Khalid ibn al-Walid, son of Al-Mughira, a nobleman and a chieftain of Makhzum clan of the Quresh tribe, was born in Mecca. The Makhzum are credited for introducing Meccan commerce to foreign markets, particularly Yemen and Abyssinia (Ethiopia), and were known for their intellect, nobility and wealth. Interestingly, Khalid’s aristocratic clan, whose members were traders by profession, was one of the most ardent opponents of the Prophet (PBUH). Khalid's mother, al-Asma bint al-Harith ibn Hazn, commonly known as Lubaba al-Sughra, converted to Islam about 622 AD, and her paternal half-sister, Maymuna, became a wife of the Prophet (PBUH). According to the historian A. I. Akram’s book, ‘Khalid Bin Al-Walid: The Sword of Allah’, ‘Soon after his birth Khalid was taken away from his mother, as was the custom among the better families of the Quraish, and sent to a Bedouin tribe in the desert. A foster mother was found for him, who would nurse him and bring him up. In the clear, dry and unpolluted air of the desert, the foundations were laid of the tremendous strength and robust health that Khalid was to enjoy throughout his life.’
As the Makhzumi are amongst some of the best horsemen of Arabia, Khalid soon acquired mastery over the art of horsemanship, and was equally adept at riding a camel, as both animals were vital for Arab warfare. The horse was used for fighting and the camel for long marches. According to A. I. Akram, ‘Along with riding, Khalid learned the skills of combat. He learnt to use all weapons: the spear, the lance, the bow and the sword. He learnt to fight on horseback and on foot. While he became skillful in the use of all weapons, the ones for which he appears to have had a natural gift was the lance, used while charging on horseback, and the sword for mounted and dismounted dueling. The sword was regarded by the Arabs as the weapon of chivalry, for this brought one nearest to one's adversary; and in sword fighting one's survival depended on strength and skill and not on keeping at a safe distant from the opponent.’ While his mother embraced Islam, Khalid himself, as a brave young soldier of the army of the non-believers, played an instrumental role in defeating the Muslims at the battle of Uhud in 625 AD.