One of them, called as-Sumayda’, escaped and came to the Prophet (S).

One of them, called as-Sumayda’, escaped and came to the Prophet (S). He told the Prophet (S) of what had happened and complained against Khalid. The Prophet (S) asked him: “Did anyone deny Khalid’s doing?” The man said: “Yes, a yellow medium sized man and a red tall man.” Umar, who was present, said: “O Messenger of Allah, by Allah I know them.

The first one is my son (Abdullah) and the other is Salim the mawla (freed slave) of Abu Huthayfa.” After that it appeared that Khalid had ordered everyone to kill the captives whom he had captured.

Abdullah bin Umar and Salim had set free two captives that they had captured…the Messenger of Allah raised his hands towards the heaven and said: “O Allah, I am clear of what Khalid has done.”…then the Prophet (S) sent for Ali bin Abu Talib (S) and ordered him to go to Bani Juthayma with camels and money.

He (Imam Ali) paid them the blood money.” The Prophet (S) did not kill anyone for that because the killers were Muslims and the killed ones did no say: “We have become Muslims” but they said: “We have apostatized” and this statement was not clear in showing that they believed in Islam and therefore a Muslim should not be killed for an unbeliever. On the day of al-Bitah, Khalid has committed horrible crimes against Malik bin Nuwayra and his people.

We have mentioned the details in chapter one of this book. Refer to that and ponder on it to know who was responsible for those horrible crimes when the blood, the monies and the honors of the Muslims had gone in vain and when the verdicts of Allah had been annulled, His sanctities had been violated and the revolt of the revolters against Khalid had been calmed.

At the head of those revolters was Umar who, when becoming the caliph, had despised Khalid and hastened to depose him immediately as mentioned by Ibnul Atheer and the other historians. [^1]: For more details refer to Abqariyat Umar by al-Aqqad, p.266. [^2]: Here Khalid was not satisfied with contradicting the order of the Prophet (S) but also he violated many basic principles of Islam. Islam has forgiven all the sins that had been committed before the advent of the mission.

Allah has said: “And do not kill any one whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause, and whoever is slain unjustly, We have indeed given to his heir authority, so let him not exceed the just limits in slaying” (17/33).