-Ghassani. In response, an army of 3,000 Muslims marched north to confront the Ghassanids and their Byzantine allies, who assembled a vastly superior force. During the battle, the three commanders designated by the Prophet—Zayd ibn Harithah, Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, and 'Abd Allah ibn Rawahah—were martyred in succession while holding the banner. Khalid ibn al-Walid then took command and executed a brilliant tactical rearrangement, creating the illusion of fresh reinforcements and successfully executing a controlled retreat, saving the army from annihilation.

Historical context and how to read this record

This record presents Battle of Mu'tah, dated in the archive as 8 AH / 629 CE and associated with Mu'tah, Karak Region, Levant. The date, place, summary, named groups, terrain features, and references shown here come from the bundled or published event record. They provide a concise entry point for study, while the linked source notes remain the place to check what each historical or religious text actually reports. A label in the archive is not, by itself, proof that every chronology, number, or interpretation is agreed across historians.

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Record timeline and tactical markers

1. Archive date: 2026-10-03 · 8 AH / 629 CE
2. Recorded setting: Mu'tah, Karak Region, Levant
3. Map feature 1: Rocky hills of Balqa plateau
4. Map feature 2: Karak highland pass
5. Map feature 3: Wadi Mujib gorge to the north
6. Schematic marker 1: Muslim Main Vanguard · Zayd ibn Harithah / Ja'far ibn Abi Talib · 3,000
7. Schematic marker 2: Muslim Rear & Cavalry Wing · Khalid ibn al-Walid · 3,000 (reorganized)
8. Schematic marker 3: Imperial Byzantine & Allied Arab Army · Theodore / Shurahbil ibn 'Amr al-Ghassani · 10,000–100,000 (Classical estimates)

Marker ordering is a reading aid, not a chronological claim about the event.

Forces and commanders

• Muslim Main Vanguard — Zayd ibn Harithah / Ja'far ibn Abi Talib (3,000)
• Muslim Rear & Cavalry Wing — Khalid ibn al-Walid (3,000 (reorganized))
• Imperial Byzantine & Allied Arab Army — Theodore / Shurahbil ibn 'Amr al-Ghassani (10,000–100,000 (Classical estimates))

Geography: water and landscape

• Ain Mu'tah (well)
• Wadi Tributary Stream (river)
• Rocky hills of Balqa plateau
• Karak highland pass
• Wadi Mujib gorge to the north

Sources

• Ibn Hisham, Sirat Rasul Allah, Vol. 2, pp. 373-389
• al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk, Vol. 8, pp. 152-162
• al-Waqidi, Kitab al-Maghazi, Vol. 2, pp. 755-769

More 3D maps

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• Battle of Badr · Wells and Two Slopes
• Khaybar · Basalt Harrat and Fortified Oases
• Hijrah Route · Makkah to Madinah
• Najaf & Kufa · The Historic Plain
• Siffin · Euphrates Campaign Landscape