Khalid bin Walid

Khalid bin Walid Al-Makhzumi, a Quraysh war expert who was once the key to the defeat of the Muslims at Uhud, then converted to Islam before Fathu Makkah. The Prophet ﷺ called him Saifullah — the Sword of Allah — and he never lost a single battle he led.

In the Mu'tah War against the Romans, three commanders died in succession; Khalid took the banner and saved the much smaller army from destruction. The Prophet ﷺ reported the incident from Medina, mentioning nine broken swords in Khalid's hands that day.

In the Riddah War and the conquest of Iraq and the Levant, Khalid led major victories including Yarmuk against the Romans. When Umar removed him from command so that people would not glorify him too much, Khalid obeyed without complaint - an example of sincerity in a commander.

Khalid, who longed to be martyred in Medan, actually died in his bed in Homs. He said, "There is not an inch of my body except a scar because of Allah," then regretted that he died like a camel dies. The story teaches that death is in the hands of Allah, and reward follows intentions.