The Battle of Marj al-Rahit is a minor conflict fought between the Ghassanid Arab allies of Byzantine Empire and Rashidun army under the command of Khalid bin Walid in July, 634.
After the Battle of Hawwareen, Khalid the very next morning moves to invest sDamascus with his 9000 army.
20 miles from Damascus there lies a pass, over the top of this pass which is about 2000 feet above the surrounding land.
The ridge is part of the range known as Jabal-ush-Sharq, which is an off-shoot of the Anti-Lebanon Range and runs in a northeasterly direction to Tadmur.
The pass itself, not a formidable one, is quite long.
Khalid stops at the highest part of it, and here he plants his standard.
As a result of this action the pass becomes known as Saniyyat-ul-Uqab, i.e.
the Pass of the Eagle, after the name of Khalid's standard.
From the Pass of the Eagle, Khalid moves to Marj Rahit, a large Ghassanid town near the present Azra on the road to Damascus.
The Muslims arrive in time to participate in a joyous festival of the Ghassanids which becomes a violent battle.
