MILITARY PLATOONS AND MISSIONS BETWEEN THE BATTLE OF UHUD AND THE BATTLE OF THE CONFEDERATES
Uhud’s misfortune left a bad impact on both the credibility and military reputation of the Muslims. Their
dignity and power in people’s eyes were impaired. Troubles and dangers spread everywhere in and out
of Madinah. The Jews, hypocrites and bedouins declared publicly their enmity to the Muslims and each
party was keen on degrading and, in the final place, exterminating their whole existence.
Two months had almost passed after this battle, when Banu Asad made preparations to raid Madinah,
‘
Udal and Qarah tribes conspired against the Muslims in the month of Safar, 4 A.H. and killed ten of the
Prophet ’s Companions. Similarly Banu ‘Amir plotted against them too, and seventy Companions were
killed in the battle of Ma‘una Well. During that period, Banu Nadeer kept on announcing their enmity
and were involved in a plot to kill the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal in 4
A.H. Banu Ghatfan were about to attack Madinah in Jumada Al-Ula in 4 A.H.
Thus we see that the Muslims turned into an attractive target of several potential dangers after they
had lost their military credibility in the battle of Uhud. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) most wisely
managed to hold all those hostile currents at bay, and even redeem the lost dignity of the Muslims and
gain them anew fresh glory and noble standing. The first initiative he took in this process was Hamra’
Al-Asad pursuit operation, whereby he could retain the Muslim military reputation. He succeeded in
recovering his followers’ dignity and awe-inspiring position in such a manner that astonished or even
astounded both the Jews and hypocrites, alike, then he proceeded to crown his successful attempts by
despatching military errands and missions:
ABI SALAMAH MISSION:
The first people to take up arms against the Muslims in the aftermath of Uhud reverse were Banu Asad
bin Khuzaimah. “The Intelligence Corps” of Madinah reported that Talhah and Salamah, sons of
Khuwailid have mustered some volunteers to fight the Messenger of Allâh (Peace b upon him). The
Prophet (Peace be upon him) immediately despatched a 150-man-platoon of Helpers and Emigrants
headed by Abu Salamah. The Muslim leader took Bani Asad bin Khuzaimah by surprise in their own
homeland, neutralized their attempts, dispersed them and captured their cattle. On his return, Abu
Salamah had an inflammation of a previous wound he sustained in Uhud, and caused him to die soon
after. This expedition took place on Muharram 1st, 4 A.H.
AN ERRAND LED BY 'ABDALLAH BIN UNAIS:
On the fifth day of the same month Muharram, 4 A.H., it was reported that Khalid bin Sufyan Al-Hudhali
was gathering some mob to raid the Muslim positions. ‘Abdullah bin Unais, at the behest of the Prophet
(Peace be upon him) set out to destroy the enemies.
The Muslim military leader stayed away for eighteen days during which he successfully fulfilled his task,
killed the head of the rebels and brought his head back to Madinah on Saturday, seven days before the
end of Muharram. The Prophet (Peace be upon him), as a reward, gave him a stick saying “This will
function as a sign of recognition for you and me on the Day of Resurrection.” On his death bed,
‘
Abdullah requested that the log be with him in his shroud.
THE EVENT OF AR-RAJI:
In Safar of the fourth year A.H., a delegation from the tribes of ‘Udal and Qarah came to Madinah and
asked the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to send a group of Companions to instruct them in religion,
claiming the existence of some Muslims among them. He sent six of his Companions, in another
version, ten headed by Murthid bin Abi Murthid Al-Ghanawi, or, according to Al-Bukhari, ‘Asim bin
Thabit, the grandfather of ‘Asim bin ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab. When they reached a spot called Ar-Raji‘ between Rabigh and Jeddah, a hundred archers of Banu Lihyan clan surrounded the place and attacked
them. The delegation of Muslims took shelter on some high ground, Fudfud, and the bedouins offered
them a pledge that they would not be killed. ‘Asim refused to come down, instead he fought them until
he and six of his companions were killed. Three men were left, Khubaib, Zaid bin Ad-Dathna and
another one. Once again, the bedouins offered them a guarantee of safety and they accepted. When
they descended, the bedouins treacherously bound them. The third man rebuked them for their
insincerity and resisted them so they killed him. The other two men who had killed some notables of
Quraish at Badr were taken and sold in Makkah. The first was Khubaib who was detained for some time
and then it was unanimously decided to crucify him. He was taken from the Holy Sanctuary to AtTan‘im
for
crucifixion.
He
requested
a
respite
to
offer
a
two-Rak‘a
prayer.
After
the
final
greeting,
he
turned
to
his
executioners,
and
said:
“Had
I
not
been
afraid
that
you
would
think
that
I
was
afraid
of
death,
I
would
have
prayed
for
a
long
time.”
It
was
then
that
Khubaib
first
set
the
tradition
of
praying
two
Rak‘a
before
being
executed.
He
then
said:
l O Lord! Count them one by one, exterminate them to the last one.”
He then recited some verses of poetry which speak eloquently of the atrocities borne by him, and
testify to his Faith in Allâh at this hour of suffering:
The confederates have gathered their tribes around me,
And summoned all of them who could come.
They have gathered their women and children,
I am bound fastly to a lofty trunk.
To Allâh alone I complain of my helplessness and sufferings,
And of the death, the confederates have prepared for me.
Lord of the Throne! Give me endurance against their design,
They have cut my flesh bit by bit, and I have been deprived of sustenance.
They let me choose infidelity but death is preferable,
Tears roll out of my eyes, though not of fear.
By Allâh! I fear not if I die a Muslim,
On what side I fall for the sake of Allâh.
I will not show subservience to the enemy,
If Lord so desires, He will bless my torn limbs and broken joints.
Abu Sufyan then addressed him saying: “I adjure you by Allâh, don’t you wish that Muhammad (Peace
be upon him) were here in your place so that we might cut off his head, and that you were with your
family?” Khubaib answered, “By Allâh, I do not wish that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) now were in
the place I occupy or that a thorn could hurt him, and that I were sitting with my family.” Quraish
ordered ‘Uqbah bin Al-Harith, whose father had been killed by Khubaib himself, to crucify him. They
also appointed someone to guard his corpse. ‘Amr bin Omaiyah Ad-Damari played a cunning trick and
carried the corpse stealthily at night to bury it somewhere. It was later reported that shortly before his
crucifixion, he was seen eating a bunch of grapes although there was not even one date available in
Makkah at that time. [In fact, it was nothing but sustenance bestowed upon him by Allâh.
Safwan bin Omaiyah purchased the second man, Zaid bin Ad-Dathna, and killed him as an act of
vengeance for his father’s murder.
Quraish, whom ‘Asim had killed one of their notables, sent someone to fetch a portion of his body, but
to their disappointment, his corpse was inaccessible because a large swarm of hornets had been
shielding him against any malicious tampering. ‘Asim had already given his Lord a pledge to remain
immune against any polytheist tampering with respect to his body, and also stay detached from any
contact with the enemies of Allâh. ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, when hearing this piece of news exclaimed,
“
Allâh verily protects His believing slave after death just as He does during his lifespan.
THE TRAGEDY OF MA'UNA WELL:
Ma‘una Well tragedy, which was even more horrible than that of Ar-Raji‘, took place in the same month. Abu Bara’ — ‘Amir bin Malik — nicknamed ‘Spear Player’ came to the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be
upon him) in Madinah. The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) called him to embrace Islam but he
neither agreed nor refused. He said: “O Messenger of Allâh, if you dispatch some of your Companions
to the people of Najd to call them to Islam, I expect them to accept.” “I am afraid the people of Najd
willkill them.” Said the Messenger. But he replied, “I will protect them.” Ibn Ishaq confirms that forty
men were sent to them; but As-Sahih states that they were seventy — Al-Mundhir bin ‘Amr, one of Bani
Sa‘ida, nicknamed ‘Freed to die’ — commanded that group, who were the best and most learned in the
Qur’ân and jurisprudence.
On their way to Najd they used to gather firewood to buy food for the people of ‘Ahl As-Suffah’ as
charity by day and study, meditate on the meanings of the Qur’ân by night. They kept on doing that till
they arrived at Ma‘una Well — which was a well in between Bani ‘Amir, Harrah and Bani Saleem. They
stayed there and sent the Message of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) with Haram bin Milhan, the
brother of Umm Sulaim to the enemy of Allâh ‘Amir bin At-Tufail. ‘Amir did not heed the Message but
rather ordered a man to spear Haram in the back. When the spear penetrated Haram’s body, he saw
the blood and said: “Allâhu Akbar! (i.e. Allâh is the Greatest) By Lord of Al-Ka‘bah I have won!”
Then the enemy of Allâh, promptly, called out Bani ‘Amir to fight the rest. Bani ‘Amir refused because
they were under the protection of Abu Bara’. Therefore he turned to Bani Saleem for help. The people
of ‘Usaiyah, Ri‘al and Dhakwan, who were folks of Bani Saleem, responded to his call. The Companions
of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), who were encompassed by idolaters, kept on fighting till they were
all killed. The only survivor was Ka‘b bin Zaid bin An-Najjar who was carried wounded from among the
dead. It was in Al-Khandaq (the trench) Battle that he was killed.
‘Amr bin Omaiyah Ad-Damari and Al-Mundhir bin ‘Uqbah bin ‘Amir, who were entrusted with the
Muslims’ animals far from them, saw the birds circling in the air over the battleground. Al-Mundhir
rushed to share in the fight till he was killed. But ‘Amr bin Omaiyah was captured. ‘Amir set him free
when he knew that he was of Mudar tribe but that was after he had cut his hair. He did that to fulfil a
pledge of his mother’s to set a slave free.
Returning to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) ‘Amr bin Omaiyah conveyed the news of the painful
disaster, which resulted in the murder of seventy of the best believers, and recalled the tragedy of
Uhud but with the difference that those of Uhud were killed in a clear war but those of Ma‘una were
killed in a disgraceful treachery. On his way back to Qarqara, ‘Amr bin Omaiyah rested in the shade of a
tree, and there two men of Bani Kilab joined him. When they slept, ‘Amr killed them both, thinking that
by doing that he would avenge some of his killed companions. Then he found out that they had been
given a pledge of protection by the Prophet (Peace be upon him). He told the Messenger of Allâh (Peace
be upon him) what he had done. The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) said to ‘Amr: “You have
killed two people; their blood-money shall be a debt I have to discharge.” He then engaged himself
collecting their blood-money from the Muslims and their allies, the Jews. This very act was later to
trigger the invasion of Bani An-Nadeer.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) was so deeply moved by this tragedy and that of Ar-Raji‘ that he
used to invoke Allâh’s wrath against those people and tribes who killed his Companions. Anas reported
that for thirty days the Prophet (Peace be upon him) supplicated Allâh against those who killed his
Companions at Ma‘una Well. Every dawn prayer he would invoke Allâh’s wrath against Ri‘l, Dhakwan,
Lihyan and ‘Usaiyah. He would say, “ ‘Usaiyah disobeyed Allâh and His Messenger.” Therefore Allâh ﺰﻋ
ﻞﺟو, sent down unto His Messenger a Qur’ânic verse that we kept on reciting till it was abrogated later
on: ‘Inform our folk that we have encountered our Lord and He is satisfied with us and we are satisfied
with Him.’ So the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) stopped his invocation.
BANI AN
-NADEER INVASION:
We have already spoken about the disgraceful behaviour of the Jews and how they were always
thirsting to shed the blood of the Muslims and undermine the cause of Islam despite all the covenants
and pledges they had given to the Prophet (Peace be upon him). Their behaviour fluctuated between
resignation and slackness after the Banu Qainuqa‘ event and the murder of Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf, and rebellion coupled with treacherous clandestine contacts with Quraish and the hypocrites in order to
establish an alliance against the Muslims after the battle of Uhud. Being inexperienced in war tactics,
they resorted to conspiracy and intrigue hatching. They first of all declared open hatred and enmity,
and chose to play all sorts of tricks that might harm the Muslims, but were very careful not to initiate
any sort of hostilities that might involve them in open war.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him), on his part, exercised the highest degree of patience with them but
they went too far in their provocative deeds, especially after Ar-Raji‘ and Ma‘una Well events; they even
made an attempt on his life.
Once the Prophet (Peace be upon him) with some of his Companions set out to see Banu Nadeer and
seek their help in raising the blood-money he had to pay to Bani Kalb for the two men that ‘Amr bin
Omaiyah Ad-Damari had killed by mistake. All of that was in accordance with the clauses of the treaty
that both parties had already signed. On hearing his story they said they would share in paying the
blood-money and asked him and his Companions Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Ali and others to sit under a wall of
their houses and wait. The Jews held a short private meeting and conspired to kill the Prophet (Peace
be upon him). The most wicked among them, ‘Amr bin Jahsh, volunteered to climb up the wall and drop
a large millstone on his head. One of them, Salam bin Mashkam, cautioned them against perpetrating
such a crime, predicting that Allâh would divulge their plot to him, and added that such an act would
constitute a manifest violation of the pact concluded with the Muslims.
In fact, Gabriel did come down to reveal to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) their wicked criminal
intention, so he, with his Companions, hurried off back to Madinah. On their way, he told his
Companions of the Divine Revelation.
Soon after, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) delegated Muhammad bin Maslamah to communicate an
ultimatum to Bani Nadeer to the effect that they should evacuate Madinah within ten days, otherwise,
their heads would be cut off. The chief of the hypocrites, ‘Abdullah bin Ubai, urged the Jews not to pay
heed to the Prophet ’s words and to stay in their habitations, offering to run to their support with two
thousands of his followers, and assuring them of help to come from Quraizah tribe and former allies
Banu Ghatfan. In this regards, Allâh says:
l “If you are expelled, we (too) indeed will go out with you, and we shall never obey anyone
against you, and if you are attacked (in fight), we shall indeed help you.” [59:11]
The Jews regained their confidence and were determined to fight. Their chief Huyai bin Akhtab relied
hopefully on what the chief of the hypocrites said. So he sent to the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon
him) saying: “We will not leave our houses. Do whatever you like to do.”
Undoubtedly the situation was awkward for the Muslims. Launching a war against their opponents at
this critical stage could entail terrible far reaching ramifications in the light of the unfavourable
conditions they were passing through, besides the hostile environment growing in power and hatred
around them, the harbinger of which assumed the form of killing the Muslim missions, as it has been
already introduced.
The Jews of Bani Nadeer were also a power to count for, and the prospects of inflicting a military defeat
on them was precarious; consequently forcing them into war engagement would be attended with
unpredictable risks. On the other hand, the continual state of repeated assassinations and acts of
treachery carried out against the Muslims individually and collectively brought about unbearable
headache to Muhammad ’s followers. Having judged all the prevalent status quo in this perspective, and
in the light of the disgraceful attempt on thlife of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), the Muslims made
the decisive decisions of taking up arms whatever turn the consequences could assume.
When the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) received the reply of Huyai bin Akhtab he said:
“
Allâhu Akbar, Allâhu Akbar.” (Allâh is the Greatest of all) and his Companions repeated after him. Then
he set out to fight them after appointing Ibn Umm Maktum to dispose the affairs of Madinah during his absence. The standard was entrusted to ‘Ali bin Abi Talib. He laid siege to their forts for six nights — in
another version, fifteen.
Banu Nadeer resorted to their castles, mounted them and started shooting arrows and pelting stones at
the Muslims enjoying the strategic advantage that their thick fields of palm trees provided. The Muslims
were therefore ordered to fell and burn those trees. In this respect, Allâh, the All-Mighty, states in the
Qur’ân:
l “
What you (O Muslims) cut down of the palm-trees (of the enemy), or you left them standing on
their stems, it was by leave of Allâh.” [59:5]
Quraizah tribe remained neutral, and the hypocrite ‘Abdullah bin Ubai as well as Ghatfan failed to keep
their promises of support. In this regard Allâh says:
l “(Their allies deceived them) like Satan, when he says to man: ‘Disbelieve in Allâh.’ But when
(man) disbelieves in Allâh, Satan says: ‘I am free of you.’” [59:16]
The siege did not last long for Allâh, the All-Mighty, cast horror into the hearts of the Jews, and they
willingly offered to comply with the Prophet ’s order and leave Madinah. The Prophet (Peace be upon
him) accepted their request and allowed them to carry as much luggage as their camels could lift, arms
were excepted. Of course, they had no choice but to carry out the orders, so they took with them
everything they could carry even the pegs and beams of ceilings. Their caravan counted 600 loaded
camels including their chiefs, Huyai bin Akhtab and Salam bin Abi Al-Huqaiq, who left for Khaibar
whereas another party shifted to Syria. Two of them embraced Islam, Yameen bin ‘Amr and Abu Sa‘d
bin Wahab, and so they retained their personal wealth.
The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) seized their weapons, land, houses, and wealth. Amongst
the other booty he managed to capture, there were 50 armours, 50 helmets, and 340 swords.
This booty was exclusively the Prophet ’s because no fighting was involved in capturing it. He divided
the booty at his own discretion among the early Emigrants and two poor Helpers, Abu Dujana and
Suhail bin Haneef. Anyway the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) spent a portion of this wealth
on his family to sustain their living the year around. The rest was expended to provide the Muslim army
with equipment for further wars in the way of Allâh.
The invasion of Bani An-Nadeer took place in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, 4 A.H. i.e. in August 625 A.D. Almost all
the verses of Sûrah Al-Hashr (Chapter 59 - The Gathering) describe the banishment of the Jews and
reveal the disgraceful manners of the hypocrites. The verses manifest the rules relevant to the booty.
In this Chapter, Allâh, the All-Mighty, praises the Emigrants and Helpers. This Chapter also shows the
legitimacy of cutting down and burning the enemy’s land and trees for military purposes. Such acts
cannot be regarded as phenomena of corruption so long that they are in the way of Allâh.
In this very Chapter, Allâh recommends the believers to be pious and prepare themselves for the world
to come and He ends it with a compliment upon Himself and a manifestation of His Holy Names and
Attributes.
As this Chapter concentrates on Bani An-Nadeer and their banishment, Ibn ‘Abbas used to describe it as
‘
An-Nadeer Chapter’.
THE INVASION OF NAJD:
With the peaceful victory that the Muslims achieved at Bani An-Nadeer invasion, their control over
Madinah was undisputedly established, and the hypocrites receded to a state of silence and stopped
their artful machinations publicly. Consequently the Prophet (Peace be upon him) had ample time to
direct all his energies and human resources towards suppressing the desert bedouins and curbing their harmful provocations and wicked malicious practices of killing his missionaries and even contemplating
an invasion of Madinah itself. Meanwhile, the Muslim scouting groups reported building up of bedouin
troops of Bani Muharib and Tha‘labah of Ghatfan around Madinah. The Prophet (Peace be upon him),
with the Muslims, hurriedly set out to discipline those new outlaws, cast fear into their hearts and deter
them from perpetrating further wicked practices. These deterring operations were carried out
repeatedly and did produce effective results. The rebellious hard-hearted desert bedouins were
terrorized into the mountains, and Madinah remained completely immune against their raids.
In the context of these invasions, it is interesting to draw some prominence to a significant one ¾ Dhat
Ar-Riqa‘ (rags) campaign ¾ which some scholars claim, took place in Najd ( a large area of tableland in
the Arabian Peninsula) in Rabi‘ Ath-Thani or Jumada Al-Ula, 4 A.H. They substantiate their claim by
saying that it was strategically necessary to carry out this campaign in order to quell the rebellious
bedouins in order to meet the exigencies of the agreed upon encounter with the polytheists, i.e. minor
Badr Battle in Sha‘ban, 4 A.H. The most authentic opinion, however, is that Dhat Ar-Riqa‘ campaign
took place after the fall of Khaibar. This is supported by the fact that Abu Hurairah and Abu Musa AlAsh‘ari
It seems that his army were also possessed of the same fears and apprehensions, for they readily
obeyed him without the least hesitation.
The Muslims, who were then at Badr, stayed for eight days waiting for their enemy. They took
advantage of their stay by selling goods and earning double as much the price out of it. When the
idolaters declined to fight, the balance of powers shifted to rest in favour of the Muslims, who thus
regained their military reputation, their dignity and managed to impose their awe-inspiring presence
over the whole of Arabia. In brief, they mastered and controlled the whole situation.
This invasion had many a name. It is called ‘Badr the Appointment’, ‘Badr, Second’, ‘Badr, the Latter’,
and ‘Badr Minor’.
THE INVASION OF DOUMAT AL
-JANDAL:
With the Messenger’s return from Badr, peace and security prevailed the whole area; and the Islamic headquarters, Madinah, enjoyed full security. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) then deemed it fit and
appropriate to head for the most distant areas of Arabia in order to subdue all hostile elements in order
to force undisputed recognition out of friend and enemy alike.
After a six-month lull of military activities, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was reported that some
tribes, in the vicinity of Doumat Al-Jandal, on the borders of Syria, were involved in highway robbery
and plundering, and were on their way to muster troops and raid Madinah itself. He immediately
appointed Siba‘ bin ‘Arfatah Al-Ghifari to dispose the affairs of Madinah during his absence, and set out
at the head of 1000 Muslims in late Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, 5 A.H. taking with him a man, named Madhkur,
from Bani ‘Udhrah, as a guide.
On their way to Doumat Al-Jandal, they used to march by night and hide by day, so that they might
take the enemy by surprise. When they drew near their destination, the Muslims discovered that the
highway men had moved to another place, so they captured their cattle and shepherds. The inhabitants
of Doumat Al-Jandal had also fled in all directions for their lives and evacuated their habitations. The
Prophet (Peace be upon him) stayed there for 5 days during which he despatched expeditionary forces
to hunt for the enemy personnel but they detected none. He then returned to Madinah but en route he
entered into a peace treaty with ‘Uyainah bin Hisn. Doumat Al-Jandal is located at about a distance of
fifteen days march from Madinah and five from Damascus.
With this decisive and steady progress and wise strict plans, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) managed
to spread security, control the situation and make peace prevail the whole area. He also succeeded in
shifting the course of events for the welfare of the Muslims by reducing the incessant internal and
external troubles. The hypocrites were silenced, a tribe of the Jews evacuated while the other continued
to fake good neighbourliness and seemingly faithful adherence to the covenants, the desert bedouins
subdued and finally the archenemy Quraish no longer keen on attacking the Muslims. This secure
strategic attitude created optimum circumstances for the Muslims to resume their logical course in
propagating Islam and communicating the Messages of the Lord to all worlds.
Uhud’s misfortune left a bad impact on both the credibility and military reputation of the Muslims. Their
dignity and power in people’s eyes were impaired. Troubles and dangers spread everywhere in and out
of Madinah. The Jews, hypocrites and bedouins declared publicly their enmity to the Muslims and each
party was keen on degrading and, in the final place, exterminating their whole existence.
Two months had almost passed after this battle, when Banu Asad made preparations to raid Madinah,
‘
Udal and Qarah tribes conspired against the Muslims in the month of Safar, 4 A.H. and killed ten of the
Prophet ’s Companions. Similarly Banu ‘Amir plotted against them too, and seventy Companions were
killed in the battle of Ma‘una Well. During that period, Banu Nadeer kept on announcing their enmity
and were involved in a plot to kill the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal in 4
A.H. Banu Ghatfan were about to attack Madinah in Jumada Al-Ula in 4 A.H.
Thus we see that the Muslims turned into an attractive target of several potential dangers after they
had lost their military credibility in the battle of Uhud. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) most wisely
managed to hold all those hostile currents at bay, and even redeem the lost dignity of the Muslims and
gain them anew fresh glory and noble standing. The first initiative he took in this process was Hamra’
Al-Asad pursuit operation, whereby he could retain the Muslim military reputation. He succeeded in
recovering his followers’ dignity and awe-inspiring position in such a manner that astonished or even
astounded both the Jews and hypocrites, alike, then he proceeded to crown his successful attempts by
despatching military errands and missions:
ABI SALAMAH MISSION:
The first people to take up arms against the Muslims in the aftermath of Uhud reverse were Banu Asad
bin Khuzaimah. “The Intelligence Corps” of Madinah reported that Talhah and Salamah, sons of
Khuwailid have mustered some volunteers to fight the Messenger of Allâh (Peace b upon him). The
Prophet (Peace be upon him) immediately despatched a 150-man-platoon of Helpers and Emigrants
headed by Abu Salamah. The Muslim leader took Bani Asad bin Khuzaimah by surprise in their own
homeland, neutralized their attempts, dispersed them and captured their cattle. On his return, Abu
Salamah had an inflammation of a previous wound he sustained in Uhud, and caused him to die soon
after. This expedition took place on Muharram 1st, 4 A.H.
AN ERRAND LED BY 'ABDALLAH BIN UNAIS:
On the fifth day of the same month Muharram, 4 A.H., it was reported that Khalid bin Sufyan Al-Hudhali
was gathering some mob to raid the Muslim positions. ‘Abdullah bin Unais, at the behest of the Prophet
(Peace be upon him) set out to destroy the enemies.
The Muslim military leader stayed away for eighteen days during which he successfully fulfilled his task,
killed the head of the rebels and brought his head back to Madinah on Saturday, seven days before the
end of Muharram. The Prophet (Peace be upon him), as a reward, gave him a stick saying “This will
function as a sign of recognition for you and me on the Day of Resurrection.” On his death bed,
‘
Abdullah requested that the log be with him in his shroud.
THE EVENT OF AR-RAJI:
In Safar of the fourth year A.H., a delegation from the tribes of ‘Udal and Qarah came to Madinah and
asked the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to send a group of Companions to instruct them in religion,
claiming the existence of some Muslims among them. He sent six of his Companions, in another
version, ten headed by Murthid bin Abi Murthid Al-Ghanawi, or, according to Al-Bukhari, ‘Asim bin
Thabit, the grandfather of ‘Asim bin ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab. When they reached a spot called Ar-Raji‘ between Rabigh and Jeddah, a hundred archers of Banu Lihyan clan surrounded the place and attacked
them. The delegation of Muslims took shelter on some high ground, Fudfud, and the bedouins offered
them a pledge that they would not be killed. ‘Asim refused to come down, instead he fought them until
he and six of his companions were killed. Three men were left, Khubaib, Zaid bin Ad-Dathna and
another one. Once again, the bedouins offered them a guarantee of safety and they accepted. When
they descended, the bedouins treacherously bound them. The third man rebuked them for their
insincerity and resisted them so they killed him. The other two men who had killed some notables of
Quraish at Badr were taken and sold in Makkah. The first was Khubaib who was detained for some time
and then it was unanimously decided to crucify him. He was taken from the Holy Sanctuary to AtTan‘im
for
crucifixion.
He
requested
a
respite
to
offer
a
two-Rak‘a
prayer.
After
the
final
greeting,
he
turned
to
his
executioners,
and
said:
“Had
I
not
been
afraid
that
you
would
think
that
I
was
afraid
of
death,
I
would
have
prayed
for
a
long
time.”
It
was
then
that
Khubaib
first
set
the
tradition
of
praying
two
Rak‘a
before
being
executed.
He
then
said:
l O Lord! Count them one by one, exterminate them to the last one.”
He then recited some verses of poetry which speak eloquently of the atrocities borne by him, and
testify to his Faith in Allâh at this hour of suffering:
The confederates have gathered their tribes around me,
And summoned all of them who could come.
They have gathered their women and children,
I am bound fastly to a lofty trunk.
To Allâh alone I complain of my helplessness and sufferings,
And of the death, the confederates have prepared for me.
Lord of the Throne! Give me endurance against their design,
They have cut my flesh bit by bit, and I have been deprived of sustenance.
They let me choose infidelity but death is preferable,
Tears roll out of my eyes, though not of fear.
By Allâh! I fear not if I die a Muslim,
On what side I fall for the sake of Allâh.
I will not show subservience to the enemy,
If Lord so desires, He will bless my torn limbs and broken joints.
Abu Sufyan then addressed him saying: “I adjure you by Allâh, don’t you wish that Muhammad (Peace
be upon him) were here in your place so that we might cut off his head, and that you were with your
family?” Khubaib answered, “By Allâh, I do not wish that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) now were in
the place I occupy or that a thorn could hurt him, and that I were sitting with my family.” Quraish
ordered ‘Uqbah bin Al-Harith, whose father had been killed by Khubaib himself, to crucify him. They
also appointed someone to guard his corpse. ‘Amr bin Omaiyah Ad-Damari played a cunning trick and
carried the corpse stealthily at night to bury it somewhere. It was later reported that shortly before his
crucifixion, he was seen eating a bunch of grapes although there was not even one date available in
Makkah at that time. [In fact, it was nothing but sustenance bestowed upon him by Allâh.
Safwan bin Omaiyah purchased the second man, Zaid bin Ad-Dathna, and killed him as an act of
vengeance for his father’s murder.
Quraish, whom ‘Asim had killed one of their notables, sent someone to fetch a portion of his body, but
to their disappointment, his corpse was inaccessible because a large swarm of hornets had been
shielding him against any malicious tampering. ‘Asim had already given his Lord a pledge to remain
immune against any polytheist tampering with respect to his body, and also stay detached from any
contact with the enemies of Allâh. ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, when hearing this piece of news exclaimed,
“
Allâh verily protects His believing slave after death just as He does during his lifespan.
THE TRAGEDY OF MA'UNA WELL:
Ma‘una Well tragedy, which was even more horrible than that of Ar-Raji‘, took place in the same month. Abu Bara’ — ‘Amir bin Malik — nicknamed ‘Spear Player’ came to the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be
upon him) in Madinah. The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) called him to embrace Islam but he
neither agreed nor refused. He said: “O Messenger of Allâh, if you dispatch some of your Companions
to the people of Najd to call them to Islam, I expect them to accept.” “I am afraid the people of Najd
willkill them.” Said the Messenger. But he replied, “I will protect them.” Ibn Ishaq confirms that forty
men were sent to them; but As-Sahih states that they were seventy — Al-Mundhir bin ‘Amr, one of Bani
Sa‘ida, nicknamed ‘Freed to die’ — commanded that group, who were the best and most learned in the
Qur’ân and jurisprudence.
On their way to Najd they used to gather firewood to buy food for the people of ‘Ahl As-Suffah’ as
charity by day and study, meditate on the meanings of the Qur’ân by night. They kept on doing that till
they arrived at Ma‘una Well — which was a well in between Bani ‘Amir, Harrah and Bani Saleem. They
stayed there and sent the Message of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) with Haram bin Milhan, the
brother of Umm Sulaim to the enemy of Allâh ‘Amir bin At-Tufail. ‘Amir did not heed the Message but
rather ordered a man to spear Haram in the back. When the spear penetrated Haram’s body, he saw
the blood and said: “Allâhu Akbar! (i.e. Allâh is the Greatest) By Lord of Al-Ka‘bah I have won!”
Then the enemy of Allâh, promptly, called out Bani ‘Amir to fight the rest. Bani ‘Amir refused because
they were under the protection of Abu Bara’. Therefore he turned to Bani Saleem for help. The people
of ‘Usaiyah, Ri‘al and Dhakwan, who were folks of Bani Saleem, responded to his call. The Companions
of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), who were encompassed by idolaters, kept on fighting till they were
all killed. The only survivor was Ka‘b bin Zaid bin An-Najjar who was carried wounded from among the
dead. It was in Al-Khandaq (the trench) Battle that he was killed.
‘Amr bin Omaiyah Ad-Damari and Al-Mundhir bin ‘Uqbah bin ‘Amir, who were entrusted with the
Muslims’ animals far from them, saw the birds circling in the air over the battleground. Al-Mundhir
rushed to share in the fight till he was killed. But ‘Amr bin Omaiyah was captured. ‘Amir set him free
when he knew that he was of Mudar tribe but that was after he had cut his hair. He did that to fulfil a
pledge of his mother’s to set a slave free.
Returning to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) ‘Amr bin Omaiyah conveyed the news of the painful
disaster, which resulted in the murder of seventy of the best believers, and recalled the tragedy of
Uhud but with the difference that those of Uhud were killed in a clear war but those of Ma‘una were
killed in a disgraceful treachery. On his way back to Qarqara, ‘Amr bin Omaiyah rested in the shade of a
tree, and there two men of Bani Kilab joined him. When they slept, ‘Amr killed them both, thinking that
by doing that he would avenge some of his killed companions. Then he found out that they had been
given a pledge of protection by the Prophet (Peace be upon him). He told the Messenger of Allâh (Peace
be upon him) what he had done. The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) said to ‘Amr: “You have
killed two people; their blood-money shall be a debt I have to discharge.” He then engaged himself
collecting their blood-money from the Muslims and their allies, the Jews. This very act was later to
trigger the invasion of Bani An-Nadeer.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) was so deeply moved by this tragedy and that of Ar-Raji‘ that he
used to invoke Allâh’s wrath against those people and tribes who killed his Companions. Anas reported
that for thirty days the Prophet (Peace be upon him) supplicated Allâh against those who killed his
Companions at Ma‘una Well. Every dawn prayer he would invoke Allâh’s wrath against Ri‘l, Dhakwan,
Lihyan and ‘Usaiyah. He would say, “ ‘Usaiyah disobeyed Allâh and His Messenger.” Therefore Allâh ﺰﻋ
ﻞﺟو, sent down unto His Messenger a Qur’ânic verse that we kept on reciting till it was abrogated later
on: ‘Inform our folk that we have encountered our Lord and He is satisfied with us and we are satisfied
with Him.’ So the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) stopped his invocation.
BANI AN
-NADEER INVASION:
We have already spoken about the disgraceful behaviour of the Jews and how they were always
thirsting to shed the blood of the Muslims and undermine the cause of Islam despite all the covenants
and pledges they had given to the Prophet (Peace be upon him). Their behaviour fluctuated between
resignation and slackness after the Banu Qainuqa‘ event and the murder of Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf, and rebellion coupled with treacherous clandestine contacts with Quraish and the hypocrites in order to
establish an alliance against the Muslims after the battle of Uhud. Being inexperienced in war tactics,
they resorted to conspiracy and intrigue hatching. They first of all declared open hatred and enmity,
and chose to play all sorts of tricks that might harm the Muslims, but were very careful not to initiate
any sort of hostilities that might involve them in open war.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him), on his part, exercised the highest degree of patience with them but
they went too far in their provocative deeds, especially after Ar-Raji‘ and Ma‘una Well events; they even
made an attempt on his life.
Once the Prophet (Peace be upon him) with some of his Companions set out to see Banu Nadeer and
seek their help in raising the blood-money he had to pay to Bani Kalb for the two men that ‘Amr bin
Omaiyah Ad-Damari had killed by mistake. All of that was in accordance with the clauses of the treaty
that both parties had already signed. On hearing his story they said they would share in paying the
blood-money and asked him and his Companions Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Ali and others to sit under a wall of
their houses and wait. The Jews held a short private meeting and conspired to kill the Prophet (Peace
be upon him). The most wicked among them, ‘Amr bin Jahsh, volunteered to climb up the wall and drop
a large millstone on his head. One of them, Salam bin Mashkam, cautioned them against perpetrating
such a crime, predicting that Allâh would divulge their plot to him, and added that such an act would
constitute a manifest violation of the pact concluded with the Muslims.
In fact, Gabriel did come down to reveal to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) their wicked criminal
intention, so he, with his Companions, hurried off back to Madinah. On their way, he told his
Companions of the Divine Revelation.
Soon after, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) delegated Muhammad bin Maslamah to communicate an
ultimatum to Bani Nadeer to the effect that they should evacuate Madinah within ten days, otherwise,
their heads would be cut off. The chief of the hypocrites, ‘Abdullah bin Ubai, urged the Jews not to pay
heed to the Prophet ’s words and to stay in their habitations, offering to run to their support with two
thousands of his followers, and assuring them of help to come from Quraizah tribe and former allies
Banu Ghatfan. In this regards, Allâh says:
l “If you are expelled, we (too) indeed will go out with you, and we shall never obey anyone
against you, and if you are attacked (in fight), we shall indeed help you.” [59:11]
The Jews regained their confidence and were determined to fight. Their chief Huyai bin Akhtab relied
hopefully on what the chief of the hypocrites said. So he sent to the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon
him) saying: “We will not leave our houses. Do whatever you like to do.”
Undoubtedly the situation was awkward for the Muslims. Launching a war against their opponents at
this critical stage could entail terrible far reaching ramifications in the light of the unfavourable
conditions they were passing through, besides the hostile environment growing in power and hatred
around them, the harbinger of which assumed the form of killing the Muslim missions, as it has been
already introduced.
The Jews of Bani Nadeer were also a power to count for, and the prospects of inflicting a military defeat
on them was precarious; consequently forcing them into war engagement would be attended with
unpredictable risks. On the other hand, the continual state of repeated assassinations and acts of
treachery carried out against the Muslims individually and collectively brought about unbearable
headache to Muhammad ’s followers. Having judged all the prevalent status quo in this perspective, and
in the light of the disgraceful attempt on thlife of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), the Muslims made
the decisive decisions of taking up arms whatever turn the consequences could assume.
When the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) received the reply of Huyai bin Akhtab he said:
“
Allâhu Akbar, Allâhu Akbar.” (Allâh is the Greatest of all) and his Companions repeated after him. Then
he set out to fight them after appointing Ibn Umm Maktum to dispose the affairs of Madinah during his absence. The standard was entrusted to ‘Ali bin Abi Talib. He laid siege to their forts for six nights — in
another version, fifteen.
Banu Nadeer resorted to their castles, mounted them and started shooting arrows and pelting stones at
the Muslims enjoying the strategic advantage that their thick fields of palm trees provided. The Muslims
were therefore ordered to fell and burn those trees. In this respect, Allâh, the All-Mighty, states in the
Qur’ân:
l “
What you (O Muslims) cut down of the palm-trees (of the enemy), or you left them standing on
their stems, it was by leave of Allâh.” [59:5]
Quraizah tribe remained neutral, and the hypocrite ‘Abdullah bin Ubai as well as Ghatfan failed to keep
their promises of support. In this regard Allâh says:
l “(Their allies deceived them) like Satan, when he says to man: ‘Disbelieve in Allâh.’ But when
(man) disbelieves in Allâh, Satan says: ‘I am free of you.’” [59:16]
The siege did not last long for Allâh, the All-Mighty, cast horror into the hearts of the Jews, and they
willingly offered to comply with the Prophet ’s order and leave Madinah. The Prophet (Peace be upon
him) accepted their request and allowed them to carry as much luggage as their camels could lift, arms
were excepted. Of course, they had no choice but to carry out the orders, so they took with them
everything they could carry even the pegs and beams of ceilings. Their caravan counted 600 loaded
camels including their chiefs, Huyai bin Akhtab and Salam bin Abi Al-Huqaiq, who left for Khaibar
whereas another party shifted to Syria. Two of them embraced Islam, Yameen bin ‘Amr and Abu Sa‘d
bin Wahab, and so they retained their personal wealth.
The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) seized their weapons, land, houses, and wealth. Amongst
the other booty he managed to capture, there were 50 armours, 50 helmets, and 340 swords.
This booty was exclusively the Prophet ’s because no fighting was involved in capturing it. He divided
the booty at his own discretion among the early Emigrants and two poor Helpers, Abu Dujana and
Suhail bin Haneef. Anyway the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) spent a portion of this wealth
on his family to sustain their living the year around. The rest was expended to provide the Muslim army
with equipment for further wars in the way of Allâh.
The invasion of Bani An-Nadeer took place in Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, 4 A.H. i.e. in August 625 A.D. Almost all
the verses of Sûrah Al-Hashr (Chapter 59 - The Gathering) describe the banishment of the Jews and
reveal the disgraceful manners of the hypocrites. The verses manifest the rules relevant to the booty.
In this Chapter, Allâh, the All-Mighty, praises the Emigrants and Helpers. This Chapter also shows the
legitimacy of cutting down and burning the enemy’s land and trees for military purposes. Such acts
cannot be regarded as phenomena of corruption so long that they are in the way of Allâh.
In this very Chapter, Allâh recommends the believers to be pious and prepare themselves for the world
to come and He ends it with a compliment upon Himself and a manifestation of His Holy Names and
Attributes.
As this Chapter concentrates on Bani An-Nadeer and their banishment, Ibn ‘Abbas used to describe it as
‘
An-Nadeer Chapter’.
THE INVASION OF NAJD:
With the peaceful victory that the Muslims achieved at Bani An-Nadeer invasion, their control over
Madinah was undisputedly established, and the hypocrites receded to a state of silence and stopped
their artful machinations publicly. Consequently the Prophet (Peace be upon him) had ample time to
direct all his energies and human resources towards suppressing the desert bedouins and curbing their harmful provocations and wicked malicious practices of killing his missionaries and even contemplating
an invasion of Madinah itself. Meanwhile, the Muslim scouting groups reported building up of bedouin
troops of Bani Muharib and Tha‘labah of Ghatfan around Madinah. The Prophet (Peace be upon him),
with the Muslims, hurriedly set out to discipline those new outlaws, cast fear into their hearts and deter
them from perpetrating further wicked practices. These deterring operations were carried out
repeatedly and did produce effective results. The rebellious hard-hearted desert bedouins were
terrorized into the mountains, and Madinah remained completely immune against their raids.
In the context of these invasions, it is interesting to draw some prominence to a significant one ¾ Dhat
Ar-Riqa‘ (rags) campaign ¾ which some scholars claim, took place in Najd ( a large area of tableland in
the Arabian Peninsula) in Rabi‘ Ath-Thani or Jumada Al-Ula, 4 A.H. They substantiate their claim by
saying that it was strategically necessary to carry out this campaign in order to quell the rebellious
bedouins in order to meet the exigencies of the agreed upon encounter with the polytheists, i.e. minor
Badr Battle in Sha‘ban, 4 A.H. The most authentic opinion, however, is that Dhat Ar-Riqa‘ campaign
took place after the fall of Khaibar. This is supported by the fact that Abu Hurairah and Abu Musa AlAsh‘ari
It seems that his army were also possessed of the same fears and apprehensions, for they readily
obeyed him without the least hesitation.
The Muslims, who were then at Badr, stayed for eight days waiting for their enemy. They took
advantage of their stay by selling goods and earning double as much the price out of it. When the
idolaters declined to fight, the balance of powers shifted to rest in favour of the Muslims, who thus
regained their military reputation, their dignity and managed to impose their awe-inspiring presence
over the whole of Arabia. In brief, they mastered and controlled the whole situation.
This invasion had many a name. It is called ‘Badr the Appointment’, ‘Badr, Second’, ‘Badr, the Latter’,
and ‘Badr Minor’.
THE INVASION OF DOUMAT AL
-JANDAL:
With the Messenger’s return from Badr, peace and security prevailed the whole area; and the Islamic headquarters, Madinah, enjoyed full security. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) then deemed it fit and
appropriate to head for the most distant areas of Arabia in order to subdue all hostile elements in order
to force undisputed recognition out of friend and enemy alike.
After a six-month lull of military activities, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was reported that some
tribes, in the vicinity of Doumat Al-Jandal, on the borders of Syria, were involved in highway robbery
and plundering, and were on their way to muster troops and raid Madinah itself. He immediately
appointed Siba‘ bin ‘Arfatah Al-Ghifari to dispose the affairs of Madinah during his absence, and set out
at the head of 1000 Muslims in late Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, 5 A.H. taking with him a man, named Madhkur,
from Bani ‘Udhrah, as a guide.
On their way to Doumat Al-Jandal, they used to march by night and hide by day, so that they might
take the enemy by surprise. When they drew near their destination, the Muslims discovered that the
highway men had moved to another place, so they captured their cattle and shepherds. The inhabitants
of Doumat Al-Jandal had also fled in all directions for their lives and evacuated their habitations. The
Prophet (Peace be upon him) stayed there for 5 days during which he despatched expeditionary forces
to hunt for the enemy personnel but they detected none. He then returned to Madinah but en route he
entered into a peace treaty with ‘Uyainah bin Hisn. Doumat Al-Jandal is located at about a distance of
fifteen days march from Madinah and five from Damascus.
With this decisive and steady progress and wise strict plans, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) managed
to spread security, control the situation and make peace prevail the whole area. He also succeeded in
shifting the course of events for the welfare of the Muslims by reducing the incessant internal and
external troubles. The hypocrites were silenced, a tribe of the Jews evacuated while the other continued
to fake good neighbourliness and seemingly faithful adherence to the covenants, the desert bedouins
subdued and finally the archenemy Quraish no longer keen on attacking the Muslims. This secure
strategic attitude created optimum circumstances for the Muslims to resume their logical course in
propagating Islam and communicating the Messages of the Lord to all worlds.
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