Zarvan
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THE BATTLE HUNAIN
Speaking about this battle, the Glorious Qur'an says,
" Assuredly Allah did help you in many battle-fields and no the Day of Hunain: behold: your great numbers elated you but they availed you naught; that land, for all that if is wide, did constrain you, and ye turned back in retreat. But Allah did pour His clan on the Messenger and on the Believers, and sent down forces, which ye saw not: He punished the unbelievers: thus doth He reward those without faith. Again will Allah, after this, turn (in mercy) to whom He wills; for Allah is Off-Forgiving, Most Merciful.`(At-Tawabah:25-27) "
According to the majority of scholars of Siyrah, the battle of Hunain took place in Shawwal, AH.
The Occasion of the Battle
When Hawazin, a neighboring tribe of Mecca, heard the news of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Conquest of Mecca, they made an agreement with another tribe from Ta'if, calledThaqif, to fight the Muslims and destroy them before they could spread their religion throughout Arabia. Other tribes joined these two tribes.
Malik Ibn Awf, the chief of Hawazin, put forward a plan. He ordered his men to bring their families and belongings with them thinking that his would compel his men to fight fiercely. Durayd, an old, blind man, blamed him for doing so arguing that, "If a man is so cowardly as to leave the battle, then he will leave his family as well. The women and children will be a great worry for us and if we are defeated all our wealth will fall into the enemy hands." But Malik ignored this advice and stuck to his original plan.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) heard what the enemy tribes were planning, he found himself forced to fight and ordered his army towards Ta'if,
The March of the Muslim Army
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ,arched with 2.00 Maccans and 10.000 of his Companions who had gone out with him when he conquered Mecca; 12.000 in all The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) left in charge of Mecca Attab Ibn Asid Ibn Abdu Al-Is Ibn Umayyah to look after the men who had stayed behind. Then he went forward to meet Hawazin.
The Commence of War
According to Ibn Ishaq, Jabir Ibn Abdullah who witnessed Hunain, said, "When we approached the vallay of Hunain we come through a valley wide and sloping. We were descending gradually in the morning twilight. Then enemy had got there before us and had hidden themselves in it by paths and side tracks and narrow places. The had collected and were fully prepared, and by Allah we were terrified when, as we were coming down, the squadrons attacked us on man, the people fled none heeding the other. The men ran away except that a number of Muhajrun and Ansar and men of his family remained with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Muhajirun who stood firm were Abu Bakr and Umar: of his family Ali, Al- Abbas, and Abu Sufyan Ibn Al-Harith and his son and Al-Fadl Ibn Abbas, Rabi Ibn Al- Harith, Usamah Ibn Zaid and Ayman Ibn Umm Ayman Ibn Ubaid who was killed that day.
On seeing the men fleeing, The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) withdrew to the right and said, " Where are you going, men? Come to me. I am Allah's Messenger. I am Muhammad the son of Abdullah." And not for nothing did the camels bump one into the other In this context, Al-Bukhari narrated on the authority of Abu Ishaq who said, "I heard Al-Bara' narration when a man come and said to hi, 'O Abu Umara! Did you flee on the day of Hunain?' Al-Bara' replied, 'I testify that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not flee, but the hasty people hurried away and the people of Hawazin threw arrows at them. At that time, Abu Sufyan Ibn Al-Harith was holding the whit mule of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) by the head, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was saying, "I am the Prophet undoubtedly: I am the son of Abdul-Muttalib." Finally a hundred men were gathered by him and they went forward and fought. At first the cry was, 'to mw, Ansar!' And finally, 'to me Khazraj!' They were steadfast in the fight. The men went on fighting and those who has run away returned; they found only prisoners handcuffed with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Manyu disbelievers were killed and they were defeated. Allah granted His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) their property and children as booty.
According to Al-Bukhari, Abu Qarada narrated, "We set out along with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) during the year of Hunain, and when we faced the enemy, the Muslims (with the exception he Prophet peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and some of his companions) retreated (before the enemy). I saw one of the pagans over-powering one of the Muslims, so I struck the pagan from behind his neck causing his armor to be cut off. The pagan headed towards me and pressed me so forcibly that I felt as if I was dying. The death took him over and he released me.
Afterwards I followed 'Umar and said to him, 'What is wrong wit the people?' He said, 'It is the Order of Allah, Then Muslim returned the the battle after the fight and after overcoming the enemy the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sat and said,
" Whoever had killed on Infidel and has an evidence to this issue, will have the Sulb (the belonging of deceased e.g., clothes, arms, horse, etc). "
I said, 'Who will be my witness?' and then sat down. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) repeated his question. The the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said the same for the third time. I got up and said, 'Who will be my witness?' and then sat down. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked his former question again. So I got up. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, 'What is the matter, O Abu Qatada?' So I narrated the whole story; A man said, 'Abu Qatada has spoken the truth, and the Salab of the deceased is with me, so please compensate Abu Qatada on my behalf.' Abu Bakr said, 'No! By Allah, it will never happen that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) will leave a Lion of Allah who fights for the Sake of Allah and His Messenger and give his spoils to you.' The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Abu Bakr has spoken the truth. Give it the spoils back to him O man. " So he gave it to me and I bought a garden in Banu Salamah with it the spoils and that was the first property I got after embracing Islam."
When the spoils were collected, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ordered his Companions to take it to Al-Ja'franah. Mas'ud Ibn Amr Al-Ghigari was put by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in charge of the spoils.
The Division of the spoils
In his Sahih, Al-Bukhari narrated the following ahadith that refer to the division of the spoils at Hunain: Marawan and Al-Miswar Ibn Makrama narrated that when the delegate of Hawazin come to Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) declaring their conversion to Islam and asked him to return their properties and captives, Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) got up and said to him,
" There Is involved in this matter, the people whom you see with me, and the most beloved talk to me, is the true one. So choose one of two alternatives: Either the captives or the properties. I have been waiting for you (have not distributed the booty). "
Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had delayed the distribution of their booty over ten nights after his return form Ta'if. So when the came to know that Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was not going to return to them but one of the two, they said, "We prefer to have our captives." So Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) got up amongst the Muslims, and praising Allah as He deserved, said,
"To proceed! Your brothers have come to you with repentance and I see (it logical) to return their captives. So, whoever of you likes to do that as a favor then he can do it. And whoever of you likes to stick to his share until we give him form the very first booty which Allah will give us, then he can do so." and again said, "We do not know which of you have agreed to it and which have not; so go back and let your chiefs forward us your decision. "
They went back and their chief's spoke to them, and they return to Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and informed him that all of them had agreed (to give up their captives) with pleasure, and had given their permission (that the captives be returned to their people).
Anas narrated that when it was the day of Hunain, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) confronted the tribe of Hawazin while there ten-thousand men besides the Tulaqa (those who had embraced Islam on the day of the Conquest of Mecca) with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. When they fled, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, " O the group of Ansar! " the replied, "Labbaik (here we are at your service), O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and Sa'daik! We are under your command." Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "I am Allah's servant and His Messenger."
Then the pagans were defeated. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) distributed the war booty amongst the Tulaqa' andMuhajirun and did not give anything to the Ansar. So the Ansar spoke (were dissatisfied) and he called them and made them enter a leather tent and said,
"Won't you be pleased that the people take the sheep and camels, and you take Allah's Messenger along with you. " The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) added " If the people took their way through a valley and the Ansar took their way through a mountain pass, then I would choose a mountain pass of the Ansar."
Anas also narrated that when it was the day of the Conquest of Mecca Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) distributed the war booty amongst the people of Quraish, which caused the Ansar to become angry, So The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said,
"Won't you be pleased that the people take the worldly things and you take Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with you. "
They said, "Yes" The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said,
"If the people took their way through a valley or mountain pass I would take my way through the Ansar's valley or mountain pass. "
Battle of Hunayn
Pagan Tribes Assemble to Attack Muslims:
The conquest of Mecca led to mass conversion of the Arabs to Islam all over Arabia. But some tribes like Thaqeef, Hawazin, Banu Sa'ad and Banu Jashm living in the east and south-east of Mecca did not wish to leave idolatry. Their leaders decide to act immediately by attacking the Muslims in Mecca and destroying them before they consolidate their recent gains and become too strong. They were fierce warriors and they were confident that they were more than a match on the battle-field for the warriors of Islam.
Muslims Respond:
In late January 630, the Prophet Muhammad received reports that Thaqeef and Hawazin had left their home and were moving toward Mecca. Muhammad didn't want Mecca to become a battle-ground. He, therefore, hastily left Mecca to meet the enemy. Muhammad marched forth from Mecca at the head of all his forces, swelled now, by the addition of 2000 new recruits from Mecca, to the large number of 12,000 men.
This new army was the largest force ever assembled in Arabia to that date. As its various formations marched out of the city gate, in full panoply of war, Abu Bakr exclaimed: "We cannot be defeated this time because of lack of numbers." But very soon he was proven wrong. Muslims were defeated at the beginning even though they were thrice as numerous as the enemy. Qur’an itself called attention of the Muslims that numbers alone were no guarantee that they would be victorious.
Tribals Ambush Muslims:
Very early in the morning, while the dawn was yet gray, the army of Muhammad was in motion. Clad in full panoply, as on the day of Ohad, he rode on his white mule, Duldul, in the rear of the forces. The vanguard, formed of the Banu Sulaim and led by Khalid ibn al-Walid, were defiling leisurely up the steep and narrow pass, when on a sudden the Hawazin sprang forth from their hiding, and charged them with impetuosity. Umar's son described what happened then:
"We came down through a wadi, wide and sloping descending gradually in the morning twilight; but the enemy was there before us and had hidden in the by-paths, side-tracks and narrow places. They were in force, fully armed and knowing exactly what to do, and by God, we were terrified when we descended and suddenly the Hawazin came down on us as one man! The Bedouin attacked with stones, boulders, arrows, lance and sword. The vanguard under General Khalid, broke, the camels jostling and crashing, screeching and tangling up their long legs."
Muslims Flee from Battle:
Staggered by the unexpected onslaught, the Banu Sulaim broke and fell back. The shock was communicated from column to column. Aggravated by the darkness of the hour, and the straitness and ruggedness of the road, panic seized the whole army; all turned and fled. The army of Islam was in headlong rout with the enemy at full tilt in pursuit. Witnessing what had befallen the Muslims, Abu Sufyan was pleased at the defeat of his previous enemies who until now had been celebrating their victory over Mecca. He said, "The Muslims will not be checked until they are thrown into the sea."
The Apostle, of course, did not abandon his post, and stood firm like a rock. Eight men were still with him, all watching the spectacle of the flight of their army. They were: Ali ibn Abi Talib, Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib, Fadhl ibn Abbas, Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith ibn Abdul Muttalib, Rabi'a, the brother of Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith, Abdullah ibn Masood, Usama ibn Zayd ibn Haritha and Ayman ibn Obaid Out of these eight, the first five belonged to the clan of Banu Hashim. They were the uncle and the cousins of the Prophet.
As the troops they hurried past him, Muhammad called out: "Whither away? The Prophet of the Lord is here! Return! Return! – but his words had no effect. Not one of them heeded, and why should they? There was a Hawazin warrior after them on a russet camel, his standard flying from the long lance, and every time he dipped the blade of that lance, it showed up on the other side of someone's chest. The Prophet's voice was drowned in the uproar of men, the clamor of camels. And Ali, so quiet in peace but in battle like a demon, lunged viciously about him, fighting to get behind the Hawazin leader's camel and hamstring it..."
Muhammad Orders Muslims to Return:
At last, Muhammad asked his uncle, Abbas, to cry aloud: "O ye Muhajireen and O ye Ansar! O ye victors of Badr and O ye men of the Tree of Fealty! Where are you going? The Messenger of Allah is here. Come back to him." Abbas had a stentorian voice, and as he shouted these words over and over again at the pitch of his voice, they were heard far and near. At once they touched a chord in the hearts of the men of Medina. They were arrested in their flight, and hastened to Muhammad, crying aloud, "Ya Labeik! Here we are at thy call!" One hundred of these devoted followers, disengaged with difficulty from the camels that jammed the narrow pass, threw themselves upon the advancing enemy and checked his progress.
The Tribals are Defeated:
The army rallied gradually, and returned to the battle. Muhammad ascended an eminence and watched the struggle. Excited by the spectacle, he began loudly to exclaim: "Now is the furnace heated: I am the Prophet that lieth not. I am the offspring of Abdul Muttalib."
Then bidding Abbas to pick up for him a handful of gravel, he cast it towards the enemy, saying, "Ruin seize them!". The steadiness of the Medina army, and the enthusiasm of the rest when once recalled, had won the day. The enemy fled, and the rout was complete. Many were slain and so fiercely did the Muslims pursue the charge, that they killed among the rest some of the little children – an atrocity which Mohammed had strictly forbidden.
The pagan tribesmen were defeated but they were able to regroup, and retreated in good order from the valley of Hunayn. Their general, Malik ibn Auf, rallied his horsemen sufficiently to make them hold their ground till the weaker members of the party were covered, and they could make their way to Taif. Some of their women fell in the hands of the Muslims. Khalid, whose savagery had already won a rebuke from the Prophet, earned a fresh one by thinking it his duty to kill these amazons; an act which was totally against the Prophet's ideas of gallantry.
Importance of the Battle of Hunayn:
A highly important victory was gained at a time when a reverse would have had serious consequences; for Abu Sufyan might have taken advantage of a disaster.
Though Abu Sufyan, the chief of the Banu Umayya, had accepted Islam, he was thrilled to see the flight of the Muslims, and hoped that they would be thrown into the sea. When Hikda bin Umayya, another Muslim of the clan of Banu Umayya, saw the rout of the Muslims, at the beginning of the battle, he remarked: "At last the spell of Muhammad is broken." Both of them must have imagined of reinstating Hubal, their dynastic god, to his throne in the Kaaba. Soon there was a reversal in the fortunes of the battle, and this reversal must have caused great heart-burning to Abu Sufyan and his clansmen as they lost the last, best hope of reviving idolatary.
Hunayn was the last battle led personally by Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah. The battle began with the rout of the Muslims, and they fled to save their own lives, utterly oblivious of the presence, in the battlefield, of their Prophet. In the end, however, they were victorious, thanks to the courage and resolution of the Prophet himself and a few of his kinsfolk.
The Reason for Early Losses in Hunayn:
The reverse sustained at the opening of the day, was attributed by the Prophet to the overconfidence of their great army. The subsequent success was equally ascribed tothe aid of invisible hosts which fought against their enemy. The engagement is thus alluded to in the Holy Qur'an:
'Verily Allah hath assisted you in many battlefields: and on the day of Hunayn, when indeed ye rejoiced in the multitude of your host. But their great number did not in any wise benefit you: the earth became too strait for you with all its spaciousness. Then ye turned your backs and fled.'
Victory was not gained cheaply. The Muslims paid a very high price. There was a great slaughter of the Muslims at the beginning which was caused by their own panic and irresolution. Two Muslim tribes were almost totally annihilated, and that the Prophet held a funeral prayer for them. Partially offsetting this tremendous loss of human lives, was the unquestioned supremacy the victory brought to the Muslims.
Ali in the Battle of Hunayn:
The hero of the battle of Hunayn was Ali ibn Abi Talib. At a time when all the companions had fled from the battlefield, and only eight men were left with the Apostle, it was Ali who stood between him and the enemy, and defended him. The tribesmen charged repeatedly but he repulsed them each time. Eventually, Ali succeeded in turning the tide of the battle. First he caused Uthman bin Abdullah, one of the leaders of the enemy, to fall from his camel, and be killed; and later, he killed Abu Jerdel, the Hawazin leader. When these two generals were killed, the enemy lost heart and lost the battle.
The War spoils of Hunayn:
The defeated tribes had abandoned all their baggage and thousands of their animals. The Apostle ordered them to be collected and taken to Jirana, a place mid-way between Taif and Mecca, and to be kept there pending his own arrival. In the meantime, he decided to capture Taif which was the last stronghold of the infidels where the fugitives from the battle had found sanctuary and ordered the main body of the army to march on that city.
On his way to Taif, the Apostle rode past a small crowd of people who were standing around the body of a slain woman. Upon enquiry, he learned that she had been killed by Khalid bin al-Walid. When he heard what had happened, he sent word to Khalid and forbade him to kill child, woman or hired slave. The Apostle laid siege to Taif but it was abortive and was abandoned. Taif, however, voluntarily surrendered some weeks later.
"Assuredly Allah did help you in many battlefields, and on the Day of Hunayn: behold! Your great numbers elated you, but they availed you nothing. The land, for all that it is wide, did constrain you, and you turned back in retreat.
But Allah did pour His calm on the Messenger and on the Believers, and sent down forces which you saw not, and He punished the Unbelievers: Thus does He reward those without Faith. Again will Allah, after this, turn in mercy to whom He will, for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."[Quran 9: 25-27]
Hardly had the people of Makkah sworn allegiance to the Prophet and life returned to normal in the town, when hostile winds began to blow from the east. The powerful tribes of the Hawazin and the Thaqeef were on the war-path.
The Hawazin lived in the region north-east of Makkah and the Thaqeef in the area of Taif. They were neighbouring tribes, who now feared that the Muslims, having conquered Makkah, would attack and catch them dispersed in their tribal settlements. To avoid being taken at a disadvantage, they decided to mount an offensive themselves, hoping to benefit from their initiative. The two tribes concentrated at Autas, near Hunain, where they were joined by contingents from several other tribes. This again was a coalition like the one which had assembled for the Battle of the Ditch. The total strength of the assembled tribes was 12,000 men, and the over-all commander was the fiery, 30-year-old Malik bin Auf. This young general decided to make his men fight in a situation of such serious danger that they would fight with the courage of desperation. He ordered the families and the flocks of the tribes to join the men.
Another leader in the coalition was the venerable Duraid bin As-Simma. Hoary with age, this man had lost the strength and vitality to lead men in battle, but he was a sage with a clear mind who accompanied his men wherever they marched; and since he was an experienced veteran, his advice on matters of war was widely sought. His military wisdom was unchallenged.
At Autas the aged Duraid heard the noises which usually, arise wherever families and animals are gathered. He sent for young Malik and asked, "Why do I hear the call of camels, the braying of donkeys, the bleating of goats, the shouting of women and the crying of children?" Malik replied, "I have ordered the families and the flocks to muster with the army. Every man, will fight with his family and his property behind him and thus fight with greater courage."
"Men fight with swords and spears, not with women and children", said Duraid. "Put the families and the flocks at a safe distance from the field of battle. If we win, they can join us. If we lose, at least they shall be safe."
Malik took this as a challenge to his judgement and his, ability to command the army. "I shall not send them away", he bristled. "You have grown senile and your brain is weak."At this Duraid withdrew from the argument and decided to let Malik have his way. Malik then returned to his officers and, said, "When you attack, attack as one man. As our attack begins, let all scabbards be broken." 1 This breaking of scabbards was practised by the Arabs to signify an attitude of suicidal desperation.
As it happened only the Hawazin brought their families and their flocks to the camp. Other tribes did not do so.
The Prophet did not want any more bloodshed, but had, no choice except to set out to face this new enemy. He had no intention of waiting for another coalition to form against him and attack him as had happened three years before at the Battle of the Ditch. Moreover, if he waited on the defensive in Makkah and the enemy remained poised at Autas, the situation would lead to a stalemate which could last for months; and the Prophet could not afford to waste all that time. He had to attend to organisational matters and set about the conversion of the tribes of Arabia while the psychological impact of the fall of Makkah was still fresh in the minds of the Arabs. With a large hostile concentration at Autas, he would not be able to carry out these tasks. In any case, a strong enemy challenge to his authority at this stage would reduce the impact the Muslim conquest of Makkah had made on the Arab mind. This challenge had to be met. This opposition had to be crushed. The Prophet's decision to advance from Makkah created the unusual situation of both sides moving forward to fight an offensive battle.
On January 27, 630 (the 6th of Shawal, 8 Hijri), the Muslims set out from Makkah. The army consisted of the original 10,000 men who had conquered Makkah plus 2,000 new converts from among the Makkans. These new Muslims were of doubtful value as Islam had not really entered their hearts; they had come because they supposed that this was the right thing to do. Among them were Abu Sufyan and Safwan bin Umayyah. The latter had been given four months in which to make up his mind about the new faith, but was now favourably inclined towards the Prophet and had gone so far as to lend the Muslims 100 coats of mail for the forthcoming battle.
1Map 6.)
While the Muslims were moving towards Hunain, each side had sent out agents to get information about the other side. Both sides were well informed of opposing strengths, locations and movements. An agent sent by the Prophet mixed with the Hawazin at Autas, got to know the exact strength of the coalition and slipped out unseen to give this information to the Prophet. When he gave his report, Umar was also present, and for some reason did not believe the intelligence conveyed by the agent. He called the agent a liar, whereupon the agent replied, "If you call me a liar, you call the truth falsehood. And you had called a liar one who is better than me." The man was alluding to the time when Umar, before his conversion, was a violent enemy of the Prophet.
Umar suddenly turned to the Prophet and said, "Did you hear that?" "Steady, O Umar!"replied the Prophet. "You were once misguided, and Allah showed you the way." 1Umar said no more.
As the Muslims arrived at their new camp in the Hunain Valley, news of their arrival was conveyed to Malik bin Auf by his agents. He guessed that the Muslims would know that his army was at Autas, and would expect to fight him at or near Autas. And he put into effect his plan to outwit the Muslims.
Before dawn on February 1, 630 (the 11th of Shawal, 8 Hijri) the Muslims formed up in marching order to advance to Autas where they expected to engage the enemy. It was their intention to get through the defile of Hunain before the enemy came to know of their movement. The advance guard again consisted of the Bani Sulaim under Khalid, and behind it marched various Muslim units, including the group of 2,000 Makkans. The camp was left standing as the base of the operation.
As the first glow of dawn appeared in the eastern sky, the advance guard entered the defile (about 2 miles short of Zaima.) Eagerly anticipating a lively battle with a surprised enemy at Autas, Khalid increased his pace. And then the storm broke!
Khalid was the first to receive the shock of the ambush. The quiet of the dawn was shattered by a thousand piercing yells, and the arrows came not in tens or twenties but in hundreds. They came like hailstones, whistling and hissing, striking horse and man. The Bani Sulaim did not stop to act against the enemy. They did not stop to think or take cover. They turned as one man and bolted. Khalid's shouts to his men to stand fast were lost in the noise and confusion. He himself was badly wounded and was carried away with the tide of fleeing men and horses; but after riding a short distance he fell off his horse and lay still, unable to move because of his wounds.
As the Bani Sulaim turned in panic and fled, they ran into other units which occupied the narrow track, who now became aware that something terrible had happened. The half-hearted Makkans turned and joined the flight, followed by several other Muslim units. Some of the Muslims fled to the camp, but the majority of them merely dispersed and took cover some distance behind the scene of the ambush on the other side of the track. No one knew quite what happened. The confusion increased as camel mounted camel and horses and men ran into each other in a blind urge to get away.
11 to which Malik could withdraw in case the battle did not go according to his plan. As long as this pass was secure, the Muslims would not be able to advance to Autas, Malik's base.
Most of the new Meccan converts were delighted at this setback to the Muslims. Abu Sufyan remarked, "This retreat will not stop until they get to the sea!" Present with Safwan bin Umayyah was his half-brother, who said, "Now the sorcery of Muhammad will be exposed." "Silence!" Safwan snapped at him. "May Allah break your mouth! I would rather see a man of the Quraish ruling over us than a man of the Hawazin!" 2
The Prophet was left standing on the track with nine of his Companions, including Ali, Abu Bakr, Umar, and Abbas. As the Muslims ran past, he shouted to them, "O Muslims! I am here! I, the Messenger of Allah! I, Muhammad, son of Abdullah!" 3 But his cries were of no avail. The leading elements of the Hawazin got to the place where the Prophet stood, and here Ali brought down the first infidel to fall at Hunain-a man mounted on a red camel, carrying a long lance at the end of which flew a black pennant. This man was chasing the Muslims as they fled. Ali pursued the man, along with a fellow Muslim, and catching up with him cut the tendons of the camel's hind legs with his sword. The infidel fell with the camel, and the other Muslim cut off his head.
The Prophet now moved towards the right with his group and took shelter on a rocky spur. A few men of the Thaqeef came towards the Prophet's group, but were driven back by the Companions.
Malik bin Auf had done to the Muslims what no one had ever done before. For the Muslims this was the first, and bitter, experience of being ambushed, and many of them lost their heads and fled from the scene of action. In such a situation, however, the bravest are wont to panic.
Malik had struck brilliantly; but unfortunately for him, his men had not performed as expertly as he had hoped. They had not waited until the main body of the Muslims had entered the trap, but had opened up when just the advance guard was in their field of fire. And Malik now made the mistake of being satisfied with what he had achieved so far; beyond advancing a few hundred yards he made no attempt to pursue the Muslims. If he had done so, the story of this battle might have read differently. Moreover, the archery of the Hawazin was extremely poor. While several Muslims and their mounts were wounded, none were killed in the ambush.
The Holy Prophet surveyed the scene before him, and the scene was anything but promising. He decided not to let Malik get away with such an easy victory. He turned to Abbas and ordered him to call the Muslims to rally around him. Abbas was a large man with a powerful voice which, according to some accounts, could be heard miles away. Now he yelled at the top of his voice: "O Muslims! Come to the Messenger of Allah! O Ansar…O Companions…O …" He called each tribe in turn to report to the Prophet.
The call was heard by most of the Muslims and they at once began to move to where the Prophet stood. As soon as the first 100 men had gathered beside the Prophet, he ordered a counter?attack. These men assailed those of the Hawazin who were nearest to the Prophet and drove them back. Soon the assembling Muslims increased in number until thousands of them had rejoined the Prophet. When the Prophet felt that sufficient strength had been gathered around him, he ordered a general attack against the Hawazin.
11
Malik decided that he was getting the worst of the fighting and put his withdrawal plan in action. The Thaqeef were already in position a short distance behind the Hawazin. Leaving the Thaqeef to act as a rearguard, he pulled the Hawazin back to safety. The Muslims moved forward and made contact with the Thaqeef, who now began to receive heavy punishment from the Believers. Soon after this contact, the Thaqeef turned and took to their heels, followed by other tribal contingents, some of which had taken no part in the fighting. In the mean time Malik had got the Hawazin safely to the pass, and here he deployed them to fight a defensive battle while waiting for stragglers to catch up. As long as he held this pass, the families and the flocks of the Hawazin were safe.
The Muslims had not only recovered from the shock of the ambush but had counter-attacked, regained their position and driven the enemy from the battlefield. This was a tactical victory, but more was to come.
While the Muslims were stripping the Thaqeef dead of their weapons and clothing, an interesting incident involving two Muslims took place. One was an Ansar from Madinah and the other a man by the name of Mugheerah bin Shu'ba, who belonged to the tribe of Thaqeef. Among the Thaqeef dead was a Christian slave who had died beside his master. As the Ansar stripped this slave, he noticed that the dead man was not circumcised. Amazed at this discovery, for circumcision was a universal practice among the Arabs, he called aloud to those who stood around him: "O Arabs! Did you know that the Thaqeef are not circumcised?" Mugheerah, who stood next to the Ansar, was horrified to hear this, as the spread of such a report would mean disgrace for the Thaqeef. He knew the dead slave and could understand how the misunderstanding had arisen. "Don't say that!" he hissed at the Ansar. "This man was a Christian slave."
"No, he was not", insisted the Ansar. "I am sure that he is one of the Thaqeef." And he remained unconvinced until Mugheerah had undressed several bodies of the Thaqeef and pointed out familiar signs! 2
The Muslim army having fully re-assembled, except for a few who had fled, the Prophet decided to press his advantage. He organised a strong cavalry group and sent it forward to clear the valley before the Hawazin had time to recover and reorganise. This group was formed of several contingents, including the Bani Sulaim, over whom Khalid had regained control. Khalid had missed the Muslim counter-attack. He had lain where he fell in the flight of the Bani Sulaim until the counter-attack was over. Then the Holy Prophet came to him and blew upon his wounds, whereupon Khalid arose, feeling strengthened and fit for battle again. 3 He quickly got the Bani Sulaim together.
The entire group was placed under command of Zubair bin Al Awwam, who now advanced along the valley and contacted Malik at the pass. After a short, brisk engagement, Malik was driven off the pass. The whole valley was now in Muslim hands. The Prophet left Zubair's mounted group at the pass, to hold it as a firm base and guard it against a possible return of the Hawazin, and sent another group under Abu Amir to Autas. This was the camp of the Hawazin, who on being driven off the pass had taken up positions around the camp to defend their families and flocks. On the arrival of the Muslims, a fierce clash took place at Autas. Abu Amir killed nine men in personal combat and was killed by his tenth adversary, whereupon the command of the Muslim group was taken over by his cousin, Abu Musa, who continued the attack on Autas until the Hawazin broke and fled. The camp of the Hawazin fell into Muslim hands, and here this Muslim group was joined by the cavalry group of Zubair, with Khalid in the lead.
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This was the first time that the Muslims had been ambushed in a large?scale operation by their enemies. This was the second instance in history of the ambush of an entire army by an entire army (the first being the ambush of the Romans by Hannibal at Lake Trasimene in 217 B.C.). Malik had made a brilliant and flawless plan to annihilate the Muslims, but because of the poor performance of his men could not achieve the mission that he had set himself. In spite of this poor performance, however, he would have won a resounding victory had his enemy not been the Muslims. It was the determination of the Prophet not to accept defeat, and the faith of the Muslims in their leader, which turned defeat into victory for them. Unlike Malik, the Prophet was not content with a limited gain and pressed his advantage to rout the enemy and capture the entire enemy camp with all its booty.
This was the first time that Khalid had been taken by surprise. He had always known the value of surprise, but this time he had been at the receiving end of it. He saw how his otherwise brave men had panicked at the sudden appearance of the enemy at an unexpected time and an unexpected place. He made up his mind never again to be caught unawares. And he never was.
1. No one today knows the location of Autas, but it must have been in the valley proper, as a camp with 6,000 people (excluding soldiers) and thousands of camels, goats and sheep could not be established on a hillside or in some little wadi. I have placed it a little beyond Zaima, but it could have been elsewhere.
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Speaking about this battle, the Glorious Qur'an says,
" Assuredly Allah did help you in many battle-fields and no the Day of Hunain: behold: your great numbers elated you but they availed you naught; that land, for all that if is wide, did constrain you, and ye turned back in retreat. But Allah did pour His clan on the Messenger and on the Believers, and sent down forces, which ye saw not: He punished the unbelievers: thus doth He reward those without faith. Again will Allah, after this, turn (in mercy) to whom He wills; for Allah is Off-Forgiving, Most Merciful.`(At-Tawabah:25-27) "
According to the majority of scholars of Siyrah, the battle of Hunain took place in Shawwal, AH.
The Occasion of the Battle
When Hawazin, a neighboring tribe of Mecca, heard the news of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Conquest of Mecca, they made an agreement with another tribe from Ta'if, calledThaqif, to fight the Muslims and destroy them before they could spread their religion throughout Arabia. Other tribes joined these two tribes.
Malik Ibn Awf, the chief of Hawazin, put forward a plan. He ordered his men to bring their families and belongings with them thinking that his would compel his men to fight fiercely. Durayd, an old, blind man, blamed him for doing so arguing that, "If a man is so cowardly as to leave the battle, then he will leave his family as well. The women and children will be a great worry for us and if we are defeated all our wealth will fall into the enemy hands." But Malik ignored this advice and stuck to his original plan.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) heard what the enemy tribes were planning, he found himself forced to fight and ordered his army towards Ta'if,
The March of the Muslim Army
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ,arched with 2.00 Maccans and 10.000 of his Companions who had gone out with him when he conquered Mecca; 12.000 in all The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) left in charge of Mecca Attab Ibn Asid Ibn Abdu Al-Is Ibn Umayyah to look after the men who had stayed behind. Then he went forward to meet Hawazin.
The Commence of War
According to Ibn Ishaq, Jabir Ibn Abdullah who witnessed Hunain, said, "When we approached the vallay of Hunain we come through a valley wide and sloping. We were descending gradually in the morning twilight. Then enemy had got there before us and had hidden themselves in it by paths and side tracks and narrow places. The had collected and were fully prepared, and by Allah we were terrified when, as we were coming down, the squadrons attacked us on man, the people fled none heeding the other. The men ran away except that a number of Muhajrun and Ansar and men of his family remained with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Muhajirun who stood firm were Abu Bakr and Umar: of his family Ali, Al- Abbas, and Abu Sufyan Ibn Al-Harith and his son and Al-Fadl Ibn Abbas, Rabi Ibn Al- Harith, Usamah Ibn Zaid and Ayman Ibn Umm Ayman Ibn Ubaid who was killed that day.
On seeing the men fleeing, The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) withdrew to the right and said, " Where are you going, men? Come to me. I am Allah's Messenger. I am Muhammad the son of Abdullah." And not for nothing did the camels bump one into the other In this context, Al-Bukhari narrated on the authority of Abu Ishaq who said, "I heard Al-Bara' narration when a man come and said to hi, 'O Abu Umara! Did you flee on the day of Hunain?' Al-Bara' replied, 'I testify that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not flee, but the hasty people hurried away and the people of Hawazin threw arrows at them. At that time, Abu Sufyan Ibn Al-Harith was holding the whit mule of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) by the head, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was saying, "I am the Prophet undoubtedly: I am the son of Abdul-Muttalib." Finally a hundred men were gathered by him and they went forward and fought. At first the cry was, 'to mw, Ansar!' And finally, 'to me Khazraj!' They were steadfast in the fight. The men went on fighting and those who has run away returned; they found only prisoners handcuffed with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Manyu disbelievers were killed and they were defeated. Allah granted His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) their property and children as booty.
According to Al-Bukhari, Abu Qarada narrated, "We set out along with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) during the year of Hunain, and when we faced the enemy, the Muslims (with the exception he Prophet peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and some of his companions) retreated (before the enemy). I saw one of the pagans over-powering one of the Muslims, so I struck the pagan from behind his neck causing his armor to be cut off. The pagan headed towards me and pressed me so forcibly that I felt as if I was dying. The death took him over and he released me.
Afterwards I followed 'Umar and said to him, 'What is wrong wit the people?' He said, 'It is the Order of Allah, Then Muslim returned the the battle after the fight and after overcoming the enemy the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sat and said,
" Whoever had killed on Infidel and has an evidence to this issue, will have the Sulb (the belonging of deceased e.g., clothes, arms, horse, etc). "
I said, 'Who will be my witness?' and then sat down. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) repeated his question. The the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said the same for the third time. I got up and said, 'Who will be my witness?' and then sat down. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked his former question again. So I got up. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, 'What is the matter, O Abu Qatada?' So I narrated the whole story; A man said, 'Abu Qatada has spoken the truth, and the Salab of the deceased is with me, so please compensate Abu Qatada on my behalf.' Abu Bakr said, 'No! By Allah, it will never happen that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) will leave a Lion of Allah who fights for the Sake of Allah and His Messenger and give his spoils to you.' The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Abu Bakr has spoken the truth. Give it the spoils back to him O man. " So he gave it to me and I bought a garden in Banu Salamah with it the spoils and that was the first property I got after embracing Islam."
When the spoils were collected, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ordered his Companions to take it to Al-Ja'franah. Mas'ud Ibn Amr Al-Ghigari was put by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in charge of the spoils.
The Division of the spoils
In his Sahih, Al-Bukhari narrated the following ahadith that refer to the division of the spoils at Hunain: Marawan and Al-Miswar Ibn Makrama narrated that when the delegate of Hawazin come to Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) declaring their conversion to Islam and asked him to return their properties and captives, Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) got up and said to him,
" There Is involved in this matter, the people whom you see with me, and the most beloved talk to me, is the true one. So choose one of two alternatives: Either the captives or the properties. I have been waiting for you (have not distributed the booty). "
Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had delayed the distribution of their booty over ten nights after his return form Ta'if. So when the came to know that Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was not going to return to them but one of the two, they said, "We prefer to have our captives." So Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) got up amongst the Muslims, and praising Allah as He deserved, said,
"To proceed! Your brothers have come to you with repentance and I see (it logical) to return their captives. So, whoever of you likes to do that as a favor then he can do it. And whoever of you likes to stick to his share until we give him form the very first booty which Allah will give us, then he can do so." and again said, "We do not know which of you have agreed to it and which have not; so go back and let your chiefs forward us your decision. "
They went back and their chief's spoke to them, and they return to Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and informed him that all of them had agreed (to give up their captives) with pleasure, and had given their permission (that the captives be returned to their people).
Anas narrated that when it was the day of Hunain, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) confronted the tribe of Hawazin while there ten-thousand men besides the Tulaqa (those who had embraced Islam on the day of the Conquest of Mecca) with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. When they fled, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, " O the group of Ansar! " the replied, "Labbaik (here we are at your service), O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and Sa'daik! We are under your command." Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "I am Allah's servant and His Messenger."
Then the pagans were defeated. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) distributed the war booty amongst the Tulaqa' andMuhajirun and did not give anything to the Ansar. So the Ansar spoke (were dissatisfied) and he called them and made them enter a leather tent and said,
"Won't you be pleased that the people take the sheep and camels, and you take Allah's Messenger along with you. " The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) added " If the people took their way through a valley and the Ansar took their way through a mountain pass, then I would choose a mountain pass of the Ansar."
Anas also narrated that when it was the day of the Conquest of Mecca Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) distributed the war booty amongst the people of Quraish, which caused the Ansar to become angry, So The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said,
"Won't you be pleased that the people take the worldly things and you take Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with you. "
They said, "Yes" The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said,
"If the people took their way through a valley or mountain pass I would take my way through the Ansar's valley or mountain pass. "
Battle of Hunayn
Pagan Tribes Assemble to Attack Muslims:
The conquest of Mecca led to mass conversion of the Arabs to Islam all over Arabia. But some tribes like Thaqeef, Hawazin, Banu Sa'ad and Banu Jashm living in the east and south-east of Mecca did not wish to leave idolatry. Their leaders decide to act immediately by attacking the Muslims in Mecca and destroying them before they consolidate their recent gains and become too strong. They were fierce warriors and they were confident that they were more than a match on the battle-field for the warriors of Islam.
Muslims Respond:
In late January 630, the Prophet Muhammad received reports that Thaqeef and Hawazin had left their home and were moving toward Mecca. Muhammad didn't want Mecca to become a battle-ground. He, therefore, hastily left Mecca to meet the enemy. Muhammad marched forth from Mecca at the head of all his forces, swelled now, by the addition of 2000 new recruits from Mecca, to the large number of 12,000 men.
This new army was the largest force ever assembled in Arabia to that date. As its various formations marched out of the city gate, in full panoply of war, Abu Bakr exclaimed: "We cannot be defeated this time because of lack of numbers." But very soon he was proven wrong. Muslims were defeated at the beginning even though they were thrice as numerous as the enemy. Qur’an itself called attention of the Muslims that numbers alone were no guarantee that they would be victorious.
Tribals Ambush Muslims:
Very early in the morning, while the dawn was yet gray, the army of Muhammad was in motion. Clad in full panoply, as on the day of Ohad, he rode on his white mule, Duldul, in the rear of the forces. The vanguard, formed of the Banu Sulaim and led by Khalid ibn al-Walid, were defiling leisurely up the steep and narrow pass, when on a sudden the Hawazin sprang forth from their hiding, and charged them with impetuosity. Umar's son described what happened then:
"We came down through a wadi, wide and sloping descending gradually in the morning twilight; but the enemy was there before us and had hidden in the by-paths, side-tracks and narrow places. They were in force, fully armed and knowing exactly what to do, and by God, we were terrified when we descended and suddenly the Hawazin came down on us as one man! The Bedouin attacked with stones, boulders, arrows, lance and sword. The vanguard under General Khalid, broke, the camels jostling and crashing, screeching and tangling up their long legs."
Muslims Flee from Battle:
Staggered by the unexpected onslaught, the Banu Sulaim broke and fell back. The shock was communicated from column to column. Aggravated by the darkness of the hour, and the straitness and ruggedness of the road, panic seized the whole army; all turned and fled. The army of Islam was in headlong rout with the enemy at full tilt in pursuit. Witnessing what had befallen the Muslims, Abu Sufyan was pleased at the defeat of his previous enemies who until now had been celebrating their victory over Mecca. He said, "The Muslims will not be checked until they are thrown into the sea."
The Apostle, of course, did not abandon his post, and stood firm like a rock. Eight men were still with him, all watching the spectacle of the flight of their army. They were: Ali ibn Abi Talib, Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib, Fadhl ibn Abbas, Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith ibn Abdul Muttalib, Rabi'a, the brother of Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith, Abdullah ibn Masood, Usama ibn Zayd ibn Haritha and Ayman ibn Obaid Out of these eight, the first five belonged to the clan of Banu Hashim. They were the uncle and the cousins of the Prophet.
As the troops they hurried past him, Muhammad called out: "Whither away? The Prophet of the Lord is here! Return! Return! – but his words had no effect. Not one of them heeded, and why should they? There was a Hawazin warrior after them on a russet camel, his standard flying from the long lance, and every time he dipped the blade of that lance, it showed up on the other side of someone's chest. The Prophet's voice was drowned in the uproar of men, the clamor of camels. And Ali, so quiet in peace but in battle like a demon, lunged viciously about him, fighting to get behind the Hawazin leader's camel and hamstring it..."
Muhammad Orders Muslims to Return:
At last, Muhammad asked his uncle, Abbas, to cry aloud: "O ye Muhajireen and O ye Ansar! O ye victors of Badr and O ye men of the Tree of Fealty! Where are you going? The Messenger of Allah is here. Come back to him." Abbas had a stentorian voice, and as he shouted these words over and over again at the pitch of his voice, they were heard far and near. At once they touched a chord in the hearts of the men of Medina. They were arrested in their flight, and hastened to Muhammad, crying aloud, "Ya Labeik! Here we are at thy call!" One hundred of these devoted followers, disengaged with difficulty from the camels that jammed the narrow pass, threw themselves upon the advancing enemy and checked his progress.
The Tribals are Defeated:
The army rallied gradually, and returned to the battle. Muhammad ascended an eminence and watched the struggle. Excited by the spectacle, he began loudly to exclaim: "Now is the furnace heated: I am the Prophet that lieth not. I am the offspring of Abdul Muttalib."
Then bidding Abbas to pick up for him a handful of gravel, he cast it towards the enemy, saying, "Ruin seize them!". The steadiness of the Medina army, and the enthusiasm of the rest when once recalled, had won the day. The enemy fled, and the rout was complete. Many were slain and so fiercely did the Muslims pursue the charge, that they killed among the rest some of the little children – an atrocity which Mohammed had strictly forbidden.
The pagan tribesmen were defeated but they were able to regroup, and retreated in good order from the valley of Hunayn. Their general, Malik ibn Auf, rallied his horsemen sufficiently to make them hold their ground till the weaker members of the party were covered, and they could make their way to Taif. Some of their women fell in the hands of the Muslims. Khalid, whose savagery had already won a rebuke from the Prophet, earned a fresh one by thinking it his duty to kill these amazons; an act which was totally against the Prophet's ideas of gallantry.
Importance of the Battle of Hunayn:
A highly important victory was gained at a time when a reverse would have had serious consequences; for Abu Sufyan might have taken advantage of a disaster.
Though Abu Sufyan, the chief of the Banu Umayya, had accepted Islam, he was thrilled to see the flight of the Muslims, and hoped that they would be thrown into the sea. When Hikda bin Umayya, another Muslim of the clan of Banu Umayya, saw the rout of the Muslims, at the beginning of the battle, he remarked: "At last the spell of Muhammad is broken." Both of them must have imagined of reinstating Hubal, their dynastic god, to his throne in the Kaaba. Soon there was a reversal in the fortunes of the battle, and this reversal must have caused great heart-burning to Abu Sufyan and his clansmen as they lost the last, best hope of reviving idolatary.
Hunayn was the last battle led personally by Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah. The battle began with the rout of the Muslims, and they fled to save their own lives, utterly oblivious of the presence, in the battlefield, of their Prophet. In the end, however, they were victorious, thanks to the courage and resolution of the Prophet himself and a few of his kinsfolk.
The Reason for Early Losses in Hunayn:
The reverse sustained at the opening of the day, was attributed by the Prophet to the overconfidence of their great army. The subsequent success was equally ascribed tothe aid of invisible hosts which fought against their enemy. The engagement is thus alluded to in the Holy Qur'an:
'Verily Allah hath assisted you in many battlefields: and on the day of Hunayn, when indeed ye rejoiced in the multitude of your host. But their great number did not in any wise benefit you: the earth became too strait for you with all its spaciousness. Then ye turned your backs and fled.'
Victory was not gained cheaply. The Muslims paid a very high price. There was a great slaughter of the Muslims at the beginning which was caused by their own panic and irresolution. Two Muslim tribes were almost totally annihilated, and that the Prophet held a funeral prayer for them. Partially offsetting this tremendous loss of human lives, was the unquestioned supremacy the victory brought to the Muslims.
Ali in the Battle of Hunayn:
The hero of the battle of Hunayn was Ali ibn Abi Talib. At a time when all the companions had fled from the battlefield, and only eight men were left with the Apostle, it was Ali who stood between him and the enemy, and defended him. The tribesmen charged repeatedly but he repulsed them each time. Eventually, Ali succeeded in turning the tide of the battle. First he caused Uthman bin Abdullah, one of the leaders of the enemy, to fall from his camel, and be killed; and later, he killed Abu Jerdel, the Hawazin leader. When these two generals were killed, the enemy lost heart and lost the battle.
The War spoils of Hunayn:
The defeated tribes had abandoned all their baggage and thousands of their animals. The Apostle ordered them to be collected and taken to Jirana, a place mid-way between Taif and Mecca, and to be kept there pending his own arrival. In the meantime, he decided to capture Taif which was the last stronghold of the infidels where the fugitives from the battle had found sanctuary and ordered the main body of the army to march on that city.
On his way to Taif, the Apostle rode past a small crowd of people who were standing around the body of a slain woman. Upon enquiry, he learned that she had been killed by Khalid bin al-Walid. When he heard what had happened, he sent word to Khalid and forbade him to kill child, woman or hired slave. The Apostle laid siege to Taif but it was abortive and was abandoned. Taif, however, voluntarily surrendered some weeks later.
From Taif, the Apostle went to Jirana to distribute the spoils of war. The share he gave to Abu Sufyan and his sons, the leaders of the clan of Umayya, was larger than the share he gave to anyone else in the camp of Islam. Abu Sufyan, who had good reason to expect less than nothing, after his performance in the battle of Hunayn, was carried away by the generosity of the Prophet, and said "You are generous in war no less than you are generous in peace."Allegations of Historians Regarding Muhammad's Generosity:
Some historians have written that the share which the Apostle gave to Abu Sufyan and his sons, was actually a bribe to keep them Muslims, and that there was no other way he could have won their loyalty.
But these historians should note that after the conquest of Mecca, Abu Sufyan and other members of Banu Umayya, were at the mercy of Muhammad. He could have exterminated them, and all the idolaters of Arabia could not have done anything to save them. It was not necessary for him to bribe them or anyone else into accepting Islam as their acceptance of Islam was of no value. In gifting Abu Sufyan and his sons, the Prophet of Islam was only demonstrating his own freedom from vindictiveness and trying to wear out their hostility to Islam. Abu Sufyan, his sons and other Umayyads - the recipients of the gifts, were called, ever after Muallafa Qulubuhum – those whose hearts were gained over. The Prophet gave his enemies large shares out of the booty only for their Taleef al-Qulub – gaining over their hearts.
The Unhappiness among Ansars over the Spoils of Hunayn:
Some Ansars were unhappy at what they considered to be an unfair distribution of the spoils of war.They murmured that the Prophet gave preferential treatment to the Quraysh in distibution of booty. When the Prophet heard this, he ordered the Ansar to assemble in a tent, and he addressed them thus:
"What is it that I hear from you, O Ansar, about the apportionment of booty? Are you roiled up because I gave a larger share of the booty to the Meccans than I gave you? But tell me this: is it not true that you worshipped idols and Allah gave you guidance through me? Is it not true that you were riven by civil discord and Allah united you through me? Is it not true that you were poor and Allah made you rich through me?" In answer to each question, the Ansar said: "Yes, that is so, and it is the grace of Allah and His Apostle."
cahpter 8 the battle of hunainSome historians have written that the share which the Apostle gave to Abu Sufyan and his sons, was actually a bribe to keep them Muslims, and that there was no other way he could have won their loyalty.
But these historians should note that after the conquest of Mecca, Abu Sufyan and other members of Banu Umayya, were at the mercy of Muhammad. He could have exterminated them, and all the idolaters of Arabia could not have done anything to save them. It was not necessary for him to bribe them or anyone else into accepting Islam as their acceptance of Islam was of no value. In gifting Abu Sufyan and his sons, the Prophet of Islam was only demonstrating his own freedom from vindictiveness and trying to wear out their hostility to Islam. Abu Sufyan, his sons and other Umayyads - the recipients of the gifts, were called, ever after Muallafa Qulubuhum – those whose hearts were gained over. The Prophet gave his enemies large shares out of the booty only for their Taleef al-Qulub – gaining over their hearts.
The Unhappiness among Ansars over the Spoils of Hunayn:
Some Ansars were unhappy at what they considered to be an unfair distribution of the spoils of war.They murmured that the Prophet gave preferential treatment to the Quraysh in distibution of booty. When the Prophet heard this, he ordered the Ansar to assemble in a tent, and he addressed them thus:
"What is it that I hear from you, O Ansar, about the apportionment of booty? Are you roiled up because I gave a larger share of the booty to the Meccans than I gave you? But tell me this: is it not true that you worshipped idols and Allah gave you guidance through me? Is it not true that you were riven by civil discord and Allah united you through me? Is it not true that you were poor and Allah made you rich through me?" In answer to each question, the Ansar said: "Yes, that is so, and it is the grace of Allah and His Apostle."
Then Muhammad said:"...but you might have answered and answered truly, – you came to Medina rejected as an impostor, and we bore witness to your veracity; you came as a helpless fugitive and we assisted you; an outcast, and we gave you an asylum; destitute, and we solaced you."He added,"Why are you disturbed in mind because of the things of this life, wherewith I have sought to incline the hearts of these men (the Quraysh of Mecca) unto Islam, whereas you are already steadfast in your faith? Are you not satisfied that others should obtain the flocks and the camels, while you carry back the Prophet of the Lord unto your homes? No, I will not leave you for ever. If all mankind went one way, and the men of Medina another way, verily, I would go the way of the men of Medina. The Lord be favorable unto them, and bless them, and their sons and their sons' sons for ever." (The Life of Mohammed, London, 1861)
When the Ansar heard these words, they were smothered with tears, and they cried: "Let others take the sheep, the cattle and the camels with them. All we want is Muhammad, and nothing else." The Ansar also feared that the Prophet might decide to stay in Mecca, and make it his capital. But he reassured them that he would never leave them or Medina.
From Jirana, the Muslims returned to Mecca where the Prophet performed the Umra, or the Lesser Pilgrimage. The Prophet gave finishing touches to matters relating to administration and policy. Before leaving Mecca for Medina, he appointed Akib bin Usayd as governor of the city. This was the first permanent civil appointment in Islam. He also declared Mecca to be the religious capital of Islam. The Apostle returned to Medina with the Muslim host after an absence of more than a month.
When the Ansar heard these words, they were smothered with tears, and they cried: "Let others take the sheep, the cattle and the camels with them. All we want is Muhammad, and nothing else." The Ansar also feared that the Prophet might decide to stay in Mecca, and make it his capital. But he reassured them that he would never leave them or Medina.
From Jirana, the Muslims returned to Mecca where the Prophet performed the Umra, or the Lesser Pilgrimage. The Prophet gave finishing touches to matters relating to administration and policy. Before leaving Mecca for Medina, he appointed Akib bin Usayd as governor of the city. This was the first permanent civil appointment in Islam. He also declared Mecca to be the religious capital of Islam. The Apostle returned to Medina with the Muslim host after an absence of more than a month.
"Assuredly Allah did help you in many battlefields, and on the Day of Hunayn: behold! Your great numbers elated you, but they availed you nothing. The land, for all that it is wide, did constrain you, and you turned back in retreat.
But Allah did pour His calm on the Messenger and on the Believers, and sent down forces which you saw not, and He punished the Unbelievers: Thus does He reward those without Faith. Again will Allah, after this, turn in mercy to whom He will, for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."[Quran 9: 25-27]
Hardly had the people of Makkah sworn allegiance to the Prophet and life returned to normal in the town, when hostile winds began to blow from the east. The powerful tribes of the Hawazin and the Thaqeef were on the war-path.
The Hawazin lived in the region north-east of Makkah and the Thaqeef in the area of Taif. They were neighbouring tribes, who now feared that the Muslims, having conquered Makkah, would attack and catch them dispersed in their tribal settlements. To avoid being taken at a disadvantage, they decided to mount an offensive themselves, hoping to benefit from their initiative. The two tribes concentrated at Autas, near Hunain, where they were joined by contingents from several other tribes. This again was a coalition like the one which had assembled for the Battle of the Ditch. The total strength of the assembled tribes was 12,000 men, and the over-all commander was the fiery, 30-year-old Malik bin Auf. This young general decided to make his men fight in a situation of such serious danger that they would fight with the courage of desperation. He ordered the families and the flocks of the tribes to join the men.
Another leader in the coalition was the venerable Duraid bin As-Simma. Hoary with age, this man had lost the strength and vitality to lead men in battle, but he was a sage with a clear mind who accompanied his men wherever they marched; and since he was an experienced veteran, his advice on matters of war was widely sought. His military wisdom was unchallenged.
At Autas the aged Duraid heard the noises which usually, arise wherever families and animals are gathered. He sent for young Malik and asked, "Why do I hear the call of camels, the braying of donkeys, the bleating of goats, the shouting of women and the crying of children?" Malik replied, "I have ordered the families and the flocks to muster with the army. Every man, will fight with his family and his property behind him and thus fight with greater courage."
"Men fight with swords and spears, not with women and children", said Duraid. "Put the families and the flocks at a safe distance from the field of battle. If we win, they can join us. If we lose, at least they shall be safe."
Malik took this as a challenge to his judgement and his, ability to command the army. "I shall not send them away", he bristled. "You have grown senile and your brain is weak."At this Duraid withdrew from the argument and decided to let Malik have his way. Malik then returned to his officers and, said, "When you attack, attack as one man. As our attack begins, let all scabbards be broken." 1 This breaking of scabbards was practised by the Arabs to signify an attitude of suicidal desperation.
As it happened only the Hawazin brought their families and their flocks to the camp. Other tribes did not do so.
The Prophet did not want any more bloodshed, but had, no choice except to set out to face this new enemy. He had no intention of waiting for another coalition to form against him and attack him as had happened three years before at the Battle of the Ditch. Moreover, if he waited on the defensive in Makkah and the enemy remained poised at Autas, the situation would lead to a stalemate which could last for months; and the Prophet could not afford to waste all that time. He had to attend to organisational matters and set about the conversion of the tribes of Arabia while the psychological impact of the fall of Makkah was still fresh in the minds of the Arabs. With a large hostile concentration at Autas, he would not be able to carry out these tasks. In any case, a strong enemy challenge to his authority at this stage would reduce the impact the Muslim conquest of Makkah had made on the Arab mind. This challenge had to be met. This opposition had to be crushed. The Prophet's decision to advance from Makkah created the unusual situation of both sides moving forward to fight an offensive battle.
On January 27, 630 (the 6th of Shawal, 8 Hijri), the Muslims set out from Makkah. The army consisted of the original 10,000 men who had conquered Makkah plus 2,000 new converts from among the Makkans. These new Muslims were of doubtful value as Islam had not really entered their hearts; they had come because they supposed that this was the right thing to do. Among them were Abu Sufyan and Safwan bin Umayyah. The latter had been given four months in which to make up his mind about the new faith, but was now favourably inclined towards the Prophet and had gone so far as to lend the Muslims 100 coats of mail for the forthcoming battle.
1Map 6.)
While the Muslims were moving towards Hunain, each side had sent out agents to get information about the other side. Both sides were well informed of opposing strengths, locations and movements. An agent sent by the Prophet mixed with the Hawazin at Autas, got to know the exact strength of the coalition and slipped out unseen to give this information to the Prophet. When he gave his report, Umar was also present, and for some reason did not believe the intelligence conveyed by the agent. He called the agent a liar, whereupon the agent replied, "If you call me a liar, you call the truth falsehood. And you had called a liar one who is better than me." The man was alluding to the time when Umar, before his conversion, was a violent enemy of the Prophet.
Umar suddenly turned to the Prophet and said, "Did you hear that?" "Steady, O Umar!"replied the Prophet. "You were once misguided, and Allah showed you the way." 1Umar said no more.
As the Muslims arrived at their new camp in the Hunain Valley, news of their arrival was conveyed to Malik bin Auf by his agents. He guessed that the Muslims would know that his army was at Autas, and would expect to fight him at or near Autas. And he put into effect his plan to outwit the Muslims.
Before dawn on February 1, 630 (the 11th of Shawal, 8 Hijri) the Muslims formed up in marching order to advance to Autas where they expected to engage the enemy. It was their intention to get through the defile of Hunain before the enemy came to know of their movement. The advance guard again consisted of the Bani Sulaim under Khalid, and behind it marched various Muslim units, including the group of 2,000 Makkans. The camp was left standing as the base of the operation.
As the first glow of dawn appeared in the eastern sky, the advance guard entered the defile (about 2 miles short of Zaima.) Eagerly anticipating a lively battle with a surprised enemy at Autas, Khalid increased his pace. And then the storm broke!
Khalid was the first to receive the shock of the ambush. The quiet of the dawn was shattered by a thousand piercing yells, and the arrows came not in tens or twenties but in hundreds. They came like hailstones, whistling and hissing, striking horse and man. The Bani Sulaim did not stop to act against the enemy. They did not stop to think or take cover. They turned as one man and bolted. Khalid's shouts to his men to stand fast were lost in the noise and confusion. He himself was badly wounded and was carried away with the tide of fleeing men and horses; but after riding a short distance he fell off his horse and lay still, unable to move because of his wounds.
As the Bani Sulaim turned in panic and fled, they ran into other units which occupied the narrow track, who now became aware that something terrible had happened. The half-hearted Makkans turned and joined the flight, followed by several other Muslim units. Some of the Muslims fled to the camp, but the majority of them merely dispersed and took cover some distance behind the scene of the ambush on the other side of the track. No one knew quite what happened. The confusion increased as camel mounted camel and horses and men ran into each other in a blind urge to get away.
11 to which Malik could withdraw in case the battle did not go according to his plan. As long as this pass was secure, the Muslims would not be able to advance to Autas, Malik's base.
Most of the new Meccan converts were delighted at this setback to the Muslims. Abu Sufyan remarked, "This retreat will not stop until they get to the sea!" Present with Safwan bin Umayyah was his half-brother, who said, "Now the sorcery of Muhammad will be exposed." "Silence!" Safwan snapped at him. "May Allah break your mouth! I would rather see a man of the Quraish ruling over us than a man of the Hawazin!" 2
The Prophet was left standing on the track with nine of his Companions, including Ali, Abu Bakr, Umar, and Abbas. As the Muslims ran past, he shouted to them, "O Muslims! I am here! I, the Messenger of Allah! I, Muhammad, son of Abdullah!" 3 But his cries were of no avail. The leading elements of the Hawazin got to the place where the Prophet stood, and here Ali brought down the first infidel to fall at Hunain-a man mounted on a red camel, carrying a long lance at the end of which flew a black pennant. This man was chasing the Muslims as they fled. Ali pursued the man, along with a fellow Muslim, and catching up with him cut the tendons of the camel's hind legs with his sword. The infidel fell with the camel, and the other Muslim cut off his head.
The Prophet now moved towards the right with his group and took shelter on a rocky spur. A few men of the Thaqeef came towards the Prophet's group, but were driven back by the Companions.
Malik bin Auf had done to the Muslims what no one had ever done before. For the Muslims this was the first, and bitter, experience of being ambushed, and many of them lost their heads and fled from the scene of action. In such a situation, however, the bravest are wont to panic.
Malik had struck brilliantly; but unfortunately for him, his men had not performed as expertly as he had hoped. They had not waited until the main body of the Muslims had entered the trap, but had opened up when just the advance guard was in their field of fire. And Malik now made the mistake of being satisfied with what he had achieved so far; beyond advancing a few hundred yards he made no attempt to pursue the Muslims. If he had done so, the story of this battle might have read differently. Moreover, the archery of the Hawazin was extremely poor. While several Muslims and their mounts were wounded, none were killed in the ambush.
The Holy Prophet surveyed the scene before him, and the scene was anything but promising. He decided not to let Malik get away with such an easy victory. He turned to Abbas and ordered him to call the Muslims to rally around him. Abbas was a large man with a powerful voice which, according to some accounts, could be heard miles away. Now he yelled at the top of his voice: "O Muslims! Come to the Messenger of Allah! O Ansar…O Companions…O …" He called each tribe in turn to report to the Prophet.
The call was heard by most of the Muslims and they at once began to move to where the Prophet stood. As soon as the first 100 men had gathered beside the Prophet, he ordered a counter?attack. These men assailed those of the Hawazin who were nearest to the Prophet and drove them back. Soon the assembling Muslims increased in number until thousands of them had rejoined the Prophet. When the Prophet felt that sufficient strength had been gathered around him, he ordered a general attack against the Hawazin.
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Malik decided that he was getting the worst of the fighting and put his withdrawal plan in action. The Thaqeef were already in position a short distance behind the Hawazin. Leaving the Thaqeef to act as a rearguard, he pulled the Hawazin back to safety. The Muslims moved forward and made contact with the Thaqeef, who now began to receive heavy punishment from the Believers. Soon after this contact, the Thaqeef turned and took to their heels, followed by other tribal contingents, some of which had taken no part in the fighting. In the mean time Malik had got the Hawazin safely to the pass, and here he deployed them to fight a defensive battle while waiting for stragglers to catch up. As long as he held this pass, the families and the flocks of the Hawazin were safe.
The Muslims had not only recovered from the shock of the ambush but had counter-attacked, regained their position and driven the enemy from the battlefield. This was a tactical victory, but more was to come.
While the Muslims were stripping the Thaqeef dead of their weapons and clothing, an interesting incident involving two Muslims took place. One was an Ansar from Madinah and the other a man by the name of Mugheerah bin Shu'ba, who belonged to the tribe of Thaqeef. Among the Thaqeef dead was a Christian slave who had died beside his master. As the Ansar stripped this slave, he noticed that the dead man was not circumcised. Amazed at this discovery, for circumcision was a universal practice among the Arabs, he called aloud to those who stood around him: "O Arabs! Did you know that the Thaqeef are not circumcised?" Mugheerah, who stood next to the Ansar, was horrified to hear this, as the spread of such a report would mean disgrace for the Thaqeef. He knew the dead slave and could understand how the misunderstanding had arisen. "Don't say that!" he hissed at the Ansar. "This man was a Christian slave."
"No, he was not", insisted the Ansar. "I am sure that he is one of the Thaqeef." And he remained unconvinced until Mugheerah had undressed several bodies of the Thaqeef and pointed out familiar signs! 2
The Muslim army having fully re-assembled, except for a few who had fled, the Prophet decided to press his advantage. He organised a strong cavalry group and sent it forward to clear the valley before the Hawazin had time to recover and reorganise. This group was formed of several contingents, including the Bani Sulaim, over whom Khalid had regained control. Khalid had missed the Muslim counter-attack. He had lain where he fell in the flight of the Bani Sulaim until the counter-attack was over. Then the Holy Prophet came to him and blew upon his wounds, whereupon Khalid arose, feeling strengthened and fit for battle again. 3 He quickly got the Bani Sulaim together.
The entire group was placed under command of Zubair bin Al Awwam, who now advanced along the valley and contacted Malik at the pass. After a short, brisk engagement, Malik was driven off the pass. The whole valley was now in Muslim hands. The Prophet left Zubair's mounted group at the pass, to hold it as a firm base and guard it against a possible return of the Hawazin, and sent another group under Abu Amir to Autas. This was the camp of the Hawazin, who on being driven off the pass had taken up positions around the camp to defend their families and flocks. On the arrival of the Muslims, a fierce clash took place at Autas. Abu Amir killed nine men in personal combat and was killed by his tenth adversary, whereupon the command of the Muslim group was taken over by his cousin, Abu Musa, who continued the attack on Autas until the Hawazin broke and fled. The camp of the Hawazin fell into Muslim hands, and here this Muslim group was joined by the cavalry group of Zubair, with Khalid in the lead.
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This was the first time that the Muslims had been ambushed in a large?scale operation by their enemies. This was the second instance in history of the ambush of an entire army by an entire army (the first being the ambush of the Romans by Hannibal at Lake Trasimene in 217 B.C.). Malik had made a brilliant and flawless plan to annihilate the Muslims, but because of the poor performance of his men could not achieve the mission that he had set himself. In spite of this poor performance, however, he would have won a resounding victory had his enemy not been the Muslims. It was the determination of the Prophet not to accept defeat, and the faith of the Muslims in their leader, which turned defeat into victory for them. Unlike Malik, the Prophet was not content with a limited gain and pressed his advantage to rout the enemy and capture the entire enemy camp with all its booty.
This was the first time that Khalid had been taken by surprise. He had always known the value of surprise, but this time he had been at the receiving end of it. He saw how his otherwise brave men had panicked at the sudden appearance of the enemy at an unexpected time and an unexpected place. He made up his mind never again to be caught unawares. And he never was.
1. No one today knows the location of Autas, but it must have been in the valley proper, as a camp with 6,000 people (excluding soldiers) and thousands of camels, goats and sheep could not be established on a hillside or in some little wadi. I have placed it a little beyond Zaima, but it could have been elsewhere.
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