Moment 1 of 1
Removed from command
During Umar's caliphate, while Khalid was leading in Syria.
SyriaDuring Umar's caliphate1 min read
Khalid was, by any reading of the sources, extremely good at his job. He had commanded in Iraq and in Syria and had a reputation that preceded him.
Umar removed him from overall command and appointed Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah over him.
The classical sources offer several explanations for why, and they do not agree. Some connect it to a specific decision of Khalid's; others read it as Umar's general wariness of any commander becoming indispensable. SahabaMate does not pick between these accounts.
What the sources do agree on is what Khalid did next, which is the reason this is remembered at all. He did not appeal, did not resign, and did not go home. He continued to fight in the same campaigns, under the command of the man who had replaced him.
It is an unusual thing for a story to be remembered for — not a victory, but somebody accepting a demotion well.
In this moment: Umar ibn al-Khattab, Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah
Quick recall
What did Khalid do after Umar removed him from overall command?
Sources & review
Draft content — undergoing reviewThis content was written for SahabaMate and has not yet been checked by a reviewer against the works below. Treat it as a starting point, not a citation.
Tarikh ar-Rusul wa'l-Mulukتاريخ الرسل والملوك
Classical history · Muhammad ibn Jarir at-Tabari
Siyar A'lam an-Nubalaسير أعلام النبلاء
Classical biography · Shams ad-Din adh-Dhahabi
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