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Oh yes, they could. He,
Jonah, knew several short cuts which fast-moving horseman could
use to overtake the convoy, while the convoy itself was bound to
the roads and could not shorten its route. Still no use. Several
Syrian forts-Emessa, Baalbeek, Tripolis-were close enough to reach
in three or four days, and the convoy would be safely within the
walls of any of these before the Muslims could catch up with it.
Oh no, it would not. The convoy was not
going to any of these places. He, Jonah, knew that the convoy was
making for Antioch and would take many days to get there. He, Jonah,
would be the guide of the Muslims. All he wanted in return was the
girl!
Khalid's eyes brightened. The possibilities
which the proposal of Jonah opened up were like water to the thirsty.
He beckoned to a few of his officers-Dhiraar, Raafe, Abdur-Rahman
bin Abi Bakr. They would launch a pursuit after three days! Plans
were formulated, orders issued, preparations made. When the three
days' grace period was over, the Mobile Guard would dash out in
pursuit and go at breakneck speed. On Jonah's suggestion it was
decided that all would be dressed like local Arabs, so that any
Roman units encountered on the way would mistake them for such and
not intercept their movement. Hope stirred in the hearts of the
Faithful!
On the morning of the fourth day, shortly
after sunrise, at the exact time when the period of grace ended,
the Mobile Guard galloped away from Damascus with Khalid and Jonah
in the lead. Abu Ubaidah was left as commander at Damascus.
The route taken by the Mobile Guard is not
recorded. It is stated by Waqidi that the Muslims caught up with
the convoy a short distance from Antioch, not far from the sea,
on a plateau beyond a range of hills called Al Abrash by the Arabs
and Barda by the Romans. 1 Here there had
been a heavy downpour, and the convoy had dispersed on the plateau,
seeking shelter from the inclement weather, while the goods lay
all over the place. The Romans had not the least suspicion of the
thunderbolt that was about to strike them. So many bundles of brocade
lay scattered on the ground that this plain became known as Marj-ud-Deebaj,
i.e. the Meadow of Brocade, and for this reason the action described
has been named the Battle of the Meadow of Brocade.
The weather had now cleared. Jonah and other
scouts established the location of the convoy without being spotted,
and brought sufficient intelligence for Khalid to plan his attack.
He took a few hours to give his orders and position the Mobile Guard
for its task. Khalid, the master of movement and surprise, here
again showed his superb skill in the application of these military
principles.
The Romans received their first indication
of the presence of the Muslims when about a regiment of cavalry
came charging at them from the south, along the road from Damascus,
led by the half-naked Dhiraar. The Romans were surprised that Dhiraar
had caught up with them, but seeing that he had only a small force,
they decided to make mincemeat of him and then rest again. They
formed up to meet the Muslim charge, and began to fight like the
brave Romans that they were.
Half an hour later another body of Muslim
cavalry, 1,000 horse led by Raafe, appeared from the east; and the
Romans now realised the mistake that they had made in believing
that only a regiment had caught up with them. The Muslims no doubt
had two regiments. The first was a feint to draw the attention of
the Romans, while the second delivered the main blow from a flank.
But it did not matter; they would make mincemeat of two regiments
instead of one. The Romans re-formed and received the charge of
Raafe also.
Half an hour later, when another regiment
of cavalry made its appearance from the north, i.e. from the direction
of Antioch, under the command of Abdur-Rahman, the Romans were seriously
alarmed. This was more dangerous than they had imagined. They were
cut off from Antioch, and would have to deal quickly with these
three regiments in order to break out to the north or retreat to
the west, the latter being the only way left open to them. The Romans
again re-formed though their spirits now were not so high. The Muslim
regiments struck at the massed Romans with sword and lance and played
havoc; but the Romans were able to hold their position, and the
fighting proceeded fiercely for another hour.
1. This range was probably what is now known
as Jabal Ansariya, the northern end of which stretches to the south
of Antioch. Travelling across this range from Aleppo to Latakia
one sees many stretches of level ground on the higher parts of the
range.
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