Thread by @SalafiManhajj

[The Battle Of The Chains]
When Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed, may Allah be pleased with
him, finished the wars against the apostates, he received orders
from Abu Bakr As-Sideeq, may Allah be pleased with him, that
he should march to Iraq and start operations in the region of
Uballah 1/18

where the two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates,
met. Four other columns each under the command of
Muthanna, Madhaar. Harmalah, and Salama were also directed
to proceed to Iraq to reinforce the main Muslim army under the
command of Khalid Ibn Waleed. 2/18

Uballah, being a junction of many land routes, was the
gateway of Iraq and commanded great strategic importance. The
Governor of the district was Hormuz, a veteran General and a
skilful administrator. He was an imperialist, very haughty and
an intolerable man. He held the 3/18

Arabs in contempt, and thus he
was very disliked. His harshness and high handedness became
the subject of a saying among the local Arabs: "more hateful
than Hormuz," and "there is no infidel more wicked than
Hormuz".

As soon as Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed received orders to 4/18

march to Iraq, he sent a letter to Hormuz calling upon him to
accept Islam. The letter read: "Surrender to Islam, and you will
live in peace. In the alternative you may agree to the payment
of Jizyah, and you and your people will be under our
protection. Otherwise you will 5/18

only have yourself to blame for
the consequences. I have brought you a people who desire death
as ardently as you desire life." Thus the letter gave Hormuz
three options: to embrace Islam, to pay the Jizyah, and fighting. 6/18

Getting no reply, Khalid divided his army into three
regiments of 6,000 men each. Hormuz, on the other hand,
mustered his forces and set out from Uballah to encounter the
Muslim forces. On the direct route from Uballah to Yamaamah,
the first stage was Kazimah, and 7/18

Hormuz decided to fight the
Muslims at that place. His idea was that the Muslim forces
should be kept away from Uballah. On arrival at Kazimah,
Hormuz deployed his army with a center and two wings, the
right and the left. His men were linked together with chains,
and in this 8/18

state of affairs the Persians awaited the arrival of the
Muslim forces.

Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed gave a slip to the Persians, and
instead of following the direct route to Uballah via Kazimah, he
followed the indirect route via Hafeer. Hafeer was closer
to Uballah than Kazimah 9/18

and when Hormuz came to know that
Khalid had already reached Hafeer, he was very upset. He
immediately ordered his forces to march to Hafeer. When they
reached Hafeer, they found that the Muslim forces had left for
Kazimah. The Persians had no option but to march back to 10/18

Kazimah. When the Persian forces reached Kazimah, Khalid
allowed them no time to rest. As the Muslim forces were
already deployed for battle, the Persians were forced to go into
action. The Persian forces were linked in chains, and it was due
to the use of these chains that 11/18

The battle of Kazimah is called the
"Battle of Chains."

Hormuz wanted to cut the fight short by murdering
Khalid treacherously. So, no sooner had the two armies engaged
in battle than he challenged Khalid to fight a duel. Hormuz
instructed some of his men to remain close 12/18

To Him so that when
he gave a signal they should fall on Khalid and kill him. Khalid
at once dismounted and before long his foe was killed. 13/18

The death of Hormuz had demoralized the Persians, but
nevertheless, they fought hard. The Muslims assailed
vehemently, but the chain-linked Persian infantry withstood all
attacks. The Muslims redoubled their attacks, and the Persians
were forced to fall back. The Persians 14/18

Found their chains to be a
death trap, and as they retreated held together in chains they
suffered heavy causalities. Before the night set in, the Muslims
had won.

Thousands of Persians were killed, and thousands of
them were taken captives. The war booty that fell 15/18

Into the hands
of the Muslims comprised wagons, armor, stores, costly
garments, horses and a good amount of money. Four-fifth of the
booty was distributed among the Muslim soldiers and one-fifth
was sent to the Caliph at Madeenah. So large was the booty that
the share 16/18

of each cavalryman came to a thousand dirhams. The
booty included the 100,000-dirham cap of Hormuz studded with
diamonds and pearls. The Caliph offered this cap as a present to
Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed. The battle of the Chains at Kazima
unchained for the Muslims the gate 17/18

Of Iraq. The so-called
uncivilized Arabs had defeated the Persians so proud of their
civilization extending over a thousand years. 18/18

[Tareekh Al Khulafa lil Imam As Sayuti]
[Tareekh Tabari]
[Al Bidayah wan nihaya Ibn Kathir]