Al-Muthanna ibn Haritha

Who is Al-Muthanna ibn Haritha?

Al-Muthanna ibn Haritha was a Muslim Arab general who led military forces that defeated the Sassanid Persians at the Battle of al-Qādisiyyah. Due to his victory he became a celebrated historical figure in modern Iraq, and his name was used as a title by the pan-Arab nationalist political movement called the Al-Muthanna Club. His name was also given to the Muthanna Province in the south of the country.

In 636, after the capture of Persian territory in Iraq by Muslim Arab forces and the departure of Khalid ibn al-Walid, al-Muthanna was put in charge of Muslim Arab occupied territories of Iraq. Al-Muthanna relied on his tribe, the Bakr along with other powerful Arab tribes including the Taghlib and the Tanim to maintain control over the territories.