Khalid's Attack
On September 18 (19 Rajab, 13 Hijrah), a disaffected monophysite bishop of Damascus sent a Greek named Jonah to inform Khalid about a festival celebration in the city that night.e The festivities offered Khalid an opportunity to capture the city in a surprise attack on the relatively lightly defended walls. In return, he requested immunity for himself and his fiance. According to Muslim chronicles, she was still not handed over to him because of the arrival of the Muslim army that was to besiege Damascus, and according to the narrations he came to Khalid with this information only to get his beloved wife soon. Jonah also converted to Islam.
With no time to make a coordinated plan of attack for the whole army, Khalid decided to storm thee East Gate himself. He, Qa'qa ibn Amr, and Mazur ibn Adi climbed the wall hand-by-hand from the side of the gate. This part of the wall was the strongest, no guard was stationed at the top. They secured ropes to the wall and dropped them to 100 selected soldiers waiting at the base. Leaving a few men to assist the climbers, Khalid descended into the city, killing the guards at the inside of the East Gate. Khalid and Qa'qa flung the gate open and the remainder of Khalid's men entered the city. An intense battle ensued.
When Thomas saw that the rest of the army did not move from the other gates, he assumed first that only Khalid's army had entered the city and second that the other corps commanders were unaware of this sudden attack. Muslim practice was specific: if a city surrendered, the inhabitants would be spared, but if a city resisted, the resisters would be killed. Thomas tried to save Damascus for one last time. He sent envoys to the Jabiya Gate to talk with Abu Ubaidah, the second in command to Khalid, and offered to surrender the fort peacefully and to pay the Jizya. Abu Ubaidah, who was well-known for his peace-loving nature, accepted the terms, thinking that Khalid would also agree.
The news was sent to all the corps commanders. After dawn Abu Ubaidah entered Damascus from Jabiyah gate and the other commanders from their respective gates, while Khalid's corps was still battling in the city from the East Gate. Abu Ubaidah marched peacefully with his corps, accompanied by Thomas, Harbees, several dignitaries, and the bishops of Damascus, toward the center of city. From the East Gate, Khalid and his men fought their way towards the center of Damascus, killing all who resisted. The commanders met at the Church of Mary in the center of the city.
Read more about this topic: Siege Of Damascus (634)
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