The Battle of Marj al-Saffar took place in 634. At

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

, Thomas, son-in-law of Byzantine Emperor

Heraclius Heraclius ( grc-gre, Ἡράκλειος, Hērákleios; c. 575 – 11 February 641), was List of Byzantine emperors, Eastern Roman emperor from 610 to 641. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the Exa ...

, was in charge. Receiving the intelligence of Khalid's march towards Damascus he prepared the defences of Damascus. He wrote to Emperor Heraclius for reinforcement, who was at

Emesa Homs ( , , , ; ar, حِمْص / ALA-LC: ; Levantine Arabic: / ''Ḥomṣ'' ), known in pre-Islamic Syria as Emesa ( ; grc, Ἔμεσα, Émesa), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level ...

that time. Moreover, Thomas, in order to get more time to prepare for a siege, sent the armies to delay, or if possible, halt Khalid's march to Damascus. One such army was defeated at the Battle of Yaqusa in mid-August 634 near Lake Tiberias 150 km from Damascus, another army that halted the Muslim advance to Damascus was defeated in the Battle of Marj al-Saffar on 19 August 634. It is said that

Umm Hakim bint al-Harith ibn Hisham Umm Ḥakīm bint al-Ḥārith ibn Hishām ( ar, أم حكيم بنت الحارث بن هشام) was a female companion of Muhammad and later a wife of Umar, the second caliph of Islam. Family life Umm Hakim was daughter of al-Harith al-Mak ...

, a Muslim heroine was involved in this battle and killed seven Byzantine soldiers.

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Marj al-Saffar (634), Battle of Muslim conquest of the Levant

Marj Al-Saffar Marj al-Saffar or Marj al-Suffar ( ar, مرج الصفر ') is a large plain to the south of Damascus. Marj al-Saffar is bounded to the north by the right bank of the al-A'waj river, which flows from Mount Hermon to the Sabkhat al-Hijana. In the ...

Marj al-Saffar Marj al-Saffar or Marj al-Suffar ( ar, مرج الصفر ') is a large plain to the south of Damascus. Marj al-Saffar is bounded to the north by the right bank of the al-A'waj river, which flows from Mount Hermon to the Sabkhat al-Hijana. In the ...