A humiliating end

Genghis Khan, May Allaah Curse him, remained in Samarqand, this huge city which appealed to him so much, since he never saw the like of it. The first thing he thought about was to kill the head of that state, in order to be able to invade and occupy its cities easily, and ensure that the Muslim armies would not be mobilized against him once again.

He dispatched 20,000 of his horsemen in pursuit of Muhammad ibn Khwarezm Shah, the leader of the Khwarezmian state. However, to send only that small number refers to the extent to which Genghis Khan looked down upon Muhammad ibn Khwarezm and his people. This small number was incomparable to the millions of Muslims among whom the Tatarian expedition was to move. Let us see what this small Tatarian battalion did. Genghis Khan commanded them to pursue Khwarezm Shah wherever he was, even if he rose up and hung to the sky.

The Tatarian horsemen went to Urgench, where Muhammad ibn Khwarezm was staying, and it was lying in the West bank of Amu Darya River. The Tatarian soldiers came from the East direction of the river. In this way, the river separated them. The Muslims remained constant, but this constancy went back to their knowledge that the river was separating them from the Tatars, who had no ships to cross the river.
What did the Tatars do?

They made big wooden basins covered with cow hide in order not to be filled with water (and thus submerge in the river). They put in those basins their weapons and all their war equipment and let the horses plunge into the water, knowing that horses could swim well. They got down into the water and caught hold of the tails of the horses, which swam with the soldiers behind them, drawing the wooden basins which carried their arms and war equipment behind them.

In this way, the Tatarian army crossed the Amu Darya River. I do not know where the watchers of the Khwarezmian army accompanying Muhammad ibn Khwarezm Shah were. The Muslims were surprised when they found the Tatarian army beside them. Although the Muslims were greater in number, terror of the Tatars had previously been cast into their hearts. They seemed to have remained constant only because they were certain that the river was separating (and protecting) them from the Tatarian monsters. But as the Tatars approached them, they had but one way: do you see it was the way of fighting? Nay! It was the way of flight!

As Ibn Al-Atheer, May Allaah Have mercy upon him, said, Khwarezm Shah carelessly escaped, in the company of a group of his private men, and headed to Neyshabur in Iran. The soldiers themselves dispersed in different directions. There is no power and no strength save in Allaah! The Tatars themselves had a specific mission, i.e. to pursue Muhammad ibn Khwarezm Shah this is why they left Urgench and went direct to Neyshabur, breaking into the Islamic territories, although they were no more than 20,000, while Genghis Khan was still in Samarqand. It was possible to contain this Tatarian advance guard anywhere inside the Islamic territories, in which they were going here and there freely. But unfortunately, terror from them had previously been cast in the hearts of the Muslims, who fled away from them anywhere they found them. They seemed to have adopted the way of flight, in imitation of their leader, who kept fleeing from one city to another as we see.

In their fierce pursuit, the Tatars did not harm the inhabitants of these cities, for they had a very clear aim, and did not like to waste time in killing and collecting spoils. They only wanted to join and catch the Muslim leader. On the other hand, the people themselves did not face them, lest they would provoke their anger, and be harmed by them.

Within a very short time, the Tatars were a short distance from the great city of Neyshabur. Muhammad ibn Khwarezm Shah failed to mobilize supporters and soldiers, since the time was insufficient and the Tatars were pursuing him. Knowing that they were very close to Neyshabur, he left the city for Mazandaran, an Iranian city. Consequently, the Tatars did not enter Neyshabur and rather went directly behind him. He left Mazandaran for the city of Rayy, from there to Hamadhan, and both were Iranian cities, and the Tatars were chasing him. Then, he returned to Mazandaran, in a process of disgraceful shameful flight. Then, he headed to the Iranian region of Tabaristan, on the coast of Khazar (Caspian) sea, where he went aboard a ship, which sailed with him across the Caspian Sea. The Tatars arrived at the coast where they stopped since they found no ship to ride behind him.

The plan of the Muslim leader succeeded, i.e., the plan of flight!
The leader Muhammad ibn Khwarezm went on flight until he arrived on an island in the middle of the sea, where he approved to stay in a castle in severe destitution and great hardship, although he was the king who ruled a vast state and had incalculable wealth. But he accepted that humiliating life in flight from death.
Exalted be Allaah! No one could flee from death. A few days later, Muhammad ibn Khwarezm Shah died on that island, inside the castle, alone, dispossessed, driven away, and destitute so much that they even could not find anything to shroud his dead body other than the cover of his bed: {Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you should be within towers of lofty construction.} [Quran 4:78]

Which is more honorable, my brothers, for the Muslim leader: to die in humiliation on that island amidst the sea, or to die with his head raised, steadfast and self-assured in the field of Jihaad? Which is more honorable: to die while facing the enemy or to die while turning his back to it? Which is more honorable: to die as a runaway or to die as a martyr? Although a man could not choose when to die, at least, he could choose how to die; and if bravery could, by no means, shorten one’s life, in no way could flight and cowardice prolong it. Whoever lives as a Mujaahid in the Cause of Allaah would die also as a Mujaahid in the Way of Allaah, even though he dies on his bed.

It was narrated on the authority of Sahl ibn Hunayf, May Allaah be pleased with him, that he said that the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "Whoever asks Allaah for martyrdom sincerely, Allaah Will Raise him to the ranks of martyrs, even though he dies on his bed." [Muslim]

Now, let us return to Ibn Al-Atheer, May Allaah Have mercy upon him, in his relating the biography of Muhammad ibn Khwarezm Shah, which is very confusing. When you read about his attributes, you think he is one of the great Muslim personalities. But when you review the last part of his life, how it ended, and how he was defeated and fled, something different would soon occur to your mind.

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