THE RESOUNDING VICTORY of the Muslims over the Quraysh and the ever increasing conversions to Islam frightened the enemies of Islam out of their senses. They made another attempt, as a last resort, to check the fast growing power and popularity of Islam but their effort was no more than lashing the waves in vain expectation.
ASSEMBLAGE OF HAWĀZIN
The Hawāzin were the old enemies of the Quraysh. They regarded themselves as their rivals in power and prestige. The submission of the Quraysh to the rising power of Islam had made them the undisputed champions of paganism. Now they began to harbour hopes of winning the laurels by bringing the Muslims to their knees. They saw a godsend opportunity to build up their fame on the declining prestige of the Quraysh.
The Hawāzin chief, Mālik ibn Awf an-Nasrī, declared war against the Muslims which was seconded by several other tribes like Thaqīf, Nasr, Jusham and Sa’d ibn Bakr. Two clans of Hawāzin, the Ka’b and Kilāb, kept away from Mālik ibn Awf, but the rest of the confederacy marshalled its forces to descend on the Prophet. They also took their cattle, women and children, staking everything on the battle, in order to ensure that everyone would fight to the last and that no one would think of taking to his heels.
An old veteran Durayd ibn as-Simmah, who was considered wise in the art of warfare, also accompanied the Hawāzin army which made camp at Awṭās.[1] Their camp resounded with the groaning of camels and the braying of asses and the bleating of the sheep and goats and the crying of children. Malik instructed his men: “Break your scabbards as soon as the Muslims are in sight and then attack them as one man.”[2]
The Apostle had with him two thousand Makkans, some of whom were recent converts while others had yet to accept Islam, along with the ten thousand troops he had brought from Madinah. This was thus the strongest force mobilised so far to defend the honour of Islam. The Muslims were, naturally, overconfident because of their great strength while some even exultantly boasted that they could not be defeated now for want of numbers.[3]
The Apostle obtained on credit, on this occasion, some coats of mail and arms from Şafwân ibn Umayyah although he was still a polytheist.[4]
NOT A SIGN OF IDOLATRY
The people of Makkah who had joined the Apostle in this battle were fresh from paganism. In the days of pagan past, some tribes of Arabia would venerate a great green tree known as Dhât-Anwât, under which they stayed for a day, suspended their weapon to its branches and offered sacrifices beneath it. When these men were going with the army they happened to pass by a big shady tree that reminded them of past fetishism. They immediately requested the Apostle: “Make us a tree as they used to have Dhât-Anwât, O Messenger of Allāh.” The Prophet replied, “God is Great! By Him who holds my life in His hands, you say what the people of Moses said to him: ‘Make for us a god even as they have gods. He (Moses) said: ‘You are a people, who know not!”[5] The Apostle then added, “Verily, you will follow every custom of the people before you.”[6]
IN THE WADI OF HUNAYN
It was the 10th of Shawwal, 8 AH, when the Muslim army reached Hunayn, descending the wadi in morning twilight, the enemy had already taken its position in the glens and hollows and craters, of the valley. Hawāzin were celebrated archers. A volley of arrows was all that the Muslims saw of the enemy, and then suddenly the enemy followed up the attack with full force.[7]
The sudden onslaught forced the Muslim flanks to fall back and they fled in terror, none heeding the other. The battle had taken a dangerous turn: a complete rout of the Muslims was in sight without any possibility of an orderly retreat or rallying of their forces again. Like at Uḥud, when the rumour of the Apostle’s death had disheartened the Muslims, the troops were once more driven to despair in Hunayn by a similar misgiving.
RIFT WITHIN THE LUTE
Some of the rude fellows from Makkah who had joined the Muslim army but were still not strong in faith started talking in a way that showed their antipathy to Islam. One said, “Their fight will not stop before they get to the sea.” Another man remarked, “The spell of their sorcery has ended today.”[8]
VICTORY AND PEACE OF GOD
The Muslims had to suffer this defeat after the brilliant victory of Makkah as if by way of punishment for their reliance on numbers instead of the succour of God. Their faith needed to be strengthened by a misadventure for they had to learn the lesson that both victory and defeat came from God; neither should the one make man exultant nor the other despondent. The Muslims were all over with their trepidation when the peace of God appeared to be descending on them and the Apostle. The Prophet had all the while stood firm on his place, riding his white mule, without any fear or fidgets. Only a few of the Anṣār and Mūhājirīn or his relatives were then with him. ‘Abbās ibn ‘Abd al-Mutṭalib was holding the bridle of his mule while God’s Apostle was calling aloud:
Verily, I am the Prophet without falsehood!
I am son of ‘Abd al-Mutṭalib![9]
In the meantime a detachment of the enemy advanced towards him. The Prophet took a handful of dust and threw it into their eyes. When the Apostle saw his men in confusion, he said, “‘Abbās call out, O Anṣār, O comrades of the acacia tree.”[10] All those who heard the cry, responded, “Here are we.” ‘Abbās had a loud voice. Whoever heard him calling got off from his camel and came to the Apostle. When a sufficient number of men had gathered, they bore down upon the enemy. A combat between the two parties started afresh. The Apostle then took to a height along with some of his Companions. He saw the two sides clashing with one another. He said, “Now the battle has grown hot.”[11] He threw a few pebbles on the enemy. Abbās relates that he saw the enemy becoming slack thereafter and losing the day to the Muslims.[12]
Both the armies fought bravely. However, before all those Muslims who had fled had come back, the enemy was discomfited and a party of bound persons was brought before the Apostle.[13] Allāh helped the Apostle with the hosts of heaven to win the day and brought Hawāzin to their knees.[14]
Allāh has given you victory on many fields and on the day of Hunayn, when you exulted in your multitude but it availed you not, and the earth, vast as it is, was straitened for you; then you turned back in flight. Then Allāh sent His Peace of reassurance down upon His messenger and upon the believers, and sent down hosts you could not see, and punished those who disbelieved. Such is the reward of disbelievers.[15]
THE LAST ENCOUNTER
The bitterness and rancour borne by the pagans against Islam melted away after the battle of Hunayn. The last stronghold of paganism was toppled in this battle and no formidable opponent of Islam remained in Arabia. The remaining tribes streamed to Madinah from every part of Arabia to put their trust in Allāh and His Apostle.
IN AWṬĀS
A group of the enemy put to rout fled to Tā’if and shut the gates of the city. The chief of Hawāzin, Mālik ibn Awf, was also with them. A detachment sent by the Apostle under Abū ‘Âmir al-Ash’ari overtook another party of the enemy encamped at Awṭās, engaged it in a fight and routed it completely.[16] When the captives and spoils of Hunayn were brought to the Apostle he ordered them to be taken to J’i’irrānah[17] and kept in custody there.[18]
The captives of Hunayn numbered six thousand. The spoils included twenty-four thousand camels, forty thousand or more goats and four thousand tajiyyah of silver. This was the largest spoil that had fallen so far into the hands of the Muslims.
The Apostle had given orders to the troops, before the battle started, not to raise their hands against women, children, men hired for non-combatant purposes and the slaves. A woman was, however, killed in the battle. The Apostle expressed regret when the matter was brought to his notice.[19]
***
[1] A wadi near Tā'if, in the territory of Hawāzin, where the battle of Hunayn was fought.
[2] Ibn Hishâm, vol. II. pp. 437–39.
[3] Tafsir Tabari, vol. X, pp. 63–64.
[4] Ibn Hishâm, vol. II. p. 440.
[5] Qur’ān 7:38.
[6] Ibn Hishâm, vol. II. p. 442.
[7] Ibid., pp. 442–43
[8] Ibn Hishâm, vol. II. pp. 442–44.
[9] According to Bukhāri Abū Sufyān ibn Al-Hārith was holding the bridle.
[10] A reference to the Companions who had taken the pledge of Riḍwān at Hudaybiyyah.
[11] Ibn Hishâm, vol. II. p. 445.
[12] Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim.
[13] Ibn Hishâm, vol. II. p. 445.
[14] Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: Kitāb al-Jihād, Ghazwah Hunayn.
[15] Qur’ān 9:25–26.
[16] Ibn Kathir, vol. III. p. 460.
[17] A stopover on the road leading north-east from Makkah to Tā’if. It is a distance of more than 20 kilometres, and is outside the Haram.
[18] Ibn Hishām, vol. II. p. 459.
[19] Ibn Kathir, vol. III. p. 638.
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