The Fursān (cavalrymen) of the Rashidun army constituted the mounted arm of early Muslim forces during the Muslim conquest of Syria. Within this arm, an elite cavalry formation emerged that later sources and modern historians commonly describe as the Mobile Guard (Arabic: طليعة متحركة, ṭalīʿa mutaḥarrika, or Arabic: الحرس المتحرك, al-ḥaras al-mutaḥarrik), sometimes also referred to as the Marching Army (جيش الزحف, Jaish al-Zaḥf). This formation was commanded by Khalid ibn al-Walid, who organized it as a centralized body of cavalry under his direct control rather than dispersing it among the infantry formations. The unit was composed largely of experienced horsemen drawn from earlier campaigns in Arabia, Iraq, Syria, and Palestine, resulting in a concentration of battle-hardened veterans with prior experience fighting the Byzantine and Sasanian empires.
In battle, the Mobile Guard was typically held in reserve during the initial phase of engagement and committed at critical moments, often against exposed flanks, overextended formations, or to counter enemy breakthroughs. Its mobility allowed it to shift rapidly across the battlefield, conduct flanking attacks, reinforce threatened sectors, and exploit enemy disorganization once contact had been made by the main army. After successful engagements, elements of the formation were frequently employed in pursuit operations, contributing to the breakdown and retreat of opposing forces. The unit played a significant role in major engagements against the Byzantine and Sasanian empires, including the Battle of Chains, Battle of Walaja, Battle of Ajnadayn, Battle of Firaz, Battle of Marj al-Dibaj, the Siege of Damascus, the Battle of the Yarmuk, the Battle of Hazir, and the Battle of the Iron Bridge. Elements of this cavalry force later operated under Al-Qa'qa' ibn Amr al-Tamimi, participating in the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, Battle of Jalula, and the Second Siege of Emesa.
This cavalry unit likely rode horses of Arabian lineage, reflecting the emphasis placed on horse breeding by early Islamic communities, where equestrian traditions were closely integrated with military practice.Bennett, Conquerors, p. 130 Horses of this type were widespread among Arab populations during the 6th and 7th centuries.
History
Muhammad's cavalry, the predecessor of the caliphate's, is recorded to have had 10,000 horsemen during the Expedition of Tabuk. The Muslim cavalry units were commonly called Fursan.
After the decisive victory at the Battle of Ajnadayn in 634 CE, Khalid, from his Iraqi army, which after Ajnadayn numbered about 8000 men, organised a force of 4000 horsemen, which the early historians refer to as The Army of Sharpeners. Khalid kept this force under his personal command. Aside from horses for use in attacks, the Rashidun cavalry also rode camels for transportation and in defensive battles, as camels could repel even heavy cavalry such as Byzantine and Sassanid cataphracts, and are large enough to withstand a heavy cavalry's charge. At the onset of the Battle of Yarmuk in 636 AD, around 3,000 cavalry reinforcements were sent to the Syrian front, including those from Yemen led by Qays ibn Makshuh.
Mahmud Shakir said the cavalry corps called al-Haras al-Mutaharikkah, had a distinguishing role in the battle of Yarmuk. The first recorded use of this mounted force was during the Siege of Damascus. During the battle of Yarmuk Khalid ibn Walid used them to his advantage at critical points in the battle. With their ability to engage and disengage, and turn back and attack again from the flank or rear, the Mobile Guard inflicted a shattering defeat of the Byzantine army. This strong mobile striking force was often used in later years as an advance guard. It could rout opposing armies with its greater mobility that gave it an upper hand against any Byzantine army. One of the victories of the mobile guard was at Battle of Hazir in 637 CE under the command of Khalid, in which not a single Byzantine soldier survived.Tabari: Vol. 3, p. 98. The Mobile guard remained under the personal command of Khalid ibn Walid for about four years (634-638 CE) until Khalid was dismissed from army by Caliph Umar after the completion of the conquest of the Levant.
With the dismissal of Khalid, this powerful cavalry regiment was dismantled. One of its commanders Al-Qa'qa' ibn Amr al-Tamimi had been sent to the Persian front in 637 CE along with reinforcements for the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, in which he played an important part. A part of it was later sent to the Persian front as reinforcements for the Muslim conquest of Persia. Many of its members died in the plague during 639-640 CE which killed approximately 25,000 Muslims in Syria. This included many sub-commanders of the mobile guard like Dirar ibn al-Azwar, those who survived accompanied the army under the command of Amr ibn al-As to conquer Egypt. After the conquest of Egypt, the Rashidun Army continued to invade and besiege Bahnasa, as the enemy were reinforced by an arrival of 50,000 according to the report of al-Maqqari. The siege dragged for months, until Khalid ibn al Walid commanded Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, Dirar ibn al-Azwar and other commanders to intensify the siege and assign them to lead around 10,000 Companions of the Prophet, with 70 among them were veterans of battle of Badr. They besiege the city for 4 months as Dirar leading 200 horsemens, while Zubayr ibn Al-Awwam lead 300 horsemen, while the other commanders such as Miqdad, Abd Allah ibn Umar and Uqba ibn Amir al-Juhani leading similar number with Dirar with each command 200 horsemens. After Bahnasa finally subdued, where they camped in a village which later renamed as Qays village, in honor of Qays ibn Harith, the overall commander of these Rashidun cavalry. The Byzantines and their copt allies showering the Rashidun army with arrows and stones from the city wall, As the bitter fights has rages on as casualties increases, until the Rashidun overcame the defenders, as Dirar, the first emerge, came out from the battle with his entire body stained in blood, while confessed he has slayed about 160 Byzantine soldiers during the battle. Chroniclers recorded the Rashidun army has finally breached the city gate under either Khalid ibn al-Walid or Qays ibn al-Harith finally managed to breach the gate and storming the city and forcing surrender to the inhabitant.
Later, some of the caliphate's horsemen rebelled against the caliphate under Hurqus ibn Zuhayr as-Sa'di, a Tamimi tribe chieftain and veteran of the Battle of Hunayn. Hurqus joined with another warrior tribe from Bajila, led by Abd Allah ibn Wahb al-Rasibi, who participated in the early conquests of Persia under Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas.
As Muslim conquests of North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula progressed. they also brought their breeds of horse to Africa and Spain in the form of Arabian horses, Barb horses, and to a lesser extent the Turkoman horse
Unit characteristics
Cavalry were highly regarded by the military rulers of early Medina, as the early Medina Islam constitution and the Caliphates' put emphasis by giving the cavalry troopers at least two portions of war spoils and booty compared to regular soldier, while regular infantry only received a single portion. The core of the caliphate's mounted division was an elite unit which early Muslim historians named Tulai'a Mutaharrika (طليعة متحركة), or the mobile guard.
Initially, the nucleus of the mobile guard formed from veterans of the horsemens under Khalid ibn al-Walid during the conquest of Iraq. They consisted half of the forces brought by Khalid from Iraq to Syria 4.000 soldiers out of 8.000 soldiers. This shock cavalry division played important roles in the victories at the Battle of Chains, Battle of Walaja, Battle of Ajnadayn, Battle of Firaz, Battle of Maraj-al-Debaj, Siege of Damascus, Battle of Yarmouk, Battle of Hazir and the Battle of Iron Bridge against the Byzantine and the Sassanid. Later, a splinter of this cavalry division under Al-Qa'qa ibn Amr at-Tamimi was also involved in the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, Battle of Jalula, and the Second siege of Emesa.
Equipment
Contrary to popular belief among historians, that the Arabians during the 6th century were unarmored light cavalry raiders, Eduard Alofs argues that the Arab horsemen, whether they are Rashiduns, Ghassanids, or Lakhmids were in fact heavily armoured elite nobles, akin to Cataphract in armors. The Muslim army in time of Muhammad also had a particular type of body armour called "al-Kharnaq", which was characterized as flexible.
For their armaments, the Early Arabic horsemen are theoretically used the following arms in battle: Arab sword of various types, one of the most famous types is as-Sayf al-Qala'i, a curved sword type. Muhammad owned this type of sword which preserved in modern-day in Topkapı Palace museum, the sword blade were around 100 cm length which has inscription in its hilt: "Hadha Sayf al-Mashrafi li Bayt Muhammad Rasulullah". The Indian manufactured swords which used by Arabs during Muhammad era were straight and double edged. certain cavalry commanders such as Amr ibn Ma'adi Yakrib, also known to possess multiple swords. while Khalid ibn al-Walid reportedly brought at least nine swords during single battle. Lance used by Rashidun cavalry by swinging them during close-combat, such as in the record of record of Tabari. Early caliphate cavalry held their Lance overhead posture with both hands. A personal lance belong to Muhammad consisted a lance which head was made of brass. Mounted archery with flying gallop was practiced casually by Rashidun caliphate onwards, as it was used by early Muslim warriors such as Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, who are reported as an expert for retreating mounted shot Their quivers were reportedly contained 50 arrows. Leaders and commanders also obliged the usage of bows, as there are records of Muhammad himself of usage of the bow during the battle of Uhud. Javelins also used by caliphate horsemens' their weapon. Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, a seasoned Muhajirun and early convert who always brought horses during battles, were recorded have killed his enemies with javelin in at least in two occasions during his life. The first occasion when he recorded has killed Qurayshi nobleman Ubayda ibn Sa'id from Umayyad clan during the Battle of Badr, who was wearing a full set of armor and Aventail that protected his entire body and face. Zubayr hurled his javelin aiming at the unprotected eye of Ubayda and killed him immediately. The second occasion is during the Battle of Khaybar, Zubayr fought in a duel against a Jewish nobleman Yassir which Zubayr killed with a powerful javelin strike. Firsthand witnesses reported that Zubayr brandishing himself across the battlefield during the Battle of Hunayn while hung two javelins in his back. Rounded shield to protect the rider from arrows.
Armour and horse armour
Regarding their defensive and supporting equipments, despite there is not yet archeological proof of Arabian armory before the era of Ayyubid and Mamluk found, literary sources indicates the Arabs already using body armour, such as coat of Chain mail called Dir that was found from the literary sources from the era before the advent of Islam, or as an Umayyad poetries that mentioned the armour of the caliphate army during caliph Umar until Umayyad era. During the Battle of Uhud, Jami'at Tirmidhi recorded Zubayr ibn al-Awwam testimony that Muhammad wearing two layers of mail coat. However, there is still not yet archaeological founding of Arabic armor in such time. Waqidi recorded the Qurayshite Arab horsemens also using horse armor which held by Crupper on the back of the horse, which are used by a Qurayshite warrior named Hubayr ibn Abi Wahb al Makhzumi during the battle of the Trench.