Recap
Recall we started talking about the Battle of Hunayn which was a battle between the Muslims and the tribes of Thaqif and Hawazin (plus smaller tribes). The Thaqif is the tribe of Ta'if, and the Hawazin is the Bedouin tribe outside of Ta'if. How many were on the side of the mushrikun? Around 20,000. And the Muslims were around 12,000. And for the first time in their lives, the Muslims felt overconfident, so much so that one of them remarked, "How can we possibly be destroyed." And the Prophet PBUH told them, "Be careful, for there was a prophet who said this, and in front of his eyes Allah took his army away from him." Nonetheless, the damage had been done and the Muslims walked into a trap. In that trap, they started running helter-skelter and they began running from the Prophet PBUH. The Prophet PBUH himself, however, stood his ground and did not flee. He remained firm. And around him were the elite of the sahaba: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, his uncle Abbas, and some of the Ansar.
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(Cont.) The Battle of Hunayn
And slowly but surely, as the Prophet PBUH called out, the sahaba gathered around him, and more and more people continued to come back. Especially when Abbas began calling them name by name, tribe by tribe. We also said that at this stage, the Prophet PBUH took a handful of dust/stones, and he threw it in the direction of the mushrikun, which affected their eyesight and allowed the sahaba to congregate again. This is what Allah mentions in the Quran, in Surah al-Tawba verses 25-26, that He helped the Muslims:
لَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ فِي مَوَاطِنَ كَثِيرَةٍ ۙ وَيَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ ۙ إِذْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ كَثْرَتُكُمْ فَلَمْ تُغْنِ عَنكُمْ شَيْئًا وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ ثُمَّ وَلَّيْتُم مُّدْبِرِينَ
ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِ وَعَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَأَنزَلَ جُنُودًا لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا وَعَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَاءُ الْكَافِرِينَ
"Indeed Allah has given you [believers] victory on many battlefields, even at the Battle of Hunayn when you took pride in your great numbers, but they proved of no advantage to you. The earth, despite its vastness, seemed to close in on you, then you turned back in retreat. Then Allah sent down His reassurance (i.e., peace) upon His Messenger and the believers, and sent down forces you could not see, and punished those who disbelieved. Such was the reward of the disbelievers" [Quran, 9:25-26].Notice Allah mentions "Hunayn" explicitly in the Quran. On that day, the sahaba were "impressed with their own numbers" — but they were of no use. And the vast earth seemed "constrained, and you turned your back and fled." — So in one verse, Allah describes in vivid detail the first phase of the Battle of Hunayn.
And after this, Allah sent "His reassurance," i.e., His sakina, i.e., His peace. And Allah "sent an army you could not see," i.e., once again, the angels helped the believers. And it's reported that a number of Muslims and non-Muslims saw these angels come down. Of them is Jubayr ibn Mut'im (who at this time is a Muslim), the son of Mut'im ibn Adi. He narrates: "When the two armies met, I saw a large black cloud come down from the heavens and disperse among the people like ants." So he said he saw this very dense cloud that spread everywhere. And then Jubayr says he realized these are the angels coming to help the believers.
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The Story of Shayba ibn Uthman
There is also an interesting story mentioned in Ibn Ishaq, and that is the story of a third/fourth cousin of the Prophet PBUH, and this is Shayba ibn Uthman (شيبة بن عثمان) from the Banu Abd al-Dar, one of the sister tribes of the Banu Hashim. His father, Uthman ibn Abi Talha (عثمان بن أبي طلحة), was one of those killed in the Battle of Uhud on the side of the pagans. And Shayba has just accepted Islam at the Conquest, and his heart is still angry and bitter that his father died at Uhud at the hands of the Muslims. So when he saw all the sahaba fleeing and the Prophet PBUH was alone, immediately he thought, "Let me get revenge for the death of my father!" So he took his spear and began galloping toward the back of the Prophet PBUH hoping that he could kill him in the chaos. But — he narrates: "Out of nowhere, a light came, and it was about to burn me. And it was so bright I had to cover my eyes." The Prophet PBUH turned around —and he must have seen what was happening; either he saw the angels and the light, or he saw Shayba going berserk— he PBUH raised his hands and made du'a to Allah, "O Allah, cause shaytan to depart from the heart of Shayba. O Allah, guide Shayba. O Allah, guide Shayba. O Allah, guide Shayba." At this —Shayba narrates— immediately, Iman entered his heart, and he joined fighting with the Prophet PBUH against the tribe of Thaqif and Hawazin. And he lived a pious life after this. Subhan'Allah, it is amazing that one second he was trying to kill the Prophet PBUH, and the next second his heart was full of Iman and he was fighting with the Muslims.
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The Mushriks Flee Helter-Skelter
Eventually, when the Muslims gathered around the Prophet PBUH —we don't have much details, but the books of seerah say the same thing, which is that:— the tribes of Thaqif and Hawazin fled. It appears the tribes of Thaqif and Hawazin were relying entirely on that one tactic. They only had plan A which was to shower the Muslims with arrows and let them flee. It appears they didn't have a plan B. So when plan A failed and the Muslims gathered again and charged forward, the mushriks fled helter-skelter. It appears they did not have any other backup plan. And the Prophet PBUH commanded the sahaba to pursue them to the valleys and mountains. Why? Because they are 20,000 — they will eventually congregate if left alone. So after the Battle of Hunayn, there is a long list of mini-expeditions: 200 sahaba were sent in one direction, 300 sent in another, and so on.
So the Battle of Hunayn ended at Hunayn, but several mini-skirmishes followed. In them, some of the famous sahaba were injured and killed. Of them is the uncle of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari:
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The Martyrdom of the Uncle of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari RA
A javelin was struck into the uncle of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, and his nephew Abu Musa came to him and saw the javelin sticking out of his uncle's chest. So Abu Musa says to his uncle, "Tell me who has killed you!" His uncle points to someone, so Abu Musa then and there attacks this man viciously, slaughters him, comes back, and says, "I have taken care of him. Now what can I do to help you?" His uncle says, "Take the javelin out," so he does this. But the blood is too much it's obvious he is going to die. So then his uncle says, "Go and tell the Prophet PBUH what happened, that I died in this manner. And give him my salam, and ask him to make du'a for me."
So it was a beautiful ending. And Abu Musa comes back to the Prophet PBUH and tells him in vivid detail what happened and how his uncle died. The Prophet PBUH was lying in his tent at this time; and when he heard Abu Musa's uncle ask for du'a, he PBUH asked for water, did wudu, and then stood up and raised his hands as high as he could (to the point that his armpits could be seen), and then he made du'a: "O Allah, forgive the sins of Abu Amir (أبو عامر), and raise his ranks among the Illiyin (العليين)"—it's a beautiful du'a, so when Abu Musa heard all of this, he said, "Ya Rasulullah, for me as well." And so the Prophet PBUH made du'a for Abu Musa as well, "O Allah, forgive him his sins, and cause him to enter a good abode on the Day of Judgment."
And Abu Musa's son Abu Burdah (أبو بردة) —who was one of the famous scholars of the tabi'un in Madinah (d. 103 AH)— was very proud of this hadith, that the Prophet PBUH made du'a for his father and granduncle.
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Noncombatants Should Not Be Killed
It's also reported that in the aftermath, when the Thaqif and Hawazin had run away, the Prophet PBUH was walking on the battlefield and he saw that a woman had been killed. So he said, "It was not right for her to have been killed (i.e., this should not have happened)," and he said, "Who did this?" And he was told that it was Khalid ibn al-Walid. So he said, "Go and catch Khalid ibn al-Walid before he goes forward (i.e., he had been sent on another expedition, so go and catch him before he goes further). And tell him that he is not to kill any more women, children, or servants/elderly (i.e., those who are not fighting — civilians)." This is the famous hadith and ruling used in all of the books of fiqh to show that the Prophet PBUH clearly forbade the killing of noncombatants.
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Skirmishes
So what happened to the people of Thaqif and Hawazin? As we said, they fled to many different places, and a number of mini-battles took place. And by and large, almost all of these skirmishes were successful (meaning the Muslims won). But the tribe of Thaqif did not flee into the wilderness — they fled back to Ta'if. Along with whoever was in that direction, they fled back to the city of Ta'if. And so that was where the Prophet PBUH turned to next. (And perhaps, the second largest group, they fled to a place called Awtas [أوطاس]. And there was another battle there with some casualties, but overall, the Muslims were victorious.)
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Victory Comes From Allah SWT
And eventually, Allah did give the Muslims victory when they responded to the call of the Prophet PBUH.
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Ghanima
The battle brought forth the largest ghanima the Muslims had ever conquered up until this point. Because when all of these tribes came, they made a massive mistake of bringing all of their families, animals, and property with them — the elder chieftain told them this was a foolish move, but the younger chieftain was adamant [see episode 82]. And so it is estimated that at least 6,000 prisoners of war were taken —that is a *massive* amount— and over 24,000 camels, and over 40,000 goats. In our time, this is tens of millions of dollars. It's a fortune the likes of which the Muslims had never seen. And the Prophet PBUH gathered together all of these spoils of war in a valley called Ji'ranah (جعرانة).
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Shayma the Foster Sister of the Prophet PBUH
It is narrated in Ibn Ishaq that when the prisoners of war were being led in, one of the ladies started screaming and shouting, "How dare you treat me like this?! Don't you know I am the sister of your own companion?!" They said, "What do you mean?" She said, "I am his (Prophet Muhammad's) foster sister!" So the sahaba were shocked and told the Prophet PBUH what happened. And the Prophet PBUH told them to bring her to him. When she came, she said to the Prophet PBUH, "I am Shayma." He said, "How do I know you are Shayma?" — Remember, he hasn't seen her for 56 years (he is now 60 years old). So she said, "I still have the mark on my back that you bit me one time when I was carrying you [as a baby]." At this, the Prophet PBUH laughed and realized this was indeed Shayma. So he said to her, "I have two choices for you: Either you stay with us and we shall treat you honorably, or I shall gift you and you can go back to your tribe." And Shayma chose the latter option.
And it's not known whether she accepted Islam.
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Halimah and Her Husband, the Foster Parents of the Prophet PBUH
In al-Bayhaqi and other books, we learn of an even more interesting narration (though this narration is weaker): It's said Shayma brought her mother and father, i.e., Halimah and her husband (the Prophet's PBUH foster parents). And this is not impossible — Halimah would have been around 80 by now, so it's reasonable. And it's said when Halimah came, the Prophet PBUH stood up for her, took off his own shawl and laid it on the ground for her. (It's the highest honor possible that you take off your own shawl and put it on the ground.) And he honored her immensely and gave her many gifts.
Did she accept Islam or not, the narration does not say.
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Trick Question: "Which Is the Battle That All of the Khulafa al-Rashidun Were Wounded In?"
In the Battle of Hunayn, only four people died, but many were wounded. And of those who were wounded, interestingly enough —and this is a trick question— which is the battle that all of the Khulafa al-Rashidun were wounded in? It is the Battle of Hunayn: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali RA, they were all wounded in the Battle of Hunayn. And all four of them stood by the Prophet PBUH.
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Parallels Between the Battle of Badr and Hunayn
The Battle of Badr and the Battle of Hunayn are the only two battles mentioned by name in the Quran [see Quran, 3:123 & 9:25].
And there are so many parallels between the Battle of Badr and Hunayn. (We could give a 20-minute tangent just about the parallels, but we are not going to, because insha'Allah, each one of you can think about them.) The main parallel is that both of them were amazing victories: Badr was an unparalleled spiritual victory, and Hunayn was an unparalleled financial victory. And in both, Allah sent angels down; and in both, the Muslims tried their best and then ultimately Allah helped them and gave them victory.
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The Siege of Ta'if
The prisoners of war and ghanima were kept at Ji'ranah, and the Prophet PBUH put armed guards to protect all of this. He then made his way to Ta'if. Generally speaking, the scholars of seerah combine two incidents in one: The Battle of Hunayn and the Hisar of Ta'if (حصار الطائف - the Siege of Ta'if) — there was a battle in the fields of Hunayn, and then from there, literally, the Prophet PBUH marched on to Ta'if and laid siege to the city. They are two separate incidents, but since they occur back to back and since the enemy is common, you always find both lumped together. So much so that scholars have differed, "Should we count these two as one?"
It is worth noting that Ta'if was not a battle; it was a siege. And the Muslims arrived during the last week of Shawwal.
Remember, Ta'if is a city nestled in the mountains. And it's a beautiful city. There is no semblance of desert in Ta'if — it's a green, luscious place. They have natural water, luscious fruits, grapes, etc. It's not like the barren valley of Makkah. And the people of Ta'if always competed with the people of Makkah. And they felt themselves superior. But they didn't have the one thing the Makkans had, and that is the Ka'bah. They cannot compete with the Ka'bah. But they did compete with wealth, finance, and fortification. They had fortified their city with massive walls. And they also had built instruments to defend against any attack, e.g., they had things on the tops of the walls to throw down (burning oil, arrows, etc.). You won't find this in any other city in Arabia. And they had stocked supplies for almost a year inside their city. On top of this, they have running water. So they could last a long time in their city. And it's clear this was a long-term strategy in place; they were preparing to attack the Prophet PBUH for many months.
The Prophet PBUH from Makkah (i.e., even before the Battle of Hunayn took place), when he heard of the people of Thaqif and Hawazin attacking, he sent 2-3 sahaba to another tribe, including Urwah ibn Mas'ud and Ghaylan ibn Salama (غيلان بن سلمة), to the tribe of Jurash (جرش), in order to learn specific instruments of war that the Muslims had never used before. Of them was the catapult. And the first Muslim to use a catapult was the Prophet PBUH himself. And by the way, subhan'Allah, what does this show us? This shows us the immense preparation and foresight of the Prophet PBUH — that in Makkah he was already thinking, "I may have to lay siege to Ta'if." And this is exactly what happened.
Remember, Ta'if is a city nestled in the mountains. And it's a beautiful city. There is no semblance of desert in Ta'if — it's a green, luscious place. They have natural water, luscious fruits, grapes, etc. It's not like the barren valley of Makkah. And the people of Ta'if always competed with the people of Makkah. And they felt themselves superior. But they didn't have the one thing the Makkans had, and that is the Ka'bah. They cannot compete with the Ka'bah. But they did compete with wealth, finance, and fortification. They had fortified their city with massive walls. And they also had built instruments to defend against any attack, e.g., they had things on the tops of the walls to throw down (burning oil, arrows, etc.). You won't find this in any other city in Arabia. And they had stocked supplies for almost a year inside their city. On top of this, they have running water. So they could last a long time in their city. And it's clear this was a long-term strategy in place; they were preparing to attack the Prophet PBUH for many months.
The Prophet PBUH from Makkah (i.e., even before the Battle of Hunayn took place), when he heard of the people of Thaqif and Hawazin attacking, he sent 2-3 sahaba to another tribe, including Urwah ibn Mas'ud and Ghaylan ibn Salama (غيلان بن سلمة), to the tribe of Jurash (جرش), in order to learn specific instruments of war that the Muslims had never used before. Of them was the catapult. And the first Muslim to use a catapult was the Prophet PBUH himself. And by the way, subhan'Allah, what does this show us? This shows us the immense preparation and foresight of the Prophet PBUH — that in Makkah he was already thinking, "I may have to lay siege to Ta'if." And this is exactly what happened.
And so when he arrives at Ta'if, those sahaba have come back with the knowledge of how to build a catapult and battering rams to break down doors/walls. And the third thing they learned was how to form a testudo (i.e., the tortoise formation — a type of shield wall formation used in battles) — the army walks under large shields to get to the siege wall. So they learned three new things:
1. Catapult
2. Large battering ram
3. Testudo
So right outside Ta'if, for the first time ever, a catapult was built by the Muslims. Initially, the sahaba camped at a certain area, but they were showered with volleys of arrows, so the Prophet PBUH told them to go to another location (and this location, by the way, later became the site of the first mosque in Ta'if; and to this day, that masjid is the main masjid of the city of Ta'if — it's called the Masjid of Abdullah ibn Abbas; these days, that masjid is inside the city because the city has expanded; but when the Prophet PBUH camped, the location was obviously outside the city). And at this place, the Prophet PBUH began the actual siege. The sahaba tried a number of things: On one occasion, they used the testudo to come close to the walls, but the burning oil still got through and it burned many of them; so they fled from under the shield, but lo and behold, then the showers of arrows came, and a number of people died. So the Muslims grew a little bit desperate: What is to be done now? How do you attack a city with thick walls? What can you do? The battering rams did not work; the catapults caused some damage but they did not cause the doors to open.
So they just waited out there. The Prophet PBUH suggested, "Let us leave the people of Ta'if for now and come back at another time." But some of the Muslims were adamant and said, "Ya Rasulullah, will we leave them now when we are so close?"—the sahaba had tasted the victory of Makkah and Hunayn; they were on a roll and wanted to finish the job. So when the Prophet PBUH saw the sahaba wanted to stay, he allowed them to stay.
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Burning of Lands and Produce
And the Muslims resorted to a tactic allowed in Islam under extreme circumstances. And that is they started burning the lands, crops, and produce outside the city walls. Now, burning land means you cannot grow on it for decades. You are ruining it for a very long time. But the Muslims were desperate, so they were forced into doing this. And when the people of Ta'if saw this, they started begging from the rooftops, "We ask you by Allah and by our kinship and by our rights of neighborship, don't do this!"—because it was more difficult for them than the loss of life; this is their livelihood for generations to come. And when they begged in this manner, the Prophet PBUH relented and forbade the sahaba from burning any more agricultural produce.
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Siege Concluded
The Prophet PBUH also made an announcement to the people of Ta'if, "Anybody who comes and joins us shall be protected; any slave who leaves and joins us, you will automatically be free." So, many slaves joined the Muslim army — in the middle of the night, they snuck outside, converted, and joined the Muslims. And in the course of the next few days, perhaps two dozen or more came down to join the Muslims; but by and large, the city of Ta'if remained the same.
The Muslims really did not know what to do; another mini-massacre took place from the showering of arrows, and the sahaba became demoralized. And so for the second time, the Prophet PBUH says, "Let us go on." And this time, they quietly agreed.
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How Long Did the Prophet PBUH Stay Outside Ta'if?
How long did the Prophet PBUH stay outside Ta'if? There are so many different opinions: Some say 20 days, some say 30 days, some say 40 days, and some say 2 weeks. Allah knows best, but what seems to make the most sense if you look at the entire narrative of the seerah is that it was less than 2 weeks (11 or 12 or 13 days).
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The Prophet PBUH Makes Du'a for Thaqif
Before the Muslims left Ta'if, the sahaba said to the Prophet PBUH, "Ya Rasulullah, make du'a against Thaqif." So the Prophet PBUH raised his hands —and everyone raised their hands with him— but instead of making du'a against them, he PBUH made du'a for them, "O Allah, guide the people of Thaqif. O Allah, bring the people of Thaqif to us."
The Muslims then returned to Ji'ranah where the ghanima was.
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Lessons From the Siege of Ta'if
From this incident, we learn:
1) The importance of shura. Our Prophet PBUH wanted to leave, but when he saw the younger sahaba wanting to stay, he allowed them to stay. This shows us a wise leader never forces his decision onto others.
2) It shows us the sahaba should have listened to the Prophet PBUH the first time. Ultimately, the Prophet PBUH knows best.
3) It also shows us the mercy of the Prophet PBUH for the people of Thaqif — he made du'a for them. (And subhan'Allah, Allah answered his du'a.) This shows us the goal of Islam is not vengeance and blood; it is mercy and guidance. If anyone deserves to be killed, it is Thaqif [see episode 20]; but still, the Prophet PBUH is hopeful, "O Allah, guide them to Islam."
4) Of the greatest lessons that is very profound is we learn that this world is never a world of ultimate victory. Look at our Prophet PBUH: In his greatest moment of glory, he does not get Ta'if. He has won Makkah, you would expect Ta'if is just icing on the cake. But no, this world is a world of tests — it's not going to be a bed of roses. It's a world of trials and tribulations. You won't get one thing after another. You're going to get some, and you're going to get deprived of others. Even in his moment of glory, our Prophet PBUH was shown that you are not going to get everything. And he had to suffer: The Siege of Ta'if had at least 4x the number of casualties than Hunayn. And the Prophet PBUH did not win over Ta'if. Therefore, if this is the case with the Prophet PBUH —that he won some and lost some— how about us? Will everything be easy for us? No. Also, just because you might lose one, it doesn't mean Allah is angry with you. It just means this is life. This is how Allah tests you.
5) We also see that the Prophet PBUH does not have an issue learning sciences and technology from anybody. He sent the sahaba to a faraway tribe to learn this knowledge (building a catapult, etc.). Knowledge is universal; and any beneficial knowledge, we should take. Islam is not anti-science or anti-technology — whatever is of benefit, we will take it as long as it does not conflict with our theology.
6) We also learn the importance of psychological warfare: (i) The Prophet PBUH called out to the noblemen and slaves of Ta'if, "Come and we will protect you!" "Come and we will free you!" (ii) The issue of burning the crops and produce — even though the Prophet PBUH relented in the end, this incident shows us the asl (أصل - basic ruling) is that it is allowed under extreme circumstances.
1) The importance of shura. Our Prophet PBUH wanted to leave, but when he saw the younger sahaba wanting to stay, he allowed them to stay. This shows us a wise leader never forces his decision onto others.
2) It shows us the sahaba should have listened to the Prophet PBUH the first time. Ultimately, the Prophet PBUH knows best.
3) It also shows us the mercy of the Prophet PBUH for the people of Thaqif — he made du'a for them. (And subhan'Allah, Allah answered his du'a.) This shows us the goal of Islam is not vengeance and blood; it is mercy and guidance. If anyone deserves to be killed, it is Thaqif [see episode 20]; but still, the Prophet PBUH is hopeful, "O Allah, guide them to Islam."
4) Of the greatest lessons that is very profound is we learn that this world is never a world of ultimate victory. Look at our Prophet PBUH: In his greatest moment of glory, he does not get Ta'if. He has won Makkah, you would expect Ta'if is just icing on the cake. But no, this world is a world of tests — it's not going to be a bed of roses. It's a world of trials and tribulations. You won't get one thing after another. You're going to get some, and you're going to get deprived of others. Even in his moment of glory, our Prophet PBUH was shown that you are not going to get everything. And he had to suffer: The Siege of Ta'if had at least 4x the number of casualties than Hunayn. And the Prophet PBUH did not win over Ta'if. Therefore, if this is the case with the Prophet PBUH —that he won some and lost some— how about us? Will everything be easy for us? No. Also, just because you might lose one, it doesn't mean Allah is angry with you. It just means this is life. This is how Allah tests you.
5) We also see that the Prophet PBUH does not have an issue learning sciences and technology from anybody. He sent the sahaba to a faraway tribe to learn this knowledge (building a catapult, etc.). Knowledge is universal; and any beneficial knowledge, we should take. Islam is not anti-science or anti-technology — whatever is of benefit, we will take it as long as it does not conflict with our theology.
6) We also learn the importance of psychological warfare: (i) The Prophet PBUH called out to the noblemen and slaves of Ta'if, "Come and we will protect you!" "Come and we will free you!" (ii) The issue of burning the crops and produce — even though the Prophet PBUH relented in the end, this incident shows us the asl (أصل - basic ruling) is that it is allowed under extreme circumstances.
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Incentives to Convert
Let us return to Ji'ranah where the Prophet PBUH went back to, where all the spoils of war were. In front of him were literally tens of millions worth of treasure. Thousands of camels, goats, weapons, etc. The Prophet PBUH camped at Ji'ranah and waited for more than a week. So since the actual Battle of Hunayn started, around 20-25 days have passed. What was he waiting for? He was waiting for the tribe of Hawazin to come back and negotiate a settlement for their property and families. At the end of the day, this is their women and children. And he wanted the Hawazin to come and accept Islam — and if they did, everything would be returned back to them. Subhan'Allah.
And obviously, everyone will want Islam if he will get his wife and children back — there's nobody that will say, "Khalas, I'm not going to be a Muslim — you can keep my wife and kids and money." And when he takes the money and family and he has to 'pretend' to be a Muslim, then what is going to happen? Eventually, Islam will enter his heart. This is the difference between Islam and others. We will give that Truth —as long as it's not coerced— with whatever incentive is necessary, because once that incentive is taken and Islam is tasted, eventually, Islam will become beloved to that person. (And this is the reality that we see around us as well — the phenomenon of marriage conversion is common: Initially, the person accepts Islam just for marriage purposes, but eventually, his/her Islam becomes very strong. Also, never has a group been persuaded into a faith and then they have retained that faith for generations as a society, except for Islam. And subhan'Allah, missionary work in Muslim lands has been, by and large, an utter and dismal failure. In large segments of the Muslim world, there has never been mass conversion away from Islam. Ultimately, the true religion will enter the heart; and Islam is true.)
So the Prophet PBUH patiently waited for nearly a month for the people of Hawazin to come back. And this, by the way, has occurred before as well with the Banu al-Mustaliq when the Prophet PBUH married Juwayriyya RA [see episode 54] — the entire tribe became Muslim, so they went back with all their property and belongings, and carried on like normal except they were now Muslims. So the Prophet PBUH wanted the same thing to happen to the Hawazin.
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Distribution of Ghanima
However, the Hawazin do not come back, and now the Muslims are eager, "Where is my share?" According to Islamic law —and the rules of ghanima are relatively complicated— it's said this type of ghanima that is left behind, it's up to the ruler to decide what to do with it [see also: episode 53]. So the ghanima of someone who has been killed has its own rulings, and the ghanima left behind in the camps has separate rulings. And the tens of millions left behind that are now in Ji'ranah are of the latter type. So the soldiers do not have any guaranteed share of it, and it's up to the Prophet PBUH to decide. And what did he do? He began to give the largest gifts that had ever been seen in Islam to specific people. One by one by name, choosing them. Ibn Ishaq lists up to a dozen people, most of whom were from the Quraysh, including Abu Sufyan ibn Harb: The Prophet PBUH gave him 100 camels at a time when most of the people of Makkah didn't even have a single camel. And having a single camel is a huge deal — it means you are upper middle class. Yet the Prophet PBUH gave Abu Sufyan 100 camels, which is a fortune. And he gave Safwan ibn Umayyah —the one who's still not a Muslim and has a four-month grace period— 100 camels as well. From the tribe of Ghatafan, Uyaynah ibn Hisn, who was one of the coarse Bedouins but has a massive tribe behind him, got 100 camels as well. From the tribe of Tamim up in Najd, al-Aqra' ibn Habis (الأقرع بن حابس) got 100 camels as well. And so on and so forth. And he PBUH gave large gifts to Muawiyah the son of Abu Sufyan, and to the full brother of Abu Jahal, al-Harith ibn Hisham. So basically, many of the dignitaries of the Quraysh go back with fortunes. Perhaps up to 60-70 people were given massive fortunes. And all of the Muhajirun as well were given some of the shares (but not as big as 100 camels). The one group that was left completely untouched was the Ansar:
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The Status of the Ansar
The one group that was left completely untouched was the Ansar. Not a single penny, out of the big share, was given to them. (Note: But out of the regular, smaller share, that is a different story). And human nature kicked in, so some of the younger sahaba of the Ansar began murmuring (the narrations clearly mention it was the younger ones). They say, "When there is war, we are told to come, but when there is booty and money, we are nowhere to be found." Another said, "May Allah forgive Rasulullah, he gives to the Quraysh and leaves us, even as our swords are still dripping with their blood." So it's human nature; money is money — you see people getting fortunes and you think they are enemies of Allah, and yet they go with the fortune but you are left with nothing — so the younger sahaba murmured. Until finally, Sa'd ibn Ubadah, the senior of the Ansar, kindly requested an audience with the Prophet PBUH to talk to the Ansar — and he hinted that there were problems within the group. The Prophet PBUH asks him, "Where do you find yourself?" Sa'd says, "I am one of my people." (Subhan'Allah, deep down inside, he also has that desire; he is a human — but he does not complain. He goes to the Prophet PBUH to solve the problem and not to complain. This shows us the Iman of Sa'd.) So the Prophet PBUH tells him, "Bring all of the Ansar, and make sure no one is in the tent except the Ansar."
So they crammed until there was *no* space at all. And people are outside listening in from the Ansar. And the Prophet PBUH gave one of the most powerful, moving lectures ever to the Ansar. Full of praise of the Ansar. One of the most powerful lectures in the seerah. He said, "If all of mankind were to go in one direction and the Ansar in another, I would go with the Ansar." And he said, "Were it not for the Hijrah, I would be from the Ansar." And then he said, "I give to some people because I fear for their greed and desires; and I don't give to others because I trust what Allah has given in their hearts (i.e., the fortune of Iman) is more than what I can give them." And he continued, "The Quraysh is still new to Islam, and I wish to comfort them by bringing them close to me." And he said, "O Allah, have mercy on the Ansar, and the children of the Ansar, and the children of the children of the Ansar." And he said at the end a line that shook them to their core and the room began to cry until their beards were wet; he said, "Are you not happy that people go back with sheep and camels and goats, but you go back home with the Messenger of Allah?" So they began to cry so much and said, "We are content with Islam and you, ya Rasulullah!" And the Prophet PBUH calmed them down.
This incident really shows us the status of the Ansar. The Prophet PBUH didn't give them a single penny: Why? Because what Allah had given them was more precious than money. And that is why there is a hadith, "Loving the Ansar is a part of Iman, and hating the Ansar is a sign of nifaq."
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Generosity Will Sway the Heart
So the Prophet PBUH took care of the muallafati qulubuhum (مؤلفة قلوبهم). Muallafati qulubuhum are those whose hearts you need to bring close — there are those people whom money sways them. And Safwan ibn Umayyah is a prime example. This is when he converted to Islam. Right now when the Prophet PBUH gives him 100 camels. Because he realizes it's not possible for the Prophet PBUH to be a man of this world, i.e., a man who wants this world. (And subhan'Allah, by the time the Prophet PBUH was done handing out fortune after fortune, not one single penny went into his pocket — it's humanly impossible for anybody to live like this. It's a sign that he is a true prophet.) And Safwan later said, "Wallahi, the Prophet PBUH was the most despised to me. But he continued to give and give and give until he became the most beloved to me." It's human nature that such generosity will sway the heart.
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"Ya Rasulullah, I Will Never Ask Anybody for Any Money After This"
Hakim ibn Hizam, who converted at the Conquest of Makkah, also got a mini-fortune. And this is free money, so he said, "Give me some more," and the Prophet PBUH gave it. And again he said, "Give me some more," so the Prophet PBUH gave him some more. Three times this happened. And the fourth time, the Prophet PBUH said, "O Hakim, this money is sweet, luscious, and green. And whoever takes it with an open and generous heart, Allah will give him blessings. But whoever takes it wanting more out of greed, this is like the one who eats and is never satisfied (an Arabic saying which means the one who keeps on wanting and never is satisfied with what he has). Allah will put you in charge to see what you are doing with your money," meaning every money you have, you have to answer for on the Day of Judgment. We are accountable for everything. When Hakim heard this, he said, "Ya Rasulullah, I will never ask anybody for any money after this." And subhan'Allah, for the rest of his life —and he lived a long life (d. 54 AH)— he never once asked anybody for anything. This hadith really shook him.
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Bedouins Convert For Money
And it was at this time that the converts began flooding in from the Bedouin tribes. Why? Because people just wanted money, money, money. That's why they were converting. And we have at least 6 or 7 incidents of people asking for money. Of them is the chieftain of the Bedouin who comes and grabs the Prophet PBUH by the collar, yanks his collar, and says, "Give me some of this money that you are giving to others." So the Prophet PBUH smiled and said [to the sahaba in charge of distributing], "Give him some."
In one occasion, the Prophet PBUH was surrounded by Bedouins begging for money until his back was against a thorny bush, and his upper garment became stuck. This was at the very end when the money had all been finished. And understandably, our Prophet PBUH became slightly frustrated and said, "Return my garment to me, for wallahi, if I had as many camels as the shrubs around us, you would have found me to give the last one of them to you. I would not keep anything for myself, and you would have found me to be a generous person, not stingy or miserly."
It is also here the famous incident occurs:
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The Beginning of Ultra-Fanaticism
It is also here the famous incident occurs —which is a theological tangent— where the beginnings of ultra-fanaticism/kharijite-mentality come into play. This is when a man with a straggly beard and large forehead came to the Prophet PBUH and said, "Ya Muhammad"—and you do not address the Prophet PBUH by his first name, but he did— and he said, "Be fair in this money," meaning, "You are not giving me as much as I deserve." The Prophet PBUH responded, "Woe to you. Who will be just if I am not just on this earth?" But the man said, "This is a distribution that you are not doing for the sake of Allah." The Prophet PBUH said, "Will you not trust me when the One who is in the heavens trusts me?" After this, the man basically harshly walked away — and this is truly kufr, which is why Umar asked to execute him. But the Prophet PBUH refused and said, "Woe to me if the people start saying I kill my own Companions." And then he PBUH said the famous statement, "From his ilk will come a group of people that will recite the Quran but it will not leave their throats (i.e., they won't understand what they recite). And you will think their salah is better than your salah, and their zakat is better than your zakat, and their actions of worship are better than your actions of worship; yet they will leave Islam like an arrow leaves the target once it has hit it." And he PBUH said, "These people are the worst of people"—and in one version, the word "khawarij" is used (but Allah knows best if this version is sahih or not). In any case, the name kharijites eventually was called to them —and these were the ultra-fanatics— and we still have them around to this day, where quite literally they will kill innocent people and yet they still pray tahajjud and read the Quran and whatnot. Killing people is no issue to them, but they are very careful with the food they eat and whatnot. [Meaning they limit religiosity only to rituals, and they have no respect for the sanctity of human life. Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak [عبد الله بن المبارك] [d. 181 AH] said, "It is dangerous when a person has religion but not character, because that means they are either hypocrites or they have misunderstood the religion — otherwise, what they know of the religion would rectify their character."] So it's a fanatic mentality — and many of us are aware of these types of people (or some of us have dealt with them in the past). And the Prophet PBUH said these types of people will continue to exist until the Day of Judgment — and the man was the prototype; he literally thinks he is more righteous than the Prophet PBUH. He thinks he is holier than Rasulullah, saying, "You aren't just in handing out money; I can do a better job." Think about that. And that's exactly the type of mentality that exists in the ultra-fanatics of our times.
One of the interesting things: When the Bedouins come to the Prophet PBUH and they are harsh with him, sometimes he PBUH is gentle with them and other times he PBUH is slightly irritated, but he PBUH never gets genuinely angry. But when this guy came, he PBUH did. Why? Because it's not just rudeness anymore; it's theological now — you cannot challenge the status of the Messenger of Allah PBUH. You cannot accuse him of not being sincere. It's not personal anymore; it's theological. The line was crossed. The Bedouin comes, yanks him PBUH, and says, "Give me money" — okay — the Prophet PBUH knows this is just greed, so he overlooked it and was gentle. The Bedouins surrounded him and asked, "Money! Money! Money!" he got a little irritated and said, "If I had, I would give" — but still nothing really major. But then this guy comes and accuses him PBUH of basically not being a just prophet — you cannot allow this to go. When the status and sanctity of the Prophet PBUH is challenged, you cannot overlook it. Therefore, the Prophet PBUH said, "Woe to you. If I am not going to be just, who is going to be just in this world?"—he is not defending himself; he is defending the wisdom of Allah SWT choosing him to be a prophet. It's not a personal issue — it's an issue of Allah choosing an appropriate person to be His Messenger. When you challenge the Prophet's PBUH status, you are challenging Allah's wisdom. And this is why the Prophet PBUH says, "The one in the heavens has trusted me, will you not trust me?" And notice when Umar RA said, "Let me execute him" —yes, the Prophet PBUH forbade Umar from doing this, but— did he PBUH defend the man's honor by saying, "He has some good in him," etc.? No. So why was he not executed? For the greater good of the community (i.e., maslaha). Not because he had any legitimate excuse. Recall Hatib [see episode 77], when he sent the letter to the Quraysh before the Conquest, the Prophet PBUH defended him and said, "He was a Badri," etc. But this man, the Prophet PBUH did not defend him at all — because he had crossed the line, which is to mock the maqam al-nubuwwah (مقام النبوة - status of prophethood). Challenging the maqam al-nubuwwah is something that cannot emanate from the heart of even the slightest bit of Iman.
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Maslaha in Islam
Notice the reason the Prophet PBUH didn't execute the man, what was it for? For the PR of the ummah. There are some amongst us who say, "I don't care what anybody says!" But this incident clearly shows the concept of PR exists in our religion — you have to think of the broader image. This is exactly what the Prophet PBUH said, "Let not the people say I kill my own Companions." In our religion, there is something called maslaha: the greater good of the community. So sometimes, a good course of action is avoided for the greater good of the community. Indeed, perhaps this man's penalty was death, but for the greater good of the community, the Prophet PBUH overlooked it. Because those who spread rumors will say, "He kills his own people"—they will misinterpret it or twist it.
There are many evidences of maslaha. Another famous example is that, after this, when the Prophet PBUH returns to Makkah, he PBUH complains to Aisha RA that the Quraysh have not built the Ka'bah upon the proper foundation [it was supposed to be a rectangle, not a square — see episode 9], so he said, "Look at what your people have done." Aisha RA replied, "Why don't you just rebuild it upon the foundation of Ibrahim (rectangular)?" But the Prophet PBUH said, "Because your people are brand new Muslims — Iman is still fresh. So destroying the Ka'bah and rebuilding it will be difficult for them." This is called maslaha. And because the Prophet PBUH left it, it remained that way for 14 centuries — except for 9 years in the time of Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr who rebuilt it on the foundations of Ibrahim AS [64 AH], until Hajjaj ibn Yusuf broke it down and rebuilt it into a square [73 AH]. And when the next khalifa came, he asked Imam Malik, "Should I break it down and bring it back as according to the hadith?" But Imam Malik said, "No. I don't want the Ka'bah to become a toy for the khalifas that they come along and do what they want with it." This is the fiqh of Imam Malik: Ideally, it should be a rectangle upon the foundations of Ibrahim AS —this is what the Prophet PBUH wanted— but he realized it would cause too much fitna, so he just let it be. This is also maslaha. [See also: episode 55.]
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The Hawazin Finally Come to Embrace Islam
As we said, the Prophet PBUH waited for the Hawazin to come for nearly a month, but they didn't come; so eventually, he PBUH distributed everything. But lo and behold, after everything had been distributed, they came and embraced Islam hoping it was still not too late to get all their property and wealth back. The Prophet PBUH said, "It's too late now. But choose between your wealth and your families; let's see what I can do for you." They said, "Of course our families." So the Prophet PBUH said, "Okay, this is what we will do: After Salat al-Zuhr tomorrow, you will stand up in front of all of the people and ask to have your families given back to you. And ask intercession from me for the Muslims."
Explanation: The prisoners of war have now been taken by the sahaba, and their ransom is worth a lot of money. So the Prophet PBUH is saying to the Hawazin to choose one out of wealth and families since he can't ask the sahaba to give everything back; and the Hawazin obviously choose their families. And the goal is to get the families released without any money, but that is a lot of money to give up. So the Prophet PBUH is basically saying to the Hawazin, "Let's try to rely on the generosity of the Muslims"—he doesn't want to force the sahaba because they did wait, so it's fair and square. So now he PBUH says to the Hawazin, "After Salat al-Zuhr tomorrow, stand up and ask, 'Ya Rasulullah, we ask you to be our intercessor for all of the Muslims to give our families back. And O Muslims, you as well intercede with Rasulullah to give our families back.'"
So they did as they were told. And the Prophet PBUH stood up and said, "As for the prisoners in the Banu Abdul Muttalib (i.e., my tribe), I am in charge of them. So all of them are yours. Take them." This of course is a sign to the other leaders to stand up and start giving their prisoners up as well. And this is exactly what happened. Every one of the Quraysh leaders stood up and said, "As for the ones in mine, they are for you, ya Rasulullah." So each tribe gives up their prisoners, except for some new Muslim Bedouin tribes. They said, "No, we won't give them for free; you can purchase them from us." So the Prophet PBUH said, "Okay, I will take charge of this. I don't have money now, but as soon as the next wealth comes, you will have the first share." And so all of the families were returned back to the Hawazin. Most tribes gave the families back for free, but some Bedouin tribes wanted money, so the Prophet PBUH took care of that, so in the end, the Hawazin got all their families back (and not their property/wealth).
So they did as they were told. And the Prophet PBUH stood up and said, "As for the prisoners in the Banu Abdul Muttalib (i.e., my tribe), I am in charge of them. So all of them are yours. Take them." This of course is a sign to the other leaders to stand up and start giving their prisoners up as well. And this is exactly what happened. Every one of the Quraysh leaders stood up and said, "As for the ones in mine, they are for you, ya Rasulullah." So each tribe gives up their prisoners, except for some new Muslim Bedouin tribes. They said, "No, we won't give them for free; you can purchase them from us." So the Prophet PBUH said, "Okay, I will take charge of this. I don't have money now, but as soon as the next wealth comes, you will have the first share." And so all of the families were returned back to the Hawazin. Most tribes gave the families back for free, but some Bedouin tribes wanted money, so the Prophet PBUH took care of that, so in the end, the Hawazin got all their families back (and not their property/wealth).
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Performing Umrah
On the way back to Makkah from Ta'if, when the Prophet PBUH is camped at Ji'ranah, this is where he wears his ihram. He then made his way back to Makkah and did Umrah for the third time in his life. We consider the Prophet PBUH to have done four Umrahs in his lifetime. Three real, one reward only:
i) As for the reward-only Umrah, it's the Umrah of Hudaybiyyah — he PBUH didn't physically do it, but Allah gave him the reward [see explanation in episode 72].
ii) The second is Umrah al-Qada [the next year after Hudaybiyyah — see episode 72].
iii) Then the third is this Umrah from Ji'ranah. (And notice, when the Prophet PBUH conquered Makkah, he did not do Umrah. Why? Because he came as a military conqueror — and even all the sahaba were wearing full armor. So for 19 days, he did not do an Umrah — he did lots of tawaf and lots of nafl, but no Umrah. He went to Hunayn, went to Ta'if, came back to Ji'ranah, distributed the booty, and only then did he go back to Makkah wearing the ihram and did Umrah.)
iv) The fourth and final Umrah is the one he did in the Hajj [see episode 100] — he did a Hajj al-Qiran (i.e., he did Umrah and Hajj together in one ihram).
So the Prophet PBUH did four Umrahs in total (one of them is reward only).
And the sunnah is to do Umrah when you enter Makkah [i.e., do only one Umrah per entry to Makkah], and not to go to Makkah and do multiple Umrahs. Our Prophet PBUH and the senior sahaba never did multiple Umrahs at once, unlike what some of us do in our times (they go to Tan'im and come back and so on). But is it wrong to do multiple Umrahs at once? No, it's not wrong. Is it haram? No, it's not haram. Is it bid'ah? No, it's not bid'ah. But the ultimate sunnah is to do Umrah only once when you enter Makkah.
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One final point: Eventually, the tribe of Thaqif accepted Islam the next year, as we will discuss [see episode 95].
[Transcribed by Br. Safwan Khan & Faizan]
safwan-khan@hotmail.com
[Revised by Br. Syed Haq & MAR, July 2022]
[Revised by Br. Syed Haq & MAR, July 2022]
